Visitors have come from Rochdale, Manchester & Warrington to see the exhibtion which is being hosted in The Horrocks Gallery on the 4th Floor of the Spinners Mill in Leigh.
Mr Victor Wilura, from Rochdale said: "I came to Leigh Town Hall & Wigan Town Hall on Holocaust Memorial Day for the Commemoration Ceremonies. They were so moving I decided I would come back 3 days later to see the Exhibition talked about in the services. Jean showed me around each installation & made me feel most welcome. I found it to be very.very interesting indeed. Thoughtful and moving. Beautifully created by the children, Jean & her volunteer helpers".
Jean added: "We had school visits from Byrchall High School & St. Oswald`s Catholic Primary who both had "Candle-holders" in the exhibition. The Nelson Family from Ashton-In-Makerfield came on Saturday as their daughter, who had created a ROSE art-work, wanted to see it in the Gallery Space. Grandparents & Parents made the trip to see it and were not disappointed".
Mr Nelson wrote in the Visitors` Book: "We were honoured to be able to come to this beautiful exhibition. The passion and love that has gone into it shines through as a lasting memory to a tragic past. Thank you for keeping the candle shining".
Mrs. C. Williamson, Head of Faculty for Expressive Arts, at Byrchall High School added: "Students from years 7 to 10 recently participated in the HMD 80 Candleholder Project organised by HMD & shared with us by Mrs. Hensey-Reynard. Together we decided to focus on the remarkable story of Sir Ben Helfgott (RIP). Students engaged & explored his childhood experiences during the war & his Olympic achievements. To culminate their studies and to see their Candleholder in the exhibition, the students visited The Horrocks Gallery at Spinners Mill, Leigh. The project not only enhanced their historical knowledge but also deepened their understanding of resilience and the impact of history on contemporary society".
One of the Byrchall students wrote in the White Rose/Candle Template: "To improve the future we must first acknowledge the past. I now feel more educated having visited the exhibition on genocides like The Holocaust & I learned more about the 30tieth Anniversary of Bosnia from the teacher`s talk and the Memorial on display by Upholland High School. Learning about peoples` experiences has made me more aware about history`s darker side".
The new MP for Makerfield Josh Simons & The Mayor of Wigan Cllr Debbie Parkinson visited the exhibition on subsequent days. Both were very impressed & moved by what they saw & learned, including the detailed research completed by the teachers & pupils in order to make the Candleholders.
Both Dignitaries were happy to sign the Visitors Book with their comments echoing each other that we must continue with our holocaust education across our schools & communities. Mr Simons was shown the "Flame" template of his predessor MP Yvonne Fovargue which was signed at the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. He was honoured to add his thoughts to the 80tieth Candle-flame. He wrote: "I am MP for Makerfield, Wigan. I am proud to represent an area that remembers those killed in the Holocaust. As a Jewish MP, I will always do everything I can to support the wonderful work I see here."
Also, in Parliament MP for Leigh, Jo Platt shared her support for continuing to ensure we teach our young people about what happened during the Holocaust. She commended Jean Hensey-Reynard for her volunteer work across the schools in the borough. She herself has recently visited Yad Vashem in Israel, just like Jean, and it has so moved her that she was happy to lend her support to Jean when she suggested an exhibition in Spinners Mill. For like Jean and, so many others, she concluded: " It is essential that the history of the Holocaust must never be forgotten".
