Criccieth - Mural in the foyer of the Memorial Hall by Ffion Gwyn.
PEACE 1918-2018.
Armistice at last. The end of the Great War brought celebrations to greet the soldiers home to their towns, communities and homes. They step out of the tumult of the train at last, into the welcoming arms of their families. In the throng are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, wives, brothers and sisters, grandparents and bosom friends, all seeking to embrace loved ones with whispered, gentle greetings. A father grasps a message from the battle front and a white dove's feather clutched in a child's hand now conveys a message of hope for a better future. Despite the celebrations, the bright rays of the sun overhead fail to reach everyone on the platform - what about those who experienced sorrow, heartbreak, anger and loss? We see sadness and compassion deep in someone's eyes and deep shadows beneath the station's canopy- further reminders of mixed emotions. At the far end of the station a fading Welsh recruitment poster is an uncomfortable reminder of earlier expectations. On such a fair afternoon the castle walls stand firm against the horizon, a white dove above spreading its wings on a warm breeze; symbolic of a settled peace and a new beginning. Many of the sentiments expressed above were encapsulated in a moving Welsh poem by T. E. Nicholas, 'Niclas y Glais', in his verse collection, 'Cerddi Rhyddid', Songs of Freedom.