The National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield, which comprises 150 acres of trees and memorials, including the striking Armed Forces Memorial, has unveiled a special winter promotion.
Up until the end of Easter, visitors to the Arboretum, which is free to enter at all times, will also be able to park without charge, enjoy tea and coffee at £1 per cup and during the first week of February get 10 per cent off any book in the gift shop’s extensive range.
Since the dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial by HM The Queen in October 2007, the Arboretum has become a national focal point for remembrance. It welcomed over 300,000 visitors in its last financial year, mostly over the summer months.
During the winter, the Arboretum transforms into a haven of peace and tranquillity, allowing visitors the time and space to tour the extensive parkland and absorb themselves in the historical background of the memorials.
The cosy, licensed restaurant, which enjoys views across much of the Arboretum, provides a welcome respite from the chill and a chance to enjoy a selection of hearty meals and light snacks.
Visitors are encouraged to browse the extensive shop which sells a wide variety of gifts and other branded items. A large number of books are stocked, including many military histories and recollections of war time experiences. [See our shop manager’s pick below].
Shop Manager’s Pick
World War II – A Military History by Alan Warren. With the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II falling this September, this book authoritatively chronicles its most decisive battles. From Stalingrad to Normandy to the Fall of Berlin, this weighty tome offers a fascinating narrative of this defining period in world history.
The Blockade Breakers – The Berlin Airlift by Helena Schrader. The Arboretum will this year commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift – the world’s largest and most ambitious airlift. Schrader’s book explores how the West responded to the Soviet Union’s dramatic blockading of the Western Sectors of Berlin and how over the course of the following year they ensured the survival of two million desperate residents.
The Happiness Box by David Griffin. Several thousand children visit the Arboretum every year and for them, David Griffin’s illustrated tales about a lizard, monkey and frog that inhabit the jungles of Malaya is a perennial favourite. The story about the book, written by Griffiths in 1942 while imprisoned in Singapore, is as heart-warming as the story itself. He intended it as a morale-boosting present for children who were living, along with their parents, in the same grim jail.
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