Glasgow City Chambers in Lights Out to mark Centenary
Friday 1 August 2014
Glasgow City Chambers is taking part in a UK-wide event asking everyone to turn their lights off to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The chambers, which is the headquarters of Glasgow City Council, will turn off its lights between 10pm and 11pm on Monday 4 August 2014 leaving only a single light on in a window overlooking George Square.
The Lights Out project aims to commemorate the time, a 100 year ago, when the United Kingdom entered the war.
Glasgow City Council now joins various diverse organisations supporting the Lights Out initiative , from War Horse to Tower Bridge London, from the Football Association to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Scotland Office in Edinburgh.
The initiative has been inspired by the words of wartime foreign secretary Sir Edward Grey, who said on the eve of war said: "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our life-time."
At the same time a candle-lit vigil will take palace at Westminster Abbey, London on the same evening and will be mirrored in churches and Cathedrals around the UK.
At Glasgow Cathedral at 10pm a vigil service is being held and will be timed to coincide with the Westminster Abbey event. At 11pm, exactly 100 years to the day and time that the UK declared war in 1914, the Glasgow service will finish with the final extinguishing of the last candle to mirror the London event.
The organisers of the Lights Out initiative hope it will allow members of the public to unite in a symbolic act of reflection to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
People can take part in whatever way they choose, marking the centenary either individually or by attending one of the many events being organised around the country for a collective experience.
The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Councillor Sadie Docherty, who is leading the city's First World War commemorations and project, said: "Glasgow City Council felt it was very important to take part in the Lights Out event. We hope that this highly symbolic gesture will allow everyone in our city, to remember their fellow citizens who took part in the First World War.
"Some 18,000 Glaswegians never returned from the war and Glasgow like towns and city the length and breath of countries throughout the world were never the same again.
"Lights Out is also an opportunity for us to engage with our young people, as we have done through our www.firstworldwarglasgow.co.uk website, to ensure that Glasgow's first world war stories are passed on and remembered as a living legacy for future Glaswegians."
The initiative is also being backed by personalities such as broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, models Twiggy and David Gandy, and gymnast Louis Smith.
Earlier on the August 4th, Glasgow will take part in the UK Government's programme of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Britain's entry into the First World War.
Some public tickets for the wreath laying ceremony in George Square on 4 August are still available. They will be limited availability of these tickets, which are on a first come basis, at the reception of the City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow. Unless you have a ticket you will have no access to George Square.
