Memorial opens to remember Manchester Arena terror attack victims including South Shields couple Chloe and Liam

A memorial has opened in Manchester to remember the 22 people who were killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack.
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The Glade of Light memorial has officially opened to the public today, Wednesday January, 4 in honour of the the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017.

A white marble “halo” bearing the names of those killed is conceived as a living memorial – a peaceful garden space for remembrance and reflection, which features plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside and have been selected to provide year-round colour and echo the changing seasons.

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The tribute includes personalised memory capsules made by the families of those who lost loved ones and contain mementos and messages that are embedded inside the halo.

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Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. 
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 05

Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 05 Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19 from South Shields were among the 22 people who tragically lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bomb attack on May 22, 2017.

The families of those lost have been given the opportunity to visit privately before the memorial opened.

Around the anniversary every year the white flowers of a hawthorn tree planted at its centre will bloom in the garden which is located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music, at the foot of Fennel Street where it meets Victoria Street.

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Liam Curry and Chloe Rutherford were killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack on May 22, 2017.Liam Curry and Chloe Rutherford were killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack on May 22, 2017.
Liam Curry and Chloe Rutherford were killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack on May 22, 2017.
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An official opening event is planned for spring 2022, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the attack in May.

Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said: “We will never forget those whose lives were lost on 22 May 2017.

“They already had a permanent place in the hearts of Manchester people. Now they have a lasting memorial in the heart of our city.

“The Glade of Light is a beautiful tribute to them and somewhere which will also have profound meaning for everyone affected by the attack.

EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 05

Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. 
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 05

Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 05 Undated handout photo issued by Manchester City Council of The Glade of Light, a memorial to the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack which will officially open to the public from Wednesday. The memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage. Families of those who lost loved ones have been able to make personalised memory capsules, containing mementos and messages, which are embedded inside the halo. Issue date: Wednesday January 5, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story MEMORIAL Arena . Photo credit should read: Mark Waugh/Manchester City Council/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
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“We hope the memorial site will be a place of peace and comfort, standing as a reminder that love is stronger than hate.”

Fences around the site, where work began in March last year, have been taken down for the public to be able to visit the memorial today, Wednesday January 4.

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