A REGULAR event to celebrate the life of Oswestry’s war poet Wilfred Owen, using instruments made and named in his honour, could be backed by councillors.

Oswestry town councillors backed a request from Edinburgh-based Steve Burnett, via campaigner Chris Woods from the town, to take ownership of a violin and other instruments forming the ‘Wilfred Owen Suite’.

The violin was made from a branch of a sycamore tree from the garden of what was Craiglockhart where Wilfred recovered and met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon.

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Councillors met last Wednesday to consider the request – just days before the 131st anniversary of Wilfred’s birth on Monday, March 18 – and all were in favour of the request.

A letter sent to councillors from Mr Woods set out the offer from Mr Burnett, who said: “I would like to offer/donate these five instruments to Oswestry the town of Wilfred Owen’s birth which seems like obvious home for them.

“It would be a great honour if Oswestry were to accept my offer.

“I would not be expecting any payment at all for these instruments, but it would be important to me that they were kept together as a collection within an allocated building in Oswestry.”

Following that request, Mr Woods proposed an ‘acceptance event’ where the instruments will be played and added there would be costs for transportation and insurance.

He added: “I have always felt that Oswestry had never really grasped the importance of Wilfred Owen being born in the town with all the cultural and economic benefits through tourism that this could bring.

“I think that with the commissioning of the statue and the centenary events that took place this has now changed,.

There is no doubt that visitors do come to the town because of the Wilfred Owen connection.”

Mr Woods, who spoke in the public section of the meeting, also called for an annual Wilfred Owen event.

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The idea as well as the request to take the instruments, was given unanimous support by councillors with Mark Jones stating: “It’s a good proposal and we can do more with Wilfred Owen and display his life in the town.

Cllr Jonathan Upton added: “The more we can do to enhance Oswestry’s second most famous person behind King Oswald and the idea of putting on an event is welcome as well.”

Town clerk Arren Roberts told the meeting that while there is not currently a budget for an event, it has support and can be created.