At noon today, residents and passers-by will again be able to catch local bagpiper Graeme Glass perform on the one-lane Edith Cavell Bridge, paying his respects.
Back in 2020, during the first Covid lockdown, Glass played his pipes outside his house to help entertain his neighbours every second day.
Given New Zealand was still in lockdown for Anzac Day, 2020, one of his neighbours suggested he play The Last Post that year — an idea he picked up and ran with.
To his surprise, other residents gathered to watch, and paid their respects — albeit socially distanced.
And every year since, he’s returned to the bridge on April 25.
His one-man show’s now officially been recognised by Queenstown’s council as an official Anzac Day service, with traffic management involved to temporarily stop cars so Glass can walk across the bridge while he’s playing.
Appropriately, he’ll be piping The Lament for Edith Cavell during today’s walk.
The bridge takes its name from the British nurse who, during World War 1, treated wounded soldiers from both sides, and helped about 200 Allied soldiers escape Belgium.
Once the German government found out, she was sentenced to death, and executed on October 12, 1915.
Glass says once he’s walked across the bridge, he’ll pipe the New Zealand national anthem and play The Last Post to finish up.
Last year’s service attracted about 100 people.
— OLIVIA JUDD
