Stopping to remember those killed in the Manchester Arena attack

A minute’s silence was observed to remember the 22 people who died.

In Bolton town centre people gathered in Victoria Square and observed an informal silence as the fountains and piped music stopped.

Pupils at a Halliwell primary school marked the anniversary of the arena attack in a unique way.

Mixing the current pebble-painting craze with the bee emblem that was so prominent in the aftermath of the attack, St Thomas’ CE Primary School pupils have been created a bee out of pebbles.

A total of 370 pebbles, each hand-painted by the pupils, have been used to create a bee in the playground of the school in Eskrick Street.

Headteacher Abigail Fielden said: “We have created a huge Manchester bee in our school playground and the children have been thinking about the children that lost their lives.

“Over the past week we have been creating their own pebbles with the Manchester bee on and each class has been going out in turns to place them on the bee.”

Throughout last week the pupils worked on their bees and took part in work to remember those who lost their lives and their families. A number of prayers have been put up on walls around the school.

Mrs Fielden said: “During the last week we have had reflection and prayer time while we think about the people who died and remembering the courage of the emergency services and the way Manchester responded.”

The pebbles were donated to the school by building suppliers Marshalls.

In Manchester city centre some of the hundred injured in the explosion and the families of those killed, attended a service at Manchester Cathedral alongside the Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Before the cathedral fell into silence, the Dean of Manchester, Rogers Govender, said: “In this service we come together as people of different faiths and none, as we remember with love before God those whose lives were lost, and those whose lives have been changed forever and have to live with the terrible memories of that day 12 months ago.

“There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge between them is love: the only survival, the only meaning.”

Outside, well-wishers laid floral bouquets and cards in the city’s St Ann’s Square, which became a focal point for mourners.

Thousands of messages of support have been attached by the public to 28 Japanese maple trees which form the Trees of Hope trail from the square to Victoria railway and tram station.

The day’s events concluded with bells ringing at exactly 10.31pm, from Manchester Town Hall, St Ann’s Church and St Mary’s RC Church, to mark exactly a year since the attack.