The Rochdale Memorial Gardens, home of the International Asbestos Memorial, was the scene of a short ceremony to recognize work done by the Rochdale Council’s Environmental Services Department and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers on the International Asbestos Memorial. 5,000 crocus bulbs were planted to represent the number of asbestos-related deaths that occur in the United Kingdom each year. The clusters of flowers represent disease clusters that arise in geographical areas of high asbestos exposure. The crocuses are largely white (for remembrance) and purple (for the color of ribbons worn to remember those who have died from occupational disease). The planting is anticipated to be in full bloom for Action Mesothelioma Day in late February. Since the International Asbestos Memorial opened last year, visitors have come from across the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. Rochdale, the city that hosts the asbestos memorial, was the home of the world’s asbestos textile industry.
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