Hexham Abbey’s angel installation was lit up blue on Monday to honour the NHS.

Monday, July 5, was NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day and the abbey not only marked it by lighting its exhibition of paper angels blue, but also ringing out 73 bells to mark the number of years since the NHS was created.

Cath Newson, fundraising manager at Hexham Abbey said: “Obviously, we wanted to mark the NHS’s birthday this week. On the whole, the installation really seems to have resonated with people and those who have visited the abbey have been quite moved.

"It’s done what we wanted it to do, not only as a commemoration of the pandemic, but also as a space to reflect and remember people who we’ve lost in the last year.”

Events were held throughout the day nationwide to recognise the efforts of frontline workers.