A survivor's tale

Published on Thursday 23 January 2003 00:00

LORD of the Rings star Billy Boyd has returned to his native Scotland to meet survivors of the Nazi Holocaust.

The actor is to appear at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Monday night as host of the UK Holocaust Memorial ceremony where he will read out testimonies from those who lived through the horror of concentration camps.

And in preparation for the event, Mr Boyd met survivor Eva Clarke at James Gillespie’s High School.

Ms Clarke, 58, was born in Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria three days before it was liberated by the American army. Her mother, who will be 85 in April, also survived despite being put to work in slave labour camps while heavily pregnant.

Ms Clarke and her mother are the only members of their family who survived the Nazi occupation - 15 relatives were killed in total .

Monday’s ceremony will include contributions from city children who have just returned from a visit to Auschwitz.

Home Secretary David Blunkett, First Minister Jack McConnell, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Princess Royal will be among the guests.