Let’s not forget war memorials (From Blackpool Citizen)

Let’s not forget war memorials

5:23pm Friday 14th November 2008

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I can tell the future. After Remembrance Sunday at the weekend, your newspaper will receive letters from those who attended services about how proceedings were marred by the state of the war memorial around which they were gathered.

Will the same be true in ten years’ time when, on and around November 11 2018, we come to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice?

Here’s another prediction: on the run-up to that centenary there will be a surge of interest in the First World War generated by the media.

There will be a plethora of commemorative events, special features and of course outdoor services.

However, will the sorry and decaying state of many of our nation’s war memorials be overlooked? I hope not.

Praise must be given to the work of the War Memorials’ Trust and others who strive to restore this part of our heritage, but this only scratches the surface of the problem.

The callous reality is that the question comes down to money. We need a fundamental re-think about how we maintain our war memorials.

In ten years’ time, let’s remember our war dead against a backdrop of pristine, structurally sound (or at the very least, readable) war memorials across the nation.

I have recently formulated some ideas about how this might be achieved and am willing to share these with anyone interested. Please e-mail me at ray56thompson@tiscali.co.uk.

Ray Thompson Via email

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