National drive needed to repair war memorials

IN a little under seven years’ time, a very special day will dawn; the Centenary of the Armistice which brought the First World War to an end at 11am on November 11, 1918.

This day (it will actually be a Sunday) will be a major occasion; bringing to a conclusion a four-year period during which the war, and the main events within it, will have been marked and during which we may have learned a lot more about those dark years.

To create the ultimate tribute to those who gave so much, we must however turn to the only tangible link we have with those individuals, our war memorials.

The forms in which British war memorials appear go far beyond the familiar stone monoliths and include plaques, gates, bridges, parks and sometimes entire buildings such as village halls and hospitals. After 90 years or so, many now need expert attention.

Serious money, possibly in the form of a National War Memorial Restoration Fund, is needed from the Government to professionally renovate as many of these structures that require it as possible.

I believe that most British taxpayers would give the thumbs up to their money being spent on rejuvenating barely-readable inscriptions, making good crumbling stonework, treating stained metalwork and sprucing up surrounding paths, paving and fencing.

The existing UK National Inventory of War Memorials would be the starting point for a nationally-based assessment of their condition and would reveal the wider picture of the work required and priorities.

Visit www.clean2018.moonfruit.com for more details.