19 replies to this topic

[NigelS]

I don't think this has been mentioned previously - apologies if it has.

The Sunday Telegraph has launched a 'Save our War Memorials Campaign': Click with the aims given Here

The opportunity is given to add support 'on-line'; unfortunately this can't be anything other than an opinion poll as no details of the voter are taken, but, never-the-less, certainly worth supporting IMO.

NigelS

[raysearcher]

Hi all

I have Just clicked on the link provided by Nigel and added my Vote

regards Ray

total so far    Yes   925  
                        No     12

[NigelS]

Today's offering: Click

And Boris Johnson's comment in his regular column: Click (If nothing else Boris, like a red flag to a bull, always manages to attract plenty of comments no matter what the issue is!)

(poll now c. 1044 for, and 15 against)

NigelS

[NigelS]

Looks like some good news in today's Sunday Telegraph (18th December) Click

The problem I can  see looming is that funds are likely to have to be spent on replacing panels etc stolen by metal thieves from uninsured memorials (the majority I suspect) rather than on pure restoration   

NigelS

[squirrel]

Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree, but why do they replace stolen bronze plaques with bronze plaques and not replace them with cold cast resin facsimiles? The better quality ones are very similar in appearance, less expensive and unlikely to be stolen for scrap. Or am I missing something?

[NigelS]

I know  Squirrels chatter when upset but do they really bark up trees? - Sorry, couldn't resist!

Seriously, I don't think you are. At the end of the day it's the names on the memorial and the words of commemoration that are important; the fact that the material used is resin,  making it worthless to thieves (although unfortunately not reducing the liklihood of vandalism in anyway), provided the overall apperance is maintained much as it was, might  well be worth bearing. Doubtless the purists - English Heritage included - would object, but then they don't usually have to pick up the bill.

NigelS

[Susan F]

Like these for example - http://www.resinplaques.co.uk

Susan

[Phil Wood]

NigelS, on 18 December 2011 - 05:09 PM, said:

Looks like some good news in today's Sunday Telegraph (18th December) Click

The problem I can  see looming is that funds are likely to have to be spent on replacing panels etc stolen by metal thieves from uninsured memorials (the majority I suspect) rather than on pure restoration   

The problem I see is ever more groups being set up to do the same thing - why is the Telegraph setting up a group when the War Memorials Trust is already doing this sort of work and would really benefit from the support of a national newspaper like the Telegraph?  The Trust is here to stay, but I fear the newspaper campaign will only last as long as there is something in it for the Telegraph.

[NigelS]

Phil Wood, on 19 December 2011 - 10:41 AM, said:

The problem I see is ever more groups being set up to do the same thing - why is the Telegraph setting up a group when the War Memorials Trust is already doing this sort of work and would really benefit from the support of a national newspaper like the Telegraph?  The Trust is here to stay, but I fear the newspaper campaign will only last as long as there is something in it for the Telegraph.

Phil, I don't believe the Telegraph's campaign is being set up  in rivalry to, or to act as an alternative to the War Memorials Trust (the trust is frequently mentioned in related articles) but as a means of achieving adequate funding for it and similar organisations. The Telegraph's interest may only be short lived, but if it can help to get funds released for memorial restoration by using its wider coverage (and dare I say it, influence) is that really a bad thing?

NigelS

[andrewr]

Also remember that not all memorials are outside. Several of our local ones are in locked churches and one, being names painted on a wooden board, needs restoration. Surely the church should take responsibility for it?

[NigelS]

andrewr, on 19 December 2011 - 12:08 PM, said:

Surely the church should take responsibility for it?

Ideally, yes, but, sadly, in reality they often have more than enough problems getting sufficient funds together to allow the buildings which the memorials  are kept in in reasonable condition.

NigelS

[Phil Wood]

NigelS, on 19 December 2011 - 11:37 AM, said:

Phil, I don't believe the Telegraph's campaign is being set up  in rivalry to, or to act as an alternative to the War Memorials Trust (the trust is frequently mentioned in related articles) but as a means of achieving adequate funding for it and similar organisations. The Telegraph's interest may only be short lived, but if it can help to get funds released for memorial restoration by using its wider coverage (and dare I say it, influence) is that really a bad thing?

NigelS

Fair enough.

It doesn't actually seem to be doing that much at all - as far as I can see all they are doing is campaigning for more lottery money to go to war memorials.  The Lottery have already said that this will happen.  Campaign over?

[NigelS]

Time will tell!

NigelS

[NigelS]

From Sunday's  Telegraph (12th Feb) Click

Regardless of whether the Telegraph's 'Lest we Forget' campaign had anything to do with getting this 'summit' set up, provided there is a positive outcome from it, this has got to be a step in the right direction; or am I being too optimistic?

NigelS

[ypres]

NigelS
Thanks for the update.
JIM

[NigelS]

The latest reporting from the  from Sunday's Telegraph (25th March), with some of the joint plans of the thirteen participating organisations in a 'war memorials action group' set up by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which held its first meeting recently,outlined Click

Not all the organisations taking part are named, but these are the one that are:

Heritage Lottery Fund
Imperial War Museum
War Memorials Trust
CWGC
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport
The Confederation of Service Charities
English Heritage

NigelS

[MichaelBully]

Hello Nigel, rarely read newspapers so welcome your updates on the Telegraph campaign. I think there are grounds for optimism: Liaising with the IWM -who have already started an inventory of war memorials- is a constructive move, also the involvement of many significant organisations in this fields such as CWGC and War Memorials Trust, plus the chance of funding is welcome.
Regards
Michael Bully

NigelS, on 27 March 2012 - 11:43 PM, said:

The latest reporting from the  from Sunday's Telegraph (25th March), with some of the joint plans of the thirteen participating organisations in a 'war memorials action group' set up by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which held its first meeting recently,outlined Click

Not all the organisations taking part are named, but these are the one that are:

Heritage Lottery Fund
Imperial War Museum
War Memorials Trust
CWGC
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport
The Confederation of Service Charities
English Heritage

NigelS

[NigelS]

Today's Sunday Telegraph (22nd April) reports that "English Heritage will give as much as £100,000 to the online project to record the location and condition of all of the UK’s estimated 100,000 monuments." with the project's working title given as "We Still Remember."

The impression given is that the project, rather than starting from scratch, will be consolidating existing data from various sources as well as accepting new information online. A date - possibly optimistic in my view - for having the system up and running is given as September (admittedly a year isn't actually given!)

The full article can be found Here

NigelS

[MichaelBully]

Thank you again for posting this Nigel S. Yes I think that there are grounds for some optimism. The participation of the War Memorials Trust and the IWM should ensure that work is not duplicated.
It's not clear from the articles whether the campaign is also going to include war memorials which are placed indoors in churches, other religious buildings, libraries, colleges etc.
And are they going to keep to the idea that a memorial has to be honouring more than one individual to meet the definition ?
Best wishes
Michael Bully

NigelS, on 22 April 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:

Today's Sunday Telegraph (22nd April) reports that "English Heritage will give as much as £100,000 to the online project to record the location and condition of all of the UK's estimated 100,000 monuments." with the project's working title given as "We Still Remember."

The impression given is that the project, rather than starting from scratch, will be consolidating existing data from various sources as well as accepting new information online. A date - possibly optimistic in my view - for having the system up and running is given as September (admittedly a year isn't actually given!)

The full article can be found Here

NigelS

[NigelS]

The latest article (4th November '12) connected with the Sunday Telegraph's  'Lest we Forget' campaign: information on detection & conviction rates for war memorial crimes 'Vandals get away with attacks on war memorials'

Expected but, nevertheless, sad results.

On a  happier note, the article is linked to another about the restoration, after theft, of the war memorial at Willaston, Cheshire (Click); although doubtless there were good reasons for it, I was a bit surprised to read that the replacement plaque was made in Australia. I don't begrudge the work going there, but isn't there a company in the UK who could have done it to the same standard and at a similar or better price; the freight charges from Oz  (not to mention the carbon footprint ) must have been quite costly.

NigelS