Too many memorials?

[Gareth Davies]

The picture below shows Chitterne All Saints and St Mary's Church.  Inside it has a very smart stained glass memorial window and brass plaque that commemorates the men from the village who died in the Great War.  To its left is the village War Memorial which commemorates the men from the village who died in the Great War (it also honours all that served).  On the right is a chestnut tree. It fell down a couple of years ago and is being replaced.  And a bench is going to be placed next to the tree.  There is a plan to put individual plaques on the bench naming those men from the village who died in the Great War.  Is this a memorial too far?

[Steven Broomfield]

You forgot to mention the memorial phone box.

Oh, and to answer your question, yes, it is. There is, I think, seldom a need for new memorials.

[Gareth Davies]

And I forgot mention that the replacement tree is being bought despite there being an offer of free commemorative trees as part of a county wide project.

[ss002d6252]

Quote

You forgot to mention the memorial phone box.

A very rare sight of a complete BT phonebox (I don't think I've ever seen one with all it's windows complete).

I think that it's far better to spend what little money is on the go on looking after existing memorials rather than putting new ones up where there is already an adequate number in situ.

 

Craig

Edited 17 August , 2018 by ss002d6252

[Gareth Davies]

Indeed.

[Medaler]

Depends,

 

1/ Will the new memorial actually commemorate anyone who has not been included on the others?

 

2/ On the whole there are better ways of doing things, and thought should be given to the ongoing costs of maintaining them all. It's a potential burden for future generations and "new" ones will possibly, over time, serve merely to devalue the original memorials that are historic objects in their own right. If you want to know the impact o the war, seek out the memorials. You can however only do that if they still exist.

 

3/ One massive problem that we have is that, whilst there are many memorials inside churches, the buildings themselves are usually locked. Another problem of course is that their religious custodians frequently don't value them, and in any case lack both the will and the resources to adequately care for them. Something compounded by the fact that many of them don't have much of a clue about how these things should be cared for anyway - its not their chief "line of business". Personally I don't think the clergy are fitting custodians, you only have to look at the number of memorials that they have lost over the years, in many cases by simply abandoning them in deconsecrated places of worship.

 

Here is an example for you.....Fitting commemoration or sidelined, neglected and exposed to an unacceptable level of risk?

 

Mike

Edited 17 August , 2018 by Medaler

[johnboy]

Who is going to administer the 'new' memorial?

have all the men on the present memorials been checked or are any errors just going to be compounded?

Edited 17 August , 2018 by johnboy

[Terry_Reeves]

All a  matter for the people of Chitterne methinks.

 

TR

[Gareth Davies]

Indeed it is Terry, thank you. 

[Medaler]

40 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said:

All a  matter for the people of Chitterne methinks.

 

TR

 

Maybe, so long as they are only spending their own money, and there is a consensus. Frankly I doubt that either of those will be the case.

[T8HANTS]

The memorials could be seen as a testament to the sense of community that Chitterne still retains,which is becoming a rare and valuable thing.

If they want 'their' tree rather than a freebee, that seems to indicate a strong community pride.

A lot of communities have felt the need for this generation to commemorate the Great War in their own tangible form, again something that says 'this is ours' and by memorialising in such a way, subconsciously they are erecting memorials to themselves.

Who doesn't want to feel they have left something worthwhile to mark their passing.

Having family connections with the village, it makes me feel proud by proxy.

 

[Gareth Davies]

Or it could be a case of egos trying to win over.  

[T8HANTS]

True, but either way the fallen will be remembered for awhile longer and ultimately they will then fade away.

I look at a very mothy tunic that once hung on a nail in a farriers shop, with a HG BD on top.

[Terry_Reeves]

1 hour ago, Medaler said:

 

Maybe, so long as they are only spending their own money, and there is a consensus. Frankly I doubt that either of those will be the case.

Whose money do you think they are spending then? Have you any proof to support your comments?

 

TR

[johnboy]

Wonder if I will get an answer to post#7?

[Gareth Davies]

30 minutes ago, T8HANTS said:

True, but either way the fallen will be remembered for awhile longer and ultimately they will then fade away.

I look at a very mothy tunic that once hung on a nail in a farriers shop, with a HG BD on top.

 

Is that the one you have previously posted photos of on here?  

 

 

[T8HANTS]

15 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said:

 

Is that the one you have previously posted photos of on here?  

 

 

That's the one, although the gentleman's name has escaped me now.

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

18 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said:

with a HG BD on top.

Going off topic I know, but what does that mean?

[T8HANTS]

Home Guard, Battle Dress.  The gentleman came home to Chitterne after WW1, put his SD tunic on a nail, lived peaceably for twenty years, then once again answered his countries call and Joined the Home Guard, when the second burst of unpleasantness was over,that went on the same nail, attracting dirt and moths in equal amounts - the pair make a wonderful testament of quiet unsung service to the nation.

[Medaler]

8 hours ago, Terry_Reeves said:

Whose money do you think they are spending then? Have you any proof to support your comments?

 

TR

 

The money they are spending will perhaps either be coming from grants or rate payers. In either case, particularly during these straightened times, it could probably be better spent. I would doubt very much that the funds are being raised by public subscription as they almost certainly would have been for the their original memorials.

 

I stand by my observation that, by duplicating what they already have, they are not doing anything here that will benefit their community, merely burdening it with a new set of on-going maintenance costs.

 

And no, I don't have proof that the money is not their own, which is why I chose to preface my comment with the words "So long as.".

 

Mike

Edited 17 August , 2018 by Medaler

[Terry_Reeves]

The point is Mike is that it is  their community not ours. It is not this forum's place to tell them what to do particularly when no one has any idea about their situation.  

TR

Edited 17 August , 2018 by Terry_Reeves

[Medaler]

34 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said:

The point is Mike is that it is  their community not ours. It is not this forum's place to tell them what to do particularly when no one has any idea about their situation.  

TR

 

So we are not allowed to have an opinion? Or if we do have one, not allowed to express it?

At what point did my view become synonymous with that of "this forum"? So far as I am aware "this forum" has not expressed any views, and I most certainly do not claim to speak on its behalf.

[johnboy]

What is the point in asking questions if opinions cannot be given?

The OP seems to have done his usual... ask question fail to answer other posters questions then totally ignore his post.

[Gareth Davies]

7 hours ago, johnboy said:

What is the point in asking questions if opinions cannot be given?

The OP seems to have done his usual... ask question fail to answer other posters questions then totally ignore his post.

 

Johnboy, I know you are dealing with some difficult circumstances at home but there is no need to have a pop at me.  I think I am allowed to choose which posts to reply to and which to ignore.  

[Gareth Davies]

 

9 hours ago, Medaler said:

 

The money they are spending will perhaps either be coming from grants or rate payers. In either case, particularly during these straightened times, it could probably be better spent. I would doubt very much that the funds are being raised by public subscription as they almost certainly would have been for the their original memorials.

 

I stand by my observation that, by duplicating what they already have, they are not doing anything here that will benefit their community, merely burdening it with a new set of on-going maintenance costs.

 

And no, I don't have proof that the money is not their own, which is why I chose to preface my comment with the words "So long as.".

 

Mike

 

The money is all from private sources, no public money (as in generated by taxpayers) is being used.  Is a public subscription actually a private subscription?