Tributes at war memorials

[Clive Maier]

I saw a memorial today that was looking a bit down at heel, partly because of tributes that had evidently lain there since last November, and are now very much the worse for wear. This made me wonder whether there is an etiquette for tributes. Is it OK to tidy up when tributes are clearly past their best or is it simply not done to interfere? Do those who place a tribute have an implied duty to remove it later when it is badly bedraggled? Or is it incumbent on the local council to tidy up in a considerate manner after a reasonable lapse of time?

[Guest Hill 60]

A few years ago I placed 14 'Poppy' crosses at my local war memorial (1 each for relatives who had died in both wars and to casualties whose medals I had in my care) very early in the morning on November 11th.

The following November I did the same thing and noticed that my 14 crosses were still there! So now I remove my crosses in the last week of December and tidy up the wreaths etc left by others.

[Garde Grenadier]

Rotten flowers are not any more what they were when laid down. So I shouldn't hesitate to clear them away. At our war-memorial people occasionally put wreaths or flowers - when these are "past it" they are no more an appropriate tribute but have to be taken away.

But it is always good to see that people do care and show their concern through flowers etc.

Daniel

[j.r.f]

dont you think it is increadible that in this day and age where nothing has lasting value,that poppy wreaths and other tribrutes are left untouched.in large and small towns and villages all over the country there are still bedragled popies from last year.LEAVE them there they are respected by a society that respects very little else.

John

[Muerrisch]

The custom INSIDE my church is to remove last year's British Legion and Parish Council standard poppy wreaths at the beginning of each October. Thus, they are "missed" for over a month, and then formally replaced by new ones on our day of observance. Meanwhile, the old ones are stripped of poppies etc for adding to the other tributes around the nave.

[Martin B]

The guardians of my local war memorial (I'm not sure if its the Borough Council or the RBL) have adopted a great way of preserving appearances. After the parade on Remembrance Sunday the wreaths (and there were many) were wired in rows along the base of the memorial. These remained in place until the first week in January when they were replaced with a single RBL wreath. This works excellently and overcomes the problems caused by wind and rain.