Speaking out over neglected Shrewsbury war memorial
On Sunday millions of people across the globe will fall silent to remember the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who fought and died in two world wars and countless conflicts since writes Dave Burrows.
Poppies adorn lapels almost everywhere you look as a simple, yet still poignant, mark of respect.
This is right and proper.
As the words of the remembrance ode say: At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.
So it is nothing short of disgusting that a war memorial in Shrewsbury has been left in such as state that the group with a specific interest in such things has felt the need to speak up.
Members of the Shropshire War Memorial Association say the memorial at St Mary's Church is an embarrassment.
The photographs tend to support that view.
The understated cross in the church yard may not be the main war memorial in the town. It may not play host to the Remembrance Day wreath laying. But it IS a tribute and a mark of respect to those who laid down their lives for a cause which they believed was worth fighting and dying for.
The memorial is almost completely green with algae. It is a disgrace.
The Town Council insists all memorials in Shrewsbury are 'routinely inspected and repair and maintenance carried out as required'.
I'm sorry, but that seems the equivalent of when I was a kid and I would tell my mum I had tidied my bedroom when all I had in fact down was kick the clothes and bits of uneaten food under the bed. Somebody from the Town Council might have wanted to go and take a look at the monument before making such a spurious claim.
What makes the situation even worse is that there is no excuse for it. The council does not have to pay for the maintenance. There are grants available for such work. What's more, the people at the War Memorial Association reckon it would only cost about £800 anyway.
It is said that those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. It can be argued that we still repeat it anyway, but to ignore the contribution made by so few to protect the futures of some many is unforgivable.
Something needs to be done to clean up this war memorial and it needs to be done quickly. Hopefully, the actions of a few good men and women speaking up will bring that about.
Let's show that not only do we still remember those who gave their lives, but that we still care as well.
