In April 2002 I undertook, on behalf of the Parish Council, to arrange for the cross on the top the village war memorial to be replaced in time for the Remembrance Day service in November 2002. Seven months would surely be enough time to get it sorted out …
Firstly the owners of the war memorial had to be identified. Following an extensive search through the archives no `owner’ could be traced and in May the Parish Council decided to assume responsibility on behalf of the Parish. The memorial is a listed `building’ and therefore subject to conditions laid down by English Heritage. There followed endless telephone calls and correspondence with English Heritage, The Friends of War Memorials and Dacorum Borough Council, all of whom were most helpful, in an attempt to discover if the memorial was eligible for a grant towards the cost of repairs. Grant application forms arrived and, together with a host of other information, all required three written estimates for the necessary repairs.
The first estimate arrived in May – only two more required. That’s when the patience and persistence came in. Over the next few weeks I phoned and wrote to nine other monumental masons all over the south of England. Estimates were promised but I received only one (from a firm in Kent).The deadline for grant applications had come and gone and retrospective applications are not allowed.
At this point the Parish Council decided that in order to get the work done in time, they would meet the cost of the repairs without a grant. The order for the work was placed in June and a deposit paid in July to allow the stone to be ordered from the quarry and the restoration to be completed by the end of October. August and September passed. More phone calls. Problem – the quarry could not provide the stone for some reason (not specified). October: The stone was coming “soon” and the November deadline should be met.
Well, the stone did arrive – eventually – but too late for the work to be completed in time. Since then, it has been so wet that it has been impossible to undertake any work on the memorial. As soon as the weather improves we should see the memorial covered in scaffolding and the replacement cross put in place. I live in hope …
Cllr. Liz Holliday