Local news
St Saviour's War Memorial - Update Nov 2020
I thought As
sociation members might like an update on where we are at with respect to the Raynes Park War Memorial restoration. I know many of them attended either our Men of Raynes Park 1914-18 Exhibition or last year’s Remembrance Day at St Saviour’s, or both, and we were grateful for their support.
We had hoped to be well on the way to re-carving the names by now. However, the whole process has been dogged by delays.
We had originally hoped to have final approval and a grant from the War Memorials Trust early in 2019. However, they suspended consideration of applications submitted for the December 2018 deadline until the end of March 2019, and then finally made a grant offer at the end of May. Unfortunately, the offer included several conditions and exclusions, which affected the validity of the contractor's quotation that we had accepted, and would almost certainly have driven up the price. Moreover, the exclusions raised doubts that we could achieve clear name inscriptions that would remain legible for the next 100 years.
To avoid any more delays, and with Listed Building Consent, we have decided to proceed on the original basis and forgo the War Memorials Trust grant (which we reckon would have been taken up with the additional work they would require anyway). On that basis, we have decided to proceed with the restoration though it is very unlikely it will be completed by the forthcoming Remembrance Sunday.
The good news is that we have been reasonably successful at raising funds, both at the time of the launch and subsequently. Our target is £23,000 and, so far, we have either received contributions or pledges for around £19,900. Without the War Memorials Trust grant, though, it does mean we are still looking to raise just over another £3,000.
It seems extraordinary now that we originally thought we might have all the work completed by last year’s Remembrance Day, but have learnt the lesson that, in this field, however much time you think a project will take, multiply it by at least three!
Although we are not in a position to invite RPWBRA Members to the unveiling of the restored memorial this Remembrance Sunday, it would still be very nice to see them there. The Scouts and Guides will again be in attendance and do their best to remember those who died in the Great War, and subsequently, in protection of our freedoms.
With very best regards
Peter Hutton
Memorial Research and Exhibition Co-ordinator
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2020
The Rev’d Peter Kelley tells our members that there were originally thought to be 97 names on the war memorial, but during the careful re-engraving by the Master Letter Cutter, the name of Cecil was discovered (but with no discernible other name), in between the family names of Thomas and Wilfred.
William Roy Penfold (possibly from a travelling family) was also added, out of alphabetical sequence.
From what would have been a small population in 1914-18, the number killed in this tragic war must have had a shocking impact on the community. It is thanks to the amazing work by St Saviour’s Church leaders and parishioners that the memorial is harboured in such a peaceful, tended place in which to contemplate the brave actions of an earlier generation.
