War memorial work is a lasting tribute to the fallen

October 28, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

War memorial work is a lasting tribute to the fallen

Wednesday 28th October 2015

War memorials across Southend are being and renovated repaired to make sure people who gave the ultimate sacrifice will always be remembered.

The project to repair and conserve these monuments was launched among other commemorations to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War.

This careful work is helping to restore the memorials to mint condition and make sure they last for many more generations too.

In some cases, such as at Southend Cenotaph, the Portland stone used to build the monuments was starting to suffer from erosion.

This has now been tackled, and in the green turf near the Cenotaph, the Council’s own in-house landscaping team has replaced the wording ‘Lest we Forget’ to keep this poignant message growing there permanently.

Meanwhile, decorative posts around the Cenotaph have been restored and repainted thanks to community volunteers.

As part of this ongoing project which has so far cost £30,000, the gates of the Victory Sports Ground have also been replaced.

Names which had started to fade away have been restored for all to see on a memorial plaque preserved from the now-demolished St Erkenwald’s Church and currently located at Sutton Road cemetery.

Other works have taken place at Chalkwell Park, where a plinth has been replaced in the memorial garden and the gates are now being inspected for further improvements.

Deputy Council Leader, Councillor Ian Gilbert said: “It is of the utmost importance for us always to remember the sons and daughters of Southend who have given their lives in the service of others.

“The least we can do to honour them is to make sure they have a lasting tribute, by protecting our war memorials for a very long time to come.

“These help to keep their names and the memories of their sacrifice permanently on view for everyone to see.”