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Fitting tribute to the fallen
Date published: 29 January 2013
OLDHAM War Memorial will be refurbished ahead of next year’s 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.
Oldham Council’s cabinet approved the plan after hearing machinery installed to turn the pages of the book of remembrance was broken.
Instead, a member of staff is sent to turn pages every day.
The Grade II-listed Oldham war memorial, which overlooks Church Terrace, is a structure of special architectural or historic interest.
The £118,549 refurbishment plan could qualify the monument for an upgrade to Grade II* (star) status.
The scheme is part of a project to return the borough’s 16 war memorial sites to their former glory.
Councillor Jim McMahon said that while the memorial appeared to be in a good state, a lot of work will be needed to bring it back to top condition.
Comments
another large tranche of money the council is spending when it can ill afford to do so. This is surely a worthy cause and it might have been expected that a public appeal for the funds would have been met with a positive response, bringing the community together with a sense of pride in their history, only then if enough was not raised should the council have stepped in with funds.
The Labour council seem intent on spending as freely as ever despite the cuts
This is a truly stunning war memorial. In order to protect it, please log it on our website with the name of the custodian. Free SmartWater is available to qualifying war memorials as part of our project.
There should be a monument to show the ridiculous futility of dying for a country or its corporate fatcats, not something that glorifies it.
The refurbishment of this memorial is long over due BUT any costs being met by the Council should be raised through public donation including cash and professional donation/ time by specialists. That's how we refurbished the war graves where I live!
Well said Flakey, 3.5% rise in council tax, loss of jobs, reduction of more needy services etc. etc. etc. How many more non essential projects are Oldham Council funding out of the reduced budget. Albeit a "nice" thing to do, surely this is non essential and therefore a waste of our hard earned money!!!!!
@amalgam. I suspect that the thousands of Oldhamers who subscribed to the memorial and stood in their hundreds at its unveiling in 1923 were well aware of the sacrifice and stood far from glorifying the war.
It is a shame an appeal has not been set up to help fund the costs, I for one would have chipped in. It is a magnificent memorial and it is right that it should look it's best for 2014.
So Flake says we should rely on charity to honour the fallen of Oldham. That is a pathetic notion
The war memorial represents the heroes of Oldham and the sacrifices made by the people of Oldham. It should not be included in some petty penny pinching exercise nor should it be used as a political tool to attack the council over. I imagine the agreement to carry out this worthy work was agreed across party lines - Those against it on issues of expense should hang their heads in shame
That is not at all what I suggested Mollythefrog! If you look around Oldham at the number of public monuments and other spaces paid for by public subscription you might have a clearer idea of your local history.
The original memorial fund raised £9K donated by local townsfolk and over 10000 people attended it's unveiling.
How sad you forget your towns history and scoff at their sacrifice calling it 'charity' and 'pathetic'. You are the one who should hang your head in shame.
Spending on this should not be questioned. No amount of money can ever repay the debt owed to those who gave their lives. In order to ease the council tax payers burden, perhaps an appeal & some money should be requested from the Royal British Legion.
Oldham Council does not have the best record at bringing in projects on time, or for getting the job done right.I fear this will be yet another botched job.
@ammypam. Clearly you no nothing of your own history. Your comment is both offensive and inaccurate. The war memorial remembers those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for all conflicts and wars from 1914. Most men that joined during both world wars did so under conscription the rest joined in a sense of pride for their country and to not allow themselves or their family to be slaved under a foreign Government. They died for your right to post silly comments like the one you have.
It is absolutely right that funding should come from the council coffers.
Unlike 90 years ago, the people of Oldham already pay an obscene amount to the Council via council tax (under threat of criminal prosecution if they do do not).
The council is the custodian of civic property and its senior management are paid very handsomely to ensure they are maintained.
Have Your Say
Let me repeat what I posted yesterday. There should be something to mark the 90th anniversary this year of the unveiling of the Oldham War Memmorial.
Further I would claim that this is one of the finest War Memorials in the country.
By JMTS @ 29/01/2013 14:05:53