Work begins on new memorial alongside Southampton Cenotaph

Work begins on the Memorial Walls along Southampton Cenotaph Work begins on the Memorial Walls along Southampton Cenotaph

WORK on the new memorial walls to commemorate Southampton’s fallen heroes is under way.

Eight glass panels will be erected next to the Cenotaph in Watts Park as part of a scheme to safeguard the names of the 2,000 First World War dead on the monument which are in danger of fading.

An extra 1,200 names of armed service or merchant navy personnel who perished in subsequent conflicts will also be etched on the panels to be installed in coming weeks.

Councillor John Hannides, Cabinet member for resources, leisure and culture at Southampton City Council, said: “We have been working with the Royal British Legion and the Chamber of Commerce to deliver a fitting memorial to our city’s heroes.

“The new memorial walls will mean their bravery will never be forgotten.”

The groundwork for the scheme, which was two years in the making, paves the way for pouring concrete foundations next Monday. Glass panels will be installed on Monday, October 3.

It is hoped the walls will be completed in time for Armistice Day on November 11, the 90th anniversary of the unveiling of the original Lutyens’ Cenotaph.

Southampton City Council commissioned the project in partnership with Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce and The Royal British Legion.

It contributed £50,000 towards a total cost of £130,000. But a Daily Echo-backed fundraising campaign, spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce, is under way to find an extra £60,000. More than £13,400 has been raised so far.

A recent inspection of the Lutyens’ Cenotaph revealed significant erosion of the Portland limestone and inscribed roll of honour.

The high cost of re-inscribing the stone was the reason behind the wall concept, which will preserve all Cenotaph names and honour the memory of others.

Two concepts were produced, one in Portland limestone, the other successful one in toughened and laminated glass.

Comments(20)

userds5050 says...
10:30am Tue 6 Sep 11

Utterly ridiculous. They would have been better off trying to find the extra money to restore the Lutyens memorial. Do you think if the cenotaph in Whitehall was being eroded, the government saying we can't afford to repair it but we'll put up a stupid glass panel next to it with everyone's names on? Scandalous.

Skyfox says...
12:24pm Tue 6 Sep 11

With the amount of vandalism already being carried out in Southampton, how long before some mindless yob decides it would be a bit of a laugh to smash up something that means nothing to them.

dane323 says...
12:27pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Really?! Now this will probably annoy a few people, but is there any real need to be putting any more memorials up? We are in a recession and no one has any money, but wait, lets put up a pointless memorial, genius!

townieboy says...
12:36pm Tue 6 Sep 11

To re.engrave the names would have been a good gesture. again the cheap option. This glass will be tested to destruction.Cheaper is not always better.

Matthew1 says...
1:10pm Tue 6 Sep 11

userds5050 wrote:
Utterly ridiculous. They would have been better off trying to find the extra money to restore the Lutyens memorial. Do you think if the cenotaph in Whitehall was being eroded, the government saying we can't afford to repair it but we'll put up a stupid glass panel next to it with everyone's names on? Scandalous.
The money is coming from public subscription. If people like you were yo donate perhaps a full restoration of the cenotaph would be possible buut no doubt you think someone else should pay and you can just moan about it.

lukolela says...
1:37pm Tue 6 Sep 11

"Buy cheap, buy twice!" This is exactly what will happen. An ugly glass wall erected in a listed park, next to a listed monument.
Even putting all this aside, can I remind everybody that maintenance is and has always been the councils responsibility. When the cenotaph was built, it was done so COMPLETELY by public subscription from local people and businesses on the basis that the council vowed to always maintain the cenotaph. The council did not pay anything towards the cenotaph and have clearly not maintained it.
The council might like people to think that they're preserving the fallen's names because they're 'nice like that' but in fact, they have just saved themselves money by neglecting the cenotaph for years, avoiding responsibility and building a glass wall to compensate.
If the council had stuck to their original agreement, then the names should be engraved into the stone regardless of what the cost is.

lukolela says...
1:39pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Matthew1 wrote:
userds5050 wrote: Utterly ridiculous. They would have been better off trying to find the extra money to restore the Lutyens memorial. Do you think if the cenotaph in Whitehall was being eroded, the government saying we can't afford to repair it but we'll put up a stupid glass panel next to it with everyone's names on? Scandalous.
The money is coming from public subscription. If people like you were yo donate perhaps a full restoration of the cenotaph would be possible buut no doubt you think someone else should pay and you can just moan about it.
That 'someone else' is the council. Always has been.

TEBOURBA says...
1:50pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Totally agree with Userds5050's contribution.
The Cenotaph is a magnificent monument matched only by the Titanic Monument on the opposite side of the road.
The names should be re-engraved --- the glass panels cheapen the history and meaning of both memorials.

soton1980 says...
2:16pm Tue 6 Sep 11

TEBOURBA wrote:
Totally agree with Userds5050's contribution.
The Cenotaph is a magnificent monument matched only by the Titanic Monument on the opposite side of the road.
The names should be re-engraved --- the glass panels cheapen the history and meaning of both memorials.
I agree. I think it's an absolute disgrace that those in charge of this seem to think that the people who died for this country are only worth the cheaper and 2nd best option. They deserve better and the council should have funded the rest so that we could have had a full restoration. I also have doubts that these glass panels will be cleaned on a regular basis and wonder how long it will be until they become dirty. It's a shame that those who gave their lives for this country have been treated with such contempt in my opinion.

LeroyJenkins says...
2:48pm Tue 6 Sep 11

One E in leroy gobshi*e what sort of a name is Dane any way either your mum was confused and could not spell Dean or she loves Dane Bowers DANE good name

LeroyJenkins says...
2:52pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Let me guess Danes checking wikipedia for correct spelling because thats always correct numpty

dane323 says...
2:53pm Tue 6 Sep 11

LeroyJenkins wrote:
One E in leroy gobshi*e what sort of a name is Dane any way either your mum was confused and could not spell Dean or she loves Dane Bowers DANE good name
I believe it is your parents that are the fools, as the correct spelling is Leeroy!

SOULJACKER says...
3:33pm Tue 6 Sep 11

dane323 wrote:
Really?! Now this will probably annoy a few people, but is there any real need to be putting any more memorials up? We are in a recession and no one has any money, but wait, lets put up a pointless memorial, genius!
Well Dane,
It's real lucky that you don't get to decide isn't eh ;)

Hell, they ain't emptied the bins for so long & I been paying my taxes like a good boy, so I guess there's gotta be some money somewhere ;)

My View From Here says...
4:08pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Typical of this council chose the cheap option to remember the fallen hero's of our city, it shows them for exactly what they are, a bunch of disrespectful clowns that Billy Smart would be proud of.

If these mindless Tory clowns had made contractors like Keir Southern pay for a decent memorial
(under a section 106 agreement) when they dished out millions of pounds worth of contracts to them or if Ringmaster Royston and his Tory clowns spent less of hospitality and plush carpets, our fallen hero's might have been honoured with a decent memorial instead of 4 inch thick glass panels that will look totally out of place next Lutyens’
Cenotaph.

You cannot blame the Legion or the Chamber for this, as they were basically told its glass or nothing.

userds5050 says...
4:08pm Tue 6 Sep 11

Matthew1 wrote:
userds5050 wrote:
Utterly ridiculous. They would have been better off trying to find the extra money to restore the Lutyens memorial. Do you think if the cenotaph in Whitehall was being eroded, the government saying we can't afford to repair it but we'll put up a stupid glass panel next to it with everyone's names on? Scandalous.
The money is coming from public subscription. If people like you were yo donate perhaps a full restoration of the cenotaph would be possible buut no doubt you think someone else should pay and you can just moan about it.
I don't think someone else should pay for it at all. Don't tell me what I think, thank you very much. If someone was to set up a fund I would be happy to donate. The point I was making was cheaper is not always the best option. I suppose it is something else for the students to urinate up against though.

My View From Here says...
4:16pm Tue 6 Sep 11

userds5050 wrote:
Matthew1 wrote:
userds5050 wrote:
Utterly ridiculous. They would have been better off trying to find the extra money to restore the Lutyens memorial. Do you think if the cenotaph in Whitehall was being eroded, the government saying we can't afford to repair it but we'll put up a stupid glass panel next to it with everyone's names on? Scandalous.
The money is coming from public subscription. If people like you were yo donate perhaps a full restoration of the cenotaph would be possible buut no doubt you think someone else should pay and you can just moan about it.
I don't think someone else should pay for it at all. Don't tell me what I think, thank you very much. If someone was to set up a fund I would be happy to donate. The point I was making was cheaper is not always the best option. I suppose it is something else for the students to urinate up against though.
Totally agree with you, cheap is never the best option, it's typical of this council and by choosing the cheap option it shows total disrespect, mind I'm not surprised this council has shown such disrespect, looking at them and their age, half of them were not even alive during the the 1st Gulf war, let alone the Falklands conflict or the dark days of Northern Ireland

Gainer T Gopher says...
6:43pm Tue 6 Sep 11

hope they leave plenty of room for all the Polish names that will have to be put on it when the Polish insist and complain that they are being left out....

Matthew1 says...
8:09pm Tue 6 Sep 11

There is a fund. Chamber of Commerce are collecting it

Matthew1 says...
8:11pm Tue 6 Sep 11

My View From Here wrote:
Typical of this council chose the cheap option to remember the fallen hero's of our city, it shows them for exactly what they are, a bunch of disrespectful clowns that Billy Smart would be proud of. If these mindless Tory clowns had made contractors like Keir Southern pay for a decent memorial (under a section 106 agreement) when they dished out millions of pounds worth of contracts to them or if Ringmaster Royston and his Tory clowns spent less of hospitality and plush carpets, our fallen hero's might have been honoured with a decent memorial instead of 4 inch thick glass panels that will look totally out of place next Lutyens’ Cenotaph. You cannot blame the Legion or the Chamber for this, as they were basically told its glass or nothing.
What do you know about fallen heroes. What branck of the military did you serve in. Have you donated instead of moaning

hello121 says...
12:00pm Wed 7 Sep 11

Gainer T Gopher wrote:
hope they leave plenty of room for all the Polish names that will have to be put on it when the Polish insist and complain that they are being left out....
Always one idiot on here. What a thoroughly stupid thing to say.

Why would Polish people insist on being on a war memorial for UK service personnel?

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