War Memorial Gardens - Erection of Sign?

The picture left is a slightly tongue-in-cheek mock-up by Phil Eyden of how the proposed sign might appear. We are assured by a Councillor that this appearance would not be the exact case. While the Town Council are proud of Dover's award in February of Fair Trade Status, Dover's Phil's image nevertheless underlines a most serious point that the sign, whatever the logos included upon it, would not accord with the War Memorial or its intentions.

These are the views of the Dover War Memorial Project on the proposal for a sign on the War Memorial lawns by Dover Town Council:

1. The War Memorial Monument and its surrounding gardens are in their entirety a dedication and a commemoration to all those who lost their lives in the Two World Wars of the 20th century.

2. The War Memorial Monument and gardens were created by and for those who lost loved ones in the Great War.  They form a cenotaph - an empty tomb - and stand in place of the graveyards and graves of the many who now lie buried or lost in foreign fields or in the oceans. The area is therefore a focus for Remembrance, a sacred, set-aside place for bereaved families.

3. The War Memorial Monument and gardens are a public recognition  of our great losses, and of the courage and fortitude of those who bore those losses. They were created not only in memory, but to educate future generations. The design of the War Memorial is deliberately simple, and intended to emphasise and encourage spirituality and self-sacrifice; deliberate also was the contrastive placing of this haven of calm and transcendency in a busy shopping street. 

4. The original War Memorial Committee were most careful in the selection of design for the War Memorial. The gardens and lawn are an integral part of this design. Placed to interact, the lawn was intended by the Committee to "afford a charming setting for the Memorial in the heart of the town". This design includes the non-material elements, for example, the personal experiences of the open green space, and of the direction of the eye uninterruptedly towards the Monument. It is not just the Monument, but the whole area that is the War Memorial

Therefore, upon consideration of the information with which we have so far been supplied by the Town Council, we of the Dover War Memorial Project are unconvinced by the current proposal for erection of such a sign. Our reasons are these:

a) that such a sign is not in keeping with the artistic design and intention of the War Memorial; furthermore, that it will detract from the visual and symbolic aspects of the War Memorial.

b) that the War Memorial is for the commemoration of our Fallen, a place of reflection, and a focus for those who are bereaved by war, and that this space should not be utilised or claimed by any individual organisation for its own promotion, and nor should any organisation seek to utilise the Remembrance of our Fallen to legitimate, add value to, or promote its own message

c) that although we are assured that there will still be room for the Field of Remembrance each November, such a sign permanently placed in the centre will both compress the Field, and detract from its significance.

d) that as yet we cannot understand why there is a need or necessity for such a sign

e) that it seems that the suggestion for the sign was made without any clear idea of the displays for which it may be used; the potential seemingly exists, if organisations and associations may request their logos, that it could be even be used for the advertising of commercial businesses!

f) that the depiction of the Dover Town Council logo or a Fairtrade logo are not in keeping with the intention of the Memorial and its gardens, which is to promote the Remembrance of those who died.

g) that we believe that insufficient consultation has occurred, with the opportunity for all interested individuals and organisations to state their views. A particularly important omission in this may well be the relatives of our casualties, many of whom do not belong to Remembrance or Service Associations. We believe that this proposal should receive full coverage in the local papers, on the local forums, and in publicity, in order to reach as many interested parties as possible.

h) that the cost will not be a one-off, but that further costs would be involved in maintenance, and if a carpet-bed design were chosen, replacement plants would need to be purchased each year, and cared for during the growing season. They will also need strong protection against the pigeons

i) that it is our opinion that a powder-coated black metal sign would be prone to early rusting, and that the sign would become unsightly through deterioration, and potentially dangerous..

j) that we believe a sign-writer sign has the potential to attract vandalism, for example, spray painting, and will suffer from pigeon-fouling

k) that we wonder that, if money is available for new facilities at the War Memorial, whether sufficient consideration has been given to people with special needs who wish to access the War Memorial, for example, the erection of explanatory braille signs and tactile designs of the War Memorial, or the provision of audio descriptions, or of ramps for those with less mobility, and whether this may be a more appropriate use of available funds. .

l) that we have been asked by one relative of a casualty whether there is the possibility of small gates being erected at the two entrances to the War Memorial gardens, in order to underline the special significance of the area to those who currently permit children and animals to enter uncontrolled and disrespectfully. This again may be an appropriate use of available funds.

m) that there are further alternatives for the use of funds, dependent upon allocations. An example would be the supporting of outreach into our schools, to teach young people more of the significance of Remembrance, perhaps using the educational resources already created about 2nd Lt Walter Tull, who is commemorated on two Memorials in Dover. 

n) that given the suggested design of the sign, there is every possibility that certain elements may be inclined to use it as a seat or climbing frame!

Having said this, should the full Town Council nevertheless feel that the erection of such a sign is appropriate and necessary, then we offer the following:

i) that any logo or design displayed upon the sign must be in keeping with Remembrance, and under no circumstances should be those of commercial organisations.

ii) that appropriate signs would be commemoration of major events, such as the Normandy Landings, or perhaps the logos of Ex-Service associations or other organisations intrinsically involved with Remembrance. This would be particularly suitable for a carpet bed design, as the logos and displays could be changed regularly. 

ii) that alternatively the sign could be used to enhance understanding of the war-time sacrifices of Dover and Dovorians. Examples would be statistics and information about civilians who lost their lives (this is particularly important in the case of Great War civilians, who are publicly commemorated nowhere at all), the numbers of people injured, the buildings destroyed, the numbers of alerts, of shellings and of bombings, etc.

iii) that if the sign were to be created as a carpet bed logo, there is the potential for individuals to sponsor flowers or plants in memory of a loved one. 

iv) that if the sign were to be created as a carpet bed logo, then plants that enhance the experience of visitors could be incorporated, for example, scented herbs for those with visual impairments. 

However, our views remain that this proposal is far from convincing The Dover War Memorial Project either of the necessity or the benefit of such a sign. Indeed, we feel rather the converse - that the erection of such a sign will be detrimental to the Memorial and its significance, detracts from and interferes with the original deeply-considered design of the Memorial, and has the potential to be disrespectful to the Fallen and their families, to the extent that it may even offend.

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If you wish to express your own views on this proposal - 

Responses must be received by Dover Town Council by 3rd April 2009

Views must be express in writing. Here are the contact details: