Thoughts with the fallen
While I know you are used to reading about the unavoidable proposals for council savings in this column, I wanted to take the time today to talk about Remembrance Sunday. I will write more about the savings next week once Cabinet has met.
As I have written before, my brother-in-law served in the forces, as did my grandparents. As the world becomes a little more unsafe, I pay tribute to all those who fight to protect us.
And I also wanted to say thank you to Phil Taylor.
Councillor Andy Collins was contacted by a local resident who was concerned about the state of the Bomber Command Memorial at Beachy Head. It was installed back in 2012, and has been exposed, as so many of our monuments are, to the elements, particularly so on Beachy Head where the winter weather conditions are often severe. The memorial has been refurbished once before, but clearly now needed more care and attention.
Andy reached out to the RAF Benevolent Fund to seek funding support, but was told that they can only adopt RAF memorials after 15 years.
Andy has been working to find a local stonemason to do the work. If you know Councillor Collins, you know when he starts, he won’t stop – and found Phil Taylor. Phil met with Andy at the beginning of last month, and he agreed to do the work, free of charge, and in time for Remembrance Sunday in memory of all those who lost their lives.
Phil himself served in the 3rd Battalion, the Queens Regiment and tells me that it was a privilege to repaint the memorial.
This community spirit and generosity is something I wanted to pay tribute to and thank Phil for his work in restoring the memorial. I wanted to give another mention to J.F. Stoneworks, who I understand Phil helps out occasionally (his once apprentice now runs the place), and if you’d like more details about Phil - no work too small or tricky! - please get in touch with Cllr Collins.
I look forward to seeing the finished result this weekend.
Cllr Stephen Holt
Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council