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Pride has been restored to Wigan’s memorial to those who fell during The
Great War.
Two specially commissioned plaques bearing the names of those local
soldiers who died during the 1914 to 1918 war and other conflicts, were
stolen from the war memorial at Wigan Parish Church just prior to 2006’s
Remembrance Day. The plaques were never recovered.
However, thanks to the hard work of Wigan’s Cemetery Services Team, the
bronze plaques have now been replaced at a cost of £2,500 in time for
this year’s Remembrance Day. Restoring the plaques was a delicate and
time-consuming operation due to the memorial being a grade two star
listed monument.
Wigan’s war memorial was originally unveiled in October 1925 and was
designed by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott; the same man who
designed Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. The monument was originally
paid for entirely out of public subscription, but this time the plaques
were restored thanks to Wigan Council.
John Bolton and Eric Arkwright from Wigan’s Combined Ex-Services
Committee joined the Rector of Wigan Ray Hutchinson and Wigan Leisure
and Culture Trust’s Cemetery Services Manager Tony Bassett to inspect
the newly restored plaques today.
Tony Bassett said: “We are very pleased to have completed the
restoration in time for this year’s Remembrance Day services. We were
hopeful that the original plaques may have been found however that now
seems very unlikely. I would like to thank the council for their
contribution, NPS for their hard work and the ex-serviceman’s committee
for their patience.
“It has been a painstaking task to ensure all of the information was
correctly restored and that the correct type of plaque was used. The
people who stole these plaques should be ashamed, but it is great to see
the memorial returned to its previous condition.”
John Bolton, Chair of the Wigan Ex-serviceman’s Committee served with
the grenadier guards in Africa, Italy and Germany between 1942 and 1945.
He said: “I come round most days and check the memorial. All the lads on
here are buried in war graves across the world for many of us this is
the only place we can remember them because we can’t afford to bring
their bodies back.
“They deserve to be remembered and recognised for what they did for
their country. It was a despicable act stealing the plaques but I’d like
to thank the council, leisure trust and Tony Bassett for all they have
done.”
For further information contact Tony Bassett, Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust’s Cemetery Services Manager on 01942 828855.
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NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please
contact Chris Dunbar, Media and Public Relations Manager, on 01942
486937 or at
c.dunbar@wlct.org
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a
charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over
300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See
www.wlct.org
Getting Wigan Active: Getting Wigan Active is Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust’s vision to help people across the Wigan Borough to become more
physically, mentally and creatively active. It also aims to increase
community activity and to encourage good citizenship.
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The attached photographs show (l to r)
NPS Operations and Property Manager Mike Purcell, Fred Arkwright and
John Bolton from Wigan Combined Ex-Serviceman’s Committee, Rector of
Wigan Ray Hutchinson and Cemetery Services Manager Tony Basset |