Loughborough’s War Memorials as a tangible covenant of remembrance

3 February 2015

Below, Bill Brookman of The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project gives an update on the work to re-position the war memorials at All Saints Parish Church.

The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project is based on the belief that a covenant was established at the end of the Great War between those who died and those who remained; our obligation is not to forget them and this remembrance has found expression in the war memorial.

And so it is that re-positioning the war memorials at All Saints Parish Church is central to the activities of the Charnwood Great War Centenary Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  When a beautiful and massive organ was built into All Saints Church in the 1960’s, the money ran out before the wooden cladding could be added to the pipes.  The new organ obscured the war memorial which was re-positioned in the only available position in the south transept.  The name plaques were deposited, respectfully but unmounted, under the altar.  When nearby Trinity Church was de-consecrated its memorial arrived and has sat on the floor ever since. A 20 year development plan is underway to match the church building to the needs of the present. An existing plan to re-position the memorials was accelerated to  coincide with the centenary of the Great War and on the 19th January 2015 work began on the 9-week project to shift the memorials to new, better positions on the north wall of the church.

The culmination of the re-positioning of the memorials is to be marked by Charnwood Orchestra’s ‘The Banks of Green Willow’ concert at All Saints Church, Saturday March 21st 2015.

The work to the memorials is being documented in photographs and in February Lisa Etherington of Sally Strachey Conservation Ltd will answer questions on the progress of the project at a talk to which members of the public are invited.

The church is kept locked and the builders are working inside, but I am on-site most days and anyone interested in being let in to have a look can contact me, on 01509 236175, 07792 655 670 or by email at bill@billBrookman.co.uk.  Organisations wishing to arrange a tour can do so by contacting Madeleine Coburn at mc-candcc@live.co.uk.

Or feel free to come to one of the church’s scheduled services.

There will be an informal opening of the church on Thursday 4th February, 2.30.  Just turn up.

Bill Brookman