TOPIC:

I recently bought a postcard of the Boer War memorial in West Hartlepool off ebay.
West Hartlepool is now Hartlepool and is fairly local to me so I thought I would have a look today at the existing memorial.
This is located in Ward Jackson park Hartlepool and I knew before I visited the memorial has been vandalised.
A local informed me the soldier statue's rifle had first gone then in later years the soldier statue had been removed leaving just the feet.
All this happened a long time ago and not recently.
On visiting the park I found the memorial in good order and obviously well looked after, it is such a shame the statue is missing,I think this would have been a stunning memorial.










Paul

A good link which explains the story of the soldier figure missing in 1968.

www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=9150

Paul

coldstream wrote: I recently bought a postcard of the Boer War memorial in West Hartlepool off ebay.
West Hartlepool is now Hartlepool and is fairly local to me so I thought I would have a look today at the existing memorial.
This is located in Ward Jackson park Hartlepool and I knew before I visited the memorial has been vandalised.
A local informed me the soldier statue's rifle had first gone then in later years the soldier statue had been removed leaving just the feet.
All this happened a long time ago and not recently.
On visiting the park I found the memorial in good order and obviously well looked after, it is such a shame the statue is missing,I think this would have been a stunning memorial.

Paul

Paul, Agree ! A superb memorial and such a shame that the statue went missing. It is such a tragedy that these is such a problem with vandalism of memorials in the South Africa and the UK. Such things just don't seem to happen here. I've yet to hear of the vandalising or theft of a memorial here in Taiwan other than the following case. For many years I've been involved in construction and erection of memorials to former Allied POWs held in Japanese POW Camps from 1942-1945 and we only once had a memorial go missing. Remarkably, it soon mysteriously reappeared. It was a large green marble slab which we presume somebody pinched to use as a stone tea table. Perhaps the person was illiterate. Well, tea drinking is a social activity and it would appear that our friend's guests must have been horrified when they discovered the origins of the tea table and must have insisted it was returned. And so it was. Admittedly, there is great fear of the spirit world here and thus messing with a memorial would be seen as courting the displeasure of ghosts.

Cheers,

Mark

Cheers,

Mark

Paul

It is sad to see a vandalised memorial in the UK, but at least the surviving part is well cared for.

I have been watching TV broadcasts of the Jubilee celebrations and I wondered if the patriotic pride on display will be long lasting. I suspect the people we saw represent the majority of Britons, but who are, sadly, 'silent', except on occasions such as the Jubilee. I read that by using the word "washout" in a headline, 'The Guardian' revealed its true colours even at a time like this and pandered to the 'vocal minority', who, as usual, will be making most of the headlines from now on.

Regards
Brett

Mark
Thank you for your reply.
It is fascinating how different countries cultures differ, a good example with the table top.
Also the fact of the fear of the spirit world is sure to make a difference.

Paul

Mark Wilkie wrote:

coldstream wrote: I recently bought a postcard of the Boer War memorial in West Hartlepool off ebay.
West Hartlepool is now Hartlepool and is fairly local to me so I thought I would have a look today at the existing memorial.
This is located in Ward Jackson park Hartlepool and I knew before I visited the memorial has been vandalised.
A local informed me the soldier statue's rifle had first gone then in later years the soldier statue had been removed leaving just the feet.
All this happened a long time ago and not recently.
On visiting the park I found the memorial in good order and obviously well looked after, it is such a shame the statue is missing,I think this would have been a stunning memorial.

Paul

Paul, Agree ! A superb memorial and such a shame that the statue went missing. It is such a tragedy that these is such a problem with vandalism of memorials in the South Africa and the UK. Such things just don't seem to happen here. I've yet to hear of the vandalising or theft of a memorial here in Taiwan other than the following case. For many years I've been involved in construction and erection of memorials to former Allied POWs held in Japanese POW Camps from 1942-1945 and we only once had a memorial go missing. Remarkably, it soon mysteriously reappeared. It was a large green marble slab which we presume somebody pinched to use as a stone tea table. Perhaps the person was illiterate. Well, tea drinking is a social activity and it would appear that our friend's guests must have been horrified when they discovered the origins of the tea table and must have insisted it was returned. And so it was. Admittedly, there is great fear of the spirit world here and thus messing with a memorial would be seen as courting the displeasure of ghosts.

Cheers,

Mark

Cheers,

Mark

Brett

Thank you for your reply and your views on the recent jubilee, very pertinent.

Paul

Brett Hendey wrote: Paul

It is sad to see a vandalised memorial in the UK, but at least the surviving part is well cared for.

I have been watching TV broadcasts of the Jubilee celebrations and I wondered if the patriotic pride on display will be long lasting. I suspect the people we saw represent the majority of Britons, but who are, sadly, 'silent', except on occasions such as the Jubilee. I read that by using the word "washout" in a headline, 'The Guardian' revealed its true colours even at a time like this and pandered to the 'vocal minority', who, as usual, will be making most of the headlines from now on.

Regards
Brett