Laindon War Memorial and the Water Fountain
Where should they be located
I did not live in Laindon at the time of the dedication and locating of either the War Memorial or the King George V Jubilee water fountain, but they were in their original location until Basildon Development Corporation, started on the destruction, redevelopment of Laindon. I would point out however that though there was a parish of Basildon when they were commissioned, located and dedicated the local council was Billericay.
I would suggest therefore that the Corporation and then Basildon Council can only be considered as the custodians of the monuments on behalf of the residents of Laindon and District.
I am pleased to see that the Council have asked the residents of Laindon and District where they want the monuments located. It is so unusual for the Council take such action we must ensure that the residents and old Laindoner’s families who were involved in the procurement and who’s relatives are commemorated make their views known.
If there is any cost implications the Council could always suggest the Corporation (Now English Partnership and Homes & Communities) to fund it out of the profits they made out of the sale of the land occupied by the British Legion War Memorial Site, adjacent to The old Laindon School and the Memorial Hall.
The above are my views, Ian Mott
The following are the names of Laindon residents past and present who have e-mailed the site requesting that the Memorial and Fountain remain in Laindon at an Agreed Site.
Joan Ward: I think that the water fountain commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V and the War memorial should stay together at an appropriate site in Laindon.
Fred Taylor: Please add my name to the petition to retain the memorial and water Fountain in Laindon. They should in my view be kept together, and near the Laindon Centre.
Mr Michael Sullivan and Mrs Barbra Sullivan: Keep Laindon landmarks in Laindon
Sonia White: Please add my name to the partition to keep the War Memorial and water fountain in a prominent position in Laindon.
Joyce Butt: As an ex Laindoner I would like to add my name to the partition to keep the War Memorial and water fountain in a prominent position in Laindon.
Mr G.W.King & Mrs E.G.King: Please add my name and also my wife’s name to the petition to keep the war memorial in Laindon.
As ex members of the Laindon British Legion branch, we feel that owing to the fact that the Legion only have a seven year lease and the ever dwindling number of members at the branch could cause it to close. The other point is the area at the branch is frequented by gangs of youths in the evenings and the site for the memorial (at the front of the building) is used as a general dumping ground for fish and chip wrappers and Chinese take away cartons. This would also leave the memorial open to vandalism.
Mr M J Green: Although I am a member of the RBL I think the fountain and the war memorial should be sited across the road to where they are sited at this moment in time.
Ernest Llewellyn, June Llewellyn, Steven Llewellyn, Heather Llewellyn, RossO Llewellyn, Jamie Llewellyn
Fred Barnett, Min Barnett
Stella Hewitt
Rita Robinson, Steve Robinson
Susan Greenaway, John Greenaway
The above would like to petition in favour of the war memorial and the Royal Silver Jubilee fountain to be placed at the Laindon shopping centre as this is more central to ALL RESIDENTS.
Ian Dove: Requested we add his name to the partition
Karen Taylor & Philip Taylor: Please add my name and that of my husbands to the petition to keep these landmarks in Laindon. For too long Laindon has been allowed to deteriorate and it is about time people of Laindon unite together to make this an area to be proud of. I have lived in Laindon since 1987 and have raised two children here. I look forward to the shopping centre being re-built as it is an eyesore at the moment and such a shame for those people, particularly the elderly who cannot drive elsewhere to do their shopping.
Stephen Baster, Sheila Baster
Pat Willis, Ron Willis
Debbie Vandervelden, Lee Vandervelden
Mandy Elliott, Brian Elliott
The above have requested their names be added to your petition to keep the war memorial and water fountain in its current place.
Ian Dove: Please add my name to the partition.
Hidi Theodald: To split these two associations that have a memorable meaning to people who lost, family, friends and strangers who served to protect us and to make this world a better place needs to be thought of very carefully and a mutual agreement of its final locations needs to be a public decision. A lot of people who fought in this war or were war babies who lived or were born in the lower part of Laindon, king Edward Road and other side roads.
My grandad and dad, uncles, mum, aunts cousins, great nan, nan etc., were a huge part of this, they were the Saltmarshes, Artheys, Theobalds etc. Please listen to the people and place it in a place that truly represents the history that is left in Laindon. Personally somewhere near the King Edward Road.
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I understand that Laindon Shopping Centre goes under auction for potential developers in about a month. Has there been a final decision on where these commemorative memorials will be relocated? Many thanks.
I love the idea of placing both memorials at the corner of Worthing Road , as this is where I lived until my marriage 40 years ago. My father Alec Norman was wounded in his leg in 1918 after four years in the trenches. In the second world war he served in the ARP and survived being blown up by a bomb.
With my mother, Lilian Florence Norman, they were fund raisers for RBL and as a child I had to spend every Saturday evening in the Legion hall as my parents ran the whist drives.
After the war my mother served on the Billericay Council and then became a JP for the area.
To answer the question posed by Mrs Kingsley. The land referred to is in the ownership of three bodies, Swan Housing, Basildon Council and Essex County Council. It is my belief that all three parties are prepared to cede their land in order to ensure a proper and fitting location for the Memorials is established.
The subject of the war memorial appears to be highly emotive but I cannot understand how our respect for the fallen can be parochial unless we believe that the local display of remembrance applies only to Laindon people and would question the purpose of the Cenotaph. In my own case those I rememstandardber are in the main lost comrades who were not Laindoners and if I attended parades at Laindon, those foremost in my thoughts would not have been represented. I do not attend parades as rightly or wrongly I believe there is an absence of sincerity of some who do so. Also it is my personal belief that the Nov.11 parades are one day a year homages and conflict with the the passage “with the going down of the sun and in the mornings we will remember them”. My homage to the fallen is from my own home, but I yearly have my Royal British Legion cross placed in the Westminster field of remembrance, while not being a member of the RBL I am on their subscribers list and do have a personal e-mail address for them which includes my name. So please forget this war memorial problem as local and let include all who perished.
It appears that Basildon Council is taking the interest of the Laindon community seriously for once and has written to the residents to allow them to express their thoughts on the relocation of the war manorial and fountain.
Please use this opportunity to start the revival of the spirit and hart of our community.
I have been doing some research since I last wrote my opinion on the War Memorial. I have since found out that the memorial does not belong to the British Royal Legion and therefore has not an automatic right to be sited at the hall. It belongs to the people of Laindon and should be placed in Laindon in a tranquil setting, a park for instance and the water fountain with it.
If the proprietors of the corner of Worthing Road and the High Road are willing to donate this ground in our life-time it is a very suitable place to remember the folk who gave their lives for the safety of our country.
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