First World War Memorial, Fareham (4) - 12 October 2014

This year has seen anniversaries of events in both World Wars and the commemorations which have taken place are both appropriate and important. It might appear controversial to criticise the First World War Memorial in Fareham which was unveiled on 4 August 2014 but I am going to do so. The plaque is simple and pleasing but the structure to which it is attached is inexplicably ill-conceived. I do not know what was in the mind of its creator Peter Clutterbuck; perhaps he wanted to clear out his workshop. The four views I have provided in addition to that of the plaque show the odd slabs from which the memorial is made and the unpleasantly industrial way in which they are fastened together.

Fareham Borough Council and its burghers do not escape criticism either. I regard the location of the memorial as low-key and poorly chosen. It is adjacent to one of the obscure sculptures in what Fareham mysteriously styles the Henry Cort Sculpture Park - simply the pedestrianised area of the town's West Street - and the railings of the piece behind the memorial are frequently used as a bicycle rack. In the meantime, the base of the memorial has become an ashtray. I rather hope it will be moved to a more dignified location such as the nearby Westbury Manor Garden.

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