West Dunbartonshire Memorial to be restored by October

From the Lennox Herald:

Vale veterans should have a new war memorial in time for this year’s Remembrance Day service.

The cenotaph at Christie Park, which is the biggest of its kind in West Dunbartonshire, is scheduled to be restored by mid-October.

The work will overhaul the dilapidated monument which has been subjected to vandalism and weather damage.

Plans include installing lights and a CCTV system, as well as erecting a new fence and gate.

And the cenotaph will also be repointed, cleaned, and new stone steps will be built around it.

The proposals have been drawn up by West Dunbartonshire Council in co-ordination with external agencies.

The work, which is set to go out to tender in the coming weeks, will cost around £120,000 in total.

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokeswoman said: “Design drawings have been produced for the restoration of the war memorial in consultation with Historic Scotland.

“Officers from the council’s architectural services section are currently developing tender documents for the scope of works.

“It is anticipated that work will start at the beginning of June 2011, with a completion date of mid-October 2011.

“Funding for this project will come from Entrust external funding.”

The Vale of Leven Remembrance Day Association has been given a copy of the masterplan and members have been asked to provide any feedback on the plans.

A report into the condition of the cenotaph, which is made from sandstone, describes the monument as being in relatively good condition but having suffered from “vandalism and weathering.”

The report reads: “The vandalism requires regular cleaning of the structure and all of this has caused loss of mortar from stone joints and loss of lettering on the slate panels.”

The memorial, which currently stands within Christie Park, was formerly known as the Bonhill war memorial and was officially unveiled in 1921. The B listed monument was designed by artist Sir David Young Cameron.

It includes the names of those from the Bonhill parish who lost their lives in both the first and second world wars.

Annually, veterans – along with local dignitaries – gather at the memorial to pay tribute to soldiers who have fallen.

The page covering this memorial on the Scottish War Memorials Project is worth a look, and features a transcription of the names.