Memorial and Garden

Temple Cloud Memorial Garden

2 years ago a decision was taken by Cameley Parish Council to support a permanent Memorial in the Parish to commemorate the fallen of 2 World Wars. The site identified was on the corner of Temple Inn Lane and the A37, which was accessible to all. However, the flurry of planning applications in and around this site and the consequent fears over traffic and safety meant that this was no longer viable. In the meantime the traffic along the A37 has increased yet there are no plans by B.A.N.E.S. to bring relief, in fact by approving even more applications for more development the situation will only get worse. Yet the desire to have a permanent memorial is still as strong as ever as first articulated by the 2012 Village Questionnaire, where two thirds of those expressing a view supported the idea. You will recall a wooden memorial was originally erected in 1916 but blew down 4 years later. Undeterred, the Parish Council reaffirmed its support for the idea at its April meeting. The latest proposal is to create a Memorial Garden on the site of the original Memorial at the Green in Temple Cloud. This piece of land, close to the Doctors, is owned by the Parish Council, purchased in 1977 to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee. However, in the meantime, it has fallen into an unloved state despite by the best efforts of some hardy individuals. It is hoped that by creating a memorial garden here it will give purpose to the site and be an asset for the village and its people. To this end, a public meeting has been called for at Temple Cloud Village Hall,on Monday, 12th May 2014 at 7.30 pm to discuss the proposal, form an organising committee to bring it to fruition. Everyone will be more than welcome, particularly those with Forces connections, gardening skills or those who just feel that as we face the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of World War I we could finally have a permanent, fitting and public memorial to commemorate the fallen. If you have any queries or wish to help bring this to life, please contact Tony Hooper on 07976 028651 or email at cholwell@btinternet.com