WHEN Knutsford’s Memorial Cottage Hospital was opened in the 1920s local people would have used it regularly.
The plaques with the Rolls of Honour would have been a constant reminder of the men who gave their lives in the First World War.
But once the building was taken over by the Red Cross it was no longer a community asset and few people have had cause to visit it.
Since I moved to the town over 30 years ago I have been aware of the roadside memorial opposite St Cross Church but I thought that was the only memorial in the town.
I was vaguely aware there was a building tucked away somewhere off Northwich Road that had a nursery and was used by the Red Cross but I didn’t realise it was a war memorial.
I think we should all be congratulating the individuals and organisations involved in the new Centennial Memorial in the library garden.
This attractive green space, near the town centre, seems a far more appropriate site for a war memorial than a building which few people notice, let alone visit.
The statue of Haron Baronian can be seen by passers by and could be a talking point for parents taking their children to the library for instance.
This will mean the soldiers named on the plinth will be actively commemorated by future generations.
There was a wonderful turnout for the laying of the wreaths and I found it a very moving experience.
A lasting tribute to those who founded Memorial House would be to work with planners and developers to establish an attractive building that will meet the needs of the townspeople.
A new medical centre would be ideal, but failing that, sheltered housing or retirement apartments would seem a worthwhile use.
I believe McCarthy and Stone has put forward plans for a peaceful ‘memorial garden’ and this would be a fitting way to make sure the original intention of this site would not be forgotten.
Mary Gracie Knutsford
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