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