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Hawick
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DerekR
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:53 am    Post subject: Hawick Reply with quote

Hawick War Memorial
Sits in Wilton Lodge Park immediately next to Wilton Lodge Museum.
OS ref NT493145
UKNIWM Ref No. 44217



The Hawick War Memorial, erected next to the Wilton Lodge Museum, was unveiled to a crowd of over four thousand by the Right Honourable Robert Munro M.P., H..M. Secretary of Scotland on Sunday, 21st October, 1921.

The design of the Memorial caused great friction in the immediate post-war period in Hawick. The naked figure of "Youth" causing most concern.
" yin o’ th’ biggest acts o’ public indecency that has been perpetrated on th’ community for th’ last forty years.’"
A bereaved mother wrote in a letter to the ‘Hawick Express’ that:
‘How can any pure minded mother with her daughters, suffering under the tender emotions of distress, gaze upon this nudity?’

'The Provost asked for an expression of opinion with regard to the front part of the memorial, whether they approved of the iron railings and the lamps. It was suggested that if there were any mob orators about, and the steps available, they would utilise them. It was also thought that it might be difficult to prevent children from climbing on the steps if there was no gate.'


Last edited by DerekR on Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:20 pm; edited 9 times in total
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DerekR
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Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Hawick War Memorial in Wilton Park has been voted 2006 champion of champions in the Royal British Legion Scotland's best kept war memorial competition.

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Barrie Duncan



Joined: 16 Dec 2006
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Location: Hamilton

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And quite rightly so, it looks great. Reminds me of some of the French memorials I've seen for some reason or another. Are there any names on this memoral Derek?
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DerekR
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Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are no names on the memorial, but immediately to the right of the picture (and just out of view) is the Wilton Lodge Museum.
There, within a room facing the memorial is the Roll of Honour of the Burgh of Hawick which was unveiled by Provost Renwick on November, 11th, 1923, five years after the end of the war.
It comprises the names of 693 men who had fallen in the service of 60 different regiments during the war. The names were listed on 8 pages of illuminated vellum encased in a stand of oak.
Photographs of the separate pages were made available for purchase at a price of 2 shillings each.

See Hawick Municipal Roll of Honour


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dhubthaigh
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Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Derek,

Hawick is a grand Memorial, but I can see the controversy of the time.

It is 'unique', no doubt, and I can almost feel the public sentiment.

Do you know of which 'class' the committee was made up of. Was there someone of some standing who promoted the purchase of the figure of 'youth'? It is a quite radical.

Also what is your opinion of the Memorial itself and its situation, compared with Tower Knowe, Moat Park and Sandbed (pictures please, if any).

It was interesting to note the peoples contribution, as oppposed to the YMCA collection, was lesser.... And yet over 4000 turned up for the unveiling, which was enormous?

Interesting that there were Rolls of Honour in the Catholic Church. Neither St Stephens Church or School, Blairgowrie had anything! Mr Smythe (Black Watch Museum, Perth) also had a problem with RC in the area.

regards,
Mark

[/u]
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DerekR
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark,
The bronze figure entitled ‘Youth’ by the sculptor A.J.Leslie of London was first exhibited in the Royal Academy in London and thereafter in the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.
The unelected and largely unrepresentative Hawick Memorial committee was told that the statue would provide the perfect centrepiece and focal point for the subject of a war memorial and they agreed to buy the statue for the town for £750.

When a photograph of the purchased ‘Youth’ appeared in the Hawick newspapers as the centre piece for the War Memorial, those members of the memorial committee who had apparently acted out of good faith, were subjected to an unprecedented attack from all quarters of the Hawick community.



As usual, James Edgar, the Editor of one Hawick newspaper, appearing in the guise of ‘Betty Whutson’, was amongst the first to harangue them:
‘It’s no’ decent; a thing like that’s no’ fur th’ public street ava’, it’s only fit for some o’ th’ big museums in Edinburgh. Have ye no’ an auld bathin’ kilt ye can gie th’ committei tae pit roond th’ ‘youth’.
It’s a guid thing for the committei that they’ve gotten as muckle money as they hae, for aw’m perfectly shure they never wad hae gotten’t if th’ public had ony inklin’ o’ th’ form th’ memorial was gaun tae take. Whae-ever’s been pullin’ th’ strings in favour o’ th’ nude had juist been a bit ower hasty, aw’m thinkin’, for aw dinna sei why oor fine High Street should be disfigured for a’ time comin’ wi’ sculpture o’ sic a character.


One letter to the ‘Hawick Express’ from a donator to the memorial fund, asked:
‘Why doesn’t one or the other of our wealthy townsmen come forward and purchase the statue for his own marble halls, which these Callants gave their lives to defend and protect? Then let the subscribers choose their own memorial to their gallant dead and not leave it to the chosen few, some of whom the shadow of this war did not touch.’


I would suggest that the Tower Knowe area of Hawick would have been a perfect public spot for the memorial but such was the controversy surroung the "nude" that the vast majority favoured putting it in the Wilton Lodge Park.
Now 90 years later, it is part of the "establishment" in Hawick - an award winning centre piece in the park.


Last edited by DerekR on Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:25 pm; edited 2 times in total
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DerekR
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The memorial after the unveiling in 1921:

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DerekR
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


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DerekR
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The visit of H.R.H The Prince of Wales, 3rd December, 1924.



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DerekR
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


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DerekR
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


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DelBoy



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PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lottery money to restore Hawick War Memorial.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/6-million-in-lottery-cash-to-fund-park-projects-1.1075405


"Wilton Lodge Park is the main green space in Hawick. Wilton Lodge House is used as the Hawick Museum and Scott Gallery and receives approximately 12,000 visitors every year.

Plans include reinstating the bandstand, restoring the war memorial and the Macnee drinking fountain.

The cafe building will be conserved and extended, horticultural training and education programmes will be provided for the community, and the town’s history of rugby and motorbike racing will be further celebrated."
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DerekR
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Compared to other memorials, I do not think that Hawick's memorial is particularly in need of restoration IMHO.
BUT - considering how much I've "invested" in the Lottery since it's inception, it's bias towards funding the London Olympics at the expense of "other" good causes, I welcome this money with open arms!
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DelBoy



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could "Name Panels" be part of the plans do you think Derek?
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DerekR
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It would seem that a large piece of journalistic licence has been taken with this award.
Firstly, the final amount has still to be secured and the memorial to be restored is Hawick's Boer War Memorial and not that for the WW1/WW2.
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