Dinner and speaker at the Baron

Our speaker this week at the Baron was Sylvia Meredith accompanied by her husband Derek. Sylvia spoke to us about the campaign to erect a War Memorial in St Mary's  churchard in Bucknell. The War Dead are acknowleged in Rolls of Honour to be found in the church and in the Memorial Hall which was purchased from the Army and erected soon after the First World War. However, the Rolls are often concealed behind locked doors. The villagers, including relatives of the dead,  feel  the need for an outside memorial  that can be seen at all times by locals and the many visitors who come to the area.

The target is to raise  £5000 for a granite and slate memorial to be erected just outside the main door of the church (subject to a faculty from the Diocese). It is to be made of local stone and worked by a local stonemason. The committee has worked hard to raise £3000 in just one year and are commited to completing the project by 2018, the centenery of the end of the First World War. There have been donations from the British Legion and other organisations but disappointingly few local businesses have responded so far. Most of the money has been raised by sheer hard work by Sylvia and many volunteers running events including a Big Breakfast, a regular Pop-in Cafe at the church, Bonus Ball, a tea-dance and Christmas events. A concert is planned for 8th April in the Memorial Hall.The Knighton and District Rotary Club has made a donation and thanks Sylvia for coming along to meet us.