Are You Sitting Comfortably Part 3

[MissM]

Hello everyone,

I have just spent nearly a whole day catching up on 5 weeks of messages as I have suffered two computer breakdowns and a bad back since I last visited! 

I wish I had been here through the excitement of St Peter's as I am less than 15 minutes away and being a Churchwarden myself would have loved to have helped out.  (I missed our own memorial Service in November because of my back but it is always a beautiful and touching service and our Church is always full).

Nevertheless you found all the information between you with Edna and her sister's help and I congratulate you all.  When I first found this thread in June 2007 I was so impressed by all your hard work and I still am now.  Well Done everyone!

I hope Robert's medal finds a final and fitting resting place in Liverpool.

Lynne

PS  Did the BBC ever run the story as mentioned in November?

[clematised]

Hello again friends

Behind the scenes just before Christmas I wrote to the British Legion to see if they would be able to help with the cost of restoring the grave to its rightful position and they referred me to the war graves commission and here is their reply below

I am sorry that we are unable to assist with your request to repair the headstone marking the grave of Robert Stead as our duties are confined to commemorating the dead of the two World Wars, and as he died in 1926 his grave is not a World War grave. The dates of the two World Wars for the Commission's purposes are:
 
4 August 1914 to 31 August 1921
3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947
 
The Commission is provided with funds under the terms of its Royal Charter to commemorate war casualties either on a headstone marking the grave or, if the grave is not known, on one of the Commission's memorials to the missing.  unquote

I have notified Michel of the reply and he has asked me to get back to you all to see if anything can be done and if any of you have any ideas on what to do next.

I have privately offered Michel and his wife Sabine to visit my home as a base for looking around Liverpool and to visit the grave of Robert W Stead in the churchyard of St Peters but I thought it would be nice to have the stone repaired or just turned over so he could see the inscription if he decides to take up my offer sometime this year so its over to you rootschatters to think of a way to help.

Edna
 
 

[PaulaToo]

How lovely to see this thread has not been abandoned.
I have always said, and still say, that it would be nice if the stone was just turned over.

[MissM]

Hi Edna

I'm glad you are still on the case!

Did the Churchwarden get back to you at all with the undertakers they use the most?  I would think this would be your best route if the stonemason was too expensive. 

It would have also been nice to get Michel's medallion mounted in the Church - I presume no one has got back to you on that either.  I hope a good home can be found for it.   If it had been my Church, I would have grabbed it eagerly!  We have an old anvil for the local smithy which couldn't find a home so we took it in.  The Smithy was a couple of hundred yards from the Church at the same time it was built (1876).

I'm really surprised the Liverpool Echo didn't pick up on the story.   I was hoping if the Echo got behind the story, and St Peter's too, that a local stone mason company would offer help.

I'll have a look if there is a local history group in Woolton who might be interested in helping out.  They are usually an enthusiastic bunch and being in Woolton, (a 'posh' area of Liverpool!)  they might have some funds available.  I'll let you know what I find out.

Best wishes,

Lynne

[MissM]

Just in case anyone has missed the whole story ( or needs reminding, I thought it might be helpful to post the link to the summary.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,261805.0.html

Lynne

[Heyesie]

What is the actual price they are asking for righting the stone

[clematised]

We have not found this out yet and I think this should be the next step to look for a sympathetic stonemason in the area and perhaps Graham Paisley may know someone if we ask him I remember Graham saying that the stone had to be drilled through and an iron rod put through it and that the proper lifting gear would be needed but a price was never quoted for the work.

If any of you live in the area who could volunteer to enquire then please do so otherwise its back to Graham the verger of St Peters.

Michel is having problems at the moment with electricity so its difficult for him to get on the internet without risking the computer damage.

Any suggestions are welcome

Edna

[Heyesie]

I think the nearest stone mason to there
Would be Woolton road Allerton
Just at the entrance to Allerton cemetery gates on Woolton road.

Grassi R & Son
188 Woolton Rd Garston
Liverpool 
Merseyside L19 5NF
Tel: 0151 427 6243

[Mair]

We do need to do something.

I think we have two choices here and should look at the options with regards the headstone firstly.  We can erect it - that is ask the stone mason to drill the stone, rod it, bolt it and make safe and hope it stays vertical.  Or we can ask the stone mason to turn it to lay it flat and make good the inscription.  I would assume the latter would be a more economical option.

We would have to seek permission of St Peter's first though wouldn't we on either option?

With regards to the tag - options - let Michel do with it as he sees fit - he has had it so long why not.........or let him ask us all what the general consensus of opinion is.  Personally i dont think a museum would be quite the right place for the respect it deserves.  Michel gave the medal all the respect from all of us last November at the Rememberance Service Michel attended.

Discussion open to the floor...........

Mair