Lewes Forum thread

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War Memorial

On 25 Mar 2011 at 6:07pm Vox Populi wrote:

I have heard that the "specialist" company currently employed by the Town Council to clean the war memorial have miscalculated their cleaning fluids and that this blunder has caused the verdigris to stain the stonework.
I know that Town Councillors visit this forum and wondered if any of them could confirm the current state of affairs?

On 26 Mar 2011 at 8:55am John Stockdale wrote:

Vox Populi, this is the first I've heard of it. I'll make enquiries and let you know.

On 28 Mar 2011 at 1:43pm John Stockdale wrote:

Vox populi, I understand that stain on the stone from the verdigris is normal during cleaning. It is more marked because of the softness of the stone used in the memorial, but the effect will weather in over time. Because of the interval since the last cleaning, the monument has required additional applications of fluids and these are being applied as and when the contractor is available. Meanwhile the scaffolding will remain in place. The War memorial lives outside, is nearly 100 years old and whilst it is in good condition, we have to accept, it isn't in the first flush of youth.

On 29 Mar 2011 at 11:09pm Brixtonbelle wrote:

So the staining remains ? Surely incumbent upon the contractor to protect the stone and make good any staining incurred by the cleaning process if they don't. After all if a decorator sloshed paint all over my carpets whilst repainting my walls, I would expect some recompense for not carrying out their job properly.

On 30 Mar 2011 at 2:33am MuttsNuts wrote:

'normal during cleaning' - 'will weather in over time' - 'as and when the contractor is available' sounds very iffy to me.

On 30 Mar 2011 at 9:12am John Stockdale wrote:

Muttsnuts, 'as and when the contractor is available' isn't quite as laid back as I've made it sound. Applications were made during the planned cleaning period. The additional applications have to be spaced out and the Chichester-based contractor will return to apply these at intervals when it is convenient for him to do so eg when he's in or near Lewes.

On 1 Apr 2011 at 11:06pm Boo Khaki wrote:

going slightly off thread - but this is sounding more like that other great Lewes landmark - The Tunnel - cleaning/lining contractors cock up - takes months longer than it should - a total failure when eventually re-opened again - anticipate looking forward to seeing the War memorial being re-shrouded for the third weekend in every month for the next decade - whilst "remedial works resulting from the improvement/cleaning" are assessed
Who lets these contracts?????????
Where DOES mt tax money go in this town??????
Not that I care