A housebuilder has helped to revitalise a community’s War Memorial ahead of Remembrance Day following a plea from a local resident.
Govilon resident Ivan Beatty has been helping to maintaining the village’s War Memorial for the last 25 years along with his wife Sue.
Earlier this year, Mr Beatty, aged 78, reached out to South Wales housebuilder Llanmoor Homes, which is building 51 homes on its Rossers Field development near the village, to see if the business could help spruce up the memorial.
Mr Beatty, who served in the Army Catering Corps for 30 years and later worked for the Royal British Legion, said: “It’s important that the War Memorial is maintained for the community. It’s not just a place for Remembrance Day but something people visit all year round. I asked Llanmoor if they might be able to replace the grey stone chippings around the memorial and help with a bit of weed control.”
Llanmoor was more than happy to help and, in addition to removing the weeds and replacing the chippings with slate, also arranged for the memorial to be pressure washed.
Tim Grey, sales director of Llanmoor Homes, said: “It was our pleasure to help clean and tidy up the War Memorial in Govilon. Mr and Mrs Beatty have been doing a tremendous service to the village for so long, and we were only too happy to lend a hand.
“War Memorials are important focal points for towns and villages, offering a place for communities to come together to pay tribute to and remember those who fought and died for our freedoms.
“As a responsible housebuilder, we think it’s important to work together with the communities in which we build.”
Mr Beatty said Llanmoor had been “brilliant”. He added: “We are so grateful for their contribution to our War Memorial. I asked for a little help, but they went over and above. The pressure washing of the stonework was a masterstroke, and I doubt if it had been done in the past 100 years. They were so professional and I can’t thank them enough.”
Llanfoist Fawr Community Council has supported Mr Beatty to ensure the upkeep of the Memorial. Gareth Havard, clerk to the council, said: “Mr Beatty has been relentless in his work, and he is very well regarded in the community. We are absolutely delighted with Llanmoor Homes’ help to bring the memorial back up to a high standard ahead of Remembrance Day.”
Govilon War Memorial is built in sandstone mined from the local quarry. Although originally situated in the centre of the village, it was moved in 1937, and now provides an impressive entrance to the King George V Recreation Ground at the western entrance of the village.
It commemorates 12 casualties from the First World War, including four killed in the same battle at Ypres in Belgium in May 1915, as well as two casualties from the Second World War. The Memorial is unusual in that it commemorates a civilian casualty – May Prosser. It is believed she was killed in a local munitions factory.
By way of further commemorating Ms Prosser, the road name at Llanmoor’s nearby Rossers Field development is called May Prosser Way.
