Sir Keith Park

[Mayfly]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1177570/Statue-Battle-Britain-hero-deemed-traditional-Trafalgar-Square-plinth.html

[Wedgy]

Just plain b******s

Instead we get all this crap


WARNING: very un-PC comment coming up ......... Battle of Britain hero vs Naked Disabled woman? hmmmmmm

[Nickolas]

~x(


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1177570/Statue-Battle-Britain-hero-deemed-traditional-Trafalgar-Square-plinth.html

Loved the comment that if it wasn't for Keith Park, Westminster council might not be there at all or under the swastika.

Bloody pity a few more of this countries folk don't consider the alternative. Germans or latterly the Russians. currently the threat is Muslim.

What is it with this country that every other bugger wants to invade us??

[Saracenman]

i suspect that the term "too traditional" is thinly-veiled code for "politically incorrect" - if so then

however, giving 'them' the benefit of the doubt, i think that such a traditionally-styled statue of any figure of historical importance would be out of place on the empty forth plinth, given what has been chosen in recent times.

if, however, a sculptor submitted a work showing Sir KP doing Hermann Göring from behind, i think it might have a chance!

sm

[Wedgy]

U-turn and Sanity prevails!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8039472.stm

[Mayfly]

excellent decision............ about time the powers that be realise you cannot retrospectivley apply todays values to yesterdays events

[Gully]

excellent decision............ about time the powers that be realise you cannot retrospectivley apply todays values to yesterdays events

Great soundbite, MF!! Like that!

Gully

[RLN]

excellent decision............ about time the powers that be realise you cannot retrospectivley apply todays values to yesterdays events

Maybe if we had the same values now, Britain wouldn't be in the mess it is. We wouldn't have to worry about the care our wounded servicemen (people) receive, nor the fight to allow the Gurkhas to live here (I for one am bloody glad they are on our side).

[Dan4th]

Mayfly, you are Right on the Money with
your comment. I was fortunate to have had
some really excellent professors in college,
one of whom was absolutely adamant on that
particular point that you can NOT judge the
past using current standards. It negates the
whole point of studying history in the first place!

Danf.

[Saracenman]

agreed to all of the above - common sense prevails!

if only we could apply the same to 10 Downing Street - bring back Churchill!

sm

[34053]

Here is the official confirmation, that I have received from the 'Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign', of Westminster Council's approval of both the 'temporary' (Trafalgar Square) and 'permanent' (Waterloo Place) statues of Sir Keith Park. Great news! However, as you will read, there is still Government/Mayor of London consent needed.

Dear Supporter,

On Thursday, 7th May the Planning Committee of Westminster City Council considered the two applications we had submitted to them, the first for a permanent installation in Waterloo Place , the second for a temporary installation on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.

I am pleased to be able to write to you now with the good news that the Planning Committee has approved both of our applications.

This means that we can proceed with the plans for the permanent statue to be erected in September 2010 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, with just the Government to grant their permission as the final hurdle. In the meantime we will continue to seek the remaining permissions for a statue to be erected temporarily on the Fourth Plinth, the planning approval we have just obtained being the penultimate hurdle as the final decision now rests with the Mayor for London , as does the timing of this temporary installation.

When we launched our Campaign last March, veterans, supporters and members of the Park family were accompanied in Trafalgar Square by a Spitfire. We campaigned from the start for a statue of this remarkable man to be erected on the Fourth Plinth, because we could think of no more fitting place to commemorate someone whose leadership was absolutely vital to the outcome of the Second World War. It was these unique and exceptional circumstances that weighed in favour of the Campaign and helped ensure a positive response at the Planning Committee on Thursday, 7th May.

We anticipate that the temporary statue will be up on the Fourth Plinth for six months starting later this Autumn. The permanent statue should then be ready for an unveiling ceremony in September 2010. We are in close contact with the RAF and anticipate that the unveiling will form a principal part of their commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain next year. The culmination of everybody’s efforts will therefore have an added poignancy and relevance as we remember the Battle itself and its significance for our and future generations.

It only remains for me to offer you my profound gratitude, on behalf of the Campaign, the Park family and the veterans, for all that you have done in helping achieve proper recognition for Sir Keith Park’s service to this country. It is no exaggeration to say that the leadership given by Sir Keith Park was crucial to our winning the Battle of Britain, and therefore to the ultimate outcome of the Second World War.

By putting up this statue in the heart of the City he did so much to defend, we are demonstrating that today we still remember and respect not only the leadership and achievements of Sir Keith Park , but also the courage and sacrifice of all who served alongside him in the RAF. The fact that he was a New Zealander also reminds us of the countless thousands from other countries who have fought alongside British servicemen and women during the World Wars and in the years since.”

We shall be in touch to update you on progress as we get nearer the unveiling of the statues, but in the meantime, please visit http://www.sirkeithpark.com for more details.

Best wishes,

Terry Smith

Chairman
Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign

PW

[RLN]

Thanks for posting that for us 34053. Hopefully, Boris will give it the nod.

[Saracenman]

that's very encouraging PapaWedgy - thanks!

it's things like this that are so important to our heritage - quite why Sir KP has been 'forgotten' for so long is a mystery - is it the PC brigade gone mad again? wouldn't be surprised!

and once the loco is back in steam as well..........

sm