Moller memorial plans proceeding

ON a recent trip through Ravensbourne I noticed, with some surprise, that the grey and dilapidated Moller Park Memorial Arch was still standing, even though I clearly remembered its fate (demolition) had been decided quite some time ago.

So I checked our news files and found, yes indeed, back in September last year the council had confirmed, after consultation, the arch (see today’s photo), officially opened way back in 1937, was to be destroyed and replaced by a new memorial to Hagbarth Ernest Moller (18701936), to be built somewhere else.

Readers with good memories may recall that The Wash, back in October 2015, had delved into the arch’s history and recorded how it had been built by the good citizens of West Harbour out of respect for their longserving mayor.

But, 17 months after deciding to demolish the crumbling memorial, the DCC seemed not to have made much progress. Time then for an update, so I sent off a bunch of questions which have now been answered by Jendi Paterson, the operations manager, parks and recreation.

Q: Has there been a change of heart by the DCC? Is the archway to remain?

‘‘The DCC has been working with the Moller family, the West Harbour Community Board and Ravensdown (as a key landowner in the area). The plan has always been to remove the existing arch once a new memorial for the plaque was in place.’’

Q: If not, why the delay in demolition?

‘‘See above.’’

Q: Has the demolition job been costed?

‘‘Ravensdown has agreed to arrange the demolition.’’

Q: Has a new site for a new memorial been found?

‘‘Yes, at the start of the cycleway that runs to St Leonards, tying in with the beautification work Rotary has completed in the area.’’

Q: Has a new memorial been commissioned, and by whom; what does it look like, and what does it cost?

‘‘We have appointed a contractor, following a tender process, and are working through final designs with the parties identified above. We plan to have an opening for the new memorial before Christmas or early in 2018. The cost of the new memorial is $13,900, which includes refurbishment of the original plaque.’’

Paving stones trial

Last week, we sought reader feedback on the DCC’s trial of new paving stones in the upper Octagon, near St Paul’s Cathedral, which are to replace the terracotta tiles which have been in use since 1987.

Elinor Grafton writes: ‘‘I was disappointed in the small paving stones in front of the town hall. The joins between each one are too wide and deep, and will fill up with dust and dirt, very quickly and look very untidy. The large smooth pale grey tiles looked lovely, but I’m not sure if they will be slippery when wet. Don’t rush into it.Are there more to pick and choose from yet ?’’

And Peter and Lynne Hill emailed their assessment: ‘‘The section at the lower end of the trial seems less slippery, although we would like to sample it after a heavy shower. The smaller pavers may present a problem for high heels. Whatever is chosen, please may it be nonslip. The DCC did not make a good choice with the originals, nor with the decorative footpath in Gordon Rd, Mosgiel, which is dangerous when it freezes.’’

Naming formalities

Further to recent discussions about how married women used to be referred to by the initials or names of their husbands, Alice Robson has emailed these thoughts:

‘‘When I started work as a stenographer (shorthand typist) in 1955, married women were always addressed with their husband’s initials. In other words, if the husband’s name was John they would be Mrs J. Smith even if the letter had nothing to do with him. Just another example of how the world was 60 or so years ago.

‘‘By 1975, when I rejoined the workforce, in the company I worked for all correspondence was addressed to Mr J. Smith, or Mr & Mrs J. Smith if the wife was involved. I was a quiet ‘women’s libber’ in a man’s world, so I started addressing them as Mr J. and Mrs ? Smith. I later made the bold move of addressing them as Mrs ? and Mr J. Smith.

‘‘No comment was ever made, so perhaps the bosses didn’t even notice. Or maybe the rest of the world had already changed and I just helped them to catch up.’’

And Michael Broad provided this insight into another aspect of naming formalities:

‘‘One of my greatgrandfathers, Peter Mouat from the Shetland Islands, was a boatbuilder on the harbour at Deborah Bay. One of the largest boats he built was the ketch Alpha, 52 feet long, for the Catlins timber trade.

‘‘In the ODT of 2 May, 1876, it was noted that she had been christened by Miss Mouat, daughter of the builder, and there being four daughters I wondered which one was involved. I asked someone who should know and they said that it was the tradition in those days that the forename of the oldest female was never given, but younger daughters names were given to distinguish them. So in this case the oldest was Anderina Mouat, later to be my grandmother.’’