SHELTER PLAN TO REMEMBER COVID VICTIMS
■ RESIDENTS invited to give their views on memorial idea
A LASTING memorial to the people lost in the coronavirus pandemic could be set up in the town centre, in place of the Elderly Persons’ Rest Room, which is due to be demolished.
Ashbourne Town Councillors began discussing the future of the space that will be left when the crumbling St John Street structure disappears during Monday night’s virtual Finance Committee meeting.
The town council has been discussing turning the prominent space into a feature of the town for around a year, and a number of potential ideas have been considered.
But councillors have discussed a new idea, of creating something to mark the pandemic, and to remember the people lost to Covid-19, along with a tribute to the key-workers who kept everyone safe.
The council has been shown a basic design, penned by Shrovetide ball painter and town council employee Tim Baker, which would create sweeping steps up to the raised platform that currently serves as a foundation for the wooden shelter.
While councillors approved of the steps, they felt the prominent position of the empty space that would be left meant it should warrant something more significant than an empty seating area. The idea for marking the pandemic was mooted in a report by assistant clerk Sam Higton, who suggested incorporating painted pebbles that were left around the town during the first lockdown into one of the steps. And local historian, Councillor Caroline Cooper, immediately picked up on the idea and suggested it be developed.
She told fellow councillors: “I’d like to see a lasting memorial to those that have died in the pandemic. “I think that would be a nice gesture, along with the stones. “I know it was nice that everybody painted the stones, but I think a lasting memorial would be very nice.
“Perhaps we could have a living flame, or an engraving, or something like that. We’ve lost people in the town and I just think that somewhere, whether it’s there or in the Memorial Gardens, we should recognise that.
“But I just think while we’re taking down this rest room, it’s an opportunity to do a memorial. Something that’s permanent.
“It doesn’t have to be a large structure, even if it’s just a tablet set in stone, it doesn’t need to be massive.”
Around a year ago, Ashbourne’s current mayor Sean Clayton created a design proposal sheet, which included ideas to create a glass structure that would replace the current wooden shelter.
Glass was chosen not just because of its modern appearance, but to afford the shops and buildings adjacent to the structure a view into the street.
After further discussion, and after weighing up some preliminary quotes for creating the steps and demolishing the current building –which ranged from £25,000 to £45,000 – councillors agreed to ask townsfolk for help deciding what to do.
We’ve lost people in the town and I just think that somewhere, we should recognise that fact. Caroline Cooper
THE Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football Committee has issued a statement urging people to resist the temptation to mark Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday with any sort of gatherings.
Tuesday and Wednesday, March 16 and 17, should have seen the town gathering together in huge numbers to watch Shrovetide get underway from 2pm at the plinth in Shaw
Croft - but the Covid-19 lockdown has meant the game has had to be cancelled this year.
Last year, as we looked for glimmers of hope of the restrictions easing by February, the committee had mooted potentially safe ideas of ways to mark the two days if it had to be cancelled - but given the current lockdown, members have backed away from supporting any such events.
In a statement released last week, the committee has asked the game’s players, supporters and followers to “respect the law” and to avoid gathering in Shaw Croft or any other of the game’s areas.
The committee said: “As we approach what would have been the two days of Shrovetide football we appreciate that everyone in Ashbourne is thinking about the game and how we will all miss our unique event this year.
“There are no official events planned by the committee and we are not aware of any unofficial gatherings but the Shrovetide committee would like to stress that supporters should not go to Shaw Croft on Shrove Tuesday or Ash Wednesday.
“The Covid-19 guidelines mean that groups of people should not be meeting and we would ask everyone involved with the game to respect the law and stay away from the car park.
“This is necessary to protect everyone involved and to safeguard the future of the game. The committee thanks everyone in anticipation for their cooperation and looks forward to Shrovetide football in 2022.”