Commemorative jubilee stone to be laid at village plot
A GRANITE stone produced by an armed forces charity is to be laid in Stretton by the village’s parish council as a permanent reminder of the Queen reaching her platinum jubilee in 2022.
The commemorative stone will be positioned for posterity in the Millennium Garden, near to the village war memorial opposite St Mary’s Church.
Parish council chairman John Mckiernan said: “We wanted to create a lasting, visual reminder for future generations to mark the historic achievement of our Queen becoming the first British monarch to give 70 years of service to her country.”
Councillor Mckiernan added: “When we began discussing how to mark the jubilee, we learned that the Ancre Somme Association (ASA) was making and selling commemorative products to fund its education and support work and leave a legacy for future generations.
“It seemed appropriate to buy this limited edition granite stone from them and position it close to ‘Tommy,’ the village’s muchloved soldier statue
on our war memorial.”
There will be a short ceremony to officially unveil the stone at 2.30pm on Friday, June 3, the second day of the fourday bank holiday weekend to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service. Children from Stretton’s William Shrewsbury school are creating some celebration bunting, which will be used to decorate the boundary of the garden.
Meanwhile, the parish council has a vacancy for a parish councillor. You must be 18 or over, an elector and have been a resident or worked within three miles of the parish of Stretton for at least the past year.
As a parish councillor you would help to make a positive difference in Stretton and have a say on decisions that affect your community.
You need to be willing to give up some of your time. How much depends on you and your commitment to work for your community without being paid.
The parish council meets once a month (except August), usually on the first Tuesday of the month. Meetings normally last around one to two hours.
If you would like to be considered, contact Amanda Smith, parish clerk, at clerk@stretton -pc.gov.uk. The council says enthusiasm and commitment are more important than experience.
We wanted to create a lasting reminder to mark the Queen’s historic achievement.
John Mckiernan