"It was heartening to read about the alternative events being planned for the first world war anniversary.[Anti-war activists battle to get their voices heard in WW1 centenary events*] Unfortunately, here in Folkestone a permanent feature rather than a transient event is being planned to commemorate those soldiers who passed through the town on their way to the western front. Seemingly ignoring the fact that these soldiers are already remembered by the 1922 war memorial and a nearby brick pillar, as well as "The Road of Remembrance".
Step Short, a charity chaired by Damian Collins MP, has been given permission to build a 14-metre-high stainless steel arch, only yards away from these already existing memorials at a cost of around £500,000, of which £350,000 is coming from local authority and county funds.
Supporting what Roger Lloyd Pack says in your article, is it right in these straitened times to expend this amount of money on an unneeded further war memorial, when it could be more usefully employed in other ways, such as supporting physically injured and mentally traumatised soldiers from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? One can only hope that even at this late stage Step Short will think again.
Nick Spurrier
Folkestone"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/10/conscientious-objectors-past-present
*
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/anti-war-activists-ww1-centenary