Melton Mowbray Town Estate

From the Melton Times by Ben Truslove.

See the Slideshow at the Melton Times website.

It was an emotional day when veterans and current service men and women re-dedicated Melton War Memorial.

Representatives from veteran organisations, the Defence Animal Centre, Police, Melton Council and the Town Estate lined the new flagstones to officially mark the refurbished upper level.

Standard bearers marched into place before Senior Townwarden Richard Sage thanked everyone's effort in the work to move the York stone slabs.

Flagstones from the old northern railway station were moved from Melton Carnegie Museum to the war memorial earlier this year in a tribute to world war heroes as part of the site's refurbishment.

Mr Sage said: "This is particularly fitting for this war memorial as it was from that platform that many hundreds of servicemen would have left Melton to fight for their country, many making the ultimate sacrifice never to return.

"Many people and organisations were involved in this refurbishment, Leicestershire County Council, Melton Council, Egerton Lodge and our thanks go to them all.

"We, the people of Melton, now have one of the finest war memorials in the country set in these beautiful gardens.

"Long may it help to preserve the memory of those valiant soldiers, sailors and airmen who selflessly gave their lives for our freedom.

"Let it be a reminder to us and future generations that our way of life and independence was brought about through their sacrifice."

The Rev Kevin Ashby, rector of St Mary's Church, then led the prayers before George Hows read an extract from For the Fallen.

The Last Post was sounded and a minute's silence before Peter Roffey, President of the Leicestershire and Rutland Royal British Legion thanked everyone for coming.

He said: "On behalf of the Legion I would like to thank everyone involved in the restoration of the war memorial.

"I can't think of a better place for these slabs on which many young men stood before heading off to fight for their country."

The slabs were kept in Melton museum following the demolition of the northern station in the late 1960s but John Southerington rescued the York stone from obscurity.

They now form the lop level at the War Memorial outside Egerton Lodge.