Dad’s tribute to be restored
Monday 21st June 2010, 2:30PM BST.
A HEARTBROKEN daughter has recalled the moment she found out that her father’s memorial had been removed without her knowing.
Agnes Baker, 62 (pictured), was making her annual visit to Guernsey to install a new plaque and to check on the bench dedicated to her father, Claud Hibbs.
But she was shocked to discover that not only was the memorial gone, but nobody had notified her to say it had been removed.
‘I don’t live at the address in the UK that was attached to the plaque any more, but the name Hibbs is in the phonebook and they are all related to me,’ she said.
Deputy Jack Honeybill, executive officer for the Town Centre Partnership, said that as far as he was concerned, it had taken all reasonable action to notify the sponsors of the bench.
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Poor Family. I hope that doesnt happend to my gran bench.
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Really?
I’m not related to everyone who has the same surname as me in Guernsey. I also wouldn’t be that over the moon if I had calls asking me if I was.
I’m sure they haven’t got the time to be doing that, just on the off chance that the letter they send may not get to the recipient because they may have moved address. They wouldn’t have received notification of this. There’s only so much that can be done before you have to take personal responsibility here. I realise she was coming over with a new plaque but perhaps that should have been done shortly after she moved address.
It is a shame but it’s being put back (I presume due to the headline). I wouldn’t have complained about it as, really, what else could they have done?
…please be gentle with the pitchforks.
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Ok, lets give this another slant….
Lets say Jack decides to do his best to contact her, and calls all the Hibbs in the UK.
What would the press headline be
“Honeybill Squanders taxpayers funds on wild goose chase”
And what would the public reaction to that headline be??
In this case he is damned if he does, damned if he doesnt.
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I`m sure the Department involved did their best to contact the lady but the issue this has brought up is the replacement of these seats.
They are being removed from places where older people and visitors can sit in peace and take in the views of the harbour to be replaced by granite benches with no backrest. Older people need the support of the backrest to relax back onto.
I have been reliably informed that each granite seat costs £1400+ and then the cost of setting them in place has to be added. I`m sure cast iron benches can be sought, and bought, in bulk for less than that.
Seagulls rarely go near seats with backrest on but stand openly on benches and defacate on the seat. You only have to go look at the ones by the viewing area at the model yacht pond to see that nobody can use them because of the mess and any dedications on them cannot be read because of the build up of the mess.
Who is responsible for cleaning them?
Please Deputy Honeybill reverse your stupid, ill researched decision and get some proper seating WITH BACKRESTS reinstated and put these granite ones on the cliff paths.
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I did not ask for all the publicity regarding my father’s seat being removed,and just stated that of the few in the telephone book they would have all known my presant address etc. The plaque had been on the seat for some time,i simply wanted to renew it and keep the seat in good order. I had paid some £800 for this seat after all! And always checked it was in good order when I visited each year or more often. If I had thought it needed a revamp I would have dealt with it.
The cost of the new granite seats is £2500 each by the way,more than one correspondent quoted.
All I did was show my shock and upset at my father’s memorial seat being removed,just as I would had it been a headstone.
If everyone just let things pas authorities would just do what ever they wanted without a thought for those involved.
At a cost of £2500 per new bench they must be making a hefty amount after all! I am though extremely grateful for thier kindness in the case and delighted with thier goodwill.
I hope many local people and visitors now can rest on the sea t and appreciate the view as all our family have done and still do.
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Mrs Baker,
My source for the cost of the granite benches is from the supplier and you will notice that I said that the cost of installation was on top of the price of the bench. It does beggar the question of whether the States are making a profit on each seat dedication doesn`t it?
As much as I sympathise with your plight(it is a nice way of remembering someone dear to you that benefits others), why, if you visited so regularly and checked the state of the bench, did you not inform the authorities concerned of your change of address and get the plate changed beforehand?
Also, although you didn`t want all the publicity about this issue, it is well known that the press in Guernsey are so desperate for news stories to fill their papers that they seize on every item they can and sensationalise it to make a headline and then fail to get the correct story. As long as it is made to sound controversial then it makes good reading for petit minded people and therefore sells papers.
As I said the bigger issue is the replacement of the benches with these uncomfortable,uncleaned,backless, seagull perches that should be put out on the cliff viewing areas where they would fit in with the surroundings. The more comfortable backed benches should be in the harbour viewing areas where the older generation would appreciate them.
I do sympathise with your plight as my next door neighbour paid the same £800 for a dedicated seat for his aunt and all he got was a brass plaque 6″x 4″ screwed onto an old unkempt wooden bench at Jerbourg Point car park which was destroyed by vandals within 6 months and not replaced. £800 for nothing.
Enquiries met with a blank reply that it wasn`t their fault but the vandals and the bench would not be replaced. No mention of a refund of the £800, or part of it, so the money was lost.
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Peter the States don’t make any profit, as far as I’m aware. The granite benches are an initiative by the Town Centre Partnership.
http://towncentrepartnership.com/currentprojects/harbourside-benches.htm
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Peter
Re: Jerbourg
I’d disagree that the money was lost as the contract was fulfilled. Surely the purchaser must expect a risk of deterioration and/or vandalism?
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I don’t know about anyone else but I find those granite ‘benches’ installed by the Town Centre Partnership cold, uninviting and absolutely awful to sit on. The ones by the careening hard are a case in point. I’m all in favour of modern buildings but if this is modern seating then I’m a traditionalist who would much prefer to sit on a warm, wooden, ergonomically superior seat – even if it does deteriorate in time.
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Neil,
Two things I`m thoughtful about are (1) If my source said the granite benches cost £1400 to make and Mrs Baker says that they cost £2500 each, does it cost £1100 to install each one in the chosen position? If not where does the extra cash go?
and (2) Do you think £800 for a small brass plaque with perhaps ten or fifteen words engraved on it and attached to an old street bench is worth the money?
I could get the same engraving done on a brass plate that I prepared and with two screws could fit it to a wooden bench and I bet you anything it wouldn`t cost anywhere near £800.
Perhaps I should start a new business. If I did try you can bet your Ar*e The States wouldn`t let me put the plaques on their benches even if I guaranteed the workmanship. They`d lose out on a good little earner.
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Peter, no one walks into the bench deals with their eyes closed. If they don’t like the price then they have an option not to purchase. I don’t know much about them but the last time I looked people providing services were allowed to make a profit be they charities or the private sector.
I don’t have a strong view about the granite benches. If pushed they seem to work around granite St Peter Port.
There’s certainly an element of ‘Foulon-creep’ around the rest of the island. Memorials, generally, are for grave yards
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