Plymouth War Memorial Undergoes Cleaning Before Remembrance Day

A war memorial in Plymouth has received a deep cleaning in advance of Remembrance Day, scheduled for Sunday. The Grade II listed monument, located at Plympton St Maurice, was restored by a former Army veteran who operates a community interest company (CIC) in Kent. Andrew Stephenson, a Royal Navy veteran who resides locally, mentioned that he observed the monument required additional “care, attention and a bit more love” while passing by. Mr. Stephenson initiated a fundraiser to support the memorial’s restoration, which contributed to the expenses for its spot cleaning and the repainting of the names. He explained, “I investigated and saw the Military Grave Restorer’s work online and although he was based in Kent, he was the only person in country I have seen doing this sort of work.“The biggest problem was getting the permissions because the monument is Grade II listed, so it took from May to October to get in touch with the right people.“Once I was in touch with the right people, it was amazing, and everyone has pulled together to get the job done.” He further stated, “Although the monument is cared for every year for Remembrance it was just in need of some extra TLC to get it back up to a standard and make the local community proud of it again.” Army veteran Steve Davies, who manages the CIC, has been traveling across the UK for approximately six years, restoring military graves and memorials. He commented, “I’m not here to make money, I am here to cover my costs. I have cleaned over 1,000 graves, about 30 memorials and about 10 statues.” He added, “I love the process and I love the before and after. I am a bit of perfectionist and I want to make sure it looks exactly right.” Mr. Davies indicated that he spot cleaned all the “nasty bits” on the memorial and utilized a jet wash with an environmentally friendly cleaning product. He also noted, “It takes two to three days to work but by Sunday, especially if it is dry, it will look immaculate.” He further remarked, “I will repaint the lettering as well. It is important to paint the names to make them stand out and remember who these guys are.” Plympton Erle Councillor Terri Beer stated, “This has been an amazing project to get involved in and it covers the whole of Plympton.“I think it is important that we never forget people who have given their lives for us in wars across the centuries.” Ms. Beer also expressed her intention to add local names to the war memorial of those who lost their lives in recent conflicts.