No timescale on mine memorial
No timescale has yet been set for when a mining memorial in Hednesford will be extended after organisers were flooded with requests from people wanting to be a part of it. No timescale has yet been set for when a mining memorial in Hednesford will be extended after organisers were flooded with requests from people wanting to be a part of it. Cannock Chase MP Tony Wright said Chase Art In Public Spaces (CHAPS) had become a victim of its own success and the mining memorial project had become much larger than expected. The £20,000 memorial, an 8ft tall Davy lamp in Market Street, included a wall made of bricks inscribed with miners' names and the pit they worked in. More bricks are set to be added as the second phase but numbers exceeded expectations. Read the full story in the Express & Star.
Cannock Chase MP Tony Wright said Chase Art In Public Spaces (CHAPS) had become a victim of its own success and the mining memorial project had become much larger than expected.
The £20,000 memorial, an 8ft tall Davy lamp in Market Street, included a wall made of bricks inscribed with miners' names and the pit they worked in.
More bricks are set to be added as the second phase but numbers exceeded expectations.
Mr Wright said: "We have become victims of our own success as more and more people who see the Hednesford mining memorial want to mark their own family's connection with the local mines by purchasing an inscribed brick.
"We planned for an additional 1,500 requests but have already anticipated well over 4,000 will be needed."
He added: "This makes phase two a bigger project than we anticipated so we will need a longer period of pre-planning, not least because of all of the background support work that will be needed to get details right.
"We had said that we would try to contact all those who had registered their interest so far early this year but the volume of letters and calls has made this just impossible at this stage.
"It has also meant that we have had to put our proposed commemorative book to accompany the memorial on hold for the time being."
He said no clear indication could be given of when phase two could move forward.
"People who have contacted us can rest assured that they have not been forgotten and I would ask for their patience and understanding as they will have to wait rather longer than we had first thought," added Mr Wright.
Chase Art In Public Spaces (CHAPS) recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and has completed two major projects in the town.
It was behind the mining sculpture Heritage in Queen Square which was completed in November 2004 and its second project, the mining memorial in Hednesford, was finished in July last year.
