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FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE CHOICE OF BATTERSEA PARK AND VICTORIA TOWER GARDENS FOR THE TSUNAMI MEMORIAL ON 8 NOVEMBER 2007
While I await with interest the offer of other potential sites. I felt that viewing the two proposed sites yesterday gave me a lot of food for thought. I can see pros and cons to both.
In simple terms I believe Battersea offers a place of quiet contemplation away from the outside world which we can make our own but other than families how many people will go to Battersea to actually see the 'Tsunami Memorial'.
Victoria Tower Gardens offers a very public site where the massive 'significance' (that is not quite the word I am looking for but I hope you understand what I mean) of the events of Boxing Day 2004 can be displayed. I believe if we go for this site then we should be aiming for a memorial at least as large as the other two there. We have yet to find Emily Pankhurst!
My initial thoughts, and I appreciate we are only at the very beginning, is that the memorial should be in the centre of the park. In front of the memorial - a cicular paved area/ flower bed flanked by two large curved granite benchs. Thereby creating an enclosed area for people visiting to sit.
I am in favour, at this stage, as well as telling the Tsunami story of the worldwide impact of what happened, of listing the British Citizens who were lost either on plaques on the wall in Battersea or in a continuous scribe on the memorial at Victoria Tower Gardens.
Jean Dogan
At the meeting on 8th November people were asked to contribute short comments on 'post-it' notes. These are necessarily a bit cryptic...
* We think the English garden is an ideal setting. Think the names of the deceased should be displayed and for me that would be the priority . It is a private and peaceful place.
* Next to the Houses of parliament - too bleak, no privacy, too open
* If people visit Battersea park they might walk round and see the memorial. H of P - apart from office workers I don't think many would visit that area unless on a specific visit.
* Would there be security measures offering a site so near to the Houses of parliament? Margaret Garlick
* Plaque of names.
* No water feature.
* Information on the story of the tsunami - how it happened.
* Names - YES
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