The Islington Green War Memorial is a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

located at

Islington Green Islington Green is a small triangle of open land at the convergence of Upper Street and Essex Road (once called Lower Street) in the London Borough of Islington. It roughly marks the northern boundary between the modern district of Angel and Isl ...

in the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...

. A "temporary" memorial was erected at the site in 1918 by Charles Higham. The original memorial consisted of a painted concrete obelisk, with bronze plaques and wreath, and concrete flower boxes to either side. After the council proposed landscaping work at Islington Green, it became clear in 2004 that the old memorial needed to be replaced, and it was demolished in 2006. A new memorial was completed in 2007, designed by artist . His proposal for a twisted stone ring, reminiscent of a wreath, was accepted by a memorial commission, which included representatives from the local

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...

, the Canonbury Society, and representatives from the council. The stone for the new memorial was sourced from

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

province in eastern China, and the ring was carved in China before being shipped to England. An inscription on a nearby slab repeats the words from the original memorial, "In Memory of the Fallen"; separate slabs bear the words "Land", "Sea", "Air" and "Home". The project cost £490,000, of which the stone for the memorial, and the apron and walls, cost approximately £100,000. Remedial work was required in 2013 after the new memorial started to sink because its foundations were inadequate.

In popular culture

* The memorial features in the children's book ''Gaspard's Foxtrot'' by local author

Zeb Soanes Zebedee Soanes (born 24 June 1976) is a British radio presenter who presents the weekday evening music show ''Smooth Classics at Seven'' on Classic FM. He was previously a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extr ...

, illustrated by

James Mayhew James John Mayhew (born 1964 in Stamford, Lincolnshire) is an English illustrator and author of children's books, storyteller, artist and concert presenter/live art performer. Early life and education The son of RAF pilot John Byrne Mayhew and ...

and is referenced in the composer Jonathan Dove's orchestral adaptation of the story.

References

Islington Green War Memorial Repaired
by Greg Warren (May 19, 2014), Islington Labour
Islington's War Shrine 1918
British Pathé
Inquiry over sinking war memorial that will force veterans to lay wreaths against a fence
Islington Tribune, 7 November 2013
Islington (lost)
Imperial War Museum {{Coord, 51.536188, -0.103312, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title 2007 establishments in England 2007 sculptures Military memorials in London Outdoor sculptures in London Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Islington World War I memorials in England World War II memorials in England

See also

In popular culture

References