The Barlick War Memorial Group

[PanBiker]

All good news Thomo, things are progressing and thanks for your efforts. I will be hoping to contribute more to the research thread over the next few months. I have had to leave it alone over the summer with spare time taken up with various family and other sundry matters. As the Autumn and Winter approaches it will be the ideal opportunity to get back into the library in my spare time especially if the weather is bad. I will continue trolling the remainder of the Craven Heralds but I think I will concentrate on the hard copies in the workroom rather than the fiches, which have been photographed in the wrong orientation. I will also have to start thinking about my remembrance cross distribution and find out who is co-ordinating the poppy appeal this year for supplies. It will be interesting to see if I can re-locate all the additional recipients that we found down at Ghyll last year. A test on my churchyard and cemetery mapping system, a couple of dry runs required I think before the weather gets too bad.

[Thomo]

If you need help with the visits to Ghyll Ian, just ask. I fully understand what you say about interruptions to progress, it has been the same here, my 85 year old Sister asked "what do you all day" reply "where shall I start" she associates modern technology with the bad side of it or as a tool used by someone with a fulltime job! An inspection of that metal plaque this morning revealed that it is fixed with four star screws and washers, well and truly rusted up, it may have to be grind the heads off and remove the stumps with a mole wrench, eventually replaced by stainless steel screws and washers.

[amber1]

How does one go about joining this group please ?

[Thomo]

The group that covers both topics is the same, the research part is "Panbikers" or Ian Lamberts. This group, Barlick War Memorial Group, has just four members at present, Ian is one of them. There is also Ken Hartley, Chris Foster and myself, Thomo. There are other interested parties as well, if you wish to become a member, then Welcome Amber, all are welcome, and consider yourself in!. If you have any questions, then please ask.

[Thomo]

Yesterday was very busy on the War Memorial front with multitudes of e/mails going back and forth between myself, Clr Whipp and the Borough Engineering dept. Shaun Bradley came and we spent two hours discussing the project. All of the pieces are now in place and it is hoped that the Memorial refurbishment will be put out to tender by this weekend. My next task is to remove the metal plaque and bring it here for redecoration, I can now once again get to work on the book project. I showed Shaun the CPGW book and website and he told me that his great uncle was killed in WW1, James Walsh of Earby. I pulled and printed some info for him but his biggest surprise was when I pointed out that James Walsh was my Grandfathers cousin.

[Thomo]

At teatime yesterday I received a mail asking if I could put together something for the exhibition in the town square this weekend. I got stuck in last night and am now half way way there. They would like the stuff up there today so I am going to be a bit busy, and its shopping morning. At present I have a page about the BWMG, an updated plan of the Memorial refurbishment sent by the borough engineer with details of the new panels, on another page I have the schematic drawing of the WW2 panel that I did earlier along with a similar one for WW1 headed 1914---1921, I am going to do a piece about the research and one about the book project. So any further suggestions would be very welcome, time is of the essence, HELP!!!

[PanBiker]

Nothing like a bit of advanced warning Peter! I don't know what to suggest past what you already have as it's all still in the planning stages. You can only really put forward a general overview of what is planned for the future. Maybe an opportunity for comment or feedback. An appeal for any further information would probably be in order also. Sorry I can't be of more assistance, Friday is one of my work days.

[Thomo]

Job done! that has been a labour intensive 72 hours, the organisers of the exhibition have our package with instructions on how to display, I can do no more. The display consist of 7 A4 sheets, from the left 2 portrait then 3 landscape and another 2 portrait, going then from left to right, top to bottom we have 1. about BWMG, 2. BWMG header graphic, 3. the list of names for addition. left again, 4. an appeal for information or comments on the list, 5. another graphic depicting both populated panels, 6. The next project, about the book. 7. bottom centre, a modified version of the refurbishment plan. I have added colour and artwork to make it stand out. Tomorrow afternoon I have a photoshoot when I attempt to remove the metal plaque for re-decoration.



The WW1 Panel

[PanBiker]

Just got sorted after work and came to the topic. Well done Peter, sounds like a very good package of information and all put together at very short notice. What struck me about your first post was when you were asked to do this. Events in the tent have been known for weeks, I can't see why you could not have been given a bit more notice. You would then have had the benefit of at least another pair of hands. As things have panned out I will be a bit busy over the weekend but I will certainly make a point of visiting the display.

[Stanley]

It looks as though forward planning is thin on the ground. Kev had the same problem with a request for him to do before and after shots which is why he was sat at the FM the other day pulling old pics out of my srachive. Deadline Thursday.

[Thomo]

I called in to the marquee this morning to take a pic of our display 0950 still not up. so I did it myself. its on the left of the Royal British Legion stand. In the centre of the tent is a long double sided display, so I had a quick look round, I am not nitpicking but I found a couple of mistakes, 1, on one side there is a pic of the wooden mock up of the Memorial, captioned:- Letcliffe Park, in the background you could see the bottom of Ellis St, the mock up was across from the Majestic buildings on what remained of the town green. 2. The large display about the Rohilla, 15 men on board from Barlick 5 were saved, 10 drowned! wrong, shoud be 3 saved, 12 drowned, at the time I was talking to a descendant of one of them. Anyway here is a pic of our display.

[Thomo]

The plaque. The fixing screws are hardened steel, but I have manage to remove the heads from two before the Dremel ran out of power, I will take the other two off tomorrow. The plaque is in a terrible state but not beyond redemption.

[Stanley]

Peter, if you get into trouble and have a cordless drill use a carbide tipped masonry drill with a good edge on low speed without the hammer. That'll cut the hardened screws. If you still have trouble, pop round and see me, I have some carbide tipped drills.
I've put a battery on charge for my drill in case you come round. No sweat if you don't but it will be ready.

[PanBiker]

We went into the tent yesterday to have a look at the displays. What you put together Peter looks good. I had quite a long chat to the lad on the British Legion stand who is the standard bearer for the branch (a job my dad used to do for many years). He said they were pleased with the proposals and were very happy that the memorial was staying in it's current location. Only one more voice but he did agree with me that the trees on the frontage to Fernlea Avenue need to come out to open up the vista. On a more practical note from his point of view. he commented that in their overgrown state when the standards muster in front of the memorial at the remembrance day parade they get in the way when doing the dip and retrieve of standards during the service. They are interfering with the purpose of the site in more ways than meets the eye. Removal or serious pruning or pollarding required I think.

[Thomo]

Quite so Ian. The plaque is now in my garage having disposed of the remaining screws in ten minutes. I slotted the heads and got the big driver in this either breaks the head off, or as this morning gets the screw out, now i'm having a day off!

[Thomo]

The metal plaque, having been just a tad unwell for a couple of days, the cleaning started this morning, first the remnants of a screw were removed from one of the fixing holes, then it was time for the chemical bath, this has to be carefully monitored when you do not know what metals you are dealing with. The plaque was placed in a low temperature solution, within two minutes the solution began to boil, this indicates the presence of aluminium and zinc. DANGER! the workshop is filling rapidly with hydrogen gas, the process was terminated and the plaque washed off, some of the original paint remained. After five hours the solution had cooled, so back in went the plaque, in just two minutes we have a boil up again, another wash down and examine, only a small amount of the paint now remains, another two dips tomorrow should do the job. Could this be a new source of energy?

[Thomo]

The plaque has been cleaned up and the reverse side coated with black Hammerite, it has just had its first coat of plastic, this will be repeated at two hour intervals until I am happy with it, then the artwork begins.

[PanBiker]

Looking much better already Thomo.

[Thomo]

The plastic base coating is done, the gilt is complete and the finishing touches will soon be done, it will then be left for several days before laquering and will I hope not be re-fitted until the memorial work is completed, I should have another pic tomorrow.

[Thomo]

The artwork on the plaque is almost complete, it has not been easy as the casting was imperfect and the lower area is pitted, just another day and then it will have to rest for curing before being laquered.

[PanBiker]

Very good Peter, a good job well done.

[Nolic]

The plaque looks really great. Well done Thomo. Nolic

[Stanley]

I doubt if it was any better when it was new!

[Thomo]

Originally the badge appears to have been all red, traces of white around the lettering suggest that it may have been gold, the rest being black. The red line around the border was not there before and has been added to represent a situation that the "Dukes" would have been familiar with, "The thin red line". Thank you for your comments.

[PanBiker]

I can't remember what the original looked like when it was first produced Thomo but the cap badge is a silver lion rampant on top of the crown and banner that carries the words "Virtutis Fortuna Comes" which translates as "Fortune Favours The Brave". This in turn sits on the bottom scroll which is in gold and bears the words "The West Riding".

The Duke of Wellington's Regiment - Who We Are"

The one I have on my sidecap for my Dukes battledress is all brass and not two tone. I have also seen examples that are all silver.

Your cleanup and presentation looks good anyway.