30
Apr
Council responds quickly to renovate Harrogate D-Day plaque in time for VE Day
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The D-Day commemorative plaque in Harrogate town centre has been renovated within little more than a week after the Stray Ferret reported on its run-down state.
The plaque, which was laid in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings, had been called "shabby" and "a mess" by retired headteacher Dennis Richards, who put out an urgent call for it to be refurbished in time for the VE Day commemorations on May 8.
Alerted to the issue by the Stray Ferret, North Yorkshire Council immediately deployed its in-house maintenance team, which removed the plaque and took it away for renovation.
Stripped down and repainted, it is now back on its plinth, its lettering picked out in gold against a smart black background.
The plaque was laid 30 years ago.
The refurbished plaque.
The leader of North Yorkshire Council, Cllr Carl Les, said:
The D-Day landings were a pivotal moment in history and this plaque offers an important local reminder of the bravery and sacrifice made by so many to ensure the freedoms we enjoy today.
We would like to thank those members of the public who contacted the council about the plaque’s condition, after it had fallen into a state of disrepair.
Our in-house maintenance team have now renovated the plaque and improved its appearance, and we are delighted that it has now been restored in time for the VE Day celebrations on May 8.
Mr Richards said:
I’m absolutely delighted, and obviously grateful to the council, who have done a good job in responding appropriately.
Well done to them, and well done to the Stray Ferret for highlighting the issue.
D-Day was when Allied forces landed in northern France on June 6, 1944, in the world's largest-ever combined arms operation, starting the liberation of western Europe from Nazi forces.
Victory in Europe Day – or VE Day – followed less than a year later, on May 8, 1945, and marked the end of the war in Europe and the victory of the Allies over Germany.
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