09
Nov
Does Harrogate have a Cenotaph?
At 11am tomorrow, people from all over the district will pay their respects to the war dead at the Cenotaph in Harrogate town centre.
Or will they?
Thousands will of course come to the Remembrance Day ceremony, but the name of its location is a matter for debate: is that large stone obelisk near Bettys called the Cenotaph, or is it the War Memorial?
This might seem like a trivial matter, especially in light of its purpose and origin, but for some it’s an issue of real importance.
The obelisk is 25 metres (75 feet) tall
Local historian Terry-Mike Williams designed last year’s More Than a Name on a Memorial exhibition at West Park United Reformed Church, which marked the 100th anniversary of the monument.
He told the Stray Ferret:
It is definitely called the War Memorial, not the Cenotaph. There’s a distinction between one and the other.
Our War Memorial stems back to Cleopatra’s Needle, and it’s a statement of memory. But the definition of ‘cenotaph’ is an empty tomb – that's what the word means. Ours definitely hasn’t got a tomb inside it, but the Cenotaph in London does, to symbolise all those who have no grave.
In 1920, the Unknown Warrior was paraded past the Cenotaph before being buried in Westminster Abbey.
The edifice in Harrogate town centre records the names of 1,167 local men and women of the armed forces who died in service during the two world wars.
It was built at a cost of £12,000 and was unveiled by the Earl of Harewood on September 1, 1923.
The unveiling of the War Memorial in 1923 drew large crowds
Many – or even most – of those who grew up in Harrogate know the monument as the Cenotaph, and ultimately, usage often ignores the rules.
George Eglese was the creative lead for the Cenotaph Centenary project, which last year commemorated the 100th anniversary of the memorial’s unveiling. He said:
I was on the committee, and I suggested we call the project the Cenotaph Centenary to keep it punchy, but it did meet with some opposition.
People don’t refer to it as the War Memorial – it’s known as the Cenotaph. It might not strictly be a cenotaph, but I was born and grew up in Harrogate, and everyone I know calls it that.
If I arrange to meet someone by the Cenotaph, everyone knows exactly where I’m talking about. There are lots of war memorials in Harrogate, but only one known as the Cenotaph. Even Google Maps calls it that!
Even Google Maps calls it the Cenotaph
The prescriptive approach preferred by Mr Williams may carry the moral weight of correctness, but ultimately, people will say what they want. The clocktower of the Houses of Parliament, for example, is commonly known as Big Ben, even though that is actually the name of the clock’s Great Bell.
It’s a reality that Mr Williams recognises. He said:
I’ll correct people if they refer to ‘the Cenotaph in the town centre’, but if they carry on saying it, that’s up to them.
Once I’ve told people what the difference is, most people tend to accept it. I always get the feeling that people like to know the facts.
To me, it’s like religion: it’s up to what you believe. Whether you get more of the feeling that remembrance is supposed to evoke by calling it a cenotaph or a war memorial, do whatever works for you.
Wreaths on the War Memorial in Harrogate
Perhaps a happy balance can be found in Michael Newby’s approach to the subject. As a Harrogate native, former mayor of the borough, honorary alderman, and newly appointed chair of Harrogate Civic Society, he should know better than most what to call the grade II* listed monument.
He told us:
Growing up in Harrogate, I probably referred to it as the Cenotaph, because it’s a shorter version than ‘Harrogate War Memorial’.
And if you got off the bus at the station and asked for directions to the Cenotaph, nobody would send you to Westminster!
I suppose officially, it’s the War Memorial, but colloquially it’s the Cenotaph. Either way, I’ll be there on Sunday.
Remembrance Day will be marked with a parade and ceremony tomorrow (Sunday, November 11) at the War Memorial/Cenotaph from 10.30am.
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