Memorialitis

I had thought that the strange epidemic of additional world war two memorials was running down, but the other day I noticed a large new memorial to the women who lost their lives in the second world war, just up Whitehall from the Cenotaph.

A large black affair, rather ugly, but otherwise much the same shape and size as the Cenotaph, and generally rather upstaging it. To me it was entirely inappropriate that such a large memorial should be erected so close to the Cenotaph, supposedly the main memorial to the much larger number of people generally who gave their lives in the two world wars. By showing respect to the women in this way we show disrespect to the men.

Was it the brain child of the same people who infest public spaces in London with ugly, sometimes worse, contemporary sculpture? People who thought to tap into the vein & pockets of wimmins' energy.

And while I am on the subject, I find the standard of the empty plinth sculptures in Trafalgar Square very low. I had thought the idea of a rotating sculpture on the plinth a good one, a way to showcase contemporary work, but it just seems to be being used to allow sculptors to go on an ego-trip. You seem to get the prize for being the biggest, the ugliest or generally the most shocking. Where is the decorum & restraint of the people who did the admittedly dull statues of dukes on horses which occupy the other plinths? Or even of Henry Moore?

So just presently the Square is dominated by a dreadful blue chicken. All the French tourists must be greatly amused that we elect to desecrate this huge public memorial to one of the last battles at which we really wopped them in this particular way. But perhaps it is really a cunning way to let the lower order Brits feel that they are getting one over the higher order Brits. Taking the p*** out of said huge public memorial to the higher orders, a relatively harmless way for them to let off steam; much less harm than getting into property rights or anything revolutionary like that.

PS: the reason that I think the new memorial is new being that I had retired from Whitehall to Horseferry Road by the time it was put up. So I have only just got around to noticing it.