Champion effort helps win trophy in Nairn
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
VOLUNTEERS from the Royal British Legion in Nairn and the local community are celebrating the news that the town's War Memorial in Cawdor Road has been crowned Legion Scotland's Best Kept War Memorial Champion of Champions for 2022.
The memorial and gardens in Cawdor Road are a short distance from the local branch of the Legion.
The plaudit comes in the centenary year of its construction.
Lt Col (Rtd) Bob Towns who is President of the Nairn British Legion said the competition only started in 1982 and they were delighted with the recognition by Legion Scotland for all the hard work that has gone into developing and maintaining the memorial.
"Legion Scotland’s Best Kept War Memorial competition was established thanks to the vision of Bill Tait, a horticulturalist who was working with Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens at the time.
"Observing that many local War Memorials were in a poor state, Bill initiated the competition to improve their condition and appearance.
"Many memorials that were in the poorest condition at the start of the competition are now regular winners, a testament to the persistence, hard work and passion of the Legion Scotland members and other local volunteers involved."
Bob added: "We won the Highlands and Islands Large Community With Gardens category in 2016 which saw us eligible for the Champion of Champions Category. We have competed in that category annually since then without any further success. However, it kept us focused and this year we decided to concentrate on the basics - neat clean and tidy with a good flower display.
"Earlier in the year, the grass was scarified and treated by Martin Cumming from Nairn Golf Club and Legion Committee member, Garnet Main, who has done a power of work at the memorial and maintenance of the clubrooms, moved the flower stands to the Legion cellars for painting.
"Highland Council's gardeners planted out the beds and the stands in late June but due to a shortage of Council seasonal workers, it was left to the Legion to look after."
Since then Bob and Garnet undertook the task of water watering, weeding and tidying regularly to ensure the gardens were in pristine conditions.
Bob added: "We are supported by the War Memorial boundary neighbours who allow us to attach the overflow of wreaths to a wooden fence and they also maintain the adjoining hedgerow."
One of the more recent additional features is a smaller memorial and plaque in memory of John MacGregor First World War VC from Cawdor who returned to Europe from Canada in 1915 to fight in the trenches.
Bob added: "We have had help from a number of local people and we want to record our thanks to them too. Some knitted dolls, representing various uniformed organisations which have been very generously produced and attached to the posts by Ella Gray.
"We are extremely happy to do our bit and add to Nairn’s other flower beds so well maintained by Green Hive and other voluntary organisations.
"There are hundreds of names on the War Memorial including two I served with during my time in the Queen’s Own Highlanders. It is only fitting that the memorial to all, and the surrounding gardens should be maintained properly and to recieve this recognition is a further fitting tribute to them."
