Memorial plea for unsung hero
I wrote some time ago regarding a memorial for Rod Bates. As I said then Rod was a tireless worker for a cleaner Shrewsbury. He suffered from an MS-type illness and died after a fall in his home. He went out almost every day of his life, sometimes falling over because of the affects of his illness and always picked up litter he came across.
He was a founder member of The Tidy Shrewsbury Group and lobbied councillors even though his speech was slurred and typing very difficult.
He attended any meeting that had an impact on our community of Sundorne. He was, although he received a Good Citizen's Award, the epitome of the unsung hero.
One of Rod's great concerns was that Sundorne Castle would be left to fall into ruin and he made representations to various bodies in an attempt to get what is left of the castle protected.
He was never taken seriously by any of the bodies charged with the protection of ancient buildings with architectural value.
I, along with his surviving family and friends, would like to see two things done in Rod's memory.
First, the remains of Sundorne Castle protected and put on the at-risk register.
Second, a smaller replica of the old gatehouse on the Sundorne island on the main A49 entrance to our town.
Besides this being a memorial to Rod, it would double as a means of beautifying another of the town entrances.
It would also be apt because the houses next to the island on the A49, where Rod lived, are on an estate called Sundorne Castle.
We are going to need all the help we can get if this project is to get off the ground. I think it is worth all the work. We know we will have to find funding and sponsorship. But we could end up with a lasting memorial to a local hero.
John Edwards, Shrewsbury
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