Letter: Chance to honour Horsham's famous poet?
Angela Conner’s controversial water feature - dedicated to Shelley - was removed by our district council in April 2016 - following 20 years of costly technical problems and it seems reasonable to suggest that a Year of Culture would be lacking credibility without some tangible replacement.
Here one has to recognise that funding an appropriate memorial in these difficult times could present problems for a cash-strapped local authority.
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Hide AdThat said, we have a number of major commercial concerns in the town - along with builders and developers who will shortly be engaged in major expansion plans for Horsham.
As a gesture of goodwill, a contribution towards a suitable Shelley memorial would surely enhance their reputation by creating goodwill within our community.
Here one should also note that Shelley continues to attract global interest as witnessed by membership of the Italian based Keats-Shelley Memorial Association. From a tourist point of view, an imaginative Shelley memorial not only has cultural merits but could also promote much needed commercial benefits for our town.
Shelley’s forebears were a notable Sussex family - mainly from villages now within Horsham District and I believe that our Year of Culture in 2019 presents a golden opportunity to recognise this fact. But time is of the essence if we are to achieve this goal.
Robert B. Worley
Bourns Court, Ayshe Court Drive, Horsham