Parish Council to repair memorial bench

Alderley Edge Parish Council has agreed to repair the memorial bench to Nurse Maud Hatton, who died in 1992, which is located outside the Royal Bank of Scotland on the junction of London Road and Heyes Lane.

David Clarke contacted alderleyedge.com about the bench saying "It is in a disgraceful condition.

"Three of the wooden slats are missing, some of wood is damaged, there is no protective varnish left and it is covered in moss and fungus.

"I would ask the Alderley Edge Parish Council to repair or replace the bench, as it is a complete affront to the memory of Nurse Hatton in its current state."

Cllr Melanie Connor told her fellow councillors at this week's meeting "I have spoken with Diane Smith (Town Centre Manager) and believe the bench was funded through the Parish and local well-wishers.

"Diane says she has no money for this so she suggested we get it done ourselves and pay for it. I think we should get it fixed as soon as possible."

Harold Smith, of Alderley Edge History Society, told me "Everybody who has lived in the village for some time will remember Nurse Hatton. Maud took over from her mother, she was the district nurse and everyone knew her - she was a great asset to the village and her mother before her.

"She was very thin but very fast and she used to bomb round the village on her bike until the community collected money to buy her a car, she had a Triumph Herald."

The other parish councillors agreed with Cllr Connor's proposal, so they will look for a local joiner/carpenter to repair the bench as soon as possible.