Clean plaque comes home

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http://www.kentonline.co.uk/aroundkent/ ... _id=423958

• Restored war memorial is put on display in new post office

by Louise Kirk

A WAR memorial displaying the names of postmen killed in battle has been restored.

The plaque, which used to be on show at the post office in King Street, Maidstone, has been taken down, cleaned, and moved to the new branch in Bank Street.

In 1922 it was originally hung on the wall behind the counter and had not been touched since.

When the post office moved, it was feared the plaque would be lost or even thrown into a skip.

But stonemason Gordon Newton, from the Stone Shop in East Farleigh, spent more than two months restoring the valuable piece of history and it now has pride of place once more in the new branch.

The memorial was caked in dirt and the names of the postmen no longer visible. Using a variety of techniques, the marble plaque was carefully bathed and the letters enamelled.

Gordon Newton, a life member of the War Memorial Trust, said "It's good to see that memorials such as this are being cared for and maintained. It's a good piece of history."

You can now see the plaque in the entrance of the Bank Street office.