EDIT: 15th Feb 2023: Following this appeal, and remarkable community response, the stollen wreaths have been found and returned. Read here about their return. All recovered wreaths were restored to the Memorial, and secured by enhanced CCTV, security wire and padlock. The local Police have a good description of a suspect of interest and they are on the lookout on their patrols.
20th Nov 2022: Between the afternoon of Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th morning this November, the wreaths from Upper Norwood Memorial were all removed, trashed or stolen. DO YOU HAVE ANY information who did this or what happened, if so please call 101 quoting crime ref 3836363/22. Please email info@cpneighbours.org if you can have CCTV that could be checked, or if can help.
Wreaths were left tied and secured together, and then all sadly removed (leaving two on the ground nearby).
20th Nov 2022: Nearly 30 wreaths were laid at Remembrance Sunday, less than a week ago on Sunday 13th November. The wreaths were all left secured safely together with wire so impossible they could blow away. Along with the wreaths, all our community Westow Street lamp post poppies were ripped off too. This is very sad, especially as this year marked 100th anniversary of our War Memorial, unveiled in 1922.
We may need to organise a crowd funder, as the wreaths taken were worth over £500, and the community had originally funded all the lamp post poppies (that are meant to be re-used each year). With funding we could restore the wreaths.
1922 to 2022 – Upper Norwood War Memorial – now grade II listed (Historic England)
Remembrance Wreaths from Remembrance Sunday, 13th November 2022
Lest we forget…
Our memorial was originally located outside The White Hart in 1922, on land given to the community by the brewery, and the memorial all funded locally from local supporters including Churches and Crystal Palace Scouts. They collected £2,400. The majority of the funds supported Norwood Cottage Hospital, as well as funding the war memorial. It was unveiled on Saturday 29th April 1922. The memorial moved and relocated with a service of rededication on Sunday 10th June 1956 to its present location on Westow Street.
As well as the the Norwood Cottage Hospital in Hermitage Road, the Upper Norwood memorial helps us to remember all those who lost their lives. Crystal Palace has a long and proud history of supporting the Great Wars. During WW1 the grounds of the Crystal Palace (that is now the park) was used as a training establishment for the Royal Navy Reserve. It was officially known as H.M.S. Victory (formally HMS Victory II, IV and VI between 1915 and 1918), and informally as a term of endearment as ‘HMS Crystal Palace’. 125,000 officers and ratings were trained here, including from the newly formed Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS).
Please email info@cpneighbours.org if you can help or have CCTV that can checked to find what happened to our wreaths.
Any questions or suggestions? Contact cpneighbours on info@cpneighbours.org