Insight

The renovated plaque to the victims of The Blitz

Crematorium remembers war victims

Staff at East London Crematorium have redeveloped an area of their grounds which included a memorial for victims killed during the air raids of World War II.

The plaque, which lists each of the civilian victims of the Borough of Hackney, has been completely renovated and housed in a new granite memorial. There were also two mass graves for the 105 people that were killed.

"During the development work we have not disturbed the graves but have constructed beautiful fountains over them, a kind of living memorial as it were," explained crematorium manager, Toni Slade. "The area can now be utilised for the laying to rest of cremated remains but the heritage integrity has been maintained. I believe that we have demonstrated that old sites can be revitalised with sensitivity to the past."