WE ARE approaching the centenary of Darwen's Victoria Tower, the beacon the boys and girls looked for coming home from the wars.

Higher than the Eiffel Tower and Blackpool Tower put together, on a clear day it is possible to see from it as far as the Isle of Man, Snowdon and the Cumberland Hills.

As with the absence in Darwen of signs to the motorways, Blackburn Council does not deem it necessary to have signs on the A666 pointing the way to the Tower.

There us, I understand, a Mrs Walmsley in Darwen who still writes to her son or grandson in the USA of the tower's builder who intends to come to Darwen for its centenary.

And since my grandfather made the iron plate mounted on the tower, I look forward to meeting him.

But what are we going to do about marking this anniversary?

I have suggested to members of the Civic Society that an iron beacon should be erected near to the Ordnance Survey trigonometry point near the tower which would enable Darwen to join in the national chain of beacons.

Additionally, the corporation could very cheaply, with the aid of a mole plough, lay a cable to the Tower for it to be floodlit.

Where would the money come from? £15,000 was passed on from the former Darwen authority to erect "Nellie" the steam engine near Darwen Vale High School. This Blackburn failed to do and I had to persuade local industry to erect it.

Also, £20,000 was put aside to make an observation platform in Witton Park, Blackburn, to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. This was not done.

The only historical marker in the new borough is the millstone at Hoddlesden, engraved and paid for by local industry after persuasion again by me.

TOM HARDMAN, Rectory Close, Darwen.

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