Special ceremony will take place to mark Johnstone’s war memorial

A special ceremony to mark the centenary of the unveiling of Johnstone’s war memorial is set to take place next week.

People are being encouraged to attend the event, which will take place at 12pm on Friday, May 10, in Houstoun Square.

The memorial, which features a bronze statue of a kilted soldier, has stood in the town centre since it was unveiled in 1924.

The historic structure has been at the centre of Remembrance Day events in the town ever since.

Provost Lorraine Cameron and Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire Peter McCarthy are due to attend the ceremony.

There will also be an informal lunch reception in Lilybank bowling club afterwards, to which those in attendance are invited.

Mark Cadle, of Johnstone ex-Servicemen’s Club, said: “Memorials of this kind are a feature of towns across the UK commemorating those who fell in the first world war and in conflicts since and, while it will not be a ceremony on the scale of Remembrance Day in November, we felt the centenary should be marked in some way.

“We’re not expecting the huge crowd which turned out in 1924 but I hope people in Johnstone can spare half-an-hour to attend and play their part in the town’s ongoing history.”

Councillor Andy Steel, an SNP representative for Johnstone South and Elderslie, said: “Attending the remembrance events in an official role has been a huge honour for me.

“I know how much it meant to older family members that I have been asked to lay the Renfrewshire Council wreath – with men killed on both sides of my family in the Second World War it has meant a great deal to be able to take part on both a civic and personal level.

“That’s why I felt it was important the centenary should not go unnoticed. It’s been a bit hectic sorting everything out and I would like to pay tribute to Mark Cadle’s hard work to make it happen.

“If you can spare a little time to pay your respects please do come along.”

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