Author: Andrew Taylor

AN estimated 2,000 people filled the High Street and the lawn outside Sackville College to see Princess Anne pull the silk from Martin Jennings’ statue of Sir Archibald McIndoe.

It was a perfect day. The sun shone, the East Grinstead Concert band played wartime favourites, and every time a Guinea Pig appeared the crowd cheered.

Above all there was an almost palpable sense of pride in McIndoe, in his achievements and in being part of the town ‘that didn’t stare…’

Actress Amanda Redman was determined to attend, despite a broken foot, and smiled gamely as she balanced on crutches.

A Patron of the Guinea Pigs who was herself treated for burns at the Queen Victoria Hospital, Amanda said she was thrilled to be in East Grinstead on such an historic occasion and that she was looking forward to meeting the Guinea Pigs again.‘They will have me in tears and they will make me laugh,’ she said.

For Jacquie Pinney of the Blond McIndoe Foundation, who – with the Town Council and the EGBA (East Grinstead Business Association) – had worked for three years to make the memorial a reality, the day had dawned in a mixture of joy and relief.

‘This is a very proud day,” she said. ‘It’s been a lot of work over the past three years, but today it is finally a reality.’

Town Clerk Julie Holden agreed. ‘Today is the culmination of two years’ hard work in the planning and a full year of fundraising.  But it is largely thanks to the people of East Grinstead and their generosity, that today is happening.’

While Peter Scaramanga, who is responsible for the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation’s PR simply called McIndoe Monday ‘fantastic’.

‘It is an amazing achievement, and thanks to businessman Dave Brown who underwrote the project we have made it when a lot of people thought it might not happen.

For McIndoe’s daughter, Adonia, it was a day of mixed emotions – she recalled her ‘dear old dad’ with pride and not a little disbelief that 54 years after his death, he was being honoured. But regretted he had not lived to see the statue himself.

“He was a great man, but he believed greatness lay in hard, hard work…and I am sure he is somewhere enjoying all this.”

WITH a Princess due any minute, the Town Council’s outdoor staff spared no effort to make sure the town was at its sparkling best. So when a stray leaf was spotted on the new concrete path to the McIndoe statue the broom was immediately brought into play to make sure East Grinstead was at its pristine best for royalty.

HE may only be one month into his year in office, but Town Mayor Nick Hodges is already pretty certain that McIndoe Monday is a day which will rank among the most memorable of his time as East Grinstead’s first citizen.

‘The statue is not just important for all of us as an historic moment in the story of our town,” he said, while awaiting the arrival of Princess Anne. ‘It will also be enjoyed by visitors and by the town’s children for generations to come.’

STUART Scholes of the East Grinstead Business Association, and the man who first conceived the idea of a memorial statue to Sir Archie, said: “After three years of work I am thrilled to see the statue finally unveiled. It is a tribute to McIndoe, but it is also a tribute to the people of the town and a recognition and reminder for future generations of what happened here.”

THERE was a whisper of silk, and a huge cheer – and then the world could see the statue which sculptor Martin Jennings has been working on for more than a year.

It sat perfectly on its golden plinth, and the green shade of the bronze was as calm as the expression on McIndoe’s face as he comforted the young airman in front of him.

For Martin, the wait for the world to see his statue was a difficult one and he says that he can never decide what he thinks about his work until several months after it is finished.

But there was a palpable sense of relief on his face as he chatted to Princess Anne after the unveiling – and he even allowed himself a small joke.

When asked what he thought of his work, now that it was in place, he grinned and said ‘Rubbish!’

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Photos copyright Barney Durrant

PRINCESS Anne did the honours at the unveiling of the McIndoe statue outside Sackville College this afternoon in front of an estimated crowd of around 500.

A loud cheer went up as eight Guinea Pigs exited Sackville College after a royal reception, during which the East Grinstead Concert bank played wartime favourites to the waiting crowd.

But it wasn’t just a proud moment for the East Grinstead.

Jenny Watson, the Town Council gardener who cares for the award-winning East Court estate, saw her pretty posy of early summer flowers – gathered from the flower beds behind the Mansion – presented to the Princess.

EAST Court’s gardener Jenny Watson staked her own small claim to history today when she gathered flowers from the East court estate to make a posy fit for a princess.

Among the seasonal blooms bound with raffia were roses, lavender, ivy and cornflowers.

IT’S been two years in the planning, but the joint project by East Grinstead Town Council, the EGBA (East Grinstead Business Association) and the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation to erect a statue to Sir Archibald McIndoe is almost at an end.

Shrouded in tarpaulins, the anonymous-looking triangular shape would have given few clues to anyone travelling behind the flat bed lorry bringing it from the foundry as to what exactly was being transported.

But as it drew into the High Street and stopped outside Sackville College there was little doubt that beneath those dull wrappings was something really rather special.

The statue was briefly exposed as the old wrappings came off, but photographer Barnaby Durrant who took these photos for us didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

So if you want to see the statue in all its glory, then be in the High Street at 2.10pm on McIndoe Monday when Princess Anne will do the honours.

All photographs copyright of Barnaby Durrant

NEWS UPDATE: THE time for the unveiling of the McIndoe memorial statue is now approximately 2.10pm on Monday 9th June.

Please note this is a change from the previously advertised times of 1.15pm and 1.30pm.