I WAS very surprised to see that the words Huntingdon in Bloom have appeared in large white letters on Huntingdon s memorial to the Crimean War. I m sure we wouldn t dream of treating our equivalent memorial to the two world wars as a civic advertising

I WAS very surprised to see that the words "Huntingdon in Bloom" have appeared in large white letters on Huntingdon's memorial to the Crimean War.

I'm sure we wouldn't dream of treating our equivalent memorial to the two world wars as a civic advertising hoarding.

Both memorials are public art objects, which function to stimulate our historical memory. No such object can carry the burden of more than one message: add another and one will efface its rival. So what do we have on the Brampton Road, a flower fest promotion opportunity or a sober war memorial?

The flowers themselves are wonderful. But the only words that should attract the eye as we pass our Crimean War memorial are Alma, Inkerman, Balaclava and Sevastopol.

PAUL FOX, Bellfield, Brampton