Andrew Baker’s kind offer to give Boston War Memorial a clean-up became a mission once he started work.
As decades of grime were removed, revealing gleaming as-new stonework beneath, Andrew could not rest and leave the rest of the surroundings looking so grimy by comparison.
Now he and colleague Ian Stones, have carefully cleaned the main memorial, the two smaller memorials and all the stone steps, seating and paving.
Andrew runs Jetadrive Lincs, and Aquamist, specialising in cleaning drives, patios, stonework, decking and windows. He ran a cautious test on a small part of the war memorial before the two turned in two 14-hour days on Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday.
They gave some areas a low pressure wash while other delicate areas had to have specialist chemical treatment and a soft wash down by hand.
He made the offer to clean the memorial as his tribute to those from his home town who had made the ultimate sacrifice and set to after meeting with Boston Borough Council to discuss the methods to be employed.
He said: “I looked into it for three weeks to be sure we would use the best methods for the best effect. I have even been in contact with experts in America and I think I can reduce the green copper staining on one of the faces of the memorial.”
All that remains to be done now is the very top of the memorial. The council is to provide a cherry picker so that Andrew can clean those inaccessible places.
Cllr Paul Skinner, Boston Borough Council’s town centre portfolio holder, said: “Boston Borough Council is grateful for the work done for free by Andrew to give not just the war memorial but the whole of Memorial Gardens an as-new look. Using his expertise and dedication he has carefully removed decades of grime.
“He and his colleague have demonstrated superbly exactly the sort of volunteer and community-spirited mentality that will get these extras done in these financially-straitened times. I know this became a mission for Andrew, taking him beyond his original kind offer to clean just the memorial. He has now also cleaned all the paving and the other, smaller memorials in the gardens.”
Thumbs-up from Andrew – just the column and the cross left to do…Thumbs-up from Andrew – just the column and the cross left to do…
