Erection date: 1977
{Around the rim of the bowl:}
Erected to commemorate the silver jubilee of H M Queen Elizabeth 1952 - 1977.
{On the ground in front of the urn:}
1952 - 1977
In times when nothing stood
But worsened or grew strange
There was one constant good
She did not change
Larkin
{On the ground behind the urn:}
A nation's a soul
A soul is a wheel
With a crown for a hub
To keep it whole
Hughes
Hughes became Poet Laureate a few years later and Larkin was of similar standing. In our view their lines for the jubilee do not greatly advance the cause of poetry.
2022: The Guardian Letters page of Saturday 12 February 2022 included a letter from David Evans of Exeter giving Larkins' poem plus: "Revealing, perhaps, as much his ambivalent feelings about Hughes as any he had about the monarchy, Larkin included a pastiche of what he imagined Hughes would write:
The sky split apart in malice
Stars rattled like pans on a shelf
Crow shat on Buckingham Palace
God pissed himself."
2024: We were delighted to see that moss has picked out the lettering, making it almost jewel-like. Has nature done this with no assistance, or has someone help with judicious use of yoghurt? Whatever - it's lovely.
Site: Silver Jubilee urn (1 memorial)
WC1, Queen Square
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