Shortly after 12 noon on May 22nd the mayor, Raushan Ara, cut a ribbon to celebrate the cleaning and restoration of the Destiny Peace Memorial in Albion Gardens.

As I said in my speech, our post-war memorial remains unusual, not just through its depiction of a female figure, but also because it commemorates all those who had contributed to the First World War rather than only remembering those who had died. It even includes the contribution of animals. It is always easy for people – and particularly the young – to assume memorials remember only those in the armed forces who died, but ours in Ramsgate reminds us that wider contributions to the war effort can and should also be remembered.

The memorial was unveiled on 17th December 1920 having been presented to Ramsgate by Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills. The ceremony was attended by the then Mayor Mr R W Philpott, and the statue’s sculptor Gilbert Bayes, as well as various other members of the local community.

In 1921, and so soon after both WW1 and its unveiling, the memorial suffered from some minor vandalism. More serious damage was suffered in 1968, again due to vandalism. This time the plinth and statue were pushed over, resulting in major breaks to the statue. It was subsequently repaired but this again highlights the fact that vandalism to war memorials is not just a recent phenomenon.

Thanks to local residents who first raised the issue of the condition of the memorial and thanks also to Ramsgate Town Council and The Ramsgate Society for funding this restoration project.

I would also like to thank Cllr Helen Crittenden who drew the issue of the condition of Destiny to my attention and also Sam McNeil of Paye Stonework Ltd who carried out the restoration works.  Also, not forgetting the Ramsgate Town Council Technicians who provided some of the equipment needed.

If you visit the newly restored Destiny memorial you will also find a new plaque nearby which we have part funded to make more people aware of some of the interesting information about the memorial and its origins.

You can also read more about Destiny in an article in our November 2025 Newsletter HERE

John Walker

Chairman

Image courtesy of Ramsgate Town Council