Where have all the flowers gone?

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The memorial to the victims of the 7/7 bombings is unveiled in Hyde Park ( here.)

The photo above shows it in the best possible light, in a blaze of sunlight, but his is is an awful memorial, typical of the modern architecture cheat (and various Turner prize winners). It seems the artists commissioned had a quick look at Stonehenge, shoved afew steel planks into the ground as a model and rushed off to 'create'. ( Did they plan to use a few discarded train tracks?) Here, it looks grim the moment the sun's gone.

Another example here. Very grim. In the comments beneath article linked in , a variety of people express how they've taken offence at the sight of it.

This monument poignantly communicates how futile it is to expect anyone to feel that by a stain glass steel stuck into the ground any human soul can possibly be replaced, so, people feel it's achieved something?

And it's military, as if the departed are being obliged to stand to attention in a public manner, the stainless steel posts are uniform, which is off. (Some sort of spin off of the over involvement of police in the public mourning?)

Piccs here.

One million pounds for it. An utter waste of money. There's a starving world out there, and very many dying. (Many of them for want of funds from the West). None of the transparently beautiful people who died in 7/7 ( judging by their life stories) would have wanted this further display of collective madness (a product of false piety, hysteria, and sentimentalism.)

This horrible monument is not right. ( What happens when the rain and rust hits it?)

Would this monument remind you of anyone you personally knew, loved and respected? Or would you feel insulted?

What does this young girl take home with her from this memorial?

Whatever happened to the gardens that used to commemorate? A big garden feature, with a different flower garden for each one we lost in the London bombings, would have been just beautiful-with perhaps a central plaque for each, in each special garden? Or if designers really felt they had to use something evoking the train and track theme (which I would have thought people wouldn't necessarily want to see) then how about a tunnel covered with flowers running through the whole garden?

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And what about a fountain place, where people could regularly leave their tokens of peace and affection? The birds, the doves, would gather there.

The rust, the rain, inevitable neglect over time, doesn't seem to affect birds such as swallows, sparrows, doves, robins, jays. Not in a once well planned garden. They turn up in any case, they never neglect to.

Whereas if you create an institutionalised place, all you get are blackbirds, crows and ravens. You can see this anytime, walking round a prison garden. Blackbirds, crows and ravens are the only ones that venture into such places. Ravens in particular. (Other types of birds all perch behind the fence, they don't venture in.)

The Lord's provided all the materials for us to celebrate the lives of those we care for. They are often a reminder of how he also feels. It's not hard. A garden celebrated his resurrection, and he is risen, praise God.

Love to them all.

I printed this song once before. If you don't know this one, or this singer, you should. Here she is at the Operation Ceasefire concert in Washington DC 24/9/2005.

Katie Melua's 'Blowin' in the wind' is best.

The Telegraph are an absolute spectacle, aren't they. You can just hear that editorial: "Come one girls and boys I want a full report, get down to Hyde Park and praise that monument. Praise it, treat it like the Holy Grail, praise the thing and you can't go wrong." You can just hear it, ( raise eyes ceilingwards and keep it to yourself).

Here, perhaps the most unapologetically 'military' picture of the monument yet.

I wouldn't take any notice of the press claiming they're speaking for everyone. Here, just afew comments surface. People complain that the monument is 'inappropriate', 'ugly', 'art farty' and 'waste of money that could have been spent on the living'.

Beneath the article linked at the top of the page, commenters observing the memorial state:

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-Jason, I am grown up that's why I still remember countless British citizens, including children, being killed by the IRA and wonder why more recent victims of terrorists seem more deserving of a memorial!- Mark, South-East London

-Let the victims have a memorial by all means, just don't let it be this sort of hideously ugly rubbish; after all, we already have that pig's breakfast of a concrete sewer - sorry, memorial fountain to Diana. Why do people feel the need to spout such pretentious twaddle when discussing modern "art"?- The Gene Genie, Croydon

-How can ONE million £ be justified for this? You can build decent 15 houses for that. Someone is making a tidy profit out of this! P.S. There is a memorial plaque for a horse called Sefton that was killed as a result of the IRA mainland campaign.- Paul, London UK

-It was a tragic and horrific event but I am not sure a permanent memorial like this is needed. Should we do similar for every innocent shot or stabbed or in some other way killed through the greed, ignorance or politics of another? And I have to wonder if there is not a better way to spend £1,000,000 and remember these souls.

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Prince Charles speaks very well, by reports. (No I am not just saying that because he's the prince :-). He seems to really identify with those bereaved by atrocious attacks.)

It does seem to be a real opportunity missed -this monument- or I wouldn't make time to comment.