Non to new name!

5:42pm Monday 22nd January 2001

PLANS to honour a Frenchman by renaming a square in Gravesend have caused some dissatisfaction.

A British Legion member is saying non to plans to name a Gravesend square after a Frenchman.

Gravesend Town Twinning Association wants to name the civic centre forecourt Place Gilbert Mayeux after the Deputy Mayor of Cambrai, who died suddenly in June.

The larger-than-life mayor worked hard to twin Cambrai with Gravesend in 1986 and then to develop contacts between the two towns.

But Kevin Doyle, Chairman of the Royal British Legions Gravesend branch, says he would prefer the square to be named after a local person.

Mr Doyle said: There are a number of former Gravesend residents who could be honoured in this way.

Why would they want to honour a Frenchman?

But Town Twinning Association secretary Barry Rowbotham, claims putting up a plaque in the square after Gilbert Mayeux is a fitting tribute for all the work he did.

Mr Rowbotham said: Gilbert Mayeux had so much joie de vivre.

He was very supportive of us in Gravesend and of twinning generally.

When the News Shopper suggested to him there may be equally deserving local people who could be commemorated, he said thats a point of view.

He added: The square has been there since 1908 and has never had a name.

But we will let the council decide.

Another suggestion is to name one of the new roads in the Pepper Cross development after Gilbert Mayeux.

In that way a road can be named after somebody from Neumunster as well, which is also twinned with Gravesend.

A spokesperson for Gravesham Council: We would consider any ideas for naming the square.

The Town Twinning Associations proposal is being presented to the executive committee on January 23.

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