Buy a brick and bring peace to memorial garden

A BUY-A-BRICK campaign has been launched in Marylebone to restore the Wesley memorial garden to its former status.

Around £16,000 needs to be raised to rebuild a wall in the garden which would bring it back to its former peacefulness.

Located on Marylebone High Street, the garden was demolished as part of the revamp work to St Marylebone School.

It has now been rebuilt but residents feel it has lost its quiet, peaceful character.

So the St Marylebone Society has launched the campaign to rebuild the north wall, which was replaced by railings.

Residents feel the original quiet, enclosed feeling of the garden has disappeared and want to bring back the sense of enclosure to the garden of rest.

Cynthia Poole, of the St Marylebone Society, said: "The garden was originally built 60 years ago with the help of the St Marylebone Society.

"When the school was rebuilt the only possible access for the builders was through the garden so it had to be demolished.

"It was intended to be reinstated as it was but local people were rather disappointed that it was not exactly as it had been.

"What we think would make it a lot better is rebuilding the wall on the north side of the garden and we are urging people in Marylebone to get involved.

"With the wall missing the sense of enclosure that the garden used to have is lost. It is supposed to be a memorial garden and we feel it needs to be enclosed and quiet to give a peaceful feeling."

The garden was originally built in 1951 as a garden of rest for people in Marylebone to relax.

The original architects have agreed to fund planting and the school has offered to plant a mature Judas tree.

A private donor has also sponsored two benches for the garden. Six willow panels which will support climbing plants on the west wall and 150 bulbs will be planted.

To donate or for more information visit www.stmarylebone- society.org.