Hello, just thought I would post a bit of an update and also more to say thank you so much to everyone for signing the petition and all your kind comments and memories of my mum which have meant so much to Mel and I. Well On Friday past I contacted the council to obtain a further update on the bench as I had read through an article on the Mearns Leader Facebook page which stated that the council were now in discussion about the bench, which was news to me. So I contacted the council again and I was advised after a very strange initial conversation with the principal officer that the council were in discussion and if I wanted, I could buy the new bench and place it somewhere else in Stonehaven, just not at the memorial. The reasoning behind this was that people had complained about the number of benches and that the land was very expensive and that it was a memorial for those who lost their lives in the war. I am not sure what he meant as firstly, who was complaining ? and what has the land cost got to do with anything. I wonder if he is aware that the memorial was paid for by the community of Stonehaven through fund raising and donations and the land gifted to the people of Stonehaven and that the memorial itself was built to look in disrepair to be symbolic of incomplete lives. This wasn't satisfactory and I advised that I was told that the bench could be placed on the same spot and that I could show them exactly where as to us this marks her final resting place. I was told the person that removed the bench couldn't recall any of this conversation, despite the fact he cut through the wood of the bench to give us back her plaque. It leaves a bitter taste and I will keep you all updated. Thanks again for all your signatures and your kindness Yan x