As some of you may or may not know, Edinburgh council are currently planning to move the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial from its home at Haymarket for the duration of the works on the new tram system. The council have also suggested that this move culminates in a new permanent site at Atholl Crescent, located off the main street and behind a row of protected trees - in other words, out of sight of the main thoroughfare. This memorial was built to commemorate those who committed the ultimate sacrifice and has served as a daily reminder of those who gave their lives. From a historical perspective, it is one of the most important war memorials in this country and is one of the only sites to continue to host services of remembrance to this day. It is a Hearts monument, but it also serves as a focal point for Hibernian, Raith Rovers and Falkirk - all of whom were represented by players and supporters alike in the famous McCrae's Battalion. As Jack Alexander said recently: "An old lady (whose father was killed on the first day of the Somme) once told me that the paving stones around the clock were holy ground - stained (and she was not dramatising in any way) by the tears of those families of the 'honoured dead' who gathered there one morning every year. I don't share a bloodlink to McCrae's, or (knowingly) to anyone else in the Hearts community who is commemorated by the Memorial, but I understand precisely what she meant." It is much much more than just bricks and mortar and should continue to be sited in a prominent place at Haymarket, not tucked away out of view for the sake of a tram system which can quite easily accommodate a new site for the monument at Ryrie's Bar anyway. This was the council's original idea and was accepted during public consultation for the planning application - the council now wish to go back on what they promised us and remove the monument from Haymarket altogether. An action group has been set up to raise awareness of this issue and liaise with the council in order to prevent this from happening, but it's all very much in the early stages at the moment. More news is available at: http://www.heartofmidlothianwarmemorial.com Please remember that the attendance at this year's service could serve as the most poignant reminder of what this memorial means to the people of Edinburgh, and to the supporters of Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Try to be there on November 9th if you can! Most importantly, please sign this petition - the old clock needs your help. Thanks. P.S. If you want to know more about the story of McCrae's Battalion, please visit the official Trust website located here: http://www.heartsgreatwarmemorial.org.uk/ ***THERE IS NO NEED TO MAKE A DONATION. IF THE PAGE REQUESTING YOU TO DO SO APPEARS, SIMPLY CLOSE IT DOWN AS YOUR DETAILS WILL ALREADY HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE PETITION*** __________________

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