Jon Egging Memorial Designs On Display

Designs created by Bournemouth school children for the Jon Egging memorial competition are now on display at Bournemouth Library.

Flt Lt Egging tragically lost his life when his Red Arrows jet crashed in fields in the north of the Borough on 20 August this year, after displaying at the Bournemouth Air Festival.

A special exhibition is now open to the public at Bournemouth Library, The Triangle, with a display of all the designs submitted by school pupils from across Bournemouth.

The exhibition follows a competition, launched in January, for local school children to come up with ideas and designs for a memorial to Red Arrow pilot Jon Egging.

The chosen design, created by pupils from Kinson Primary School, was selected by Flt Lt Egging’s widow Dr Emma Egging, and his mother Dawn Egging, with support from artist Tim Ward earlier this month.. A formation of soaring planes showing teamwork and achievement, and the symbolism of the great British countryside are the three themes that will be conveyed in the final design for the memorial.

Councillor John Beesley, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “The Jon Egging memorial will serve as a long-standing mark of respect from the people of Bournemouth.  It’s wonderful that our young people in Bournemouth were given the opportunity by Jon’s family to put forward their design ideas for the memorial and with the help of the appointed artist, I’m sure the winning designs will inspire a fitting memorial. We know that people want somewhere where they can pay their respects, and pause to remember the magnificent Red Arrow displays that Flt Lt Egging was part of, and I am extremely proud that the Council is able to make that happen for Emma, Dawn and Jon’s friends and colleagues.”  

Inspiration for the memorial will also be taken from submissions by pupils from St Walburga’s and Elmrise Primary Schools and Oakmead Technology College.

Artist Tim Ward will be working with the schools over the next few weeks to create the final design for the memorial.  
The exhibition runs until 2 April 2012.

The memorial will be in place on the East Overcliff by the start of the Bournemouth Air Festival 2012 (30 August – 2 September 2012).

The Memorial will be situated on the cliff top slightly west of the central flying ‘Datum Line’, at a location picked by Emma and Dawn during a recent visit to Bournemouth. The site is opposite the junction of Meyrick Road and East Overcliff Drive, adjacent to the path to the East Cliff lift, an area known as the East Rockery.