Dear Friends,
The 2015 bicentenary is nearing and things are at last moving on the battlefield. We have the pleasure to announce you some good news, mostly from the Allied side.
On the Allied side of the battlefield
There are some very positive evolutions.
- The stele to the 27th Foot (Inniskillings) was straightened up on March 7, 2012 by Mr Lucien Cécille and his team of the Waterloo Committee. A great job ! Congratulations.
- The restoration works on Lt-Col Sir Alexander Gordon's column are nearing completion. These were greatly needed, since the column had not been restored since... 1931 !
- The restoration works to the façade and to the pigeon house above the entrance of the Mont-Saint-Jean farm are advancing. The commemorative plaque to the British Army Medical Services has already been put back in place.
- Regional Walloon minister of Tourism, Mr. Paul Furlan, has announced on Twitter and Facebook that the Walloon regional government had accepted a financial arrangement of 27 million euros for the redevelopment of the Lion Mound hamlet for the 2015 bicentenary. It was nearly too late, because the planning permit, given in October 2010, expires on 18 May 2012! The renovation works should start at the beginning of May 2012. Without this decision, any redevelopment of the Lion mound site would have been impossible before 2015. We just hope that most part of this amount will not be spent on a "scenography imagined by Franco Dragone".
- The monument to the Belgians killed on the 18 June 1815 "fighting for the defence of the colours and the honour of the arms" (i.e. on both sides) should also be restored soon, probably when the Gordon column is finished. This was also greatly needed.
- The Lion should also benefit from a face-lift before 2015.
On the French side
Here, we have far less reasons to rejoice, but there is some reason to hope.
- Like we announced more than a year ago, the province of Walloon Brabant has bought the Wounded Eagle monument on 28 December 2010 and the Victor Hugo column the next day. Unfortunately, restorations works haven't started yet, even if they are urgent. We have been unable to hear any news about this matter.
- The Association pour la Conservation des Monuments Napoléoniens (ACMN) will take care of the restoration of the French Eagle monument in the orchard, just like it did in 1986-87, as well as of the repairing of the plate to General Bauduin, as soon as we will get the necessary authorisations.
- Nothing new concerning the eagle stolen from the 8th Line Regiment (Division Durutte) monument, opposite la Haie-Sainte farm. Nobody seems to care about it... apart from us. Maybe the only way to get this done is to start a fund in order to get the needed money?
If you want some more information about a monument, don't hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely.
http://napoleon-monuments.eu/ To see more pictures, just follow the link.
http://napoleon-monuments.eu/Napoleon1er/1815-2012_EN.htm News :
http://napoleon-monuments.eu/Napoleon1er/News.htm 
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