Following the decision by St Barnabas Church, Epsom, to call a public meeting in the New Year to decide whether it should display its rolls of honour which list parish members who died in the two World Wars, Trisha Batley went onto the streets of Epsom to find out what people thought it should do.

Your Local Guardian:

Mike Cousins, 53, a volunteer from Epsom: "I think it would be nice to mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War to have these names displayed in the church.

I see that some members of the congregation are for it and the vicar isn’t, but I think it would be a nice mark of respect."

Your Local Guardian:

Scott Davies, 28, store manager in Epsom: "I’ve had lots of family members that have fought in the wars and I think it’s a disgrace that it’s not up. The original roll of honour should be up. It was a commemoration for all the war dead and we should respect the war dead, I think it’s really important. It’s for people’s families still in Epsom; they’ve still got their grandchildren and great grandchildren and are still here in Epsom, so they should be able to see it and get their granddads and great granddads recognised for it."

Your Local Guardian:

Emilia Papadopulos, 26, a journalist from Epsom: "I completely disagree with the vicar. I think now of all times in this day and age we should be celebrating all of our fallen heroes. The roll of honour is something that should be displayed proudly in the place where it represents those that have fallen. The roll of honour belongs in Epsom and it belongs on public display. We should be proud. People of Epsom should see who have lived and who have served and are part of the community and that’s something we should be proud of. It’s definitely something that I believe should be in the public view."

Your Local Guardian:

Tim Bunde, 50, from Epsom: "I think it would be a good idea if they were brought back to the church. There’s nothing stopping them putting it into a case to preserve it. Why not? It’s something that everybody can see and it’d be a good idea to get this back into the church. Anything to do with the war, they fought for our country so why not? Have a display of people who are heroes."

Your Local Guardian:

Rachel Uctas, 42, a consultant from Ashtead: "I think that the local people should be able to see a record of people who mean something to them in their local church because perhaps they won’t even know it exists if it’s tucked away somewhere else?"

Your Local Guardian:

Leonora Ogbeide, 25, student living in Epsom: "If there is a way that it can be preserved on display then that would maybe solve both sides of the problem. The whole point of it is for the memories - so if it’s locked up somewhere, then it kind of defeats the purpose."

Your Local Guardian:

Ayesha Safo, 24, student, Epsom: "I believe that since the roll is for memories of the war heroes that it should be displayed in the church here in Epsom because these are the people that are going to come and see it.

"If it’s locked away in Woking than I feel like it’s not doing justice to their memory and it’s not what the soldiers fought for and all of the good that they’ve done."


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