Stolen history restored by the BPCA - Ilford Mammoth!

Image of proposed plaque.

The British Pakistani Christian Association (located in Ilford) will restore a community plaque that was stolen from Ilford Methodist Church, Ilford Lane.  The original 1951 plaque was installed by Redbridge Council during the Festival of Britain and commemorated Pleistocene Mammoth finds collected during an excavation of the former Uphall Brick Pit site by Sir Antonio Brady in 1936. 

Image of original plaque

To date the most remarkable find was the only full mammoth skull ever to have been found in Britain.  This "Ilford Mammoth" skull along with many other remains are being preserved by the Natural History Museum.  Currently the revamped Ilford Central Library is displaying a real mammoth bone in the Historical section of their adult library and the BPCA are encouraging local people to visit both the plaque and library to celebrate our paleontological heritage  

Wilson Chowdhry Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association said;

"When we heard of the loss of this important historical plaque our group decided to replace it.  Our intention was to preserve our local history, whilst increasing awareness of the existence of our minority community.  Few people in this country and our Borough are aware of the significant Mammoth finds excavated in Ilford - even fewer realise Pakistani Christians exist. We originally hoped to unveil the plaque during the Queens Jubilee celebrations we held in Ilford Town Centre 4th - 5th June, unfortunately circumstances delayed the installation.  We have now sent the first draft to local historians, the Natural History Museum and the Methodist church for approval and hope to install the plaque next week."  

Further  details on the history of the Ilford Mammoth can be found on the "Geology of Essex" website:

http://www.essexwt.org.uk/geology/mammoth.htm

An in-depth paleontological study of Mammoths can be viewed on the Natural History Museums website at:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/departments/palaeontology/research/vertebrates/quaternary-mammals/mammoth-evolution/index.html

Cranium and tusks of the Pleistocene Steppe Mammoth found in Ilford - the only complete Mammoth skull found in Britain.

Model of the Woolly mammoth found in Ilford