Sarsfield Memorials pride ourselves on being Liverpool’s oldest family run monumental mason business. We pride ourselves on providing quality products and an excellent service. However when memorial renovation isn’t worth it, we will tell you so even though we lose business as a result.

A couple of months ago we had a query regarding the restoration of an old family monument that is well over one hundred years old. The memorial, which was much taller than average, was situated in  a churchyard under some trees, leading to staining in addition to general erosion due to weather.

When we discussed the possibility of the memorial renovation with the church concerned, we had to be realistic with the circumstances. The Diocese does not have the funds to maintain churchyards to the standards of years gone by. This meant that due to its location in the churchyard the memorial remained prone to both weathering and staining.

Another factor that had to be taken into consideration, one that is a sad reflection of today’s times, was the fact the memorial was also situated next to the churchyard wall. Being much taller than the wall, which could be scaled even if the gates were locked, made it a potential target for vandals.

Taking all circumstances into account, we advised the family concerned that they were probably best leaving the memorial as it was. We did not want a situation whereby their memorial became stained quicker than would normally be expected, or even worse suffer some vandalism.

After giving our advice we received a lovely letter from a member of the family, thanking us for our impartiality. It appreciated our “sound and invaluable advice despite the fact that you were talking yourself out of business. I am really impressed with your excellent service and if I ever need a stonemason in the future I will not hesitate to contact or Sarsfield or recommend your company to others”.

Receiving feedback like this makes us proud to represent Sarsfield Memorials.  For us, just being Liverpool’s oldest family run monumental business isn’t enough. We also want to leave a positive impression with anybody who contacts us, irrespective of whether we go on to provide a service.