Preservation of war shelter in Floriana

Recently, Floriana Senior Citizens Association held a photo exhibition at its premises to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Floriana Blitz on St Publius church, which took place on April 28, 1942. Most of the photographic material on display was made available through the assistance provided by the National War Museum.

A stone structure in front of the Lion Fountain in St Anne Square, Floriana

The main attraction of the event was a map of Floriana which showed the presence of WWII shelters scattered within the limits of Floriana.

I was particularly struck by a centrally located refuge in St Anne Square, very close to where the Lion Fountain, originally built by Grand Master Antonio Manoel De Vilhena (1721-1736), was erected before WWII. The shelter seems quite extensive and it spans across the whole width of St Anne Square. Being centrally located, the shelter was well attended during the hostilities of the war because St Anne Street was more residential and commercially popular than it is today.

In view of the proposed project earmarked for St Anne Street to convert it into a pedestrian zone, which I believe should be discussed further, I urge the authorities that, before making a decision, a thorough study be carried out so that the shelter will not be in any way compromised.

A map showing a war shelter in St Anne Square.

It should be preserved, rehabilitated and, eventually, opened to the public.

Strangely enough, although the presence of WWII shelters in Floriana is abundant, there is not a single one which is available for public viewing. This, in my opinion, is very anachronistic and Floriana, being one of the localities most bombarded during WWII, should have at least one refuge which should serve as a memory of all those who endured the terrible experiences of the war period.

This shelter could be one of the public features of attraction included in the St Anne Street project.

Publio Agius – Floriana

Piracy and history

It is welcome news that St Thomas Tower,  in Marsascala will be converted into a museum of piracy.

I am sure that, once completed, the tower will be worth a visit as piracy and corsairing are intertwined with Malta’s past and recent history.

Castille, until a few years ago, was serving as the epicentre for this activity.

Daniel Bismarck – San Ġwann

Desperately-needed upgrades at beach

Golden Bay car park, toilets and all other surrounding facilities in this particular resort are badly in need of an urgent upgrade to bring them in line with the many top beaches in neighbouring resorts.

Introducing permanent platforms for the mobile kiosk and beachwear container, which,  in addition to the two storage vans/storage,  created a dangerous bottleneck for visitors of this car park access, will also go a long way to make the access area safer.

 How about introducing some belvederes and seating to give visitors the opportunity to sit back and enjoy one of the best and magnificent views anywhere? They will certainly be welcomed by all.

Charles Micallef – Qawra

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