By Tim Binnall
In an uplifting update to a previously unfortunate story, an Ebenezer Scrooge gravestone beloved by a British community and smashed by a vandal last month has reportedly been restored free of charge. The thoughtless destruction of the marker, which served as a prop in the 1984 George C. Scott adaptation of A Christmas Carol, made headlines last month as it had been a popular holiday tourist attraction in the town of Shrewsbury, where the movie was filmed. While the vandalism sparked understandable sadness in the community, the situation was ultimately resolved in a manner befitting the season.
When stonemason Ed Jones heard word of the smashed piece, he quickly sprung into action, suggesting to his boss that their company could help rectify the situation. "He was quite happy for us to do it," the craftsman recalled, "it's something we can do for society and for everyone who comes to see it, because it's an heirloom of Shrewsbury." That said, before Jones could set about fixing the piece, there was a bit of surprising bureaucracy that needed to be addressed as, despite being a movie prop, the gravestone's placement on the grounds of a church meant that any alterations to the object required approval of the area diocese.
Fortunately, once again the proverbial better angels prevailed as church officials immediately signed off on the job that otherwise might have taken months to be approved. What followed was an extensive restoration of the gravestone and the site around it to not only return it to its previous state, but also protect it from future grinches who may have dreams of ruining the holiday season in Shrewsbury. "In a strange way, this whole episode ties into what Christmas is all about," Rev Sam Mann, who serves as the vicar at the church where the piece was placed forty years ago, "it’s just really heartwarming that it's been repaired so quickly and for free."