A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

Last week I visited Nelson and in the centyre I saw a newly-erected piece iof 'sculpture' or 'art'. It takes the form of a 40ft high model of a weaver's shuttle. It is made out of iron which has gone a rusty colour. I don't usually like this rustuing, but it gives the shuttle the appearance of dark wood. It hasd a stainless steel cap and the centre, where the cop of cotton goes, it is lit up (at night) It is set in a sort of small amphitheatre. I liked it.
If Accrington had such a sculpture, what form would it take? A shuttle is very symbolic, so we could have one of those. A giant acorn? An actual Lancashire loom made by Bulloughs? A small deer, a hind, if the Town Hal want to use the word Hyundburn rather than Accrington? A WW1 soldier?

Anybody else seen it?

Any other ideas to pass ionto HBC? The soldier might be the preferred choice in the short term, with the centenary of WW1 & the Pals' formation coming up, and with spending likely to be curtailed.

It is being officially opened in August by Tony Livesey of the BBC, a former Nelson Leader reporter. Forgetting the mayor or any councillors, who would we get to 'open' it. Retlaw? The Chief of the Armed Services? The Colonel of the Queen's Lancaster Regt? William & Kate?

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

Another of thi ideas, we once had a steam engine, but thats gone rusty, all thats left is a gear wheel at bottom of Ormerod St.
As for the statute of a WW1 soldier, who's gonna pay for that unless, we nick one off Haslingden, or Clayton's Memorial's, then we'd have to have numerous committee's to decide where to put it.
The last committee were supposed to design a horse, and finished up with a camel.
If tha prepared to roll thi sleeves up I can show thi how to make, mold, and cast a bronze statue, cost a bit of brass just furt materials, besides 1/2 ton of coke to melt the metal.
Retlaw.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

I'd rather have the flagstones made safe.
I am not a big fan of street art. Everyone has different ideas about what ART is........and on my travels I can't say I have seen any modern stuff that has made me think....Wow, wish we had that in Accrington.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

I thought the same Marg, instead of spending money on pieces of metal sort our other problems out first.

Its sometimes lethal walking around town for a young un like me-self (;) )never mind older people who have difficulty walking.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

Which flagstones are not safe? I have not noticed them myself I don't walk all over town.

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Your having a laugh :p

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Try to keep to the thread Neil. You're taking it on the downward path.

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Says the old sod! Jealous thats what it is!! :p

I agree with Bob keep on the thread!! :D

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Neil, there are quite a few, more noticeable in the wet when they shoot water up your trouser leg.

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i quite like street sculptures n the like, but its a matter of priorities,as others have said, so it don't come very high on my list, but if accy were to have one,i would suggest a big penis, fer all the dickheads that collect in front of the market hall.:rolleyes:

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Im with you on that Cashy, but quite a lot don't frequent the front of the market hall, some are in the building next to it, it would also be a good place to display britcliffe's medal.
Retlaw.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

People disagreed with your idea and said the money would be better spent repairing flags. Do you not like being disagreed with?

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BBC News - Nelson's giant shuttle sculpture lifted into place

I think this is terrific and, unlike Margaret, would have loved to have seen this in the centre of Accrington .. well done Nelson.

There will always be opinions about money better spent on 'this and that', but any feature that makes a town centre more aesthetically beautiful is money well spent. Art will always be subjective, of course, and you cannot please everyone, but something depicting our past industries (perhaps calico printing), would please me.

Don't like the idea of a soldier ... we have the war memorials dotted around Hyndburn which more than honours our heroes.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

Whilst i like street sculptures,please explain how in these times its money well spent?:confused:

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Because anything that helps to make a town more interesting can only be of benefit.

It looks like this was a separate funding to improve their town centre, and maybe they have spent some of it on improving walkways, etc ?
This was only a small part of the £2.1 million budget granted.

It's like the flower towers .. people have grumbled about the money spent on these, but you have to admit, does liven the borough up, and helps to make visiting more pleasant.

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i think the flower towers look great, but at this point in time, things are/should be all about prioritizing, look nice is fine when plenty of brass about in my view.

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Nice one Bob;)

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

Neil You have failed to spot my humour -I saw it funny that you, who rightly castigates those who go off-thread, did himself go off-thread by talking about flags instead of sculptures . My posting said IF we were to acquire a sculpture, what form would it take. I did mention the difficult times we are in. In my later posting aimed at you, I added a sentence about a path, which was a reference to the flags you were talking about.You didn't spot this link, and as a result thought I was not liking being disagreed with. If that were the case, I wouldn't post, as there are those who constantly disagree with me.

Back to basics - this thread asked 'If we were to get a sculpture, what form would it take?'

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Like the idea too of acorn plus hind. An oak tree complete with acorns, resident squirrel and Hind, standing majestically, at the base.

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Kate, I might have liked the shuttle....but in general I haven't seen much in the way of street art that made me think 'Wow....wouldn't that look good in Accrington'.
And the flower towers are OK I suppose, they are detracted from by the shoddy state of the resin floor covering on Broadway. I know the flower towers are dotted about the borough.....but those on Broadway make me think of a lady who has put on lipstick without first washing her face.
The fabric of the infrastructure of the town needs to be worked on.......foundations need to be laid before you can really start to add decorations.

I am not saying don't have public art.......what I am saying is make sure the priorities are dealt with beforespending great sums of money on stuff that isn't essential. (haven't we been here before? A couple of times?)

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I have a very nice cast iron plaque just inside the front door which a friend brought me over -it says Accrington 1900 and features a pair of clogs in the center and in the background are various factories, smoking chimneys and the viaduct -these are very representative of the towns history and could be worked into a nice sculpture, i would also add in some of the cobbled streets and finally the water which was originally so important to the industrial revolution -I think it's important to celebrate the hard-working people who spent their lives in the mills, factories and mines and shaped the town as it is.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

there is ...

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

:rolleyes::p:D


I cant just post smilies its against the rules so I had to write this drivel as well

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If we want people to visit Accrington so it wont die, which in my opinion it will, we have to have it looking attractive. Yes the paths need to look good I agree but arty stuff can be funded from outside HBC with maybe a small amount of match funding. We missed out with the panoptican because of short sited residents and councillors and no doubt no one will bother to look for funding for something like this.

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Neil, do you really think that the Panopticon would have brought people to the town?

There needs to be something more than sculpture to get people to visit the place.

I don't go to Bury/Manchester/Ramsbottom....or any other place, purely to look at street art.

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The Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe has been a big draw for the 'lost resort'. The Angel of the North is too. My favourite, though I cannot say that people visit just to see it, is the stainless steel helter skelter at the end of the M55 at Blackpool.

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I dont think it would bring in lots of people no but it would have given us some publicity at least. I thought it was stupid back then but knowing more about the way funding works I think it was a mistake. I dont say that because I class Gayle as a friend these days eirher before anyone suggests it.

I like driving into town and seeing the new Tesco and train station. It makes it look modern and inviting. Coming in up blackburn road makes me want to turn round and go to blackburn.

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i will oppose any change at all to Blackburn Rd in that case.:D

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That's brill Jen, think the white effect gives it that extra oomph:D

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Panopticans:smile:start talking about the P word and we might, I say might just tempt Gayle back to the site;)

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You are right about the Blackburn Road section coming into Accrington....it is a disgrace.


I am sure that anyone coming into town from that direction must wonder what they have come to....it is scruffy and looks neglected.

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Ya was thinking where I've seen a comparison Margaret then it came to me a documentary on Lahore:rolleyes:

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i still havent hiked up to the one in hassy ... even tho i can see it lit up at 2.45am from my bedroom window ... inbetween the monstrosities across the road ....

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I think it was Graham Jones that said they started at the wrong end of Blackburn Road and I agree. Should start in the centre of town and work out.

I know its easy to say that with hindsight and that funding and building usage may have been the reason for starting at Church end

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Is that the singing winging tree or sumat Jen:confused::confused:

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No John....I think the one at Haslingden is called The Halo.

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Nowt started at the Church end; the urban regeneration scheme is to be found west of China St - Accy. Church has got buggar all out of this deal.

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Well where's the singing winging Tree then, can remember Gayle being interviewed on northwest news about it at the time

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Ya probably took a look and said why bother its totally past it:D

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The singing Ringing tree is on the moors above Burnley I believe.......if I am wrong, I am sure someone will come on and tell you.

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Another thought came to me today as I handled a pair of clog irons - a pair of clogs showing the soles. It is my belief that clogs have souls as well as soles.They are synonymous with Lancashire. The Whalley poet Jimmy Fell wrote a cracking poem which begins
"What says 'Lancashire' to thee ?"

He lists all sorts of things and ends each verse with something clog-related. It ends with

"It sweeps away the mists and fogs fro' memory does t'ring o'clogs"

I think Jimmy wrote the poem for me, as I had prompted him to write one.

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the shuttle looks ridiculous, grace calls it "the pencil" :)

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A clog.

As long as a chavette, with so many children she didn't know what to do, moves her family in there.

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Shouldn't have much trouble finding at tenant then G:D

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the shuttle in the glorious city of nelson. It looks brilliant but shame it's in nelson. The chap who fabricated it has barely covered costs but has done it partly as he lives in the area & wanted to make a difference. I was never a fan of panotagons etc but i've chnged my mind, seen what other towns have & realised that accy missed out. I've my own idea for an impressive sculpture in a v prominent position. Just need some funding . ....

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Without wishing to resurrect the dreaded 'P' word again, the opposition wasn't to the concept itself. Just that ours was going to be an 'earth works', sited a'top our most prominent, and much loved hill.

Any opposition was labelled as Philstinism, by the lackeys paid to promote it.

The fact is, what was earmarked for Accrington was just bad, period.

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Amen to that, it certainly woke up the township in opposition to it at the time

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As long as it isn't a statue to PB:D.

I would pay to have it covered up.

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Spot on. If I had travelled to Accrington, climbed a goodly sized hill and found that at the top.....I would have been disappointed.

I don't imagine that people travel around the country just to look at these sculptures.....I am pretty sure that the town would have to have some 'substance' about it to bring folk in....and then if there just happened to be an interesting piece of public art....it might get a glance.
But if we try to say that public art would bring people into the town, then we are deluding ourselves.

Re: A street monument/scupture in Accrington
 

The one at Haslingden attracts people to it.There probably mostly local, but there making a conscious effort to visit the panopticon. Which is good.

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So that confirms what I said Bernard.
People do not come from out of town purely to look at some artwork.
And once they have visited it, then they probably don't go back.

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There may be some from out of town Margaret, I'm not sure, but most are probably localish. But that's no bad thing it gets people out walking.

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Just a few pics of various types of sculpture I have photographed over the last year or so - there are so many different types around and lots of people enjoy them, photograph them and go especially to see them. One of these is in Fleetwood, one in Maryport, Long Meg is near the Lake District (the oldest example), a few on Lake Garda in Botanical garden (spot the Miro "Sheep" and the Keith Haring "Totem" ones they are worth a fortune!), The Horse is at the Vittoriale monument on Garda too, the Scarecrow "Royal" in the village of Wray and the Mediaeval Lion is by the cathedral door in Cremona. Hope you like them and they can give a few ideas.
Personally i still vote for "The Clog" -or perhaps some sort of Stone circle up The Coppice!

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I very much like Burnley's Singing Ringing Tree.

I don't know if people would go there more than once to see it.

Hard to tell, as it's already a popular spot for walkers, and with doggers.

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Yes, been here many times, Margaret, and we always agree to disagree. :)

The point is when will the base ever be perfect and ready for adding accessories ... there will always be flags to be improve, lamps to be mended, pot holes to be filled, buildings to sandblast, a decent bus station to be built (:D) ... so would be the 12th of Never before we accessorise.

No, it won't specifically bring visitors to town (a few, I suppose), however, of the visitors that do happen to give our town a try, then a plain, uninteresting, featureless surrounding will not entice them back. They are not going to say "Well, the flags are very straight, think I will go back there again".

It's not just a matter of outside visitors either, it's baiting our own residents of Hyndburn to shop in the centre and linger on a sunny afternoon or a crisp Winter's day with pretty Christmas lights, with the hope they will open their purses whilst there.

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I've been twice, Garinda, the views up there are amazing too. Didn't like the pictures I saw of it at first, but changed my mind once I had visited it.

Doggers ?? Where? Where ? Dang, missed this entertainment... :D
Plenty of dog walkers though.

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Infamous dogging hotspot.

Not so hot when visiting in the day, with toddlers and a picnic, as I did recently with friends.

We nearly spat out our sausage rolls.

(Not a euphemism.)

:eek::D:eek:

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Mobertol Good pics. I urge you to visit the helter skelter at the end of the M55 when next in Blackpool. In Fleetwood you missed the replica of the famous statue in Piccadilly Square ( the name of which is on the tip of my tongue)

Something made of stained glass, in the style of Tiffany, would be appropriate but perhaps not practical.

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I also really like the big mirror ball, in Blackpool.

The reflections of the sky, and the lights are beautiful.

It also makes senses as a sculture, being located in the entertainment capital that is Blackpool.

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Dusty - this thread is about asking for ideas - declare yours. You are holding your cards close to your chest.

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never understood why the Council (Borough/County) never built an access road and a paved car park on the top of the Coppice to make it more available to the folks , even rent out a plot to a roach wagon (mobile food truck) its just empty unused land , same with the top of Pendle Hill , doesn't seem fair restricing access to one or two hikers and Mountain bikers :eek: :eek:

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Cars on the top of the Coppice and Pendle Hill. That's heresy that is.

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In second place, after the clog idea, how about a giant Burberry baseball cap, or a Pit Bull, straining on some string lead?

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Why is it heresy ? , so access should only be restricted to a few kagool wearing loony tunes ? , sure lots of the older folks who are no longer as fit as they used to be would enjoy a chance to check out the views ;)

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I understand what you're saying. The footpaths going up the Coppice are a lot better now. But I'm afraid they still have to be walked.

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You know how lazy those lard arse Yanky Doodle Dandies are.

It's all moving pavements, and cable cars over there.

Apparently you can hire an illegal Hispanic to give you a piggy-back to the top of Mt. Rushmore.

:rolleyes::D

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It's not a bad idea though, Bernard, could always approach from the back way, off the King's Highway.

Could have a ski lift or mountain railway ... mmmmm, funding, forgot about that... :rolleyes:

Haha, just seen your post, Garinda, ....yeh, meant cable car or donkeys even.

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You'd need a bridge across though, as the motorway cuts the two places off from each other.

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We've had cars on in the past. But they were mainly burnt out ones. And that would be one of the problems if ever it came about that cars were allowed on the coppice. Difficult to control who might drive up there.

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Could we not hold a rally, and drop a bomb, once all the boy racers are all up there?

A eco-friendly bomb, which won't damage the grass?

:rolleyes::D

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G...would a bum bomb be eco friendly?
It would fertilize the grass....especially if it was a cow bum bomb.:D

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We could extend Blackburn Road to the top of the Coppice.

Put double yellow lines down.

Tell the traffic wardens never to venture up there.

Soon be loads of people up there, enjoying the privilged view.

:rolleyes:

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Thought this sounded a bit "Enid Blyton" - it looks a bit like the Magic Faraway Tree!
Think I would go there once just to hear the sounds it makes in the wind...

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Thanx for the idea Bob -will try to check out both next time i visit my Aunt in Cleveleys. Being a total culture vulture I actually went to Fleetwood for a trip on a tram and to sample the fish'n'chips at the North Euston Hotel which are reputed to be the best in the area...:p
Have enjoyed looking up the sculptures on internet (see helter skelter attached), tried to find the futuristic metal violin they put on a roundabout here in Cremona but haven't managed to find it unfortunately:(
The Tiffany/Stained Glass idea isn't bad -perhaps it could figure a clog...

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They closed off the parking area up there as well.

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Was just sorting out my pics from recent visit and thought of this thread when I saw my photos of this Wave Sculpture which is in Blackpool just outside the Winter Gardens in the square -love the way it reflects the sky and the buildings around.

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Also saw this Beehive sculpture over the top near Guide on a roundabout which is quite good though it's a bit out of the way. :)