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maltrab

maltrab

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That people on the Holmfirth group are still pressing to find out what has happened regarding Compo's statue, the money was raised a few years back but there has been no sign of it yet
 
If money was raised, then it's important to find out where that money is and if it is invested wisely.
 
I recall that this was being considered when the Appreciation Society was still flourishing - which seems eons ago now.
 
Here's the sculpture that I remember hearing about.. http://www.robersonstonecarving.co.uk/portraits-compo.html IMHO, aside from the clothes it could be almost anyone. I've seen a photo of it elsewhere, but can't find the reference.

This seems to be about a different one. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/long-awaited-memorial-last-summer-wine-7790653
That was published a couple of weeks before my last visit to Holmfirth. The Google Earth photo car passed through Holmfirth in August of this year, nearly two years after the bust was to have been installed outside the Yorkshire Building Society, corner of Victoria Street and Huddersfield Road. I don't see it in the photo of that corner.

And there's this very old news. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-news/compo-statue-summer-wine-town-5022318
 
There is a 20/5/15 Huddersfield Examiner article that I believe is the most recent news on the memorial. At that point another person had taken charge and had commissioned a 3D life sized sculpture, but the final location had not been set and the sculpture had not yet acquired a suitable stone. If I recall, the previous plan had been criticized for being a relief only, which may be what is in Marianna's first link.
 
Am not sure if it is in any of the links but I picked up this picture from the forum some time ago
 

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Sarkus said:
There is a 20/5/15 Huddersfield Examiner article that I believe is the most recent news on the memorial. At that point another person had taken charge and had commissioned a 3D life sized sculpture, but the final location had not been set and the sculpture had not yet acquired a suitable stone. If I recall, the previous plan had been criticized for being a relief only, which may be what is in Marianna's first link.
Click to expand...

Do you have the URL for that article, or a image of it?

Originally, the Holme Valley Business Association was involved the project. I believe that's the one that got all tangled up in the grandiose plans for a heritage garden on the site of the old Kings Head. The garden plan was scrapped in 2011.

Then someone else took it over and commissioned that stunningly non-representative relief. I have no objection to its being a relief, rather than a 3-D sculpture. My objection is that the face is all wrong, so it is in no way representative of Bill Owen. It was made and presumably paid for, but I've seen no news that it ever has been installed.

Then Andrew Bray (Andrew's Greengrocer, on Huddersfield Road), who, as a child, had became friends with Bill Owen while the pilot was being filmed, apparently stepped back in and used the £8,000 that had been collected, and had been languishing in a bank account, to commission a bronze bust. That's the one that was to have been installed on the corner of Huddersfield Road and Victoria Street.
 
This is the article from last May.

That says Ian Gooch of the Full Life Church in Thongsbridge had taken over the memorial project and arranged for the life sized 3D sculpture. I believe that Mr. Bray is who was behind the relief noted above that was never placed. I remember there being some discussion on this subject last year and that a lot of people didn't like the relief. Mr. Bray may have changed course at some point, but as of last May it looks like Mr. Gooch was in charge. Presumably that is who should be contacted for an update, or the newspaper. However, its possible that since its only been about 18 months that the sculpture is not yet finished with the statue.
 
Marianna said:
Here's the sculpture that I remember hearing about.. http://www.robersonstonecarving.co.uk/portraits-compo.html IMHO, aside from the clothes it could be almost anyone. I've seen a photo of it elsewhere, but can't find the reference.

This seems to be about a different one. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/long-awaited-memorial-last-summer-wine-7790653
That was published a couple of weeks before my last visit to Holmfirth. The Google Earth photo car passed through Holmfirth in August of this year, nearly two years after the bust was to have been installed outside the Yorkshire Building Society, corner of Victoria Street and Huddersfield Road. I don't see it in the photo of that corner.

And there's this very old news. http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-news/compo-statue-summer-wine-town-5022318
Click to expand...


So according to the last item the idea started 13 years ago and implies some money is there.

Mmmm.
 
Found it (http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/long-awaited-last-summer-wine-compo-9293347), but only by searching "Ian Gooch Full Life Church Thongsbridge". It wasn't retrievable by searching Holmfirth and either Owen or Compo. Just goes to show — you have to start with the right keywords. In this case, the only way to guess the keywords was to get the information from someone who had read the article.

I'll probably see Andrew in his shop when I'm in town in September, but I'm certainly not going to mention the subject of sculpture. I expect it's a very sore point with him. He's an awfully nice person and his greengrocer's shop is a good place to pick up fresh bits and pieces for my usual supper nibbles, eaten in my lodging in front of my laptop while catching up on the day's news.
 
Why quarry stone they could opt for bronze like so many do . The only analogy I have are statues erected for a number of football legends and to a person they are always in bronze as is , from the comedy genre, Captain Mainwaring in Thetford and Eric Morecambe in Morecambe both of which have excellent likenesses . It could have been modelled and cast long ago !!
 
Will they use local stone? It is so beautiful with a lovely yellow hue. How many places can you find yellow stone?
 
Not a good rendition of Bill its got some of his features but did the artist have a picture of him?
 
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