Sunday, November 21, 2010

NEW FRIENDS REUNITED


Pictures from Brigg Blog's latest "safari" to Bonny Scotland, posted for the benefit of new friends from mid-Lincs made on the trip, booked through Appleby's First Choice in Wrawby Street, Brigg, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. That's Mrs F. on the right, if you didn't know, enjoying her dinner at the Royal Hotel, Oban. We are now guaranteed two fresh followers from Billinghay, near Sleaford. We were picked up, with other passengers, in Cary Lane on Monday morning and dropped back into Brigg soon after 6pm on Friday. Very enjoyable it proved, too.
Hope Brigg didn't miss us too much!

Aboard the ferry on the way to Mull.

My sort of art, this is! Only in place for a few months, this 33ft high mermaid, named Arria, overlooks the A80 northbound in Cumbernauld, Scotland, and created plenty of interest on our bus. The £250,000 publicly funded work by Andy Scott is the latest in a long line of sculptures springing up around the country in the name of public art. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR IN BRIGG, OR CLOSE BY. Ken Harrison will come up with some ideas, we are sure, so we'll leave the matter in his capable hands. Something for his Community-Led Plan committee to Mull over? Pardon the wee attempt at a Scottish pun!

3 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

So you want me comments on 'SCULPTURES', Scribs?
Some places have their own unique art forms - the Angel of the North and the Sculpture Park - part of Bretton Country Park, near Wakefield.
Whether it's Gormley, or Henry Moore you're after, you'll find them in such places.
But perhaps we have become complacent and fail to recognise that Brigg has its own artistics pieces - How about our own Angel - complete with a vuvuzela horn; the Dying Gladiator; the Holocaust Memorial in the arcade of the Angel and the various works on display about the Angel Suite.

Other parts of the country have their own man-made and artistically spectacular images - for example, Liverpool has a 'John Lennon' leaning against a wall (Matthew St) near the old Cavern Club with 'Eleanor Rigby' sitting nearby - the White Horse and the Cerne Abbas Giant with his massive makeover!
Perhaps we could take a leaf out of these historic turf-cuttings.

The geology of the Wolds - chalk - is identical to the stratum of the Downs in Kent/Sussex - indeed, it is the same rock which mostly hidden in a massive syncline and only surfaces in the SE, the Lincs Wolds and part of the York Moors.
Why can't we find a suitable site and turf-cut a Lancaster (or the Red Arrows) to demonstrate the county's strong association with the RAF - Lincolnshire is already referred to as the Bomber County as a result from the many bases that the air force made night sorties over the enemy coast.

Another possibly, is to find a 3-dimensional artist, wanting a site to display his/her work - and just offer a site - easy!

Nevertheless, some towns are proactive - Doncaster decorates many of its roundabouts with forms to represent the town's associations - race horses to Vulcans (aeroplanes again - part of the V-bomber force in the 60's), presumably related to the extant RAF Finningley (now Robin Hood Airport).
In Dudley in the West Midlands, roundabouts are decorated with surreal figures representing its industrial past. Even Tata Steel in Scunny tries hard with its Slag Wagon, as seen along Brigg Road.

Ken Harrison said...

4got to mention - Brigg's fantastic architecture - there are some very fine examples - look upwards above the shops.
For example, how many people have noticed the decorated lead down pipes on the Lord Nelson-side of the Town Hall.
Or the 'Nature Man' on the decorated door surround of ---- forgotten it name - something like 'Bags and Bits' (newly painted mauve and purple shop - No 2 Wrawby Street).
Art is not just paintings and statues - it should be in the quality of life.
Even just looking at chimney pots and chimney stacks, it's amazing wot talents artisans have displayed, particularly in the past.
Unfortunately, we now rate 'functionability' before anything else.

Ken Harrison said...

The 'Nature Man' is probably better known as the 'Green Man' - has vines and leaves growing from face.

Worth a pix, Nige....and take one of the lead pipe-work for the Blog.