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King Edward VII

Thanks for the posting the photos Stephen. He looks very regal and imposing and in a much better position..as it should be.
Perhaps they can now find a space for the George Dawson statue that's in storage?
 
Yes I totally agree Charlie George Dawson should be in the city. I was quite embarrassed on the TV programmer about "Do Gooders" all other cities had their statues proudly on show. Our George Dawson was hidden away in Dolman Street storage!
 
George Dawson is to feature in or around the new Library. Fear not!

Unveiling of Edward VII is now to be in 2011, as the decision has een taken to postpone due to the bad weather. Sad, but by that time the two other bronzes will be in situ and the piece will be complete!

I'm thinking that our next project should be the re-uniting of Sir Robert's Peel statue (outside the Police Training Centre on the Pershore Road) with his plinth (in Calthorpe Park) and re-sited in the city centre.

Sir Robert legislated to remove the death penalty from scores of minor offences and also repealed the Corn Laws which helped stop thousands of Brummies - and their fellow Britons - from starving to death. Birmingham erected the statue to him to commemorate this fact (the original railings around the statue were capped with ears of wheat). Of course, he also founded the METROPOLITAN Police, but he had no hand in the creation of provincial police forces and so his position outside the Police Training College is an aberation of history, or simply put, just plain wrong!
 
That's great news about George's statue and a lovely venue the old with the new. The new home for Sir Robert Peel sounds perfect. We have him in the center of our Town and rightfully so as it's the town of his birth.
Great work Stephen where would we be without you and the people who work to get this done.
 
Pro Civitate said:
I'm thinking that our next project should be the re-uniting of Sir Robert's Peel statue (outside the Police Training Centre on the Pershore Road) with his plinth (in Calthorpe Park) and re-sited in the city centre.

Sir Robert legislated to remove the death penalty from scores of minor offences and also repealed the Corn Laws which helped stop thousands of Brummies - and their fellow Britons - from starving to death. Birmingham erected the statue to him to commemorate this fact (the original railings around the statue were capped with ears of wheat). Of course, he also founded the METROPOLITAN Police, but he had no hand in the creation of provincial police forces and so his position outside the Police Training College is an aberation of history, or simply put, just plain wrong!
Click to expand...

Yeah the Peel statue is in the wrong location - on the Pershore Road. I got shots of it last year. Someone did say that the plinth is in Calthorpe Park.

Weren't they all moved as Victoria Square was too clutered 50 - 60 odd years ago? Back when traffic still went into it.


Statue of Robert Peel in Edgbaston, Birmingham by ell brown, on Flickr

It's current base is just so wrong, and so not suitable for it.
 
Pro Civitate said:
Unveiling of Edward VII is now to be in 2011, as the decision has een taken to postpone due to the bad weather. Sad, but by that time the two other bronzes will be in situ and the piece will be complete!
Click to expand...

I had a feeling the current conditions would pospone it until sometime in 2011.

Would be nice to see those statues in storage come out and be installed somewhere. Got a lot of old pictures of them in my Birmingham local interest books.
 
ellbrown said:
Pro Civitate said:
I'm thinking that our next project should be the re-uniting of Sir Robert's Peel statue (outside the Police Training Centre on the Pershore Road) with his plinth (in Calthorpe Park) and re-sited in the city centre.

Sir Robert legislated to remove the death penalty from scores of minor offences and also repealed the Corn Laws which helped stop thousands of Brummies - and their fellow Britons - from starving to death. Birmingham erected the statue to him to commemorate this fact (the original railings around the statue were capped with ears of wheat). Of course, he also founded the METROPOLITAN Police, but he had no hand in the creation of provincial police forces and so his position outside the Police Training College is an aberation of history, or simply put, just plain wrong!
Click to expand...

Yeah the Peel statue is in the wrong location - on the Pershore Road. I got shots of it last year. Someone did say that the plinth is in Calthorpe Park.

Weren't they all moved as Victoria Square was too clutered 50 - 60 odd years ago? Back when traffic still went into it.


Statue of Robert Peel in Edgbaston, Birmingham by ell brown, on Flickr

It's current base is just so wrong, and so not suitable for it.
Click to expand...

Here is the plinth in Calthorpe Park


Calthorpe Park, Edgbaston - plinth of the Robert Peel statue by ell brown, on Flickr
 
 
The barrier fences at the bottom have been removed.

As far as I can tell - people going through Centenary Square don't stop to have a look at the statue. I do glance at it when heading on or off Centenary Way.
 
The bronzes look absolutley amazing I can't wait to visit the city to see the completed statue. Stephen you must be so proud and well deserved.
 
That's great news. Can't say I noticed any other photographers when I passed by there.

Does it still need it's official unveiling (now it's complete).
 
Saturday might be busy due to the parade during Armed Forces Day (starting at 11am from the Hall of Memory).
 
ellbrown said:
That's great news. Can't say I noticed any other photographers when I passed by there.

Does it still need it's official unveiling (now it's complete).
Click to expand...

Ahh, that's because I was there at 7.00 am when the installation started. They started on 'Education and Progress' first. I left at 8.00 am and came back at 10.30 am when they were working on 'Peace'.

All now completed. Be nice to put a nice wreath ot the plinth on St George's Day, especially as st George is featured on the front of the plinth.

Hopefully we can now have HRH The Prince of Wales to come and unveil it later on in the year.
 
I did pass the Edward VII statue on Saturday, but was dull and wet (and shot would have come out dark). Instead I took shots of Armed Forces Day.

Article in the Birmingham Mail

New bronzes for King Edward VII statue in Centenary Square

THE restoration of one of Birmingham’s historic statues has been completed – with King Edward VII joined by three bronze figures.
It is eight months since the statue, created in 1910 and paid for by readers of the Birmingham Mail, was brought back into the city centre for the first time in 60 years.
And now two bronze casts, one of a male figure and child to represent education and another of a female with the globe to signify peace, are now on the plinth either side of the famous monarch near the Hall of Memory in Centenary Square.

the-revamped-statue-in-centenary-square-and-inset-in-highgate-park-782270153.jpg


The bronzes have been recreated by Cliveden Conservation from scratch with only some old photographs of sculptor Albert Toft’s statue to work with.
City culture chief Martin Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley and Kings Heath) said: “We worked with the Victorian Society, Birmingham Civic Society and a range of other stakeholders to return this superb piece of sculpture to the city centre.
“Now, following painstaking work from Cliveden Conservation, the bronzes have been recreated and we can put spectacular finishing touches to the project.
“Toft’s statue of Kind Edward VII deserves to be seen and enjoyed by the maximum number of people and I’m particularly pleased that the move gained unanimous support from a whole host of organisations and individuals.”
The statue was commissioned by the Birmingham Mail to commemorate the death of the king and was unveiled in Victoria Square three years later.
It was moved to Highgate Park when Victoria Square was remodelled in 1951.
Sadly the statue was neglected and vandalised, including the theft of the bronzes during the 1980s.
A £114,000 restoration project saw the Grade II-listed statue restored to its former glory and moved to a new home.
Prince Charles was due to officially unveil the statue last winter but his visit was cancelled due to heavy snowfall.
No follow-up visit has yet been arranged.
​
​
​
Click to expand...
 
The bronze soldier is impressive Ell. Glad all your great photos have survived on the forum. Says a lot for hosting tgem separately. Thanks for posting. Viv.
 
That's because they are on hosted on Flickr. I never uploaded photo attachments here (more than 30,000 plus items on there now).

Thanks Wendy and Viv.
 
There is now portacabins in front of the Edward VII statue (for the Centenary Square revamp I would assume). After 7 years since it moved here, it's got weathered again.





 
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