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Golden Boys

Didn't find Boulton, Watt & Murdoch statue at the Museum Collections Centre last Sunday, but spotted this in the Warehouse!

William Bloye - Birmingham Civic Society - The City Beautiful.

 
Golden Boys are scheduled to reappear according to Chris Rice from a excellent Monday lecture on James Watt last December.
 
To be honest when I first saw the trees I could only see three, It was only when I looked from the Library I saw that there were four, they may be more to be planted at the moment it is like a building site, they (the builders) have started to get the ground ready on the other side of the road to prepare for the trees to be planted


oldbrit said:
Should be three trees! I will tell Mr Bloye when I see him.
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This how they did look when I left in 1957 for the USA I think the City should remove the gold and bring them back to the original finish. By the way I had to laff when Mr Bloye was working on them The three male models in full costume would be out back of the studio smoking fags and joking around. Is anyone else, who is a member of this group, that worked for Mr Bloye, the same time I did 1948 (Age 15) to 1951 (when I went in the RAF) I would love to swap stories. Of course, I was the youngest there then, so most are probably long gone now
 

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Empty plinth seen in Centenary Square near Broad Street. This is to the right of Symphony Hall. Hopefully William's Bloye's plinth will come back as well as the statue of Boulton, Watt & Murdoch. Assume it will face Broad Street, although the section with the Tram Stop will be classed as Centenary Square.

 
ellbrown said:
Didn't find Boulton, Watt & Murdoch statue at the Museum Collections Centre last Sunday, but spotted this in the Warehouse!

William Bloye - Birmingham Civic Society - The City Beautiful.

Click to expand...
Been told statues usually packed away in crates, did you by any chance ask staff there.
 
No. I may have seen some crates, but if they were sealed wouldn't know what was in them. So will have to wait until the sculptures are back in the streets / squares. In this case waiting to see Boulton, Watt & Murdoch back again in Centenary Square. How much more months to wait I don't know?

I only saw the old Thomas Attwood statue in an open crate, still vandalised (I posted about that last year on another thread).
 
Stapes said:
Been told statues usually packed away in crates, did you by any chance ask staff there.
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When Mr Bloye recast the Queen Vic statue, it was installed on the plinth, I got the job of carving the inscription.The statue was missing some parts at first.
 
It may be some time till the Golden Boys appear on their new Plinth in the square, apparently they will move to their new plinth when the work on the glass frontage to the ICC is finished the work on the frontage will be to close to the plinth and they do not wish to damage the Golden Boys, how true this I have no idea? I am only relating what I was told
 
oldbrit said:
This how they did look when I left in 1957 for the USA I think the City should remove the gold and bring them back to the original finish. By the way I had to laff when Mr Bloye was working on them The three male models in full costume would be out back of the studio smoking fags and joking around. Is anyone else, who is a member of this group, that worked for Mr Bloye, the same time I did 1948 (Age 15) to 1951 (when I went in the RAF) I would love to swap stories. Of course, I was the youngest there then, so most are probably long gone now
Click to expand...

oldbrit talking of fags I remember one New Years Day early 60's as I walked past the three gents the middle one had got a Park Drive packet mounted on his finger that some prankster had put there on New Years Eve .
 
Could be a long wait, The 'Positively BIRMINGHAM' walking tours poster on a hoarding between Symphony Hall and the fountains, the bottom line mentions back on plinth to Symphony Hall once building work completes in 2020 and that starts after the tram lines and surroundings have finished. Shame it spoils Watt's
bicentenary of his death, so recommend Watt in the World: The Life & Legacy of James Watt (1836 - 1819) now on at the Library of Birmingham until 2nd November, once you can find any signpost in the library [it's on the 3rd floor].​
 

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yes stapes i agree its a pity that the powers that be could not see their way clear to putting back the 3 wise men in time for the becentenary of a great mans death...to be honest they most likely dont even know about it such is the rush to get all the work finished in time for the commonweath games in 2022..that must come first regardless:mad:

all the best

lyn
 
Due to return in September 2020. As it's too close to the Symphony Hall redevelopment.

Iconic 'Golden Boys' statue to stay in storage in Brum - for now

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Iconic 'Golden Boys' statue to stay in storage in Brum - for now

It was due to be returned to public view as part of the revamped Centenary Square which re-opened earlier this year - but its new location is too close to the Symphony Hall construction area
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
 
For the attention of Old Brit:

There is already a plinth in Centenary Square, but it falls within the site of the Symphony Hall foyer refurbishment. Which will carry on well into 2020. Look to the left of this photo, can you see the plinth?



A few other views of Symphony Hall. This was in October 2019.



Behind Ice Skate Birmingham.

 
Would assume they will be pointing outwards towards Broad Street (although it's now Centenary Square at this end).
 
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