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Commonwealth Games Bull

Morturn

Morturn

Super Moderator
Staff member
I popped into the city centre today to have a look at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Bull. He is indeed a magnificent beast, hundreds of people there to see him and taking photos.

I spoke to his designer and builder, Mike Kelt who was also taken back by the popularity of the bull too. Mike told me he was built around a heavy-duty forklift truck use in docks to lift shipping containers. With the forklift weighing in at 7 tonnes the bull’s body is a space frame built from steel and aluminium, then lots of foam and fiberglass parts to keep the weight down. There is a lot of complicated hydraulics, chains, and cogs to animate the legs and head.

The aim was to make it last long enough to see out both the rehearsals and the games. It was then to be dismantled. If course public opinion wants to keep it as a permanent fixture, so for the time being, it lives by the Hall of Memory. There is talk of installing it at Curzon Street HS2 Station, but this is yet to be confirmed. Either way, it will need to be kept undercover.

Mike really embraced the culture, diversity and history of the industrial Midlands when designing the bull. Chains representing the women of Cradley Heath who worked in the chain making shops. The tail is an anchor, representing the Birmingham Hall Mark and the anchor manufacturing of the black Country. The head of the bull is styled on a fountain pen nib, to represent how Birmingham lead the work in nib manufacturing.

Well worth a visit and a big thank you to Mike Kelt.

Birmingham-Bulllr.jpgBirmingham-Bull-2lr.jpg
 
It seems he has ended up in a weedy car park in Ladywood!!
(I had a link from Birmingham Mail but I can't find it, sorry.)
rosie.
 
Given the council have said, according to the BBC link @ #9 that has been provided by MWS "it could not be left outside once summer ended" they had better act quickly to get it moved from where they have plonked it to "somewhere good".
 
He is in an overgrown disused car park, with no protection from the elements.

Hardly the ‘TLC’ as quoted by the deputy leader of BCC to the BBC

We all love the bull, he's had a very busy summer," deputy council leader Brigid Jones told the BBC's Politics Midlands programme.
"He's gone away for a little bit of TLC but he will be coming back.
"He's having a little bit of repairs, a little bit of restoration, we want him looking his best for the public."
 
From that article the Mayor said Raging Bull will be relocated to a
‘very permanent and obvious place' in Birmingham. Sounds to me that there was/is a better plan for him. Where was the ‘obvious’ place I wonder ?

It’s obviously going to take money to rehome him, something I doubt was budgeted for originally. And of course some will say there are more important things to find money for given the current economic situation. But let’s stay hopeful.

Viv.
 
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Covroad said:
I see from latest news reports the Raging Bull is still abandoned and covered in tarpaulin in a car park, not the best protection or environment for the icon of the city . Very disappointing treatment of the bull.
www.birminghammail.co.uk

'So sad' - Reaction to new photo of Raging Bull in car park

Raging Bull was star of Birmingham Commonwealth Games
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
Click to expand...
The tarpaulin does not even cover it and how soon will vandals start spraying and chipping pieces off it? Andy Street said last month, "I know a lot of people are concerned about where the Bull is & his future, but rest assured he’s just gone away for some TLC & an oil change." Am I the only one to suspect, that they may come back to us in a few months time and claim that The Raging Bull has deteriorated to such an extent, that it is now uneconomical or impossible to put it right? If that does happen, we will know why, because it was allowed to happen, if not intended to happen.
 
John L said:
The tarpaulin does not even cover it and how soon will vandals start spraying and chipping pieces off it? Andy Street said last month, "I know a lot of people are concerned about where the Bull is & his future, but rest assured he’s just gone away for some TLC & an oil change." Am I the only one to suspect, that they may come back to us in a few months time and claim that The Raging Bull has deteriorated to such an extent, that it is now uneconomical or impossible to put it right? If that does happen, we will know why, because it was allowed to happen, if not intended to happen.
Click to expand...
Just to put tarpaulin over the bull will give it little or no protection from the oncoming winter, a no protection at all from vandalism, a more substantial temporary protection would be storage in a warehouse / unit or a bespoke temporary works scaffold and weather screen or a timber casing these options are standard in the construction industry for temporary storage of materials and assets on site.
I posted concern on this thread in September, here is the quote from the deputy leader of BCC , and to me it appears statement made by BCC is a ‘load of bull’

We all love the bull, he's had a very busy summer," deputy council leader Brigid Jones told the BBC's Politics Midlands programme.
"He's gone away for a little bit of TLC but he will be coming back.
"He's having a little bit of repairs, a little bit of restoration, we want him looking his best for the public."
 
mikejee said:
Inside the central area then. Paddington has statue of Brunel. Let Brum have the Bull
Click to expand...
yes mike and i dont think it would cost that much to get him indoors and firmly fixed..as viv has mentioned the economic climate we now face but will projects like HS2..the metro lines and other developments cease ? no of course they wont so for once BCC keep a promise you made and let the people of birmingham keep our bull or will he end up like so many of our iconic structures...on the scrap heap...surplus to requirements...i have learned over the years never to believe what bcc tell us and my motto is now ...seeing is believing..

lyn
 
just seen photo of our bull...only partly covered in a car park ...lets hope andy street sticks to his words...quote below


In a tweet posted on September 26, Mr Street posted: "I know a lot of people are concerned about where the Bull is & his future, but rest assured he’s just gone away for some TLC & an oil change. His step away from the limelight will be short lived, and he’ll be back soon in a very permanent and obvious place."

bull in ladywood.jpg
 
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Thinking a bit more about the question I asked in post #14 (where is the permanent and obvious place ?) and expanding on post #6 and post #8, I think its likely to be New Street Station. (That’s where I’d personally like to see it) I expect they’d need to do work modifying an entrance for him (he’s a big lad) and they’d need to prepare the site (in the central concourse ?). But wouldn’t that be a fitting place ? To me that seems the most central and ‘obvious’ place. What do others think are the ‘obvious’ places ?

I personally don’t think this is dead in the water, I think it’s a matter of time to prepare the site. Viv.
 
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Thanks Covroad, that’s very promising. “A non-disclosure agreement” about his future location. Wow. He’s become a true Birmingham treasure !! Thanks for the update. Viv.
 
only time will tell covroad if we do get the bull back into brum...hope i am wrong but personally i have doubts...is this just a case of the longer this goes on the hope is that the people of brum will just forget all about yet another promise made but not kept..

lyn
 
He has come back according to the article Lyn. Been down to London for adaptations. Just a matter of reassembling the parts and putting him in place. Location to be disclosed. Viv
 
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Vivienne14 said:
He has come back according to the article Lyn. Been down to London for adaptations. Just a matter of reassembling the parts and putting him in place. Location to be disclosed. Viv
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I emailed Bridget Jones at BCC re the Bull and requested a timeline for his refurb and return to Brum
The email was sent 9/10/22 (timeline from email below) , to date I am still waiting for a response!!!

To: [email protected];
09/10/22 11:02
 
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