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Golden Boys

SO Who paid for it? TAXES? bonds, donations YOU? All the poverty around, money could have been better spent. This is from an OldBrit who no longer lives in Brum. What a waste. Are they now going to gold leaf the Moseley Baths?
 
There was a plan as mentioned in the link which Viv provided to move the statute to the centre of Centenary Square but that was ruled out, they say, because of the weight it would have put on the New Street railway tunnel. What a load of nonsense that was because, if I read the maps correctly, the railway passes under the entrance doors to the ICC so the tunnel has the weight of the ICC on it. The railway tunnel was built capable of taking the weight of the buildings of the area.
 
BM_6908_5805.jpg This picture is from the PMSA website,it certainly looks like it's gilded underneath the grime to me.
 
Thanks Mickeymoo. Maybe the original gilding wasn't quite as bright as the more recent gilding. I like the PMSA image, maybe our more recently gilded boys just need time to tone down. All we need is some smoke and grime from lots of local factories pumping the stuff out! Viv.
 
Castings in bronze are a gold colour when newly cast, but bronze weathers so well. The 'Gilding' of the Golden Boys will just get dirtier and dirtier.
 
It's been 9 years and the statue is still shiny. So assume that they regularly clean it maybe?

2013 before the LoB opened



May 2015 before the demolition behind started



October 2015 - by then the demolition had started

 
Di.Poppitt said:
Castings in bronze are a gold colour when newly cast, but bronze weathers so well. The 'Gilding' of the Golden Boys will just get dirtier and dirtier.
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Di sadly as it was gilded in gold leaf (hence the cost) it is unlikely to develop an aged bronze patina any time soon. As Old Brit has said it was intended to age gracefully - not be a piece of Kitsch.
 
this photo has come to me today along with a load of other unseen photos...no date on this one but looking at the dates of the others i would guess it was taken between the middle 50s to middle 60s
 

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Yep Lyn, that's how I remember them. Nothing flashy about these boys! (Yes I know it's a b&w photo, but you'd be able to tell if it was significantly gold. Obviously it wasn't, just the suggestion of a highlight here and there on the bronze surface). Viv.
 
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yes ell i walked past the golden boys yesterday...i know the register office was nothing special building wise but i must admit to feeling a little sad that is now gone as i registered my 4 childrens births there
 
I must admit that I liked it before the eye-watering gold paint, but it just needs to age a little and I am sure it will be fine.
 
This was the zoomed in view from Level 7 at the Library of Birmingham. Very shiny outside the future site of 1 Arena Central on Broad Street.




In January 2016 I took this photo of the path that was around here.

 
Re question in post #46. That Tarmac must be temporary Ell. If that was part of a road widening plan, then the Golden Boys wouldl have to be moved and the trees removed. In any case I thought Broad Street was already very broad (!). Although it wasn't originally broad at all. Viv.
 
Think that was for the Christmas pedestrian diversions between Victoria and Centenary Squares.


Think the Midland Metro tracks will one day go on the other side of Broad Street outside Centenary Square.
 
Viv - I was heading from Centenary Square over towards Broad Street, and took these updated photo from ground level.

Plant machinery surrounds them!







There is also a hole that has been dug next to the statue

 
"Going into store". I think we all know the 80% likelihood of things going into store never coming out within living memory
 
Apparently there is a spot for the Golden Boys already sorted (not far from the traffic lights), but the base will have to be dissembled and reassembled at the new spot the Golden Boys can then rejoin the base the square at the moment is going through a refurbishment so nothing can happen till it is finished



mikejee said:
"Going into store". I think we all know the 80% likelihood of things going into store never coming out within living memory
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Who's idea was it to slap gold paint on that wonderful statue which had developed a great patina over the years ? What a philistine, it looks gaudy. I read it cost £25,ooo, what a waste of rate payers money. I can just imagine the reaction if they did that to the Lions in Trafalgar Square. Rant over. Eric
 
cookie273uk said:
Who's idea was it to slap gold paint on that wonderful statue which had developed a great patina over the years ? What a philistine, it looks gaudy. I read it cost £25,ooo, what a waste of rate payers money. I can just imagine the reaction if they did that to the Lions in Trafalgar Square. Rant over. Eric
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totally agree with you eric..just my opinion but they wouldnt look out of place next to the equally tacky looking library that is of course as mike pointed out they ever see the light of day again

lyn
 
well eric
you did say 25,ooo grand its a laugh aint it and cutting the birmingham city councils services
Come on get some one in there i say , well we cannot blame albert now can we
I would have done it for 5,ooo and thats cheap at half the price
loke mike says they will go in store and never to be seen light nor day again
Best wishes Astonian,,,,, Alan,,,
 
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