Charles Blondin Statue

[terryb18]

I must have driven up and down Ladywood Middleway 100's of times over the years, but I never noticed this statue of Charles Blondin the French tight rope walker on the central reservation before.:redface: The following I pasted from a web site...

"In 1992 a statue of Blondin was erected on the Lady-wood Middleway ring road in England, near the Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham, where Blondin performed a famous tightrope crossing in 1873. "

I did'nt know that that either:redface:

Terry

 

[pollypops]

I didn't know that either, Terry. I wonder if any pictures exsist?
Polly

 

[pollypops]

I have just found an article on the Digital ladywood site about Blondin walking across the resevoir. the article was written in 1924 but shows an origianl newspaper clipping advertising the walk.
When you consider the other places he walked (Niagara Falls) - ladywood seems a funny place to appear.
Polly

 

[mikejee]

There is a picture of Blondin , but not, i think , at Edgebaston at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Blondin, and another, which looks like he's about to start an irish reel on the tightrope at https://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/images1/blondin_cr.jpg
Mike

 

[pollypops]

OOh I don't like heights. Do you think he had any saftey device or was it more if he fell he fell?

 

[Pedrocut]

Hi,

You may be interested to see entry in my Aston Lower Grounds Blog concerning the performance of Blondin in 1861, it can be found here...

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/entry.php?b=349

Best wishes Peter