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Sir Robert legislated to remove the death penalty from scores of minor offences and also repealed the Corn Laws which helped stop thousands of Brummies - and their fellow Britons - from starving to death.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!
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Sir Robert legislated to remove the death penalty from scores of minor offences and also repealed the Corn Laws which helped stop thousands of Brummies - and their fellow Britons - from starving to death.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!
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.
Saturday might be busy due to the parade during Armed Forces Day (starting at 11am from the Hall of Memory).
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).
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'.
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.
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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.