The Messenger

Messenger, by Newcastle artist Joseph Hillier, is seven metres (23 feet) high, 

nine metres (30 feet) wide, and weighs 9.5 tonnes. The largest lost-wax cast bronze sculpture ever made in the UK, it depicts an actress playing the part of Olivia in a Theatre Royal production of Shakespeare’s Othello.

Hillier’s inspiration for the sculpture came from a split-second pose struck by an actress during rehearsals, and although gargantuan in scale, the pose of the sculpture

 is described as “small, crouched and loaded with the potential to spring forward at any moment, a metaphor for the city of Plymouth and its creative ambitions.”

A statue unveiled to mark a very important centenary.

This is Nancy Astor, who became the first female Member of the British Parliament 

to take her seat in the House of Commons on 1st December 1919, 

having won the election for the constituency of Sutton, in the city of Plymouth.

A member of the Conservative Party, she served as the MP for Sutton from 1919 till 1945.

The statue stands in front of her home on Plymouth Hoe, overlooking Plymouth Sound.

Bollards or Moai?

I'm pretty sure these 'statues' on the quayside are far more than mere traffic bollards.

The Wild Horse

With flowing tail and flying mane,
Wide nostrils never stretched by pain,
Mouth bloodless to bit or rein,
And feet that iron never shod,
And flanks unscar'd by spur or rod,
A thousand horses - the wild - the free -
Like waves that follow o'er the sea,
Came thickly thundering on.

                                            — Lord Byron

Sir Francis Drake is still keeping watch from Plymouth Hoe.

Francis Drake, was born around 1540 in Tavistock, about 15 miles from this statue.
 

He is considered a hero in England, but he is remembered as a pirate in Spain. He famously plundered Spanish ships that were sailing back from their colonies in South America. If the attacks were successful, Drake took the treasure for himself and for his queen. He also raided Spanish and Portuguese ports in the ‘New World’ and the Atlantic.

In 1577 as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and explore the coast that lay beyond.

By Continentalis - This file was derived from  World Topography.jpg:, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Drake successfully completed the journey and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth upon his triumphant return.










He joined the ranks of National Hero in 1588 when he saw action in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, most notably when he captured the Spanish Flagship Rosario.

 He died in 1596 from dysentery off Panama,  after undertaking an unsuccessful raiding mission.

St Andrew The Fisherman.

This statue of St Andrew, after whom the Minster Church is named, 

straddles the two pillars at the entrance to the church from Royal Parade, 

right at the heart of the City Centre..

This beautiful piece was created by the sculptor,  Rodney Munday, 

and was dedicated in July 2017.

To see how a piece like is created, from original idea to the final completion of the life sized bronze figure, Click Here

 

After a few weeks of dreary, wet weather

these two must be desperate for a glimpse of the sun.

Busy doing nothing,

Working the whole day through

Trying to find lots of things not to do

Busy going nowhere

Isn't it just a crime

I'd like to be unhappy

But I never do have the time.

BUSY DOING NOTHING From the film "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" (1949 )(Jimmy Van Heusen / Johnny Burke)

The Monarch of the Glen

I came across this three metre high  beast for sale in a local garden centre.

Every small, suburban garden should have one.

Yesterday's dreadful weather ....

... didn't seem to bother this girl group.

Clearly, they are used to playing behind a waterfall.

I spotted this large fountain, with its life sized figures, for sale in a local garden centre.
I doubt there are many gardens left which are large enough to accommodate these beauties.

What Christmas present do you buy for the person whose has everything.

My local Garden Centre provides the perfect answer.

Terracotta Soldiers.

The original Terracotta Army numbered some 8000 soldiers.

These "small" Warriors are priced at £29.99 each, 

so a complete set would be a bargain at £240,000.

But if your budget runs to it, you may prefer these larger Warriors at £69,99 each.

You do the math.

Question: What connects the two images?

Answer: The Name FALCON.

On the left, the statue of one of the most famous sons of the city, Captain Robert Falcon Scott RN, (Scott of the Antarctic).The centenary of his death occurs in March 2012.
Here is some fascinating  restored footage  of Scott's expedition preparations, shot 100 years ago.

Below, the Research Vessel Falcon Spirit, named after him, which belongs to Plymouth University, and is currently involved in a wide range of research projects in the field of renewable energy sources from the sea.

Click here for details of the vessel's specification and research facilities and equipment.

City Symbols 1

Every city has statues of its famous sons and daughters. This is Sir Francis Drake (1540 -1596), renowned for finishing his game of Bowls on Plymouth Hoe before setting sail to defeat the Spanish Armada, in 1588.  The statue was unveiled in 1884, and since then his image has been used on everything from tea towels and postcards to the covers of national and local government reports. 

Drake has recently been joined by the "Barbican Prawn" as a logo for the city. Increasingly, Drake and the Prawn are found side by side in the most unlikely circumstances.