Calne Pigs (Tuesday 21st November 2017)

As I featured the return of the pigs sculpture to Calne recently, I thought I would share this fridge magnet, produced by Wiltshire Council as a result of the interest in the work, by local artist Susie Brooks, specially purchased by me for Blip at a cost of £3.

The sculptor Richard Cowdy, who had converted an old school he had bought in 1973 into a studio and bronze foundry, was approached by Calne Civic Society to produce a sculpture to sit outside the White Horse pub in Phelps Parade (now a gambling shop). The Society had wanted to establish a tree there but it had been repeatedly vandalised, and the site had become filled with broken bottles and the like, so the sculpture had to be shaped so that litter would roll off it.

Mr Cowdry's suggestion of pigs was initially ridiculed as it was not thought dignified enough. One councillor thought the sculpture would attract young children into the street to get run over, but as she was absent at the final meeting the pigs got through by one vote.

Working over eight weeks from a clay sketch he had made of two pigs seen in a Horton farm, the bronze cast was completed and cemented into place to cries of rubbish from the townsfolk who thought money should have gone to the NHS instead (the entire cost had actually been £148 from the CCS to cover the metal). Lady Lansdowne unveiled the pig sculpture in the presence of the mayor, the press and public in 1978.

Following its theft and recovery this year, the cracked piece of base plate was welded back by Blackford Engineering in Calne. Calne Town Council grounds team fitted the pigs back to the restored plinth and Calne Lions Club paid for the repairs and fitting.

(Information courtesy of The Story Of Calne's Pigs as told by Richard Cowdy).

For Shirleyray's Tiny Tuesday challenge.

L.
21.11.2017 (1640 hr)

Blip #2282 (#2532 including 250 archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #000
Blips/Extras In 2017 #350
Day #2797 (535 gaps from 26 March 2010)
LOTD #1517 (#1664 including 147 on archived blips)

Calne series
Art series
Pigs series
Before And After series

Taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 compact

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Cliff Richard and the Shadows - Dynamite (recorded 6 September 1959, Abbey Rd Studios)
I have been working on a 4CD of early Cliff recordings called The Rockin' 50's in the last few days, and wrote a review of it for Amazon this morning. Dynamite was recorded during sessions for his first studio album, Cliff Sings, but was instead held over to be on the B-side of Travelling Light. It was one of five masters recorded on 6 September and released that year. It was was normal practice in those days to have an up tempo on one side and a ballad on the other. Cliff Richard has said that he was never fond of the song Dynamite but continues to perform it as it is a big favourite with his Japanese fans.

One year ago:
Smokey 1445 hr