General Discussion
Just been looking at the town council's website.
See that an agenda item for this coming Wednesday's Civic Amenities Committee meeting is:
Artwork in the town: to consider the positioning of a statue or suitable artwork within the town to commemorate the recent storms.
and along the same theme. I see that mugs commemorating the work of the Orange army are on sell today on the lawn - 10.00am - 2.00pm. £10.00 for 2.
They should knock down that eyesore of a bandstand and put a statue there.
I do apollogise to Mrs C for a negative comment.
@Lynne. best not use bold lettering as the forum police of mrs c will accuse you of shouting.
A statue of Maggie Thatcher??
Bold to emphasise a heading is good netiquette. Otherwise it is regarded as shouting. I don't make the netiquette rules.
Sorry to confuse you Carer, but I agree with you re the bandstand.
And if I may be so bold, if you stopped carping about Mrs C, she might stop pulling your plonker and we all might get back to some meaningful exchanges.
Oh I see. Mrs C can 'carp on' about anyone but when the tables are turned, you dont like it.
Some people.
So.......to return to the subject of this thread.
Anyone any thoughts on what might be an appropriate piece of art?
Suggest hanging a 'catenary of track' between the stench pipes? - Not to scale of course!
Honestly it's a serious suggestion, not least because said 'rope bridge' is in most people's eyes (nationally for sure) the defining image of the storms.
Makes use of the pipes that are so disliked as well 
Alternatively do some other artform (e.g. mural on wall, stained glass back drop etc) that makes use of such a visual reminder - as above, when shown to almost anyone in the country they will know exactly the dramatic event that it depicts.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ayjay3/5001643344/
http://www.glasswoman.co.uk/glass/Welcome.html
Just in case you think I am 'barking' see above links for what was done in Worthing to commemorate their dramatic storms that resulted in more timber than you could shake a stick at piled along some 2miles of their seafront.
I would prefer the current 'bandstand' to be replaced by an actual bandstand rather than a statue that would serve no practical purpose. A traditional raised circular bandstand would be brilliant. Exmouth's is extremely well-used/attended during their musical season, likewise the newish one at Goodrington.
Together with a play park like that at Teignmouth or Paignton, then we could really make the Lawn the central attraction of the town.
I do like Clive's idea of a mural, as long as it's tastefully done (like Gaudí) and doesn't look cheap/tacky.
A more lasting memorial would be if the blooming metal pillars on the sea-facing side of the viaduct were painted (and maintained!) and decent seating put in there. I'm guessing that that's the responsibility of Network Rail.
...and apologies to the folk at the (new) Pirates Chest for this, but if there was one structure I would not have been sorry to see flattened by the storm, it's that monstrosity. But since it's clearly rock solid perhaps a coat of paint and new signage wouldn't go amiss.
Whatever is chosen, I would like to see a local artist commissioned. Better than a single piece would be a programme of public art around the town.
Oh dear, Mcjrpc is making negative comments about Dawlish.
Why hasn't Mrs C complained about that?
One rule for one, another rule for others. Proven.
I still say that they are the same person.
End Of.
@ Don.
Good suggestion. Different structures/statues (they dont have to be huge) at different locations around town.
Right! Before Mcjrpc or Mrs C or whoever comes back on here to respond to Carer's post above, can I just ask that one of you start a new thread. Call it " The Bickering Thread" or something similar and go and have your bickers on there.
I'm not usually 'precious' about any threads I start or post on having to keep religiously to the original topic. It is the nature of discussions that they wander off topic a bit. But continual bickering does annoy me. So, please go and wind each other up somewhere else. Not on this thread.
Thanks.
A statue of Brunel is not the most innovative idea and in this particular scenario somewhat ironic. Something as innovative as those Anthony Gormley sculptures would be superb but I doubt the coffers would stretch to that. What about metal pergola with two long necked swan holding mangled rails in their beaks, or push the boat out and rebuild the entire bandstand in that way. Or mark the restoration of the railway by jazzing up the viaduct with sculpture.
Love the idea of two long necked swans holding mangled rails in their beaks.
Agree that whatever it is that gets done needs to be innovative and specific to Dawlish. Hence the swans and mangled rail idea I think is great. I don't think a run of the mill statue of Brunel would be Dawlish specific and innovative. (Unless of course it was done sort of tongue in cheek. An Anthony Gormley type statue placed on the beach facing where the breach in the wall happened showing Brunel with his infamous top hat pushed back on his head and scratching his exposed scalp head in puzzlement? Or something similar.
Something that might be a tourist attraction in its own right perhaps?
A seawall railway was not Brunel's solution of choice, (albeit having a number of unintended happy upsides to it) but rather a South Devon Railway cash strapped one. Also the art budget would possibly result in getting something that could look second rate c.f. at Paddington (see above picture). Hence, not sure about the statue idea.
Sorry, still think some form of my catenary idea is the iconic image to capture.
Alternatively, if something more positive is sought, I would go for a celebration of not just the hard work of the Orange Army (dare I be the one to say it, on attractive overtime/day rates etc) but rather the brilliance of the civil engineers who were so innovative and resourceful in getting the work done quickly, efficiently and robustly.
The NCE magazine has proudly published many articles about what a shining example of modern civil engineering success the repairs were, so it may be worth the town council having a word with the ICE if looking for ideas/support?
Agree with you that the dangling railway(catenary? right?) is the iconic image of the damage that people both in this country and abroad I suspect have in their minds when they think of Dawlish and the effect the storms had on the railway here.
So dangling railway/catenary (aka mangled rails?) being somewhere in the artwork is an absolute must as far as I am concerned (others may have other ideas of course).
Also, and has already been mentioned, it is likely that funds will determine what can eventually be created. So, anyone any ideas on any other sources of potential funding so that this idea of artwork to commemorate the storms and their effects can become reality?
Hence my caveat that the Orange Army wasn't a 'charitable organisation', (unlike locals supporting them in lots of little ways). Nevertheless, it is the civil engineering brains not just the brute force that I am suggesting could be included in some way in the art work, i.e. Brunel is not the only clever engineer to have participated in the ongoing history of the wall. And goodness knows how soon the Orange Army may next be called upon to restore the cherished line again.
If they haven't done so already, I would suggest the council speaks to ICE South West regional director Trish Johnson who says (NCE 17.04.14) that this was a "shining example of civil engineers doing what they do best" and the perfect project to demonstrate the vital role civil engineers play in society. I would therefore be surprised if ideas/support/collaboration wasn't gladly forthcoming.
p.s. Speak nicely and who knows you may even find a way to get some of the carbuncles mentioned in threads sorted sooner rather than later
