Victoria Wood statuettes

Apparently, the good burgers of Bury in Lancashire (where Victoria was brought up) are keen to have a 6' 6" statue erected in her honour.

They've commissioned Graham Ibbeson, the bloke that sculpted the Eric Morecambe statue, but before Victoria's can be sculpted they need to raise the necessary funds.

Towards that end, a number of 10-inch mini statues are being offered for sale at £1500 apiece.

More details and photographs of a mini statue can be found here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/news/5132/victoria_wood_statuettes/

https://www.bury.gov.uk/media/image/m/i/Image_of_scale_model.jpg

I've not seen Eric's statue in the flesh but, judging by the photographs I've seen, it looks like a decent likeness of the great man.

Victoria's statue, if the mini versions are anything to go by, appears somewhat more impressionistic.

Before I saw the price I thought that would be fun.........

It looks more like Victoria Wood than Eric Morecambe, but what's that thing she's holding?

An 80s microphone.

I sincerely hope you're right, Aaron!

Quote: beaky @ 8th December 2018, 9:56 AM

what's that thing she's holding?

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Unless I'm very much mistaken, it's a Sennheiser MD 441 microphone, introduced in 1971 and still in production today.

It's a superb mic and will set you back about £700.

She looks like the 5th Beatle.

Quote: Firkin @ 10th December 2018, 7:39 PM

She looks like the 5th Beatle.

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George Martin you mean?

I'm delighted in principle to see Eric and Victoria exhibited in effigy but I cannot help but wonder how long it will be before the local villains in Morecambe and Bury decide to remove them from their places of honour and transport them to local scrapyards where, at temperatures around 950°C, the sculptor's work will be undone.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th December 2018, 8:23 PM

wonder how long it will be before the local villains in Morecambe and Bury decide to remove them from their places of honour

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I can see why you would say that, but Eric has been there 19 years. That said he is sunk into concrete. Public art is very popular in the North West, wooden sculptures in the forests and wicker ones in the town, rusty iron ones by the road side. Not aware any have been stolen, in the towns and rural areas I know. Not even seen much graffiti or damage. Not sure about the cities around here though. Then again they could have been stolen before anyone had ever seen them . . . the perfect crime.

Quote: Firkin @ 10th December 2018, 10:37 PM

Eric has been there 19 years.

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That's encouraging.

It seems that the statue of Victoria Wood (due to be unveiled in May) is getting a bit of stick from fans who say it's a far-from-good likeness.

Some say it looks more like footballer Peter Beardsley.

Others have compared it to artist Grayson Perry or Tory MP Michael Fabricant.

The town council of Bury have paid a lot of taxpayers' money for the statue and are therefore bound to praise it to high heaven - from where, ironically, Victoria is bound to be looking down at the very expensive lump of bronze and shaking her head while Eric Morecambe puts an arm around her shoulder and asks "What do you think of it up to now?"

I think it is the medium they are made of, as bronze never seems to make for a good likeness and I can't think of one that truly looks like the person - extremes of this being the hysterical Maradona and Ronaldo ones.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 28th January 2019, 12:17 AM

I think it is the medium they are made of, as bronze never seems to make for a good likeness and I can't think of one that truly looks like the person - extremes of this being the hysterical Maradona and Ronaldo ones.

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The first bronze bust of Cristiano Ronaldo was made by Portuguese sculptor Emanuel Santos and was indeed ridiculous.

Shortly afterwards, a bust (also in bronze) was made by the famous Spanish sculptor Jose Antonio Navarro Arteaga and is, I think you'll agree, somewhat closer to the mark.

OK, I'll give you that one , does look good. I should have said British ones don't look like who they are supposed to be.