Famous Coventry statue found dumped in shed

[dutchman]

Two Coventry artists are trying to get a historical statue back on display after it was dumped in a shed and forgotten about for almost two years.



The bronze water nymph statue Naiad was placed in Lady Herbert’s Garden in 2004 after residents joined a Telegraph campaign for it to be restored and moved from its original location in Earl Street, city centre.

Hundreds of people showed their support for the move of the statue, created by Coventry sculptor George Wagstaffe.

But a couple of years ago the statue vanished and has now been spotted dumped in a nearby tower – used as a shed.

Sculptor George and one of his former pupils Paula Thorogood are campaigning for the statue to brought back into public view.

Paula, of Cannon Hill Road, Cannon Park, said: “It was taxpayers’ money that bought the beautiful statue and it needs to be somewhere safe and in public view, not dumped in a shed among the lawn mowers.”

Paula, 68, has written several letters to Coventry City Council to ask why the statue was removed and what will happen to it now.

She added: “It is very remiss of the council to ignore a piece of sculpture like that.

"We are trying to make this a city that appreciates some form of culture and the culture we have got is dumped as if nobody cares.

“It is awful to see any artwork of that quality forgotten. It is a disgrace that its home town treats it with such disdain.”

George, 72, created the statue in 1958. It was bought by city architect Arthur Ling for £250 after it won the Young Contemporaries Prize.

George said: “I don’t think The Naiad was ever appropriate for the Lady Herbert’s Garden. It could easily have been taken.

"Then the next thing we know it is among the lawn mowers and tools in the shed with a grass box over it.

“The workers have probably tried to put it somewhere safe by locking it away but it has been dumped.

“A lot of people in Coventry don’t really understand its heritage and my worry is it will get lost and forgotten about.

"Several pieces of art have been lost because they have been moved for new developments then are never seen again.”

A council spokeswoman said The Naiad had to removed after several attempts were made to steal it.

She said “There had been attempts to steal her, to the extent she was no longer safely secured and needed to be moved into storage until a more suitable site is identified.”

She added the council is working on a project to relocate several pieces of art, including the Naiad, so they can be viewed by the public in time for the Olympics.

[mozoke]

to be honest the way metal is being stolen it is best left where it is untill they can secure it securely

[dutchman]

to be honest the way metal is being stolen it is best left where it is untill they can secure it securely

You may well be right Mozoke

When I was a kid I used to play in the square behind the planning ofice in Earl Street. There was a pool with 'giant goldfish' in it and the statue was perched on the side of the pool.

*I now know the fish to be 'Coy Carp' but few people had heard of that expression at the time!

[dutchman]

Will the Coventry nymph ever see the light of day again?



Art lovers have formed a pressure group to “free the Coventry one” – a much-loved statue of a nymph that has been spirited away by the city council.

The Naiad has been consigned to storage after an attempt to steal her from Lady Herbert’s Garden.

The fear is the ethereal statue has been locked away with the brutalist Millennium Zone Clock, and may not see the light of day again.

Since it first appeared in the city more than 50 years ago, the statue has been dogged by controversy.

Although once derided as looking like Dracula and being sexually provocative, the bronze became the best-loved statue in the city after Godiva.

Her plight was recently exposed by colleague Julie Chamberlain.

The prize-winning work was created by Coventry artist George Wagstaffe, 74, when he was an art student and bought by the city council.

For most of its life it was positioned a pool in a civic square off Earl Street.

“The pool was drained and the Naiad was moved to Lady Herbert’s Garden, but it was never put in properly,” George recalls.

“Then someone tried to steal it and it was removed by the council and put in the Spon Gatehouse building with the gardeners mowers and tools. It’s a very valuable piece which would cost at least £20-25,000 just to recast today.’’

His supporters have been lobbying the council to reinstate the enigmatic nymph.

I doubt they will take much comfort by a council spokesman’s assurance she is in safe storage.

He said: “The plan is to have her somewhere in the city centre but we are working out the best location with all the changes that are happening within the area.”

Meantime an exact replica, in fibreglass, is in George’s garden in Coventry and will be on public view as part of Warwickshire Open Studios from June 29-July 14. Details to be released shortly.

[dutchman]

Long forgotten historic statue to be moved out of storage

A long forgotten sculpture which once stood in one of Coventry's central locations is soon to be taken out of storage and have a new home.

The Naiad statue used to be homed in Earl Street courtyard, but was removed because the council wanted to find a safer place to put it.

But, after being in storage in the council house, Naiad will soon be out there for all to enjoy.

Cllr Jayne Innes said she has been inundated with people asking when it is going to return.

She has now revealed the forthcoming plans.

Cllr Innes said: "George Wagstaff, the sculptor of the Naiad, is amazing. He is so talented.

"He met the model for Naiad on holiday in Cornwall, and after it was used for a school piece it was turned into a bronze model which was for the city of Coventry.

"We have both been inundated by people asking about the statue.

"People are emotionally involved with it.

"George has agreed she is going to be displayed in One Friargate over the Summer.

"It is possible she may go in her original location, but we need to find a suitable place for her permanently.

"He wants people to enjoy it.

"It is exciting for everyone and we can't wait to have her back."

[dutchman]

Beloved nymph sculpture to be on display next week as councillor hints at permanent home

A ‘BELOVED’ nymph sculpture will make its return to public display after being hidden away for decades – while a councillor has hinted at potential locations for a permanent home.

Naiad will go on display temporarily at Friargate next month after a year-long campaign for her to be taken out of storage and restored.

Councillor Jayne Innes says it will be available for viewing in time for the Coventry Heritage Open Days starting next weekend (September 8).

She also confirmed the council has not ruled out returning it to Earl Street Courtyard – a Grade II listed location, now owned by Coventry University.

She mentioned other possible outdoor locations including outside the new waterpark on Greyfriars Lane.

Naiad is a bronze water nymph – a figure from Greek mythology – and was the first piece of public art commissioned in the city after World War Two.

She had been stored away for around a decade, drawing criticism from heritage organisation the Coventry Society.

Lead campaigner and Coventry Society member, Vincent Hammersley, has now called for the statue to be returned to her original position.

He says eminent city sculptor George Wagstaff designed her to sit by the pond in Earl Street courtyard.

Mr Hammersley thanked the council’s ex-conservation officer Chris Patrick and Coun Innes for their efforts to support the campaign.

He said: “Its on temporary display at Friargate, which is a lot better than being abandoned in a medieval gatehouse for ten years.

“The way it had been treated – attempts at theft and then inadequate storage – had damaged Naiad.

“And it had to go away to be repaired and refurbished – George Wagstaff supervised that himself.

“I am greatly relieved and pleased this beloved piece of art – and a symbol of the regeneration of our city after the devastation of World War Two – is at least back on public display.

“I’m pleased its back for George and I’m pleased its back for the people of Coventry, for whom it was commissioned.

“But she does need to be displayed in the context of water – that’s the way she was designed.

“And I want to see her back eventually in the place she was designed for, which is the pond in the Earl Street Courtyard.”

What happened to "she is going to be displayed in One Friargate over the Summer"?

[Jock Strapp]

That looks like a statue of a black woman,ideal for this city.

[rebbonk]

Jock, that prompted a thought....

When I was younger, most of the 'black' women in Coventry would be quite large whilst our own were slender. These days, many (particularly the younger ones) are quite slim whilst our 'own' are often rather broad in the beam. - How things have changed in around 50 years!

[dutchman]

Popular Coventry sculpture returns to city centre



A popular sculpture is set to return to the centre of Coventry as it celebrates being UK City of Culture 2021.

The water nymph statue, called The Naiad, has had several homes around the city and, is now being placed in the Upper Precinct.

She was created more than 60 years ago by artist George Wagstaffe, based on a woman he met on holiday.

Mr Wagstaffe said the statue was "going to be seen far more than she has ever been seen before".

It was based in Earl Street Courtyard, opposite the council house for 50 years, but then was put into storage before being reinstalled at the Friargate building in 2018.

News last year that The Naiad would be returning to a prominent outdoor location was welcomed by many local residents on social media.

Mr Wagstaffe, now in his 80s, based the figure on a girl called Doreen he met while in Cornwall, and created the sculpture as part of his degree course in 1957.

"She was very beautiful, her hair was right down her back and she did pose for me. She sat on a rock and splashed her feet in the water, that's why Naiad has no feet, because I couldn't see her feet," Mr Wagstaffe said.

"It is very rare that I like my work, but Naiad was quite important to me."

The sculpture was initially put in a skip, but Mr Wagstaffe said he took it to his parent's greenhouse and repaired it, before it was bought by Coventry city architect Arthur Ling.

First made in clay and plaster, it was later cast in bronze.

Hoardings around the new site are set to be removed on Monday.

Mr Wagstaffe said his muse Doreen had no idea the statue existed, and died two years ago aged 81.

He said the sculpture had "been through so many changes, so many situations, and now here she is being almost brought back in triumph to a lovely setting".

"Although she has become part of Coventry and people like her, I think now it is going in the precinct it will be seen by many more people and be even more important," he added.

[rebbonk]

Chained down!