How often does a visitor to a town wonder who 'that statue
over there' is, or a resident ask 'what statue?', having walked passed it
everyday? These questions are answered
for visitors and residents of Bedford in a new guide Bedford town centre statues: a self-guided walk
with street map, by BHRS-member Stuart Antrobus.
The guide features ten statues and a door with relief panels, sculpted over two and a half centuries (1768-2009), of well-known individual
Bedfordians and groups who have contributed to the town and county: the First World War
memorial; the South African (Boer) War memorial; John Howard; Sir William
Harpur; Glenn Miller; the Meeting Group; Verso
Domani; Trevor Huddleston; Reflections of Bedford; the Bunyan
Meeting bronze chapel doors; and John Bunyan.
World War 1 memorial |
Information about each statue is displayed over a double
page with a photograph on one side and text on the other, describing the
statue, what it commemorates, who the sculptor was and the circumstances in
which the statue was put up. Just one
page of A5 text contains a fascinating amount of information and often
highlights features that it would be easy to overlook, for example the art nouveau decoration on the base of the statue of John Howard.
This guide is carefully researched, beautifully illustrated
and well-laid out. It is both handy for the visitor and of
lasting value to residents and those interested in the history of the town.
The booklet costs £5 and is on sale in Bedford
at the Tourist Information Centre, the The Higgins Bedford gallery and museum and the John Bunyan Museum shop. Proceeds go to the British Schools Museum in Hitchin and can also be purchased from the museum by sending a cheque for £5.60 payable to Hitchin
British Schools Trust and posted (with own address, marking the envelope
'Statues booklet') to Admin, British Schools Museum, 41/42 Queen Street,
Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9TS.