ANTONY Gormley's iconic iron men

[Howie]

Norwegians would have iron men back like a shot
Oct 24 2006
By Jessica Shaughnessy Daily Post

Staff

THE people of Norway rue the day they let the Antony Gormley statues go, it was revealed last night.

The 100 iron men, which

now stand on Waterloo beach, spent a year on Sola Beach in Stavanger. Sven Egil Ombal, the culture editor on the city's respected regional newspaper the

Stavanger Aftenblad, says the Norwegians would take back Another Place in an instant.

Like Liverpool, 2008 will be a big year for Stavanger when it

will celebrate the title of non-EU Capital of Culture.

Mr Ombal said: "Many people in our city still have posters of Another Place in their houses.

"If we could have kept hold of them, we would have without a doubt.



Story continues...

[Howie]

Should Crosby beach keep the Iron Men?
Oct 24

2006
Daily Post

Jessica Shaughnessy looks at the turmoil surrounding the Another Place statues at Crosby

THE scheduled

removal date of the Antony Gormley statues from Waterloo Beach is just eight days away. Yesterday, contractors turned up at the waterfront to begin planning

the dismantling operation on October 31.

But the campaign to keep them, spearheaded by the Liverpool Daily Post, is fast gaining momentum and Another

Place could still be saved.

To some the iron men, which have attracted more than 600,000 visitors, have outstayed their welcome.

But to most,

the decision of Sefton's planning committee to turn them away on health and safety grounds last week was unexpected.



Story continues...

[Max]

Did Norway have these before?

[Paul D]

Gormley sea statues win reprieve



The cast iron figures were due for removal on 31 October
One hundred cast iron statues a council ordered to be removed from a beach have won

a temporary reprieve.
Sefton Council had refused to extend permission allowing Another Place - the sea sculptures created by Anthony Gormley - to remain

on Crosby Beach.

But the council said on Tuesday the naked men statues could stay while a planning appeal is considered.

Northern Way, which

promotes economic development in the north, is set to grant £1m to keep the statues.

The life-size casts, at scattered locations over three

kilometres, are visible when the tide is out but submerged when the water is in.

Regeneration lobby

Last week the council's planning

committee rejected an application to keep the statues on the beach until next year, citing safety reasons.

But with supporters of the statues

expected to lodge an appeal triggering a public inquiry, the council said it would not enforce their removal on 31 October.

Another Place Ltd - whose

members include TV presenter Lloyd Grossman and Lewis Biggs Chief Executive of Liverpool Biennial - hopes to raise £2m to keep the work in Crosby.



This has been boosted by Northern Way, which said it would grant £1m to the statues if other funding was in place and planning permission granted.



Council Chief Executive Graham Haywood, said: "Another Place has proved to be a very evocative project which has captured the imagination of many

people and attracted substantial numbers of visitors.

"It also has enabled me to lobby regionally for a package of regeneration measures for this

area with Another Place at the heart.

"However, we must accept there are issues raised by the Coastguard, RSPB, English Nature, residents and other

local groups that need consideration."

Last week Mr Gormley, who also created the Angel Of The North, said the statues worked better at Crosby than

anywhere else and should be retained.

They have also been exhibited in Germany, Norway and Belgium.

[Howie]

Gormley statues win stay of execution
Oct 25 2006





THE Antony Gormley statues due to be

dismantled and removed from Crosby Beach next Monday have won a stay of execution.

An appeal has now begun against the refusal of Sefton planners to

allow the Iron Men to stay, meaning they will remain until at least March.

Chief executive of Sefton council, Graham Haywood, vowed to do everything

in his power to keep the 100 statues in Crosby.

Mr Haywood said councillors may have been swayed by crowds at last week’s planning committee, but said

their decision had put major developments at risk and cost Sefton its

credibility.

Story continues...

[Howie]

£1m in bank for the iron men dream
Oct 25 2006
By Nick Coligan Political Reporter, Liverpool

Echo



A PLAN to keep the

iron men in Crosby has been launched, as £1m towards the £2m cost was announced.

Sefton council will work with opposing sides in the battle over

Antony Gormley's statues to reach a compromise which would let them remain at Crosby beach permanently.

Councillors controversially refused a

four-month extension of the artwork's stay on the 1km waterfront stretch after hearing about safety concerns and residents' objections.

They were

then accused of allowing the unique Another Place display to slip through Merseyside's fingers, just 14 months before Liverpool is crowned Capital of

Culture.

Story continues...

[Max]

Wern't these statues orginally supposed to be only temperarily

at the beach anyway?

[Paul D]

Wern't these statues orginally supposed to be only temperarily at the beach anyway?

Yes but

they've brought in lots of tourism and Antony Gormley says it's the best beach for the iron men he's seen.

[Howie]

Wern't these statues orginally supposed to be only temperarily at the

beach anyway?

Yep, and if they do go I've heard they're goin' to stand you there instead Max.

[Max]

I'd charge the council 50 pound an hour for that.

[lindylou]

They

were talking about it on the radio today and saying that there are droves of people going to look at the iron men. The car park at the marina is always full

now and local shops are getting more custom from visitors to the area. People are travelling from far and wide to see them - from places like Wales - people

are coming to look out of curiosity. Some hadn't been aware before of the Crosby district, and didn't know there was a nice beach and marina.
Everyday

there are lots of sight-seers taking photos .. even today in the rain there were plenty of people about.

I think it's great that people are coming

to look.

[Howie]

Blair backs campaign to keep the iron

men
Oct 26 2006
By Rob Merrick Political Correspondent, Daily Post

PRIME Minister Tony Blair has backed the Daily Post's

campaign to keep the Antony Gormley statues on Merseyside.

Mr Blair was speaking in the House of Commons in response to a question from Crosby MP

Claire

Curtis-Thomas.

More...

[Paul D]

I got this off the Echo website we would

be mad to get rid of this.

[Paul D]

Thank you for your email. My apologies for not replying sooner, but I have

been working away for nearly a week. I fully understand your concerns, and would like to you to know the full story. The main point is that this is NOT a

plot to get rid of the statues!



A substantial amount of vitriol has been directed at Sefton Planning Committee, and myself in particular over

last week's decision to refuse an extension of the time permitted for the Iron men to stay, at the end of their agreed stay of nearly two years. What

actually went on? Over the past two months I have been contacted by large numbers of local people voicing two main concerns. One, that they would be further

prevented from using the area for recreational water pursuits, for another, unspecified and ultimately moveable length of time. The other was over the safety

aspect of the siting of many of the statues.



Whilst I fully appreciate and wholeheartedly support the cultural and tourism values that the

statues bring, my ultimate priority has to be the concerns and welfare of the people within my constituency who contact me, and whom I have been elected to

serve. I approached the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) to ask their opinion of whether or not there was a problem. They informed me that they were

seriously worried about several incidents they had attended, and were surprised and disappointed that none of their advice or concerns had been voiced at

planning meetings. Along with other evidence, I read out this section of a letter from the MCA which was sent to Planning, at last week's planning

meeting.



"I would wish to make it absolutely clear that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency does not support the proposal to retain the

Another Place sculptural installation over the long term and ideally would prefer that the statues be removed by the original approval expiry date of 30th

November ’06. The safety concerns are considerable and it is extremely fortunate that the incidents which have occurred since their installation have been

resolved satisfactorily. That said the outcome of two of the incidents could have been more serious, if not fatal, had it not been for the favourable ebb

tide and the speed of the available Search and Rescue Resources."



This speaks for itself. A vote was taken, and I was one of eight

cross-party members (ie from ALL parties) who voted for refusal. I am delighted that that the safety issue has been brought to the fore, and must now be

addressed. It could have been resolved sooner if people had been listened to. The next step should be to look for a way forward, possibly moving the statues

installed in the soft sand and mud flats to further back on the beach where they are safe to view, and do not interfere with other activities. I am amazed

that no-one from Liverpool Biennial, Another Place Ltd, or indeed anyone who wants the statues to stay had not suggested this the first time (months ago)

that the aforementioned concerns were expressed.



I WISH TO PLACE ON RECORD MY PERSONAL ENJOYMENT OF THE ANTHONY GORMLEY ARTWORK, AND STRESS

THAT MY PRIMARY CONCERN HAS BEEN TO HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS FROM LARGE NUMBERS OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND RELEVANT BODIES, REGARDING THE SAFETY

ASPECT OF THE INSTALLATION. IF THE DEBATE SURROUNDING THE DECISION AT THE PLANNING MEETING HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE CONSIDERABLE AND, UNTIL NOW, DISREGARDED

CONCERNS, THEN I FEEL THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED A BALANCE OVERALL.

.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT EVERY DECISION I TAKE HAS TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF

THE CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE PLACED THEIR TRUST IN ME. MY ROLE AS A COUNCILLOR HAS BEEN VERY MUCH A LIFESTYLE CHOICE, AS OPPOSED TO A CAREER CHOICE, I HAVE

COMMITTED MYSELF TO SERVE THOSE WHO VOTE FOR ME TO THE VERY BEST OF MY ABILITY. BUT, PLEASE LET IT BE REMEMBERED THAT I HAVE TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF ALL,

EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE SHOWN CONCERN OR DISLIKE FOR THE GORMLEY INSTALLATIONS.



I WELCOME THE LEVEL OF INTEREST THAT THE DECISION AT THE

PLANNING MEETING HAS PROVOKED AND I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT WE CAN NOW ENGAGE IN A LEVEL OF DISCUSSION WHICH SATISFIES THE CULTURAL AND TOURISM AGENDA WHILST AT

THE SAME TIME FULFILLS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT HAVE CAUSED SUCH CONCERN.



I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE FULLY COMMITTED TO WHAT IS BEST

FOR MY CONSTITUENCY AND FUNDAMENTALLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WITHIN MY CONSTITUENCY.

[scouserdave]

A cracking video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci0fyppW7hc