Spitfire monument for Southampton

[downfader]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8621985.Unveiled__Spitfire_tribute_winner/

If I think hard I cant think of anything that people see as an icon of Southampton on that side of the water. Over the river theres Holyrood Church, Bargate gates and the old walls. We have a Cenotaph but people dont visit to see that (Rememberance excepted).

The new monument looks like a REALLY nice design. Wonder if there will be a fundraiser for locals to chip in?

 

[NormanD]

can we swop with the Angel of the North! ... I'd prefer the spitfire one

 

[dan_bo]

That looks really smart.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Southampton could do with something. I don't mean to be disparaging, but the wonderful history of Southampton does seem to have been lost in the last few years.

 

[downfader]

Southampton could do with something. I don't mean to be disparaging, but the wonderful history of Southampton does seem to have been lost in the last few years.

Very true.

Its changing though. Most of our visitors on a heritage and history basis have gone to Portsmouth in recent years. As a result there is a Titanic museum being built too.

 

[Norm]

About 15 years ago, I won a contract to supply Alldays stores from a warehouse in Hamble which was originally a Spitfire factory.

It has since been ripped down and turned into just another rabbit-hutch housing development.

 

[jimboalee]

Outside the Castle Bromwich assy works, now occupied by Jaguar Cars Ltd.
At night, spotlights illuminate it green.

The sculptor was Tim Tolkien, JRR's nephew.

 

[Coco]

The new monument looks like a REALLY nice design. Wonder if there will be a fundraiser for locals to chip in?

The Foundation aims to raise most of the £2m by the end of 2011 to begin construction to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the maiden flight of the Spitfire in 1936. Corporate sponsors, individual donors and grant making bodies will be approached for funds.

 

[vernon]

Outside the Castle Bromwich assy works, now occupied by Jaguar Cars Ltd.
At night, spotlights illuminate it green.

The sculptor was Tim Tolkien, JRR's nephew.

It's a stunning piece of public art. I loved it at first sight.

 

[Headgardener]

I'm still not exactly certain where it will be going, looking at the drawings it would seem to be in the middle of the Mayflower Park waterfront but I may be wrong.

 

[ufkacbln]

I'm still not exactly certain where it will be going, looking at the drawings it would seem to be in the middle of the Mayflower Park waterfront but I may be wrong.

The article says about position:

It will be a part of a major regeneration of Southampton’s old docks, rising up on land beside the historic Trafalgar dry dock, which lies abandoned immediately next to the new £19m Ocean Terminal.

So on the "spit" between Ocean Village and Town Quay

 

[Headgardener]

Missed that bit, thanks Cunobelin. There isn't that much room between Town Quay and the Trafalger DD but it would certainly look better that the grotty marina that is there at present.

 

[asterix]

Once I shared office space with a German company's staff (you can guess what's coming). They were quite an uppity bunch so a colleague pinned a large Spitfire poster on our wall. I'm afraid it didn't do much for entente cordiale. I guess Soton is not a hotspot for German tourists!

 

[srw]

The new monument looks like a REALLY nice design. Wonder if there will be a fundraiser for locals to chip in?

If Southampton likes it, that's fine. But I think it's hideous - kitsch, overbearing, horribly disproportioned. To support the airfix kit at the top they'll have to have a massive steel strut at the bottom.

 

[Melvil]

That looks like an amazing monument - great and simple design and the silhouette during a nice sunset will look absolutely stunning, I bet.