I heard on the news that a campaign is being started to place a Spitfire on the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square to honour the sacrifices made during World War 2.
I think this is wrong and want to start a counter campaign to place a Hurricane on the plinth.
The Hurricane was the first ever monoplane fighter and first aircraft capable of 300mph in level flight.
During The Battle Of Britain the Hurricane destroyed more than half of all the enemy aircraft kills.
The only VC awarded to a Fighter Command pilot was to a Hurricane pilot, Flt Lt Eric Nicolson on the 16th August 1940.
The highest scoring allied pilot of the battle was Czech pilot Sgt Josef Frantisek with 17 kills.
And the Hurricane made up over two thirds of British fighter numbers during World War 2.
Who wants to join my campaign….?
By: Denis - 14th January 2008 at 18:29
Keeping it in with the Naval link….
My suggestion is Bertram Ramsey.
By: Radpoe Meteor - 14th January 2008 at 16:18
how about a statue of John Prescott?
As (not so) Great Britain seems to want to be appologetic,clueless,anti-everything that this country was about & a burden to every tax payer in the land it’s a good start.:D
By: AndyG - 13th January 2008 at 23:24
Have someone who is inconic and an inspiration to youth ! The Stig !
Do you have any better ideas?
By: David Burke - 13th January 2008 at 16:16
Have someone who is inconic and an inspiration to youth ! The Stig !
By: old shape - 13th January 2008 at 15:47
Stolen, or used as pykies to start their camp fires, or to wipe their backsides.
No!
I am Lanc’s born and bred but live hundreds of miles away now so I don’t get the news. I was very sad to read your list of things since Fred’s death. Why has his missus been thrown out and left penniless?
I had a pint with Fred in the Navigation pub in Altrincham. He latched onto a group of us as we were apprentices, covered in oil and coolant etc. He drank about 7 pints to our 2!!
By: Creaking Door - 13th January 2008 at 13:41
Sir Charles James Napier
Peccavi
If you knew that without googling – top marks! 😎
I’d heard the story (apparently untrue), thanks to Ian Hislop and ‘Have I Got News for You’, but didn’t connect it with Sir Charles James Napier – poor show! 😮
By: Pete Truman - 13th January 2008 at 10:20
Pete Truman……who has got all Fred’s artwork? His sketches are masterpieces in their own right.
Stolen, or used as pykies to start their camp fires, or to wipe their backsides.
By: old shape - 13th January 2008 at 02:28
I have only just spotted this thread and it is one that touches a raw nerve for me.
Trafalgar square is dedicated to Britains national hero and his most famous military achievement, it is a celebration of Britain vanquishing its enemies and as such it is also a memorial to all those who fell in the process. The fact that the vacant plinth has been used as little more than a display stand for talentless irrelevant junk is borderline offensive. I dont care what they put on it but it needs to be war related, a Sea Harrier might be appropriate or a statue of a Falklands posthumuos VC winner.
But the 4th plynth is now to allow temporary exhibits. There’s been a lot of completely irrelevant arty-farty shyte on it since (I think it was late 80’s).
So, Fred would be a good one as a tribute. Bolton could have it after its temporary placement in the smoke.
Or Chris Cockerell, another great engineer.
Pete Truman……who has got all Fred’s artwork? His sketches are masterpieces in their own right.
By: old shape - 13th January 2008 at 02:19
David,
His steeplejack era on TV was what brought him to the attention of the masses in the seventies (“That’s Life” IIRC).
In his later exposure on TV, his enthusiasm for all things heavy engineering, (British) was inspirational and infectious (IMHO), which we can only hope will similarly enthuse a younger generation to aspire to a useful career in engineering as opposed to a nation of deadhead drug abusing wannabe celebrity popstar twats.
I’m sure IKB would have enjoyed many a pint with the man had they been of the same era.
He was a Great Britain indeed.
As my original post suggested, his infectious delivery and enthusiasm for the “Old and proper” way of doing it has rekindled the public interest, which has been a lifeline for preservation societies and working museums. This has has a spin-off into Aircraft preseravation societies too.
By: Malcolm McKay - 13th January 2008 at 02:04
Sir Charles James Napier
Peccavi
By: Creaking Door - 13th January 2008 at 00:41
While we are on the subject, the other three statues are:
George IV
Sir Charles James Napier
Sir Henry Havelock
But how many of us know who these people were (without googling)…
…and should we replace these statues with something more appropriate?
By: Drem - 12th January 2008 at 23:38
David 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
By: Duncan - 12th January 2008 at 23:15
Air Vice Marshalls Dowding and Harris. the two architects of victory in the air
By: David Burke - 12th January 2008 at 23:08
Eternal flame ? Not very Global warming PC !
By: Drem - 12th January 2008 at 22:52
An eternal flame please.
By: AndyG - 12th January 2008 at 20:34
Excuse my ignorance but regards Fred Dibnah – I remember the various programmes of him demolishing various towers etc . What other achievements did he do? Is he of a similar stature to the likes of Brunel – Churchill ?
David,
His steeplejack era on TV was what brought him to the attention of the masses in the seventies (“That’s Life” IIRC).
In his later exposure on TV, his enthusiasm for all things heavy engineering, (British) was inspirational and infectious (IMHO), which we can only hope will similarly enthuse a younger generation to aspire to a useful career in engineering as opposed to a nation of deadhead drug abusing wannabe celebrity popstar twats.
I’m sure IKB would have enjoyed many a pint with the man had they been of the same era.
He was a Great Britain indeed.
By: WP840 - 12th January 2008 at 20:33
The problem with putting a Fred Dibnah statue on the vacant plinth is that Fred Dibnah would never have wanted it there because he was Bolton born and bred!
By: sealordlawrence - 12th January 2008 at 20:27
I have only just spotted this thread and it is one that touches a raw nerve for me.
Trafalgar square is dedicated to Britains national hero and his most famous military achievement, it is a celebration of Britain vanquishing its enemies and as such it is also a memorial to all those who fell in the process. The fact that the vacant plinth has been used as little more than a display stand for talentless irrelevant junk is borderline offensive. I dont care what they put on it but it needs to be war related, a Sea Harrier might be appropriate or a statue of a Falklands posthumuos VC winner.
By: stuart gowans - 12th January 2008 at 19:46
Excuse my ignorance but regards Fred Dibnah – I remember the various programmes of him demolishing various towers etc . What other achievements did he do? Is he of a similar stature to the likes of Brunel – Churchill ?
Probably more akin to Brunel than Churchill, a very good engineer, despite his self effacing remarks, in an era when good engineers, (although thin on the ground) sadly aren’t in demand.
My personal favorite was the reworking of the word demonstration; (de-monster-a-shon) champion is that.
By: CJH - 12th January 2008 at 19:11
case proven I think
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January 11, 2008 at 4:26 pm