Glenkiln Sculpture Park in Dumfries and Galloway may wish to interview senior cricket officials. For try as he might to think otherwise, Fantasy Bob thinks the finger of suspicion will soon fall on the tightknit fraternity of umpires.
 |
| Moore's Standing Figure - unfair to umpires? |
However Fantasy Bob understands that many in the umpiring fraternity are not overly happy with this representation. There have been many complaints that it looks nothing like its supposed inspiration, the doyen of Scottish umpires Mr Sandy Scotland. Mr Scotland could not be contacted today by FB's large research team.
 |
| Sandy Scotland - A model for Standing Figure? |
Fantasy Bob fears that umpires have taken the law into their own hands and removed the offending statue. Why take this piece and none of the others in the remote location - none of the other pieces is relevant to cricket? It is an important clue.
Defenders of umpires point out that this is not the first Moore sculpture to have been removed illegally.- In December 2005, the 2.1 tonnes of Moore's Reclining Figure 1969-70 was lifted from its position at the Henry Moore Foundation and removed on a flat bed truck. This work has no cricketing relevance. Last year a smaller work Sundial was also removed from the grounds of the Henry Moore Foundation. Valued at £500,000, the thieves sold it for scrap for £46.
Defenders of umpires point out that this is not the first Moore sculpture to have been removed illegally.- In December 2005, the 2.1 tonnes of Moore's Reclining Figure 1969-70 was lifted from its position at the Henry Moore Foundation and removed on a flat bed truck. This work has no cricketing relevance. Last year a smaller work Sundial was also removed from the grounds of the Henry Moore Foundation. Valued at £500,000, the thieves sold it for scrap for £46.
However Fantasy Bob understands that umpires are not among the suspects for either of these crimes.
Sad to see the Glenkiln sculptures suffering another casualty - The King and Queen was vandalised some years ago and the park is rather depleted since I visited in 1973. Placing these works in a magnificent outdoor setting was a brave and imaginative move but, without adequate security, probably doomed to failure.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile rumours that Henry Moore's series of Reclining Figures is inspired by FB's stints fielding in the deep are apparently wide of the mark.
Yes very wide of the mark although most observers agree that FB does strike a statuesque figure in the field.
Delete