THE new face for the North-East has met the neighbours, but not all of them are friendly.
A 16 metre sculpture of a head and shoulders is to become a gateway for Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Like most pieces of public art, many concerns are over cost, a concern which Billy Blenkinsopp, 59, a borough councillor, from Aycliffe Village, has.
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He said: "I think it's a complete and utter waste of money and a lot of the people in the village won't like it. You have to remember it's as much at the entrance to the village as it is the business park."
Artist Joseph Hillier designed the steel sculpture to look unfinished, but some people think it looks unattractive.
Hazel Corner, 67, a retired farmer from Preston-le-Skerne, near Newton Aycliffe, said: "You have to wonder whether the money could have been spent better."
Donald Morgan, 64, a retired businessman from Newton Aycliffe, said the town was missing a suitable war memorial.
"I don't like it. It's horrendous," he said. "If I was a veteran I'd be spitting blood, driving past that thing to pay my respects standing round a flagpole."
The sculpture is only four metres shorter than the Angel of the North and is already drawing comparisons.
But Gillian Hill, 43, a housewife from Aycliffe Village, said people criticised the Angel of the North when it was first erected.
"There was a lot of reaction about the Angel of the North and that turned out to be a very popular landmark. We wouldn't be without it now," she said.
Paul Davies, 20, a student, from Newton Aycliffe, said the artwork helped promote the whole region as being more cultured.
"They have done things like this over in Middlesbrough with the bottle of notes and the Middlesbrough institute of modern art and I think it has helped raise the profile over there."
The project has been devised by Sedgefield Borough Council, Durham County Council and Sedgefield Engineering Forum, to promote Aycliffe Business Park.
John Evans, 50, a managing director from Aycliffe Village, said anything that helped to promote the area was welcome.
"Anything like that is going to be distinctive. It is going to be something that you remember, which is a good thing.
"I know the populous view is going to be that the money could have been better spent, but I think it will give the estate some distinction."
David Newell, 41, a community arts co-ordinator and borough councillor, from Ferryhill, said more public art was needed.
He said: "When you see places like Barcelona and other Europe cities you see we are lagging behind when it comes to public art.
Posted by: Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe on 11:12am Mon 12 May 08
If there is some way to waste money elected and un-elected bodies will always find it, if people want what is called a modern art sculpture then let them pay for it. Councils close retired peoples homes for lack of funds but can find funds to contribute to something that will only support the business community, if the business community wants a sculpture let them pay for it.
If there is some way to waste money elected and un-elected bodies will always find it, if people want what is called a modern art sculpture then let them pay for it. Councils close retired peoples homes for lack of funds but can find funds to contribute to something that will only support the business community, if the business community wants a sculpture let them pay for it.
Posted by: Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe on 11:14am Mon 12 May 08
If there is some way to waste money elected and un-elected bodies will always find it, if people want what is called a modern art sculpture then let them pay for it. Councils close retired peoples homes for lack of funds but can find funds to contribute to something that will only support the business community, if the business community wants a sculpture let them pay for it.
If there is some way to waste money elected and un-elected bodies will always find it, if people want what is called a modern art sculpture then let them pay for it. Councils close retired peoples homes for lack of funds but can find funds to contribute to something that will only support the business community, if the business community wants a sculpture let them pay for it.
Posted by: andrew, newton aycliffe on 5:59pm Tue 13 May 08
ohh come on people have some vision when will you lot realise this is about the future and not the present or the past the money has all been granted from various arts and educational and regional development type funding and an aycliffe company has the contract to build the thing, ask bill blenkinsop if he will be placing the next 100,000 pound order to aycliffe fabrication! no thought not ! so lets have this distinct work of art be a symbol of aycliffe instead of the acorn (which no mighty oaks have grown from in all the time i have lived here !) lets change the face of aycliffe literally !
ohh come on people have some vision when will you lot realise this is about the future and not the present or the past the money has all been granted from various arts and educational and regional development type funding and an aycliffe company has the contract to build the thing, ask bill blenkinsop if he will be placing the next 100,000 pound order to aycliffe fabrication! no thought not ! so lets have this distinct work of art be a symbol of aycliffe instead of the acorn (which no mighty oaks have grown from in all the time i have lived here !) lets change the face of aycliffe literally !
Posted by: Paul, Newton Aycliffe on 9:29pm Wed 14 May 08
I have a few photos of the Face of Newton Aycliffe town centre that would make great viewing for the nation. While I'm glad one Aycliffe firm has a £100k order, I can't help thinking of all the other closed down sites on the trading estate and the apalling state of the town centre itself. Decay is a word that springs to mind, and one statue (or [bold]PR story[/bold] ) won't fix that.
I have a few photos of the Face of Newton Aycliffe town centre that would make great viewing for the nation. While I'm glad one Aycliffe firm has a £100k order, I can't help thinking of all the other closed down sites on the trading estate and the apalling state of the town centre itself. Decay is a word that springs to mind, and one statue (or PR story ) won't fix that.
Posted by: Kenny, NEWTON AYCLIFFE on 11:47pm Wed 14 May 08
MY NAME IS KEN I HAVE LIVED IN MY TOWN FOR 38 YEARS.what a sad sad waste of AYCLIFFE tax payers money this is, like the £400 each for balls that keep growing and the tens of thousands wasted on the new signs £100000k+ NOW A BUST OF A HALF MADE MAN cost £100,000
and the rest.I started my working life here at south west durham trainning school doing welding /fabrication.I had many jobs on this estate but all ended due to closure.
IE.HORSCH WOODHEADS,SANYO,HYDR
OLIFT TRAILERS,ETONS,and many others,I now have worked for HUSKVARNA form (FLYMO) for 14 years.I cannot see how building a bust statue at a cost of 100000k will help aycliffe tax payers.most of the people are never asked what they want in this run down town ,we have no public toilets,no cinima,no ten pin bowling arcade,no real shopping town centre.just pigeons **** all over our town centre,closed shops,gambling hold ups ,pawn brokers,money lenders(not banks)If i had the cash id move abroad.the town is Dead. BOWMAN AND PARLOR are doing great for the west ward but what about AYCLIFFE IN GENERAL.
BILLY BLENINSOP TRYS HIS BEST FOR THIS TOWN and nobody seems to listen to the guy whos been the BACKBONE OF us aycliffe folk,like counc moore use to do.We dont want balls and busts to make AYCLIFFE A NICE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. we need A TOWN THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE PROUD OF. KULL THE BIRDS,GET RID OF THE SCUM,OPEN THE SHOPS .PS WHY THE HELL WE HAVE BIG ISSUE SELLERS IN MY TOWN PAKIS ON THE TESCOS SITE NUKE EM.AND VOTE BNP.
MY NAME IS KEN I HAVE LIVED IN MY TOWN FOR 38 YEARS.what a sad sad waste of AYCLIFFE tax payers money this is, like the £400 each for balls that keep growing and the tens of thousands wasted on the new signs £100000k+ NOW A BUST OF A HALF MADE MAN cost £100,000
and the rest.I started my working life here at south west durham trainning school doing welding /fabrication.I had many jobs on this estate but all ended due to closure.
IE.HORSCH WOODHEADS,SANYO,HYDR
OLIFT TRAILERS,ETONS,and many others,I now have worked for HUSKVARNA form (FLYMO) for 14 years.I cannot see how building a bust statue at a cost of 100000k will help aycliffe tax payers.most of the people are never asked what they want in this run down town ,we have no public toilets,no cinima,no ten pin bowling arcade,no real shopping town centre.just pigeons **** all over our town centre,closed shops,gambling hold ups ,pawn brokers,money lenders(not banks)If i had the cash id move abroad.the town is Dead. BOWMAN AND PARLOR are doing great for the west ward but what about AYCLIFFE IN GENERAL.
BILLY BLENINSOP TRYS HIS BEST FOR THIS TOWN and nobody seems to listen to the guy whos been the BACKBONE OF us aycliffe folk,like counc moore use to do.We dont want balls and busts to make AYCLIFFE A NICE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. we need A TOWN THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE PROUD OF. KULL THE BIRDS,GET RID OF THE SCUM,OPEN THE SHOPS .PS WHY THE HELL WE HAVE BIG ISSUE SELLERS IN MY TOWN PAKIS ON THE TESCOS SITE NUKE EM.AND VOTE BNP.
Posted by: Dave McG, Aycliffe on 11:35am Sat 24 May 08
Has anyone even bothered to find out where the money is coming from? I bet not, even though it seems to be the only reason why people don’t like it! Monies for projects like this are usually government of lottery funded
and ring fenced so they CANT be used else where! The brick train on the outskirts of Darlington cost £750k, but it cost Darlington BC £10k. The publicity for that opening was enough to cover that cost! Mmmmmm what did people say about the Angel? Tell me again what's the most famous piece of art in the country that people are trying to copy? Oh yeah the Angel!
Has anyone even bothered to find out where the money is coming from? I bet not, even though it seems to be the only reason why people don’t like it! Monies for projects like this are usually government of lottery funded
and ring fenced so they CANT be used else where! The brick train on the outskirts of Darlington cost £750k, but it cost Darlington BC £10k. The publicity for that opening was enough to cover that cost! Mmmmmm what did people say about the Angel? Tell me again what's the most famous piece of art in the country that people are trying to copy? Oh yeah the Angel!
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