Boer Ware memorial, Mesnes Park

The new Boer War memorial was unveiled today in Mesnes Park.
click here for a short video

Fantastic photos of the event, thanks, Arrow.

From Save Wigan's website:

'It may be worth knowing that archaeological work is still undertaken in Mesnes Park in search of the missing statue ... Save Wigan supports the investigation in tracing the remains of "our" Boer War Statue.'

savewigan.co.uk - link

Nice - but I wonder why they didn't replicate the original, as they did with the fountain?

Dave.. Political Correctness Can't be showing an aggressive attitude with a gun

Agree, Ron.

PC is awful. The original stance is motivating, that's all it is. This one is nice but 'flat'.

Nice to see it though. Well done all who participated.

We old ones all have our memories of the old memorial but things change.

Well, I'm disappointed
It should have been a replica of the original like Oy mentioned.

Great photos Arrow , I think the statue should be a bronze not ghostly white and yes a replica of the original -what a snub to the past.

ghostly white seems apt to me and a good description bennie. Not many casualties of war had a healthy glow.

I think it looks alright, I know it looks to be very white at the moment, but it will weather in, along with being coated with pigeon crap, so in a bit it will not look as much out of place as it does now

You'll be telling that statue joke next Sir bobOr we could wait for cindy.

My Grandfather was a casualty in the Boer War,I preferred the previous Statue.

My memory must be fading as I dont remember the old one...

Let's face it sue, you are too young to remember...NOW, when I was in the Boer war...

I think the old version would be more prone to our modern day vandals. Did this have anything to do with the fact that the new one is of a much simpler design, more compact, less easy to damage or hang a pair of trainers on.

They? restored the fountain, the band stand, and the cafe, to their original Victorian designs then why not the statue???
If the people responsible where in charge of the statues, monuments, in London, there wouldn't be a gun, sword,or canon on showP.C. brigade taking over everything now trying to eradicate history What next Hadrian's Wall? as it was constructed to keep one race separate from another

Jim Latham

It probably cost a lot less than it would have cost to recreate the original one.

Jim Latham: 'I think the old version would be more prone to our modern day vandals.'

I agree that would have influenced the new statue's design, Jim. As would its cost too, Sir Bob.

A Wigan canal statue originally had a raised arm, but after being vandalised, photo (2009), it was replaced by one flush with the statue - photo.

The original Boer War Memorial - WW Album - was initially surrounded by more forbidding railings than its modern day replacement too.

Nice pictures arrow.

They could have copied the old one and if it looked aggresive with the Gun then they could have left it off just with his hand outstretch and waving the flag

How long before this one has the paint spray treatment. Looks a prime target.

very plain compared to the original

my old local history teacher a Mr George Derbyshire told us that the original pistol was broken off one night by a drunk who threw a bottle at it knocked it off then threw the pistol into the pond in the kiddies play area .

The original looks much better in my opinion

I much prefer the old design. It's much more striking, more interesting. I don't think it would be very long before people complained about the cost of repairing the statue, removing spray paint, and so I'm pretty sure this is what the designers, sculpturers etc. have to consider when working on a piece of outdoor art in a very easily accessible place.
Having said all that, I wish Artists, Designers etc. would consult the local people more before actually producing a piece of outdoor artwork for the general public.
And another thing. The Radio Times says the Superleague Show (season 2013 highlights) is on this aft. Not on my telly, for some reason. What is the world coming to?

I have just noticed that in the original statue, the soldier has a tree trunk stuck up his bum

Thanks for your comments
I've added a link to a video in the first post ^^^^ up there ^^^^

What is in his left hand ? ----Can't be a sword----maybe it's a hoover.

I believe the Boar war memorial commitee pushed very hard for an exact replica of the original but WLCT and the council (who I must add didn't really commit any funds to the project despite their negligence of losing it in the first place) didn't really want a replacement and the comitee fought tooth and nail to get a replacement. They wanted an exact replacement and did alot of public consultation which said an exact replica. The problem is WLCT and the council who are really one and the same said no because they are a bunch of killjoys who take political correctness to a new level. They don't like history and they don't like the history of the Wigan Borough. They would have preferred to flatten the remains.

Well done to all those who helped raise funds and campaigned for a replacement. You are a credit to the Borough unlike the council and WLCT

to me it looks amateurish carved not like the original one , as though it was copied from a comic book , sorry but thats my honest opinion

great pics and video,

Amateurish? I wish I could do that!

Hi Arrow.....thank you for the video....it is always good to be there via your videos.....have commented on YouTube .....so you are now on my G+ home page....the video has been recognised already....👍👍

Excellent photos arrow, I actually prefer this statue to the original, the old one wearing a Slouch hat always reminded me of General Custer rather than a British soldier.

It will however still attract that element of society that thinks it great fun to put a traffic cone on the head of a statue.

Mick of WW Forum has posted recent photos of Mesnes Park - Video.

The Boer War Memorial is shown from many perspectives and right at the end there's a photo of the Wigan Tech's wheel in its new setting. I've not been to see either for myself yet - will do soon.

Thanks. It's lit up at night. From a distance it looks like a ghost

No, still don't like it. Lit up it looks even more like one of those living statues.

I've just seen this on WW Forum - Exhibition in Mesnes Park Pavillion

Oy: 'Four of us have just put up a print exhibition in the gallery area of the Mesnes Park Pavillion. We've started with photos of the park and local Wigan scenes. As time goes by we'll put other stuff up too.'

That looks great, Oy, I'm looking forward to seeing the prints when I next visit the park too.