Tired of London, Tired of Life - A website about things to do in London

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9 April 2013

See the Thatcher statue at the Guildhall Art Gallery

Whatever your opinion of Britain's first female Prime Minister, you cannot have failed to notice that Margaret Thatcher died of a stroke yesterday, and the news has understandably been dominated by her passing ever since. One quiet place where she will be remembered is the Guildhall Art Gallery, current home to an 8ft tall marble statue of the Iron Lady, designed by sculptor Neil Simmons.



Originally commissioned in 1998 by the House of Commons Speaker's Works of Art committee and funded - at a cost of £150,000 - by an anonymous donor, the statue was the victim of an attack in 2002, when it was decapitated by a man with a cricket bat. Though it has now been restored, another (better) statue has since been erected in the House of Commons, so it remains in the gallery until another home is found.

For the full story, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decapitation_of_a_statue_of_Margaret_Thatcher

^Picture © tpholland used under a Creative Commons license^

6 comments:

  1. Wow - half-Thatcher, half-Dalek (the Dalek half brings out the compassionate, cuddly aspect, don't you think?)

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  2. I think you have a point there. I prefer the one in Central Lobby at the House of Commons.

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  3. I prefer it without a head.

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  4. I've never seen it without the head, but it'a not a great statue with it.

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  5. 'I think it looks better like that' Paul Kelleher said after decapitating it.

    That made me LOL. It does - in fact I'd say all her statues will suffer this problem, she's far from loved even amongst my fellow Londoners, me included.

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  6. I am trying to contact whit the decapitator (Mr. Paul Kelleher), someone can help me? Thank you!!

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