New life for sculpture

Controversial statue set to go on display in Ardrossan

Brechin sculptor Tommy Church’s image of Wallace drew criticism from the purists for being done in the likeness of Hollywood actor Mel Gibson’s character in the film Braveheart.

Now the 13-foot statue is heading for Ardrossan in North Ayrshire.

Tommy, 73, said that his sculpture had been located at the base of the Wallace Monument in Stirling for about 10 years.

It became a target for vandals, who daubed it with paint and gouged its face.

The statue was returned to Tommy in 2009.

He said that after it had been returned, he put it on public display in his gallery in Brechin.

Now Tommy, who has been undergoing kidney dialysis for the past year, said he was preparing to transport the statue to Ardrossan.

He added: “I know the purists didn’t think too much of it but the tourists absolutely loved it.

“It was upsetting to start with but afterwards I didn’t let it upset me too much.

“The historians did not like it because it was done in the guise of Mel Gibson. After it came back to me, I displayed it in my gallery.

“Now I’m delighted that it’s going back on public display.”

Tommy said he had been inspired to create the statue — which took him five months to carve — after watching the 1997 film.

He now has a cast of the original statue on display in his garden in Brechin as a permanent reminder of the real thing.

He added: “I can look out on it whenever I want.”

A CONTROVERSIAL sculpture of Scottish hero William Wallace, which has been in storage in Angus for nine years, is about to go on public display once more.

Torry Church with the top half of the Wallace statue asd a cast takes fror the origisal.