LIFE IN MY NORTHERN TOWN

I CAME into town last weekend to take a good look at the new statue of Michael Heseltine near the town hall, and while I munched on my steak and kidney pie, I contemplated the other works of art which are scattered around Rochdale.

Don’t get me wrong – some of them are very good.

The bronze sheep at the entrance to the Exchange shopping centre always get me excited, while the statue of John Bright is lovely shame it is buried in the middle of the park.

And there is a certain charm about the sculpture outside Touchstones of the three intertwined figures. And of course who can forget the works of Walter Kershaw?

But as for the others, oh dear.

Let’s begin with that light pole thingy halfway up Drake Street. I have no idea what it is supposed to be or even how it works. Are the lights supposed to change when you go near it? Are they supposed to change during the day? Is it for the tram?

Does anyone know? It’s only useful purpose is a makeshift toilet for those caught short.

Next up are the two glass and steel towers that straddle the bottom of Manchester Road, which are supposed to represent the small spire on top of the town hall.

I remember the furore when they were put up. Cheap and nasty and looking like bits left over from a demolition was just one comment, and I agree.

The cars sculpture on Drake Street I am not sure about. I like the idea of the Rochdale Olympic car being celebrated, but maybe the wrong sculpture in the wrong position. Another makeshift urinal.

And lastly we have the Rochdale Weave - quite possibly the worst, most useless sculpture ever to be installed. This was a piece of art commissioned to celebrate Rochdale’s cotton mill past. Perhaps a statue of a mill worker or some part of the machinery? No, instead we got a couple of pieces of wavy steel hammered into the ground. Dreadful.

And yet when it is done well, there is nothing more inspiring than public art. The Singing, Ringing Tree in Burnley, The Kelpies in Forfar and those cast iron men looking out to sea on Crosby beach.

It just makes you think who is in charge of buying public art for the town. Whoever it was, they need their eyes testing and lumps feeling.