Oxford to honour Inspector Morse creator with crossword puzzle statue
COLIN DEXTER is to be honoured with a statue in Oxford, the city that was both his home and the setting for his Inspector Morse novels.
The statue has been proposed by the Inspector Morse Society, which plans to raise the £25,000 cost through a crowdfunding campaign.
It will feature a crossword puzzle at its base. “Colin loved setting crosswords so we thought it would be a good idea to have a Morse-themed crossword at the base of the statue,” said Dr Antony Richards, the chairman of the society.
Dexter died in March, aged 86. He wrote 13 Morse novels that were turned into the hugely popular television series starring John Thaw and filmed in and around Oxford.
Alex Wenham, the sculptor who has performed restoration work on St Paul’s Cathedral and the Louvre, has volunteered to create it.
Dr Richards is planning to approach Dexter’s publishers, Macmillan, for a contribution towards the funds, as well as ITV, which broadcast Inspector Morse and now shows its prequel, Endeavour. The remainder of the money will come from crowdfunding among the public and the society’s members.
“Colin and I were friends for many years and I feel I owe it to him to make sure he is remembered in this way. He did so much for Oxford,” he said.
The proposed site is a redeveloped area of Summertown, a suburb to the north of Oxford.
Oxford city council has welcomed the proposal.
Bob Price, the council leader, said: “Colin Dexter is one of Oxford’s iconic literary figures and it is entirely appropriate that he should be commemorated with a statue.
“Hopefully that can be located in the Summertown area, where he both lived and worked for many years.”