The Sentinel

‘Phil did such a lot for the community’

Heron sculpture unveiled in memory of stalwart

- Hannah Hiles hannah.hiles@reachplc.com

A NEW sculpture of a heron is turning heads in the centre of a North Staffordsh­ire village.

The artwork was unveiled in Madeley last week in memory of local resident Phil Shaw, who died in 2019.

The metal heron, which has been installed next to Madeley Pool opposite the Offley Arms pub, pays tribute to Phil’s love of wildlife and his hard work for the village as a member of Madeley Tidy Group.

It was sculpted by Hanley-based Achieve Training and unveiled by councillor Simon White.

Members of Madeley Tidy Group commission­ed the memorial artwork and arranged for it to be installed in the conservati­on area. They were delighted to see it finally installed after the project was delayed by covid.

Chair Anne Shaw – no relation to Phil – said: “Phil was a long-standing member of Madeley Tidy Group and would turn out in all weathers to undertake gardening and litter picking around the village.

“He did this always with good humour and enthusiasm. The site of the sculpture is central to the community and close to Madeley Pool, reflecting Phil’s love of wildlife.”

Councillor Simon White said the new artwork was a fitting tribute to Phil.

He said: “Phil did a lot for this community – I’m not sure whether people realise just how much he did. He was phenomenal and worked so hard for Madeley Tidy Group and Madeley Runaround, driving people around the community.

“Madeley is a very friendly village and everyone misses Phil. This sculpture is in a lovely location and is a very fitting tribute to him.”

The heron sculpture is two metres tall, crafted from mild steel which is then galvanised and powder coated.

The piece was designed and made by 19-year-old artworks apprentice Bayley Palmer, with the works overseen by Achieve Training artworks manager Phil Brown.

Bayley said: “It’s great to see the heron statue installed in Madeley. Although I’ve worked on art pieces before in my apprentice­ship, this was the first sculpture I’ve made entirely on my own, from designing the heron to constructi­ng it and bringing the design to life.

“It’s exciting to see something you’ve worked on being displayed publicly for everyone to enjoy.”

 ?? Picture: Pete Stonier ?? UNVEILING: Councillor Simon White, Achieve Training apprentice Bayley Palmer and Anne Shaw, chair of Madeley Tidy Group.
Picture: Pete Stonier UNVEILING: Councillor Simon White, Achieve Training apprentice Bayley Palmer and Anne Shaw, chair of Madeley Tidy Group.

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