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www.ilkestonlife.com                                                                                   ILKESTON LIFE                                                                                     August 2021     6

       Giant Sam                                                                                  ‘Local boy’

       has a splitting                                                                            ordained at


       headache                                                                                   Winchester


       BY ROD MALCOLM

       A mighty wooden sculpture is                                                               Cathedral
       looking down in the tooth as
       it gazes over the grave of the                                                               ohn Charles Attenbor-
       Ilkeston Giant.                                                                            Jough, who was brought
       A crack runs up one side of his                                                            up in Ilkeston, was
       face with another on his right arm,                                                        ordained at Winchester
       a legacy of standing out in rain                                                           Cathedral on Sunday 4th
       and shine. Now Erewash Borough                                                             July.
       Council is to talk to volunteers                                                           He attended Larklands
       who care for the Stanton Road                                                              Infant School, Kensington
       Cemetery where Samuel Taylor is                                                            Junior School and Can-
       buried.                                                                                    telupe Secondary School.
       The sculpture stands 7ft 4ins tall,                                                        John went to St Mary’s Church,   Bramcote, becoming a Licensed
       the height which made Samuel a                                                             Ilkeston from the tender age of   Reader.
       fairground attraction in Victorian                                                         three, playing an active part in   John came a little nearer, working
       times. The statue of a carved,                                                             Sunday school and becoming a   in Antwerpen, Belgium for nine
       bearded man was created as part                                                            choir boy and bell ringer.     years. While there, he met his fu-
       of a £47,000 grant from the Herit-                                                         He also joined the youth club   ture wife, Yara.  They have a son,
       age Lottery Fund.                                                                          at Nottingham Road Methodist   also named John.
       Paul Rees, secretary of the Friends                                                        Church, and became a young     He worked in the three ports of the
       of Stanton Road Cemetery, said:                                                            volunteer at Church Army summer   Medway for a short time before
       “There are quite deep cracks and                                                           camps.                         taking up the post of Port Chaplain
       we give it a lot of preservative                                                           John worked at the Mail House   in Southampton.
       every couple of years. It was                                                              restaurant in Ilkeston before start-  While working full time John has
       carved from a tree trunk in the   Weather-beaten: the wooden sculpture of Ilkeston Giant Sam Taylor  ing as a volunteer with the Mission  been studying for the past three
       cemetery which had not dried out.                                                          to Seafarers at Immingham for six   years.
       “It really is an imagination pro-  normally have a life expectancy   Samuel towered over him, joined   months, then flying out to Kenya   He will continue working as Port
       voker for schoolchildren. They   of around 10 years. Our giant is   the fair and fell in love with the   and the port of Mombasa for nine   Chaplain as well as Deacon at St.
       really love it and stand alongside   displaying some signs of weath-  fair owner’s daughter.  He ap-  years, rising from assistant chap-  Peter’s and All Saints Maybush, a
       it, measuring themselves against   er-worn damage. As has happened   peared all over the UK and died   lain to chaplain.   district of Southampton.
       the giant. We would be very sorry   over the last decade, we will work   after breaking a thigh bone in a   He combined overseas learning   Written by a very proud mother,
       to lose it.”                  with the volunteers to do whatever   fall in 1875. He was brought back   with study at St. John’s College   Sue Attenborough.
       Erewash council head of green   we can to maintain it for as long as   to his home town and hundreds
       space Dave Bramwell said “We   possible.                     followed the coffin and a brass                   Big Book Sale
       work with the local volunteers   “We have recently reviewed the   band to the graveside.  Church
       to help care for and preserve the   statue again and are now looking   bells rang in his honour.   On Saturday August 7th, Friends of Bennerley Viaduct will be hold-
       Ilkeston Giant sculpture, which   at the best way forward in treating   In 2008, his grave was re-dedicat-  ing a big book sale at the Cantelupe Centre, Ilkeston Market Place.  It
       is all part of the ongoing mainte-  the damage.”             ed by actor Robert Lindsay, who   will include a large collection of railway books from the estate of the
       nance of the cemetery.        Farmer’s son Samuel visited a   was raised in nearby Union Road.  late John Nottingham, who was a teacher at Bennerley School, not far
       “These types of living sculptures   travelling fair in 1832 where a                          from the viaduct.  John built a model railway at the school so pupils
       naturally decay over time and   man was advertised as a giant.                               could enjoy his enthusiasm for trains and railwayana.

































       Whirlybirds over              The Pumas were between flypasts   1971, the first two Royal Air Force   “This included those that hold   and Afghanistan.
       White Lion Square             at two bases to mark 50 years of   Puma helicopters were delivered   historical significance as well as   The formation’s eventual destina-
                                     service with the RAF and were
                                                                                                                                 tion was the National Memorial
                                                                                                  those that provide support to de-
                                                                    into service.
       Shoppers were startled to see 10   clearly visible in a bright blue   “Today [7th July] a formation    livering current Puma operational   Arboretum at Alrewas in Stafford-
       RAF helicopters fill the skies over   afternoon sky.         departed RAF Benson as part of a   capability.”              shire.
       Ilkeston last month.          The choppers have GB painted on   training sortie that incorporated   The Puma has saved hundreds of   A video with the loud sound as
       They came two-by-two over White   their tails as part of their work in   flypasts of notable locations for   lives in humanitarian operations   they passed over Ilkeston can be
       Lion Square before heading for   air displays.               the Puma Force over the past 50   as well as being flown on combat   seen on our Facebook page. Thin
       Sandiacre.                    The RAF said: “On 29th January   years.                      missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq   End of the Wedge
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