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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