Now never one to pass up a detective story here is one for anyone with a magnifying glass, a second hand violin and time on their hands after solving the case of the Red Toad Diamonds.
It is the mystery of what happened to this chap. I have written about him before and he reappeared in a story yesterday. For nigh on 80 years he adorned the top of the Assize Courts in Manchester and ended up in the garden of Bailey’s farm on the corner of Sandy Lane and St Werburgh's.*
And then he disappeared and that disappearance has set quite a few people off on wanting to know his final resting place.
None more so than my new friend Catherine who even gave him a name.
I would like to think he went to a good home somewhere in Chorlton or perhaps he is looking across to the rose bushes in well healed Bramhall.
Sadly it is more likely that he is hardcore under one of our motorways.
Still we shall see if there are any takers.
But at least today I have found out a bit more of its origins. Oliver who lived on the farm remembers, "exactly what happened to it as it was removed before Baileys sold the farm house.
Its origin is that it once adorned the law courts in Manchester (see Manchester Shield) and after they were demolished, my father purchased it from the demolition company.
As far as I remember it originally had two small horns where the lighter patches are on its head but they were broken off, possibly during removal so there were two small square plugs to show where they had been. I remember it taxed our ability to off load it from the Land Rover and then put it in position in the back garden.
In any event, it isn't one of the Queen's beasts as at one time we were in touch with the College of Heralds to find out what it might be."
Location; unknown
Picture; stone figure 1980, from the collection of Tony Walker
* A little bit of the old Assize Courts in a farm house garden in Chorlton, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/a-little-bit-of-old-assize-courts-in.html
And then he disappeared and that disappearance has set quite a few people off on wanting to know his final resting place.
None more so than my new friend Catherine who even gave him a name.
I would like to think he went to a good home somewhere in Chorlton or perhaps he is looking across to the rose bushes in well healed Bramhall.
Sadly it is more likely that he is hardcore under one of our motorways.
Still we shall see if there are any takers.
Its origin is that it once adorned the law courts in Manchester (see Manchester Shield) and after they were demolished, my father purchased it from the demolition company.
As far as I remember it originally had two small horns where the lighter patches are on its head but they were broken off, possibly during removal so there were two small square plugs to show where they had been. I remember it taxed our ability to off load it from the Land Rover and then put it in position in the back garden.
Location; unknown
Picture; stone figure 1980, from the collection of Tony Walker
* A little bit of the old Assize Courts in a farm house garden in Chorlton, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/a-little-bit-of-old-assize-courts-in.html
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