Page 1 of 1

Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Fri 11 Aug, 2017 5:44 pm
by blackprince
I chose the nom de guerre "blackprince " for this site because his landmark statue in city square , along with the lions in front of the town hall, are some of my earliest memories of the city. Anyway it seems that after years of being covered in soot , pooped on by pigeons etc he's back in the news. He may not so black as he was painted after all!
Read all about it:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28161434

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/en ... 0960671#GN

The "not so black" prince

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Fri 11 Aug, 2017 7:38 pm
by volvojack
Great stories, well worth reading. I never knew that the Statue was cast in Belgium. looking at the picture of the work man cleaning him gives more of an indication of the actual size. I wonder if there has been any cleaning done to him since 1969.?

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Fri 11 Aug, 2017 8:07 pm
by Leodian
volvojack wrote:Great stories, well worth reading. I never knew that the Statue was cast in Belgium. looking at the picture of the work man cleaning him gives more of an indication of the actual size. I wonder if there has been any cleaning done to him since 1969.?
Judging by the amount of bird mess on the statue it may seem that it never gets cleaned but I think it does get a wash and scrub up occasionally. Beware though about the pigeons! A couple or so months back I intended to use my mobile phone to listen to the information about the statue but as I was trying to get that a pigeon crapped on my head and face. It took some wiping off with tissues I luckily had :oops:.

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Fri 11 Aug, 2017 9:36 pm
by jim
I recall at least two occasions when the Black Prince and the eight nymphs were cleaned back to the metal (a darkish bronze if I remember correctly) in my lifetime - but that's a fair while. (Stands back to await gratuitous insults!)

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Sat 12 Aug, 2017 11:22 am
by harrym1byt
For those, like me, who couldn't remember why Leeds might have give the statue of the Black Prince in pride of place in the city...

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/how ... -1-6560789

Still seems a rather tenuous reason to associate the Black Prince with Leeds..

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Sat 12 Aug, 2017 12:01 pm
by TABBYCAT
jim wrote:I recall at least two occasions when the Black Prince and the eight nymphs were cleaned back to the metal (a darkish bronze if I remember correctly) in my lifetime - but that's a fair while. (Stands back to await gratuitous insults!)

I thought you were re-lagging Salamanca's boiler that week!!?

(RUNS AND HIDES BEHIND SETTEE)

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Sat 12 Aug, 2017 12:44 pm
by volvojack
Washing down eight naked semi naked lasses with hot soapy water or whatever even in public view, would not bother me as long as
someone holds the ladder and bucket.

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Sat 12 Aug, 2017 1:03 pm
by blackprince
harrym1byt wrote:For those, like me, who couldn't remember why Leeds might have give the statue of the Black Prince in pride of place in the city...

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/how ... -1-6560789

Still seems a rather tenuous reason to associate the Black Prince with Leeds..
Yes my thought too. As a kid I thought the name was simply because the statue was sooty black in those days. School history mentioned him at the Battle of Crecy but never any connection to Leeds - other than that his statue has occupied pride of place in City Square since 1903. Baron De Lacy might have been a more logical choice given the link to Kirkstall Abbey. We could have done a lot worse, at least we didn't get a statue of a politician. Hopefully he will remain there for a good few years longer.

Re: Black Prince is innocent?

Posted: Sat 12 Aug, 2017 1:26 pm
by tilly
What was it like watching them erect the statue Jim.He He.