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LANDMARK
INAUGURATED BY ZANDRA RHODES
Chatham
Maritime in North Kent gained a major new landmark when its
Millennium Sculpture, The Mariners, was inaugurated by the international
fashion designer Zandra Rhodes CBE in a special ceremony on
the riverside on St Mary's Island, sponsored by the South East
England Development Agency (SEEDA), the Medway Sculpture Trust
and the Chatham Maritime Trust.
At
the inauguration ceremony, Zandra Rhodes described The Mariners,
created by world renowned sculptor Sam Holland, as "a glorious
celebration of the River Medway." Local MP, Bob Marshall Andrews,
said it was "a beautiful, enduring piece of art which says all
that is good about the Medway towns." He thanked SEEDA and its
partners for "making this historic event possible" and singled
out Nick Jenkins of the Medway Sculpture Trust for conceiving
the idea and raising the funds locally for the project. Welcoming
Zandra Rhodes "back home to Chatham", Bob Marshall Andrews said
Ms Rhodes was "a local girl who not only made good but magnificently
so."
Beautifully
crafted in bronze and stainless steel, The Mariners stands 35
ft high and depicts two sailors - one in traditional sailor's
costume, the other a woman sailor in modern garb - hauling on
two sails that come together on a single mast. This represents
the past and the future meeting at the Millennium. To "unveil"
the sculpture, Ms Rhodes - assisted by pupils of St Mary's Island
Primary School - untied a rope made at Chatham Historic Dockyard.
Afterwards, BBC Radio 4 Chief Announcer, Peter Donaldson, read
out The Mariners poem inscribed on the plinth.
Board
Member of SEEDA, Jim Baker, commented: "We are delighted to
have Zandra Rhodes with us to inaugurate this sculpture. The
Mariners is a remarkable blend of contemporary and traditional
art, a landmark of national importance. It is the highlight
of the new Riverside Walk which SEEDA has built and landscaped
as an amenity for local people, providing magnificent views
over the river and Chatham Maritime."
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