mcconnachie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hey guys, Can I canvass some opinion on an idea I have. I was driving into Lerwick and looked up at Staneyhill. I thought Lerwick would look great if it was overlooked by a large landmark statue in the same kind of way that the 'angel of the north' works in Durham or Christ the Redeemer in Rio. Maybe a huge Viking blowing the Viking horn and symbolically calling back Shetlanders and visitors. (don't laugh) I know that money is tight but it'd be a great tourist emblem and something that would leave a lasting legacy. Could be modern art. Could be more traditional. It would create an image that would mark Shetland out as something distinct in the eyes of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudden Stop Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 In the same way that ships had figureheads on them, The Knab would be a great place for a statue. A statue on top of Staney Hill would also be interesting - I can picture it now actually but unfortunately cost and lack of political will to make decisions mean it'll never happen. Good idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaflech Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Unfortunately it looks like fairly soon there's going to be 103 enormous 'statues' dotted around mainland Shetland. I guess they would symbolise quite a lot of recent Shetland political history though - something costing millions of pounds of public money, going round and round in circles and not really getting anywhere. Not so much 'Christ the Redeemer' as 'Christ what a monstrosity.'Sorry for the cynicism there. It would be good in theory to have some landmark structure put up somewhere, but I really hope that if anything is built that it has no connection with Vikings at all, it's bad enough having to suffer it every January without it being in your face all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 There are a few Viking statues in North America in places with Scandinavian connections Big Ole, the largest Viking in the world http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/19491 Or the rather more tasteful statue in Gimli, Manitoba http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/vikingstatue.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Welcome to Hollywood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RileyBKing Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 LOL. But if it's Viking shouldn't it be LEIRVIK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Statue of Sandy Cluness above the Staney Hill houses, gazing out the Nort Mooth for eternity, still wishing for his damn bridge.....It might act as reminder not to let people with designs on "iconic" follies get in to a position of power again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 How about something that celebrates Shetland past links to the industrial fishing era, maybe something like a big grey faceless warehouse on the waterfront somewhere.......hang on a minute.... I do like the original idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Great idea! No sarcasm, one common complaint is there's so little "Viking" stuff about. A Viking statue overlooking Bressay sound with a little picnic area would be great, especially if it were so positioned to draw attention away from the Shetland Hotel & Judanes when the boat came in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorrie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 A pair of fifty foot high herrings rampant. Or a giant neon Shetland pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Unfortunately it looks like fairly soon there's going to be 103 enormous 'statues' dotted around mainland Shetland. I guess they would symbolise quite a lot of recent Shetland political history though - something costing millions of pounds of public money, going round and round in circles and not really getting anywhere. Not so much 'Christ the Redeemer' as 'Christ what a monstrosity.' ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I'd like to see a statue of Peerie Willie sitting on one of the benches at the small boat harbour playing his guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorrie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I'd like to see a statue of Peerie Willie sitting on one of the benches at the small boat harbour playing his guitar. I'd back that, definitely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 LOL. But if it's Viking shouldn't it be LEIRVIK?Actually Lerwick town is just Lerwick. Its name stems from the geographical watery location at the foot of Mounthooly Street, the so-called muddy bay. That wick would have originally been Leirvik (or something similarly Norsky), but the town came so much later it seems to have always been Lerwick. Nice Hollywood parody pic . When I had the Cleeves TV drama filming at the house, I thought the zone had become Loddywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sludgegulper Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Maybe a huge Viking blowing the Viking horn and symbolically calling back Shetlanders and visitors. (don't laugh) Sounds a bit smutty that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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