Robin of Pegswood

I've had quite a good day today. I decided to drive up to Newbiggin to take a shot of the 'Couple' by artist Sean Henry. I took a few that I was reasonably happy with, but unfortunately it's been such a grey and miserable day that I think I'll go back when the weather improves. Besides, on the way back I stumbled upon this sculpture on the Pegswood roundabout and I liked it better*. I also went to the Woodhorn museum where they had a photography exhibition on by John Bulmer. He was one of the first newspaper photographers to use colour. The exhibition recorded life across the North of England in the 1960s. It's definitely worth a visit.

*The sculpture was commissioned by landowner Bothal Estates, part of the Welbeck Estates, to reflect the area's mining heritage of the past. It is officially named Fire but is now affectionately known as Robin of Pegswood because Welbeck Estates also owns part of Sherwood Forest - home of Robin Hood. The estates approached Longhirst based artist Tom Maley two and a half years ago. He came up with the idea of a miner cast in bronze, fixed to a stainless steel girder and emerging from an 18in high coal seam. The miner symbolically firing his shovel against an imaginary coalface was meant as a permanent reminder of the strength and determination of the men who worked in some of the most challenging conditions in coal seams as narrow as 18 inches. (Journal Live).