It will be 70 years on Sunday July 24 since 500 excited school children gathered on the grass in a special VIP enclosure outside Nottingham Castle to see the famous Robin Hood statue unveiled. The Duchess of Portland pulled a cord to throw off the cover and reveal the 7ft effigy of the legendary outlaw - accompanied by a fanfare from the band of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment.
Tourists, celebrities, students, anyone and everyone, has gone on to pose for a photo next to, or hanging off, what has become one of the city's most popular attractions. The internet-based World Wide Robin Hood Society, led by chairman Bob White, has urged people to have their picture taken on the milestone anniversary.
He said: "In a leading travel and tourism publication, a feature writer once stated, 'Be sure to have your photo taken next to the Robin Hood Statue at Nottingham Castle. You know you want to!' and what more historically significant a day to do so than on the statue’s 70th anniversary!”
The society, which has compiled a factsheet with fascinating background information on its website robinhood.info, is encouraging the general public to send in pictures along with any past memories associated with the statue. The statue, cast in eight pieces of half-inch thick bronze (made to last 6,000 years) and weighing half a ton, was commissioned by local businessman, Philip E. F. Clay.
At the statue’s 50th anniversary in 2002, his daughter Susan Neal said she remembered the day very well. She said: "Although I was only a young girl at the time, I remember thinking how marvellous it was that my father was giving something so splendid to Nottingham."
Aileen Fabris, now living in Canada, was at Guilford School, Basford, one of the schools privileged to be invited to the unveiling ceremony. She recalled it being a really sunny day and the pupils being allowed to take their blazers off because it was so warm.
Mr White said: "The initial response to the statue factsheet has been really enthusiastic, so over the coming months, the World Wide Robin Hood Society will be exploring the possibilities of raising funds for the installation of a graphically enhanced and attractively illustrated version to be appropriately displayed somewhere close by the statue.”
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