Burgess Hill park’s sculpture is not how it looked originally, says former Urban District Councillor
A former Urban District Councillor says an iconic sculpture in Burgess Hill was changed from its original design.
Jim Clapperton, 79, who lives in Haywards Heath but used to live in Burgess Hill, contacted this newspaper following an article about the Figure of Stability in St John’s Park.
In the article, published in the September 10 issue of the Mid Sussex Times, Burgess Hill resident Mary Oram called for the sculpture to feature a plaque to its sculptor Sean Crampton who fought in World War II.
Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC), which manages St John’s Park, confirmed that the sculpture, also known as Stability, was cast in 1972 and originally erected in The Martlets Shopping Centre.
People can read the article at www.sussexexpress.co.uk.
Jim, who spoke to this newspaper on Monday, September 14, said: “I was on the Urban District Council that built the town centres – Clair Hall etc – and had that Stability commissioned.”
He explained that the Urban District Council existed until about 1973 and said he was on it from 1968 to about 1972.
Jim said the Martlets Hall was opened by the Rt Hon The Lord Goodman on Saturday, October 28, 1972, adding: “It was for that opening this Stability was commissioned.”
He said the modern Mid Sussex District Council was then formed about a year after the opening of The Martlets Hall.
He said: “In 72-73 Mid Sussex District Council became and they commandeered all the land and assets that were in the Urban District Council and just left the town council with town council stuff. But all the major stuff they took under their umbrella. Very shortly after that someone decided it (Stability) was ugly and took it town, cut it up and put it to be destroyed.”
Jim said he strongly objected to this and the council agreed to get the sculpture back, put it back together and return it to The Martlets in the mid ’70s.
The Figure of Stability was subsequently moved to the park.
But Jim said: “When they re-erected it they didn’t have a picture to go by and it looks now not like it looked originally.”
A black and white photo of the sculpture (which this newspaper cannot print for copyright reasons) shows the sculpture with the same number of blocks but what appears to be a more upright look and other subtle differences.