BROMSGROVE’S iconic statue of AE Housman has been given a facelift as part of the town centre regeneration scheme, which has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Evocative words from one of his poems have been carved into the new granite plinth which the figure now stands on.
They read: ‘From far, from eve and morning, And yon twelve-winded sky, The stuff of life to knit me, Blew hither: here am I’. The statue, first erected in 1985, was moved and renovated during the works on the High Street and the polished granite plinth was designed by the Housman Society and Bromsgrove District Council.
Housman Society chairman Jim Page said: “It is wonderful to have AE Housman back as the focal point of Bromsgrove’s beautifully refurbished High Street – and it is a happy coincidence that this year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the statue’s unveiling.”
Bromsgrove District Council’s portfolio holder for the town centre Coun Rita Dent said it was a fitting way to present Bromsgrove’s most celebrated son.”
Two sides of the plinth are carved with poetry chosen by the Housman Society, including the verse above, and two with the statue’s original dedications from 1985.
AE Housman was born near Bromsgrove, attended Bromsgrove School and held professorships of Latin at both University College London and Cambridge University
