It was with utter dismay that I learnt that the council had torn down the sculpture of The Woodsmans Poacher that had been beautifully carved by the talented sculptor Dave Chapelle.

The councillors responsible should be ashamed of themselves! The art community in the district, of which they know little, has a tough time as it is dispelling the myth that Basildon has no culture without them getting rid of popular local sculpture.
There has been no proper consultation with the people of Basildon with whom the statue actually belongs to. They may think by putting the clock there or by offering to put Edgars head in the Towngate Theatre, that this token gesture may somehow appease the local community, well it doesn't. The clock should go back to its original site in the centre of the town, the Woodsmans Poacher should be repaired, returned and looked after, with information on the plinth about who, how and why it was carved and Edgars head also carved by Dave should be located nearby as a fitting tribute to an amazingly talented artist..

As elected representatives it is their responsibility to preserve and promote the culture of the district and its artists, to support and celebrate all of the district art and culture, if that is too difficult a thing for them to do then maybe by the time of the next local elections it will be the people of the district that decides it wants to do a bit of removing!

Please protest to your local councillor, Basildon Council and join our group on facebook to 'save the woodsman' http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=save+the+woodsman&init=quick#/group.php?gid=274143641248&ref=search&sid=645358766.792253933..1