An update on the White Lion Mosaic - Video and audio transcripts

Hello everybody. Here I am in Upper Precinct. We’re getting very close to the finishing touches now of this great regeneration scheme. What is behind me. I’m just going to have a look so my apologies if I take my eye off the camera for a minute. You can see (he gestures to the mosaic.) what is actually the original mosaic that came from the old White Lion Hotel. Remember I said that when we found it, we want to incorporate it into the new design of Upper Precinct, well here it is. In all it’s glory and it’s actually been refurbished. It looks as good as new. It was in three bits when we found it, it was in a terrible state. It looks absolutely fantastic now and it is pride of place in our great Upper Precinct. What I’m going to do, I’m just going to ask the cameraman now just to follow me round here because it just gives again a bit of a scope of what we’re talking about now in Upper Precinct.

Remember we used to have a bridge right where I’m standing here, blocking views of the spires of the Cathedral. Then there was a ramp and Ernest Jones if you remember. The jewellers. Well look it’s gone. I know people who are watching this know it’s gone but I think the point is again just to give a demonstration of when we said that’s what we were going to do. We’re opening up the sight lines, we’re actually making use of our great city centre as it was imagined when it was first built after the war. I think most people would understand and appreciate that’s what we’ve achieved as well as taking the bridge out as well.

So finally, back to the mosaic, I won’t fall over. What is it I always say? Everybody knows, they think it’s a bit old hat now. The best of the old with the best of the new.  This is living proof of what I said, the best of the old with the best of the new. Upper Precinct, coming along, should be ready very soon