Cllr Welsh talks to George Wagstaffe about the Naiad - Video and audio transcripts

Cllr Welsh - hi, I’m councillor David Welsh and I’m cabinet member for responsible for heritage and art and I’m here today with George Wagstaff the artist behind this great piece the Naiad. I’m just going to ask to ask you George you want to just tell us a little bit about the history of the naiad

George - yeah it's a story that everyone knows I think to cut a long story short she was exhibited in London and it was there that Arthur Ling saw her, the city architect, and bought her for Coventry she was placed in the newly built Belgrade Theatre for a while and then she was cast in fiberglass and went into palace yard she was in palace yard and then finally uh casting bronze and was in palace yard really for uh i think almost 40 years moved finally to the Lady Herbert’s Garden and then was i think attempted to be stolen so she finished up really in Swanswell gate which was a shame a lot of public resentment about keeping her away followed and she was then given back to me really to get her refurbished and re-patinated in my foundry in wales and now of course she comes back and she's here in splendour so it's a long story but it's very beautiful and in the way it tells you a bit about what art is.

David Welsh - And the Naiad is so important to people in Coventry, it's part of our history and I’m really pleased that we've got here in the in the new regenerated upper precinct where so many people can enjoy it on the unveiling today so many people have been able to see her and enjoy her so thank you so much for your time

 George - I’m very pleased too I think it's a wonderful setting and it's so nice that she's here

David Welsh Definitely thank you for your time George well what a great story from George where he's told us about the history of the naiad it's so important to people in Coventry and what we've seen today in unveiling is how people enjoy public art how public art makes a space that's the importance of it the Naiad is part of our history it's part of our future now as well.