Weymouth Relief Road sculpture: 'Baffling cost' (From Dorset Echo)
When news happens get involved. Send your pictures, views and video to us by text and email
Weymouth Relief Road sculpture: 'Baffling cost'
11:30am Thursday 23rd February 2012 in Local News By Laura Kitching
Mark House with his scrap metal stegosaurus dinosaur which he believes would have been better
A DORCHESTER sculptor says he cannot understand why the Jurassic Stones sculpture cost so much.
Mark House, of Mowlam Metal Craft, described the creation as ‘lollipops’ and said: “I cannot for the life of me see where these could have cost what they did as the stones were a by-product of the earth works, the only other cost being the stainless steel poles, concrete and man power to erect them.
“I have my own metal fabrication business so I am aware of the cost of stainless steel.
“Even if you allowed £35,000 this would more than adequately cover the cost of not only the stainless but the concrete and labour to put them up.”
Mr House, who has a history of creating full-size dinosaur sculptures in the borough, said one of his creations would have been a more obvious celebration of the Jurassic coastline.
He added: “We’ve got a 40ft-long stegosaurus made of scrap metal outside our workshop at the moment.
“It took 2,000 hours to build, and would cost about £100,000 – for a third of the costs, the council could have had something that would have got people talking and would fit in better with the Jurassic Coast.”
Comments(8)
happilyretired
says...
12:19pm Thu 23 Feb 12
DorchesterBoy
says...
12:44pm Thu 23 Feb 12
happilyretired wrote:Agreed it's artistic and far better than the current choice. However, our area is an area of natural beauty. What was wrong with reeds, a pond, and the ducks that had made their home there?
He has actually created something artistic. Looked at the materials at hand, designed and put together the pieces to look like something. Not rocks just dug out of the ground and stuck on the end of steel poles
Mr Peter Melon
says...
12:51pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Monmouthsman
says...
1:03pm Thu 23 Feb 12
RobinofLocksley
says...
2:31pm Thu 23 Feb 12
jo419
says...
12:12pm Fri 24 Feb 12
RobinofLocksley wrote:so mr house you are telling use that you think the price for the stone was over priced but you would have let the council have the stegosaurus you made for £100,000 which took you 2000 hours to make which means you charge £50 pounds an hour and you say the stones are over priced, remind me not to get a quote off you if thats what your firm charges!!!!! and as for taking 2000 hours that is 250 eight hour days it really took that long??? and there is not a hope in hell you could have done it for 35,000 (ive been a fabricator for 17 years) sounds to me like a the first comment said publicity stunt or sour grape you didnt get the job ;-)
Oh no, not again. Enough with the pineapples! They've gone to another place. Move on!
jo419
says...
12:16pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Barry_Bonnet says...
12:07pm Thu 23 Feb 12