Tonight’s issue of the Express & Star has proven quite enlightening. Not only have my favourite hacks awarded coveted (well, it must be treasured somewhere, care in the community is a massive enterprise) ‘Letter of the day’ to a person clearly talking sense and in full possession of their faculties, but they’ve also proven that they’re still well behind the wave on local events up here in the northern wastes. As far as the Wood’s monolithic, monopodally metallic angler goes, the plot appears to thicken.
Hey, Hannah - are you sure you meant 'tail'? - from the Express & Star, Thursday, 12th February 2010
What’s so magic about this little piece is that Hannah – or at least, whoever dispatched the unfortunate hack up here, apparently without neither sherpa nor gun – not only took their lead from the Brownhills Blog, but also had the wit to dredge the comments on Tuesday’s original piece in order to expand on the story. Not only that, but they’ve even managed to get a little snipe in. Apparently, those of us misguided enough to think that large, metallic fish don’t magically drop at 45 degree angles onto canal towpaths are ‘Cynical’. Too right we are. Shall we take a close look at why that may be so?
That’s a large, heavy lump of metal. If it had come loose, it would have dropped straight down into the water, or possibly onto the unfortunate head of a passing bargee. Are we really to believe that the constructor of this artwork used such shoddy materials that the linkage didn’t last four days in calm conditions? Would they really risk the safety of boaters passing underneath? I don’t think so, the artist and all concerned are clearly professionals.
The fish is apparently made of copper. If it had landed in the canal it would now be covered in oxide. It’s still quite bright, and only shows the marks caused by fingerprints and handling. Intriguingly the fish appears to be anchored at the angler’s fishing reel by a shackle, just as it is on the fishes’s nose. If you look at the picture I took, you’ll see that the linkage between the two – running through the rod’s eyelets, is curled into a loop. The end of the linkage, where the fish should be – is straight and clean ended. Those of a mechanical bent will find this observation illuminating. The hawser was obviously cut, or snapped, but someone must have been ready to grab the coppery catch to prevent it taking an early bath.
- The Angler’s dangler: note the loop of wire midway along the rod, the clean end where the fish was.
Of course, the other possibility is that Mr. Perry has designed a structure that breaks the laws of gravity, geometry and probability, as well as those less understood ones that govern the terminal fishing fashion faux pas. If the artist can indeed break the laws of physics, I suggest he gives up the art and contacts NASA. Like, now.
I have nothing else to add, except that I’m wondering if I’m alone in perceiving that Walsall Wood’s very own J.R. Hartley seems to have a slight hunch. Perhaps he’s from Willenhall. Perhaps his hunch is a bit like mine, in that we’re not getting quite the full story.
It’s nice to see once again, that what the local blogs spot, the local inky recycles a couple of days later. Cheers guys, it’s nice to know we’ve still got readers up there in the ivory tower.
By the way, Barbara, I just dig that scarf.