The much-loved Fred Dibnah should have gone to Specsavers . . .
Or at least his statue should, according to the high street optician.
Fred, who found national fame when his career as a steeplejack was televised, was immortalised with an eight-feet tall bronze statue unveiled in Oxford Street in Bolton at the end of April.
It was vandalised a month later when his trademark wire spectacles were damaged.
But now Specsavers has stepped in with an offer to pay for the glasses to be replaced.
The council had already agreed to foot the £1,000 bill, but that cost will now be covered entirely by the optician chain.
Stephen Waller, director of the Specsavers store in Victoria Square, Bolton, said: “Fred was a real character and taught many of us to be proud of the area’s industrial heritage.
“The people of Bolton campaigned for several years to see a memorial raised for Fred and leaving it in its current state means that the vandals have won.
“We’re always keen to support the local community in any way we can and mending Fred’s spectacles means that the statue will be returned to its former glory.”
The statue was unveiled after a three-year campaign to raise funds. Sculptor Jane Robbins, from Shropshire, who created the statue, warned at the time that the glasses could be vulnerable to attack.
Civic Trust chairman Brian Tetlow said he was glad to hear that Specsavers were providing Fred’s new glasses.
He said: “It’s very public spirited and it’s obviously good publicity, so it’s all grist to the mill. It’s splendid news, but I just hope they’re not kept busy on a regular basis.”
(source)
