I know a lot of us remember the spirit of Corby. I came back on vacation with my family, staying at one of the Corby Hotels, taking my kids around to all my childhood haunts. Corby use to stand in for queens square. I remember it was at the end of a pond, a sculpture that represented the steel industry in town. A present from the Development corporation for the towns 25th year celebrations as a new town and it was dedicated in 1974 by the Duchess of Gloucester.

Back in the early 1990′s top officials took it down and gave it to the council, but for some reason, and can’t remember why, the council allowed part of it to be scrapped. The only part to be saved was erected on a roundabout at phoenix parkway, and then in 1997 it was blown over by really strong winds. The council wanted to scrap that too, but someone thought it could be saved, repaired and it was. To add to the saga, when the former Iron and Steel works office block was knocked down by Weldon plant, they saved the portico which was above the entrance of the office block. It was 12 feet long and 5 feet high and read: 19 S & L 33. This was the only remaining part of the steel works in the town.

The same person who thought that the sculpture could be saved, also thought that the sculpture and the monument as the year 2000 was approaching, that this could be turned into a project for the council. But due to lack of funds, the project was benched. As it stands now, ever since 1997, both these items re-erected a part of our pride in our town and its history. Remembering the steel industry and the rise of the town from the ashes of the steel closures, our ‘Spirit’ as I would call it, there has been a slow rise, a stirring, to grant a lottery to raise funds to re-erect the sculpture and the monument within the town center.

My children, who are now teenagers, weren’t interested even slightly about the history I’ve given them about where I grew up. I don’t blame them, if Corby doesn’t seem to want to remember and have pride in its history, why should they.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.