Public art returned to town council

The Symphony of the Trees sculpture has been recovered almost four years after it was taken from Victoria Park

A PIECE of public art that was stolen from Victoria Park in Newbury four years ago has been recovered, to the delight of town councillors.

The bronze and steel sculpture Symphony of the Trees, which formed part of the Town Trail Steering Group's series of public art displays, was installed in Victoria Park in November 2007, although the bronze figure was stolen just days after it was unveiled.

It was the third piece of public art in the town trail, following the installation of the Couple in Conversation sculpture by local artist Johannes von Stumm at the Robin Hood roundabout in 2006 and the 4.3m wide granite sculpture at Newbury Lock, Ebb and Flow, which was created by Peter Randall-Page and installed in 2003.

At the time of the theft, Glasgow sculptor Kate Robinson, who designed Symphony of the Trees with the help of children and teachers from three schools for young people with the autistic spectrum in West Berkshire, said the sculpture had caused her many sleepless nights.

The sculpture, of a figure holding a bell and a singing bowl in front of a tree, had been the culmination of years of energy and effort by many people, including pupils from The Castle School, Newbury, Brookfield's School, Tilehurst, and Priors Court School, Hermitage.

However, it has now been returned to the town council after a local couple who found it on Snelsmore Common came across the sculpture again when they recently cleared out their garage and took it to Newbury police station.

It was then identified by Newbury Town Council services manager, Granville Taylor, and returned to the town council.

It is currently being stored at the town hall.

The leader of the town council, Julian Swift-Hook (Lib Dem, Pyle Hill) said: “I am delighted that the Symphony of the Trees has been returned and I am looking forward to it being re-instated in the town for people to enjoy.”

He said the town trail steering group would now consider whether to reinstate the sculpture at its original location by the Park Way entrance to Victoria Park, or install it in an alternative location.

Last year, the council considered making an approach to the Kennet Shopping centre about displaying a potential replacement inside, near the entrance of the town's seven-screen cinema, and the chairman of the town trail steering group, Dave Goff (Con, Clay Hill) said this week that was still a possible option.

He said: “It was a pleasant surprise to get the sculpture back and we will now be looking for a sensible and accessible location for it.”