http://www.getwoodworking.com October 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 3
WELCOME
Even though this is our October issue, I have to admit
to writing this welcome page in August, which may help
to give you an indication of just how far in advance we
work! So carrying on from last month, where I shared
some of my favourite Brighton and Hove sights and
historic relics, I thought I’d continue the theme and
introduce you to my newly discovered community
garden, along with a chap who has quite a lot
of character: Captain Bill; the headless statue.
Positioned next to Waterloo Arch, Hove, and part
of the historic Brunswick area, there is a nearby notice
on the statue, which identifies him as a Light Infantry
officer. According to expert James Mulraine, William
‘Bill’ Pechell, Captain in 77th Regiment Second Brigade
Light Division, was the son of Brighton’s MP Admiral,
Sir George Brooke-Pechell Bt and his wife the Hon
Katherine Bishopp. Captain Pechell was killed in the
Crimean War, “gallantly doing his duty in advance of the
fifth Parallel before Sebastopol September 3rd 1855.”
He was 25. Captain Pechell had been a hugely popular
officer and his death devastated his parents and
shocked his regiment. The town went into mourning
and decided that a statue was the best way to
commemorate a man who was – as the inscription on
the original plinth read – ‘Beloved by all who knew him’.
Marking the entrance to the Waterloo Street
Community Garden, which is lovingly tended by local
residents who have been improving the area since
the 1980s, you’d be surprised how many people stop
and stare at poor Captain Bill, so much so that he has
become quite the local celebrity, and certainly captures
the spirit of the Waterloo Street residents.
A wonderful resurrection
So how did Captain Bill lose his head and arms, I hear
you ask. Well, I had to do some digging. According
to a local historian, the commission went to Matthew
Noble RA, now famous for the Wellington Monument
in Manchester, the statues of Robert Peel and the Earl
Welcome
We endeavour to ensure all techniques shown in this issue are safe, but take no responsibility for readers’ actions.
Take care when woodworking and always use guards, goggles, masks, hold-down devices and ear protection, and above all, plenty of common sense. Do remember to enjoy yourself, thoughEmail [email protected]
Te g a n Fo ley
Group EditorPhil Davy
Technical & Consultant Editorof Derby in Parliament Square, as well as the effigy of
Prince Albert in the Albert Memorial. Noble’s statue in Caen
stone portrayed Captain Pechell just before he was killed,
leading his men on against the Russian redoubt. The statue
was set up in February 1859, on a specially reinforced floor
in the ‘Hall of Worthies’ in Brighton Pavilion, a powerful
expression of civic pride in a building which had been
bought from the Government by the Brighton Corporation
nine years before. Then something rather sad happened. A
succession of committees moved Captain Pechell’s statue
on, each time further and further into the shadows. First,
in 1914, to the entrance hall of Brighton Museum, then
in 1930 he was pushed to the far end of the permanent
sculpture gallery. Finally in 1940, he was sent to storage
in the Rangers Yard at Stanmer Park, where, in time, his
arms were broken, his head was lost, and the elements did
their work weathering the limestone. There he remained
until March 2015, when he was given to the Waterloo
Street Community Garden.Local volunteering
As well as looking after the garden and making sure
it is always in tip-top condition so it can be enjoyed by
residents, the team of volunteers who make up the
WSCG also look after the statue, which is, hopefully,
now in its final resting place. I recently discovered this
charming space, which is a perfect haven for reading
and contemplation. I have even put myself forward
as a volunteer, and look forward to doing my share of
weeding, watering and sweeping. I like to do my bit for
the community and imagine a lot of you do too. With this
in mind, please feel free to share your personal stories with
us. As ever, we hope you enjoy our latest issue, and we’re
so pleased you’re part of our woodworking community;
your support and encouragement really does mean a lot.