Now that the spare plinth in Trafalgar Square has been given so much publicity, how about doing something with the block of granite standing in South Park with the inscription John Fowler C.E. 1856?
It looks as if was intended at a resting place for a statue of a famous man, and that the authorities forgot to put it in place. In fact Fowler was the inventor of a steam plough which gave a tremendous boost to farmers. He died in 1864 at the age of 38 after an accident and was buried in the Quaker cemetery in Skinnergate. A model of his plough was placed on the plinth rather than a statue of the man himself. It was put in the grounds of the Pease family home at first before being transferred to the park. But vandals eventually broke the plough and took away the pieces.
Following London's lead of letting people perform for an hour at a time on the spare plinth in Trafalgar Square can anyone come up with an idea for the park one? How about an annual busking competition? Singers, musicians.poets or comedians could get up their and do an act in front of an audience and panel of judges. Or firms could put special advertising displays on it. Before council elections candidates could stand on it and make their promises. Perhaps schools in the town could be asked to suggest imaginative uses. It does look somewhat stupid at the moment, as if John Flower was an invisible man.