VISIONARY engineer James Brindley, who gave Droitwich Spa its wonderful waterways, could finally stand proud above his canal creations.

Droitwich Canals Trust director Jon Axe wants a bronze statue of the famous pioneer erected in Vines Park, as part of the £9.5m canal re-development.

Sculpture

International sculpture John McKenna, who created the Victoria Square saltworkers statue, has offered to produce a monument one and a quarter times bigger than Mr Brindley - at the cost of £29,000.

A scaled down version is already in the hands of Mr Axe, who hopes local businesses and firms may come forward to sponsor a legendary landmark.

"Brindley helped to make the town what it is today and I think he deserves a special place near the canals," he told the Advertiser. "With all the house builders and big companies coming into Droitwich, I'm sure we can get the cash together."

James Brindley was responsible for the Droitwich Barge Canal, one of only three canals completed in his lifetime. He also designed the Junction Canal, but died before it was completed in the mid 1800s.

John's proposed statue depicts Brindley telling his workmen about the puddling technique. "I can remember learning about James Brindley at school and the phrase which always stuck in my head was 'Puddling Mad Brindley,' John explained. "His marvellous use of clay and sand prevented water from draining away and his technique became popular.

Character

"This is not just a Victorian style monument - I have set out to capture his character," added John, who recently moved from Worcester to Scotland.

If the statue is commissioned, John expects the sculpture to take six months and his work could be shown live on a web cam. If you would like to support the project, call Mr Axe on 0121 6080296.