Brassey station statue dream becomes reality for society

A STATUE of the railway contractor Thomas Brassey has been unveiled by the HRH The Duke of Gloucester outside Chester Railway Station.

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Installing a statue has been one of the key aims for the Thomas Brassey Society since their formation and this was the culmination of many years of planning and fundraising.

Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester, was a particularly fitting person to unveil the statue as he has had a genuine interest in steam engines and engineering projects for many years.

He professed himself to be delighted to be unveiling the statue to such a significant contributor to progress during the Victorian era.

The Duke then engaged with the watching crowd, chatting to many of them to their delight.

Pete Waterman was also present and spoke about his pleasure at seeing the project coming to fruition.

The statue was designed and sculpted by Andy Edwards.

Andy is known for his statues of The Beatles at Pier Head and many others, the statue shows Thomas reading a 19th century map while standing upon a partly built section of railway line.