THE CAMPAIGN to put The Spirit of Bridport back on signs welcoming visitors to the town has opened up a new front.

Margery Hookings – who began the campaign – wants Dorset’s local authorities to honour the terms of the agreement they made in signing up to Dorset’s remarkable Cultural Strategy 2009-14.

Remarkable because of this statement: “Our vision and ambition is that Dorset leads the world in placing culture at the heart of quality of life” [italics added].

If this vision and ambition means anything, why should a cultural icon like The Spirit not return?

The Spirit of Bridport is the flaxen-haired woman shown sitting on a throne and working with twine in a mural inside Bridport Town Hall. The mural was painted by former Glasgow School of Art director Fra Newbery in the mid-1920s.

Newbery was brought up in Bridport, and The Spirit is his idealised image of the town’s beauty, skill and importance.

She was adopted for road signs around Bridport in the 1950s or 60s by the painter George Biles, whose murals still adorn The Electric Palace foyer and whose work graced many Palmers’ pub signs.

The Spirit disappeared from road signs in the 1990s. They rotted and were not replaced.

Good design is not a luxury

“We want her back,” said former Bridport News editor Margery, who launched her campaign to Bring Back The Spirit of Bridport! on Facebook last month.

“Let’s look at some of what the Cultural Strategy is supposed to be about.

“I quote: ‘Good design is not a luxury.

‘Everyone deserves to live, work and play in well designed attractive environments.

‘Artwork enhances the quality of our built environment, from playground designs, signage, street furniture, lighting schemes, to the internal detailing of a building, its furniture, flooring or even its crockery’.”

Margery said: “Surely a sign counts as some kind of street furniture?”

And she quoted more:

‘Public art strengthens people’s sense of place and commitment to their community.

‘It can encapsulate the history of a parish and create a shared pride and sense of its future.

‘Public art is not an artform, it’s a principle.

‘It can be as diverse as landscape design, street furniture, sculpture trail, lighting schemes or the internal features of a public building.’

Margery commented: “The image of The Spirit of Bridport encapsulates the town and community perfectly.

“She’s part of our heritage, painted by a local, renowned artist who influenced the likes of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

“We should be celebrating that history with pride. Restoring Newbery’s iconic image to the town’s welcome signs would make a real statement about the real ‘Spirit of Bridport’ – one of creativity, beauty, skill and individuality. She deserves to be restored to her place of prominence.

“It would really give credibility to the Dorset Cultural Strategy if bureaucratic reasoning could be overcome and she was once again able to welcome visitors to our lovely town.”

The original signs have gone, but Margery said: “We’ve got lots of artists in this town – I’m sure The Spirit’s image could be reinstated in some shape or form.”

To support the campaign, click on the following link www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Bring-back-the-Spirit-of-Bridport/109362339100376.

Related post

- More on Fra Newbery and this campaign