Graham to produce unique award trophies

Sculptor Graham Ibbeson has been commissioned to produce the unique trophies which will be presented to every Proud of Barnsley winner.

Graham – best known for his statue of comedian Eric Morecambe bronze in the Lancashire resort and the one of umpire Dickie Bird in Barnsley says he is ‘honoured’ to be asked.

And he is promising something truly special for the inaugural Proud of Barnsley trophies which he is now busy designing and crafting.

He said: “I was delighted to be asked to produce the Proud of Barnsley trophies. I see it as a real honour.

“The people of Barnsley have been really supportive towards me down the years and I see this award as an opportunity to give a little something back.

“There are some incredible people living in Barnsley and I am sure these awards will give the worthy winners the recognition they deserve.”

He will be signing each trophy, guaranteeing their status as real collectors’ items.

His family is a major inspiration for his work and he regularly uses relatives as models for some of the figures in his public sculptures which grace towns and cities across the UK.

So if he walks down the road to the miners’ offices in Huddersfield Road he will see a likeness of his wife, Carol, and his daughters Faye and Emma as children in the group of bronze statues.

An image of his son, Max, then aged 14, was used in the Rugby School statue based on William Webb Ellis, who is said to have invented the game of Rugby in 1823.

“There is no known image of Ellis anywhere so I used our Max,“ said Graham.

Graham’s father was a miner in a large memorial sculpture in Nottinghamshire and his father-in-law was used as a character in his comical fibre glass figures which have sold all over Europe.

Barnsley Chronicle editor Andrew Harrod said the Graham Ibbeson trophies would make the Proud of Barnsley awards all the more special.

“Each winner will receive something unique that recognises their achievements. We’re delighted Graham took up our offer to design the trophies. I’m sure his designs will be stunning.”