Irlam Station

After an 8 month crowd funding campaign and 2 months of casting we had the pleasure of unveiling this lifesize statue of an old man resting on a bench at Irlam Railway Station.

The work was originally created 40 years ago, by a then pupil of the local high school, Simon Law who entitled it ‘At the End of the Day’.

Mr Law, who is now a design manager in construction, remembers presenting his project to his arts teacher at the Alfred Turner Secondary School back in 1978. He said his 15-year old self would be “flabbergasted” to know his work would still be celebrated today.

“When I made it, I thought, maybe if the school makes five years out of it that’ll be really good. But here we are, forty years on.”

It stayed displayed at the school until a few years ago, when the Hamilton Davies Trust took possession of it. Having restored the original plaster sculpture it was displayed outside the station in Irlam, where over time it became a celebrity in its own right and the subject of many selfies.

However, it was vandalised several time and the original materials were not fit to cope with outdoor elements, so it was decided a more permanent version of the statue should be made.

After local man, Eric Lowndes, came to forward and suggested a crowdfunding project to raise money, Mandy Coleman (Consultant General Manager) of The Hamilton Davies Trust contacted us to help them realise their vision.

“We are absolutely delighted to have ‘The Man’ back at the station for all to enjoy. You have captured and preserved his beauty so well. In fact he is perfect and will outlive us all. You have been a delight to work with, so pleasant  and kind and dedicated whilst being extremely talented and professional.”

This short video about this project explains the various stages in the bronze casting process: