Plans are afoot for a statue of LNER’s former chief engineer and locomotive designer Sir Nigel Gresley to be placed at Kings Cross Station. Should more engineers be commemorated in this way?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, our audience of engineers was overwhelmingly in favour of more statues being erected to commemorate famous engineers and their achievements. Of the 421 respondents to the poll, 58 per cent said that statues would help to raise the profile of engineers and their role, and 29 per cent said that only engineers who had made a significant contribution to British society should be considered. Of those opposed, 8 per cent of the total thought that statues gave the wrong impression of what is a collaborative discipline, and 3 per cent were concerned that it made engineering seem a thing of the past.
We don’t know of many statues of engineers. There are ten of Isambard KIngdom Brunel, three of which are in London; George Stephenson is commemorated with three statues around the UK, and his son Robert at Euston Station; London also has statues of marine engineer Samuel Plimsoll, of Plimsoll Line fame; Joseph Bazalgette, who built London’s Victorian sewers; Hugh Myddleton, whose New River brought fresh water from Hertfordshire to London in the 1600s; tunnelling engineer James Greathead (who was actually South African) and shipbuilder and philanthropist Richard Green. Outside London, Gugliemo Marconi is commemorated in Chelmsford; James Watt in Greenock, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham (with his business partner Matthew Boulton); 18th century roadbuilder John Metcalfe in Knaresborough; steam pioneer Richard Trevithick in Cambourne, Cornwall; railway and civil engineer David Davies in Wales (twice), and there’s a monument to the Titanic engineers in Southampton. We’d like to know of any others around the UK (or, indeed, elsewhere); and also please suggest other engineers who should be commemorated and where their monuments should be.
Ok , why is there a statue of a duck with Nigel Gresley ? More engineers should be recognised but just a statue will not do it. There should be an explanation plaque too or dare I suggest a small solar powered LCD screen with an interactive display built into the plinth or nearby wall, vandal proofed of course.
Yes; but only for engineers who made significant contributions to British society
I think it’s a good idea, not just statues though.
Too many people in the UK never think about where things come from, or how they get to them. The involvement of Engineers in this country is overlooked on a wide range of things from that magic moment that the light comes on when you flick a switch to the point you put a tin of baked beans into your supermarket trolley. Engineers have made all of those possible, at a cost that people can afford.
We should be bragging about these achievements in order to let the talented youth know what Engineering provides for them.
I agree with the first choice, and also agree that an information panel should be placed by the statue to explain about the person, and their contribution to society.
Agreed that this panel needs to be vandal proof – what about a QR code as well?
Would love to see more in town centres, and other buildings where the general public would regularly see them. All should be related in some way to the building or town where they are placed.
I hope you will honor my great, great uncle Robert Stirling inventor of the Stirling engine.
Statues and recognition of engineers should be as prolific as those of Sports stars (we should also pay them as much). Agree with all the other ways suggested to provide content and context for the statue.
Yes – and more should be done to raise the profile of the British scientist/engineers Newton, Watt, Faraday, Joule, Kelvin and Gray. Six Britons are commemorated by having SI units named after them – more than any other country.
PS – Will politicians, please stop sabotaging the work of our scientist/engineers.
Engineers need more recognition for their contributions to society. We have the same problem on this side of the pond. All you hear lately is STEM, STEM, STEM–but how often do you hear about those who make the ‘E’ in STEM? I like the statues idea, but I also agree that more is needed.
Once when visiting Derby industrial museum I asked if there was a museum to RR Cars, the answer was “Yes, they are on the road.”
Perhaps the best monument to engineers is their works. Naming a local school etc is good.
Us (REAL) engineers are greatly underestimated in the ease of modern life.I try to take my rocket car (a real one Richard) in to schools to get youngsters interested but no one is interested or care.Engineering is front of them every day
Yes good idea and good location too. I like the duck as it will get the statue noticed and talked about. However, there are many great people in all types of professions and these need some recognition too. As professional engineers we should recognise this. I often hear complaints that in the UK engineers are under valued. To be honest I do not need to be recognised by the many for the job I am doing, just by the few who rely on me for their daily work.
Yes…yes…yes and yes!!! And don’t put them up on 6 foot – sorry 2m – plinths either. All great ideas and engineering history should be part of school curriculum as well. Kids need to know how and who made things happen for them. It might encourage them – who knows!
It would also stimulate the metal casting industry again and save them from simply producing pillar boxes. Artists would benefit too and it would bring a smile to pedestrians.
The duck is a great idea as kids will ask why the duck is there. Lets have a competition to see who can suggest the most amusing object to put beside an engineer’s statue! Can we do Thomas Crapper first!!
For decades, I have decried the lack of recognition for engineers in the UK. Engineering, in my opinion, as always been seen as a dirty job and never regarded as a profession. “Engineers” are just the people who come and fix the washing machine, after all. Getting names of engineering pioneeers other than Isambard Kingdom Brunel into the public eye would hopefully help address the issue.
This poll is, sadly, likely only to be preaching to the already converted. Having schools promote the profession and benefits has to start as well. Recognition via statues is a good start, though.
I agree with most of the foregoing and feel that Engineers have become lost in the background termed ‘industry’, which many people still see as grimy or heavy machinery.
The artistic achievers of this country are constantly lauded over by the BBC programmers, so why are Engineers and Scientists so woefully under-represented? Many of them, I am sure, could be quite as entertaining as the current offerings if only given an opportunity to ‘sell their wares’
Of course we should have the great Engineers celebrated; I’ll add Barnes Wallis to the list for one.
Of course we should also stop the unjustified bleating about pay and status, etc, and leave that to the Teachers where it’s equally unjustified, just more public.
Engineers are under valued as well as being under paid. But we do it for the love of the job. I think only British engineers should have statues in this country.
And…. lets have Churchward at Paddington, Bulleid at Waterloo and Stanier at Euston, too: all brilliant, innovative engineers.
Euston already has Robert Stevenson.
Statues are a good idea, but I do think it may give the impression that engineering is historical. Perhaps a better way of bringing engineering to the notice of modern students, would be to fire this publication (and possibly others of a similar ilk) into schools, so current and future engineering projects can be up for discussion. This would help stop politicians highlighting only those projects which suit their own purposes!!
Sir Nigel Gresley was the LNER Chief MECHANICAL Engineer – as their Chief CIVIL Engineer would be reminding the I Mech E were he able.
Cuneo’s statue in Waterloo Station has his mouse, so Gresley should have his Mallard.
Plans afoot…from whom?
If Barnes Wallis, then Nevil Shute Norway as well:
Capital E every time we use the word, Engineer, Engineering… will start to deal with the present lack of recognition. Ing (European root in Ingenious) would help as well.
Some years ago, I did have occasion to point out to a very senior person that but for Engineers,
the military would have no uniforms, nor weapons, nor means of delivery, not barracks, docks, airfields….
The vicars would have no vestments, cathedrals,organs, prayer books, and
the lawyers would still be using quill pens, parchment, politicians would be similarly bereft of the means of their exercise of power……. you get the idea.
Here we are supplying the very means of their continued exercise of absolute power…to the conflict groups: perhaps particularly pertinent as they celebrate the start of WW1. They may be celebrating, ordinary mortals merely remember.
Previous posts, which appear to have raised the occasional stir still apply.
Best
Mike b
To have statues and monuments erected to the memory of Engineers who have contributed to World Development and improvement is quite prepostorous.
Far better that this honour is reserved for the far more important input to society of television “stars” such as newsreaders, pop stars, disc jockeys etc. as currently dominated by the so called Honours List. This list has now degenerated to an unbelievably low level
Engineer Statues are a great idea and there should be more of them, but the downside is they are very ‘local’ and therefore may not be seen by as many as could benefit from them. As a supplement, there should be an online reference dedicated to ‘Great British Engineering’, covering all 4 UK regions and the Republic of Ireland. In addition to plaques on statues, QR codes could link to the online reference. It should be incorporated into the education syllabus somewhere between technology, history and business studies. Many young people could gain much inspiration and encouragement through the stories of their local and national Engineers. I’d guess that, sadly, most young people would struggle to name more than a few great Engineers.
We have “Queen’s Counsel”
we have “Queen’s Commission”
and we have “Queen’s appointment” at vicars in the established church:
If the Monarchy was really serious about supporting the real wealth (as opposed to money) creators…we should surely, in the century of technology have
Queen’s Scientist
Queen’s Engineer and I have postulated that
Queen’s Volunteer would offer recognition to those who give-up their time, gratis, to support a higher level of activity.
Any chance?
Not whilst the fancy-dress wearing conflict groups retain, unchallenged, the power that they do.
But I live in hopes.
best
Mike B
Agree with Steve Gardner about getting this publication into schoold, providing the unjustified bleating about pay, status, etc by people who only tlake the profession down is omitted.
In thirty plus years of Engineering, I have never been mistaken as one who would fix someone’s car (I usually could), repair their coffee machine (quite possibly could) or repair their photocopier (much lessl likely).
Until people stop talking down the profession with these wholly unjustified fictions, we cannot move forward. If you will not take these pathetic chips off your shoulders, please go and do something else. The Professsion can well do without you, and in your own beliefs, you’ll be far better off anyway. As will Engineering.
There are a few statues and monuments for engineers in Coventry. This did not prevent their companies to go bankrupt.
Maybe we should also put statues up for Landlords asking for too much rent, accountants, CEOs, LEYLAND!, etc. and explaining their role?
Engineering is seen as a less desirable qualification these days. The ‘Arts’ are much more likely to attract students, possibly because it is seen as easier to gain an ‘Arts’ type qualification than an Engineering one. To counter this the government should list all professions by a ‘Value-add’ factor, i.e. the benefit the occupation brings to the wealth of the country. Then, using this factor along with the total national cost of further education, fees can be calculated that reflect future ‘wealth generation’. I am sure the fees for an Engineering education will be at, or near, zero.