Elaine C Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Tony Roper, Colin McCredie and Jonathan Watson are among the stars who have backed Òran Mór’s campaign to install our bronze statue of Billy Connolly & Chic Murray.
Òran Mór’s impressive bronze statue – by celebrated sculptor David Annand – is titled ‘The Patter’ and depicts Billy Connolly & Chic Murray at opposite ends of a seesaw, a nod to Billy always ‘looking up’ to Chic.
“It’s a superb piece of art and I believe it would be an asset to the city and to the country. I believe it could be for Glasgow what the Molly Malone statue is for Dublin and what Greyfriars Bobby is for Edinburgh. Billy has indicated he is for it and Chic’s family have said they are too so I really hope it will happen.”
Colin Beattie, Òran Mór owner
The statue was commissioned by Òran Mór owner Colin Beattie for Òran Mór’s Great Western Road (North) Garden, and although it has the support of both Billy Connolly and Chic Murray’s daughter Annabel, it has been in storage for almost a decade due to a land dispute with city planning officials; a small strip of pavement on Great Western Road which used to be a garden in the grounds of the building when it was the Kelvinside Parish Church.
Fans and celebrities have now urged councillors to reopen discussions with Colin Beattie in the hope the statue can be installed in its intended home. Entertainer Elaine C Smith led calls for the council to help find a way of allowing the statue to be finally unveiled.
“If Dundee can move pavements for Desperate Dan and Minnie The Minx, surely Glasgow can do that for these giants of comedy and sons of the city?”
Elaine C Smith, Entertainer
Actor Colin McCredie also supported a reopening of discussions:
“He’s the funniest man Scotland has ever produced, a true one-off and I believe he should have a statue. It would be great for it to be around when he’s still around. I hope the council and Òran Mór can find a way to make this work, and get that statue out of storage so that the public can enjoy it”
Colin McCredie, Actor
Chic Murray’s daughter Annabel Meredith has also told Colin she believes it’s critical the statues are placed outside Òran Mór, and has spoken out to drive support:
“Oran Mor is a five-minute stroll from where my dad used to live in Cecil Street. Byres Road was also his old stomping ground, and he was well known around that area.
Colin is trying to have these figures of Chic and Billy made available for ordinary people to enjoy,” she said. “He just wants to celebrate two brilliant comedians. It was his idea to get them commissioned and he paid for them.”
Annabel Meredith, daughter of Chic Murray
Colin Beattie would like to thank all the people who have written to him personally supporting the statue to be placed outside Òran Mór.
Colin did quip however, he was a bit suspicious about the support from:-
“Elon Musk saying that he was undecided if
Billy & Chic might be better placed on
The Moon or Mars!”
Read the full articles in The Sunday Post:
Daughter of comic icon Chic Murray backs Sunday Post campaign for statue of Billy Connolly to sit alongside Big Yin’s lifelong hero
The Bronze Yin: Star backing for Billy Connolly statue as ready-made sculpture gathers dust following snub by Glasgow city planners
Find out more about Òran Mór’s North Garden Project
Or head straight over and sign our petition!
