WILLIAM Dixon Smith’s letter in The Press of June 15 predicts the horror of William Etty if his statue in front of York Art Gallery were to be moved as part of proposed improvements to Exhibition Square.

However, to reassure them, neither Mr Dixon Smith nor William Etty need worry about this horrid prospect. Mr Etty’s statue is a Grade II listed structure, and as such must be regarded as immovable since it was in its present position when assessed for listing.

Perhaps it didn’t occur to whoever was responsible for designing the ‘reinvigorating’ Exhibition Square scheme that a statue might be listed. But you have to wonder whether the ‘stakeholders’ cited by Mr Dixon Smith as having given the proposal their blessing included the Friends of York Art Gallery.

It is hard to believe they would have approved of the removal of one who is practically their patron saint, as well as a founding father of conservation in York.

We must be ready to remind those who should know of the status of Mr Etty’s statue when the time comes for a decision to be taken.

Alison Sinclair, Norfolk Street, York.

 

• AFTER reading William Dixon-Smith’s letter of June 15, if they do move Etty’s statue anywhere, they could move it to Pocklington, where a lot of people think he was born anyway.

Kenneth Durkin, Brindlegate, Pocklington.