Uri Geller's gorilla on the move through Shropshire
A 13 foot high gorilla sculpture was today moving to a new temporary home in Shropshire to become a special guest at the county's leading show.
The sculpture has been made at the British Ironwork Centre at Aston just off the A5 near Oswestry for celebrity Uri Geller and the entertainer will next week have it moved to his Thames-side home.
But before it travels south the huge artwork, made from 40,000 used spoons, it was today shifted to the Shrewsbury showground and set up as a main feature for tomorrow's Shropshire County Show.
Bosses at the British Ironwork Centre said moving the huge gorilla will take a high degree of logistical skill.
Managing director Clive Knowles said: "It is a huge sculpture and obviously it took some time to move.
"It is about three and a half tonnes so we will be using a low loader to get it to the showground.
"We will be using a heavy duty teleporter to get the sculpture on the wagon and then have to use a teleporter again to get it off at the showground so it will be quite a feat.
"We wanted to get the gorilla to the show so people could see it. We want to thank everyone who got involved in the appeal for the spoons needed to built it."
The sculpture will remain at the showground until tomorrow evening when it will be loaded back up and taken to the firm's base at Aston.
It will be taken to Mr Geller's home on Wednesday.
The firm invited local schoolchildren to come to its base on Wednesday to wave it off.
Mr Knowles said the transportation of the gorilla will be recorded by Channel 4 for a new TV reality series called Transport Wars.
The company boss said the making off the gorilla and its official unveiling by Prince Michael of Kent last weekend was continuing to attract media attention.
He said: "We are still getting lots of interest which is great for the county.
"We have had inquiries from media from all over the world, including Argentinian TV and an Israeli newspaper. It is incredible."
The statue will be placed in the grounds of Mr Geller's mansion.
The entertainer opens up his gardens to sick children.
Mr Knowles added that he was hoping the statue would ultimately live somewhere more accessible to the public and that the firm was in contact with Great Ormond Street Hospital or Alder Hey Hospital as possible locations.
Uri Geller has suggested Leicester Square or possibly London Zoo.
