One small step for town's 'flying bishop'

So a local worthy decided to give the "flying bishop" a step to stand on. The more irreverent then began to describe him as the skateboarding bishop.

And when the artist who had created that sculpture happened to arrive, he was initially none too happy about the unofficial alteration to his handiwork.

The bishop in question is at Bishop's Castle Community College, and for his origins we can go back to a story carried in June 1959, when he was about to have a meeting with Princess Margaret who was visiting Shropshire at the end of that month which included a trip to the south Shropshire town.

The statue, eight feet high, was at the college – in those days Bishop's Castle County High School – and was presumably brand new.

"The statue was carved by 26-year-old Michael Eastham, from Dundee, who was trained at the Slade School, London," our story read.

"The Bishop is a symbolic figure of the medieval Bishop of Hereford from whose castle the town takes its name."

Local historian David Preshous, a retired head of the college, can fill in some details.

"When I became head of the school in 1973 there was little or no information about him. The sculptor was Michael Eastham, and the Bishop was Gerard. He was made bishop of Hereford in 1096 and four years later was crowned Archbishop of York. I don't think he ever had much to do with Bishop's Castle itself.

"Your newspaper report of 1959 would probably be when he was installed on the wall of the new school building.

"I liked walking past him each morning. With his hand on his sword and the occasional sparrow's nest under his arm he seemed both protective and user-friendly. In the worst snowy winters the snow reached his feet and gave him a fine white crown."

Mr Preshous added: "There was a nice development during my time at the school. Our chairman of governors, Lieutenant Colonel Pat Sykes of Lydham Manor, was uneasy about the bishop's suspension on the wall in mid-air. He arranged, quite unofficially, for one of his employees to make a little horizontal step to go under the bishop's feet to make him look more comfortable.

"To some of us less respectful admirers he then became the skateboarding bishop!

"One day, who should arrive but sculptor Michael Eastham himself. He was at first mildly outraged at this addition, but, on hearing who had perpetrated it, agreed that the warlike bishop would probably accept the gesture from a fellow soldier.

"The step, however, at some later stage disappeared – maybe when the bishop found a new wall space.

"One honour Gerard received was to be washed and scrubbed by pupils, as part of a Christian Aid appeal."

Bishop Gerard, minus the step, remains at the college to this day, but not in his original location.

David said: "The bishop was first located on the outside wall on the right hand side of the main entrance – a prominent position. He was still there when I retired in 1997. A few years later there were some alterations to the front foyer. The bishop was moved to a wall to the left of the entrance –less prominent!

"I'm afraid I don't know anything about the reasons for the change."