A statue of Samuel Johnson has been unveiled following a restoration project.
The ceremony was held at King Edward VI School, where the city’s famous son – who was born in 1709 – studied when it was known as Lichfield Grammar School.
The restoration was funded by the school and The Johnson Society jointly funded the restoration of the Samuel Johnson statue, which stands outside the Library Resource Centre at the school.
It was unveiled by headteacher Jane Rutherford, Mayor of Lichfield Cllr Sam Schafer and the society’s chairman Phil Jones.
John Winterton, the Johnson Society’s Heritage Liaison Officer, also read a letter – recently acquired by The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum in Lichfield – that Dr Johnson had written to a young girl encouraging her to continue with her study of mathematics.
Mr Jones said:
“The Johnson Society greatly values its links with Johnson’s old school and we are very glad to be able to contribute to the restoration of this statue.”
Phil Jones
I reckon that is the same statue that used to be situated at the top of the flight of stairs in the new block at Johnson Hall (old Grammar School) between the Art Room and Senior Physics lab. in the early 1970s. Some idiots pushed it off the table, and myself and a lad called Ray Scrambler, who were doing A level art at the time were commandeered to repair the subsequent jigsaw of hundreds of pieces, all under the direction of our Art master, Terry Jones. It took very many weeks!
Steve George.