Relief

Sport relief sculpture

Erection date: 1934

Inscription

Lord’s Cricket Ground

{Behind the heads:}
Play up, play up and play the game. 

{At left, below the figures:}
Presented to St Marylebone by Alderman David Isaacs 1934.

{Just above the right-most foot:}
Gilbert Bayes, 1934.

Portland stone.  Charmingly modern relief sculpture showing 13 sport participants (including 3 women) all of whom carry their racquets and footballs the way saints carry their attributes of wheels and keys.  The sports represented are: tennis, golf, cricket, rugby, football, rowing, swimming. One of the cricketers is gingerly proffering 'the Ashes'. The central figure is a man towelling himself down, presumably in the changing rooms, and taking the opportunity to show off his physique. A cricketer kneeling down to do something with his bat may really be sneaking a look under the towel. The “Play up” quote comes from the 1897 poem ‘Vitai Lampada’ by Sir Henry Newbolt.

Site: Sport relief sculpture (1 memorial)

NW8, St John's Wood Road, Lords Cricket Ground

This doen't really commemorate anything but it is such fun we had to have it.

The sculpture was placed on this corner following a widening of the roadway in 1934.  Then in 1995-6 the corner was remodelled and a new setting was formed for the sculpture.  Masterfile have a picture of the sculpture in its previous position, with a plaque below.  We'd love to know what that plaque said.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sport relief sculpture

Subjects commemorated i

Lord's cricket ground

Thomas Lord laid out his original cricket ground in Dorset Square in 1787. It...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Sport relief sculpture

Created by i

Borough of St Marylebone

Created in 1900 from the parish of St Marylebone.  In 1965 it joined Paddingt...

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Gilbert Bayes

Born 6 Oval Road, Camden Town. Also did the bronze group with clock at the en...

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David Isaacs

Alderman in St Marylebone.  Ran a business as estate agent and surveyor in St...

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Sir Henry Newbolt

Poet. Also: lawyer, novelist, playwright and magazine editor. Born Staffordsh...

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