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Moffat Town :-
Moffat & District Community Council
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To order a booklet the following is required :- To purchase a booklet from anywhere in the UK, the cost including p&p will be £5.00 and cheques payable to Moffat and District Community Council, Ram Account, or cash should be sent with all orders. To purchase a booklet from the European Union the cost including p&p will be ten euros and only cash with the order is acceptable. To purchase a booklet from United States of America the cost including p&p will be $15 and only cash with the order is acceptable. All requests should be sent to: JEAN PURVES |
The Moffat Ram...In 1875 the businessman William Colvin decided to present a statue of a Blackface Ram and a fountain to Moffat. The Ram was cast by William Brodie, the sculptor, without ears - 'it has nae lugs' - an omission that led to folklore that William Brodie committed suicide. However, William Colvin did die in 1881 after an illness. The Ram has stood on its sandstone fountain ever since, an attraction to the town and a memory of agricultural success. Unfortunately, the local weather has not been kind to the Ram, and the fountain has long been out of use. In 2001 Mrs. Jean Cockayne suggested it be restored, whilst in 2000 Ross Edgar had suggested it be floodlit. By 2002 the work had been assessed and the fundraising for restoration and an ornamental fountain had begun. The project included cleaning and restoration of both Ram and Fountain, floodlighting, a pump and tank, a railing and a permanent Moffat Museum display. It was a big task as £ 50,000 had to be raised by the Community Council Sub-Committee in charge of the project. Funding came from a range of sponsors, including the following. :-
On 22nd December 2003 the Ram was removed from the stonework and taken to Mitchell Sculptures in Gloucester for repair. The fountain was steam cleaned by Holden Conservation, the new fountain underground tank was installed by Drummond and Murray, Scottish Power installed the electricity supply and Matchett's completed the electrical work. The lighting of the fountain was installed by Dumfries & Galloway Lighting Department, the railings by Calton Engineering and the new surface paving was by Creative Paving. The Ram was re-installed in April 2004 and the official Unveling took place on Thursday 15th April 2004 at 6:30 p.m. The Corberry Park Pipers provided music and Dr. Wattie Gillies cut the last tarpaulin free, revealing the Ram ready for another 129 years. The Famous Moffat Ram gives a much better account than this short summary. The webmaster recommends the pamphlet as being excellent value, with a range of photographs, anecdotes and some rather good poetry... Please Note : The pamphlet can be bought for £ 3.50 within the Moffat area from various outlets such as the Library and Tourist Information Office. |
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