to the casual, non-discerning browser of all things internet, it would strike me, look you see that someone might think it is the case that i have set (as my life's work) the task of visiting each and every statue in the world which pertains, or has relevance to, that most impressive corporate organisation which is known in passing as Manchester United. whereas i would argue this is not the case, certain posts and the subsequent evidence provided thereof challenges my argument somewhat. as it is with this particular post.
my travels - partially in pursuit of finding what happened to all them speedboats what got given away as prizes on Bullseye to them deft with darts - have or had recently taken me to a rather fondly regarded hamlet called Dudley, pronounced "Dudley". this caused a considerable degree of joy, not to mention much merriment, for my Dad, as he was, from several thousand miles away, able to instruct (and indeed direct) me to the location of a particular statue in this fine, cosmopolitan metropolis.
i agreed, or if you will consented, to such instruction and direction, knowing full well that i would be unlikely to experience peace until such a task had been undertaken and completed to his satisfaction. there would, to my mind, be absolutely neither barrier to nor cause for me not to share aspects of this quest here. should i be mistaken in this regard, please then disregard all of this entire, thanks.
yes, quite, indeed. of the many statues of Dudley (for a start, they have an inexplicable fixation on Pegasus that i mean to research more), it is the one of Duncan Edwards that i was tasked or otherwise assigned to visit, to inspect and to record images of.
many a fan of football in general, but the England national team and Manchester United in particular, will know of Duncan Edwards. for those unaware, he was one of the several who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958. whilst all life lost that day was sad, it is Duncan Edwards who is most frequently held up as a statement of just how tragic the incident was. had he not been taken away at far too young an age, the belief, and all evidence of how he played, is that today he would have been spoken of a good deal more, and spoken of in the same sentences as Pele, George Best and a number of others who have graced the game. which is to say the very best of the best.
with the above in mind, it is surely little or no surprise that Dudley are proud that he is a son of their fair area of the world. and, as my Dad has a fondness for football and was deeply upset by the Munich air disaster, it really was no trouble at all for me to go and observe this magnificent statue, and indeed pay my respects.
true, on a superficial level taking or otherwise making a video of a statue would appear to make little sense. by definition, if nothing else, a statue would not strictly speaking make any movement or take any such actions that the capture of motion would be required for. well, except in that Doctor Who thing, but still. my idea, however, was to try and give one of them sort of "360" views of the statue of Duncan Edwards in Dudley, for them what are interested. and i would assume that this means you, if you are still reading.
any interesting stories to speak of or other such tales to tell about getting these images and the video? oh, yes. a colleague, or if you will contemporary of mine, very kindly drove me to the spot where one can find the statue. finding a suitable place to stop near it was relatively straightforward, due to the immense passion and pride the people of Dudley would appear to have in regards of traffic accidents and incidents. one such episode happened just a few cars down from us. thus, i was able to hop out of the vehicle, take video and pictures, and then rush to get back into the very same vehicle prior to the constabulary ordering us, along with a good mile or so of other vehicles, to reverse the incorrect way along a one way street, then divert down a street designated as being for buses, taxis and so forth only.
now let us address any unsavoury accusations some of you may have. for most of last year i was dogged - plagued, in truth - with suggestions that i was not a "proper fan" of Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys. i am keen to avoid any such nonsense again. but still, there are some who will suggest that the above is all fraudulent, a flight of fantasy - at least insofar as my presence and involvement is concerned. very well.
there you have it, to be sure. one of them "selfie" things, featuring me, or moi, as a selfie is by definition is required to do, stood before or otherwise adjacent to this magnificent statue. oh, i have no doubt certain people out there will still have no belief that i was there; all i can do is simply state oh yes, but i was.
hopefully this has been of interest, use perhaps, to those who cannot visit this statue themselves. or maybe it has alerted one or two to the fact that it does exist, and so they may plan a visit to Dudley too.
would it be my intention to visit any further statues erected in celebration of key figures in the monumental corporate success of Manchester United? not immediately, but you never know. if, for example, they put up a statue celebrating Roy "Boom Boom" Keane, i would be there. and, surely, if they did similar for that moment when (ooh aah) Cantona kung fu kicked that one fan in the head. but, beyond that, i shall probably refrain from such, unless my Dad instructs me otherwise.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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