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| Billy Connolly: Will the Big Yin's statue ever find a home? | Billy Connolly: Will the Big Yin's statue ever find a home? |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Two of Scotland's best-loved comedians have nicknames related to their height - The Big Yin and The Tall Droll - but aside from their 6ft-plus stature, it was Billy Connolly's adoration of pioneering funnyman Chic Murray that forged links between the two. | Two of Scotland's best-loved comedians have nicknames related to their height - The Big Yin and The Tall Droll - but aside from their 6ft-plus stature, it was Billy Connolly's adoration of pioneering funnyman Chic Murray that forged links between the two. |
| Billy was not only inspired by Murray's surreal form of storytelling, he also took pleasure in performing his rib-tickling tales during his own stand-up shows. | Billy was not only inspired by Murray's surreal form of storytelling, he also took pleasure in performing his rib-tickling tales during his own stand-up shows. |
| After one such joke during his 1994 World Tour of Scotland - the one about the German pole vaulter - he quipped: "They should have a statue to Chic Murray in Edinburgh." | After one such joke during his 1994 World Tour of Scotland - the one about the German pole vaulter - he quipped: "They should have a statue to Chic Murray in Edinburgh." |
| And 17 years later, that call was answered - almost. | And 17 years later, that call was answered - almost. |
| In 2011, owner of the Oran Mor venue and long-running champion of the arts in Glasgow, Colin Beattie, commissioned a larger-than-life statue of the two comedians. | In 2011, owner of the Oran Mor venue and long-running champion of the arts in Glasgow, Colin Beattie, commissioned a larger-than-life statue of the two comedians. |
| Entitled The Patter, the £100,000 piece depicts the pair at opposite ends of a see-saw, Greenock-born Chic standing upright with Billy hunched over - a nod to how he would always "look up" to his predecessor. | Entitled The Patter, the £100,000 piece depicts the pair at opposite ends of a see-saw, Greenock-born Chic standing upright with Billy hunched over - a nod to how he would always "look up" to his predecessor. |
| But the 7ft statue has never been erected in public - and instead has lain in storage for the past eight years. | But the 7ft statue has never been erected in public - and instead has lain in storage for the past eight years. |
| Mr Beattie said the statue was intended for the grounds of the Oran Mor - but his hands are tied due to a land dispute with Glasgow City Council. | Mr Beattie said the statue was intended for the grounds of the Oran Mor - but his hands are tied due to a land dispute with Glasgow City Council. |
| He wants to reclaim a small strip of pavement on Great Western Road which used to be a garden in the grounds of the building when it was the Kelvinside Parish Church. The area was sold to the council long before the Oran Mor came into being. | He wants to reclaim a small strip of pavement on Great Western Road which used to be a garden in the grounds of the building when it was the Kelvinside Parish Church. The area was sold to the council long before the Oran Mor came into being. |
| A petition has been running since 2011, urging the council to hand the land over to the Oran Mor - but bosses have cited pedestrian footfall and damage to the trees among their reasons for refusing the bid. | A petition has been running since 2011, urging the council to hand the land over to the Oran Mor - but bosses have cited pedestrian footfall and damage to the trees among their reasons for refusing the bid. |
| They said an advertising drum was also refused permission for the same reason. | They said an advertising drum was also refused permission for the same reason. |
| "I have serious frustrations with this," Mr Beattie said. "The north elevation has sat in limbo for 40-50 years. | "I have serious frustrations with this," Mr Beattie said. "The north elevation has sat in limbo for 40-50 years. |
| "I thought here's the perfect opportunity to put in the statues for Billy and Chic and got carried away with that." | "I thought here's the perfect opportunity to put in the statues for Billy and Chic and got carried away with that." |
| The idea for the statue came from a meeting between Mr Beattie and artist David Annand - who were originally discussing a statue commission for Scots poet Edwin Morgan. | |
| They realised they were both mutual friends of Billy Connolly and the family of Chic Murray, who died in 1985. | They realised they were both mutual friends of Billy Connolly and the family of Chic Murray, who died in 1985. |
| They immediately decided to move forward with a tribute to the two. | They immediately decided to move forward with a tribute to the two. |
| Mr Beattie said he has the backing of Billy, as well as the approval of Chic's daughter Annabelle and son Douglas. | Mr Beattie said he has the backing of Billy, as well as the approval of Chic's daughter Annabelle and son Douglas. |
| "What Billy would tell you is Chic was his idol," said Colin. "Even Chic's joke about the woman's nose that got stuck in the rail track - that inspired Billy to do his bike joke. | "What Billy would tell you is Chic was his idol," said Colin. "Even Chic's joke about the woman's nose that got stuck in the rail track - that inspired Billy to do his bike joke. |
| "That's why we had Chic standing on the see-saw and the fulcrum off-centre, with Billy always looking up. Their dynamic dictates that. | "That's why we had Chic standing on the see-saw and the fulcrum off-centre, with Billy always looking up. Their dynamic dictates that. |
| "I'm sure Billy would concur that Chic Murray is his soulmate." | "I'm sure Billy would concur that Chic Murray is his soulmate." |
| On marriage: | On marriage: |
| Chic Murray: "If it weren't for marriage, husbands and wives would have to fight with strangers." | Chic Murray: "If it weren't for marriage, husbands and wives would have to fight with strangers." |
| Billy Connolly: "Marriage is a wonderful invention: then again, so is a bicycle repair kit." | Billy Connolly: "Marriage is a wonderful invention: then again, so is a bicycle repair kit." |
| On science: | On science: |
| Chic Murray: "If something's neither here nor there, where the hell is it?" | Chic Murray: "If something's neither here nor there, where the hell is it?" |
| Billy Connolly: "Why should I learn algebra? I've no intention of ever going there." | Billy Connolly: "Why should I learn algebra? I've no intention of ever going there." |
| On food: | On food: |
| Chic Murray: "Kippers - fish that like a lot of sleep." | Chic Murray: "Kippers - fish that like a lot of sleep." |
| Billy Connolly: "A well-balanced person has a drink in each hand." | Billy Connolly: "A well-balanced person has a drink in each hand." |
| Social history | Social history |
| Over the course of his career Mr Beattie has run a number of notable venues in and around Glasgow including the Lismore Bar and the Renfrew Ferry - all, he says, contained pieces of artwork that nodded to Scottish culture. | Over the course of his career Mr Beattie has run a number of notable venues in and around Glasgow including the Lismore Bar and the Renfrew Ferry - all, he says, contained pieces of artwork that nodded to Scottish culture. |
| He believes the statue of Billy and Chic could become one of the country's significant landmarks if plans ever move forward. | He believes the statue of Billy and Chic could become one of the country's significant landmarks if plans ever move forward. |
| He said: "Public art gets into your bones and this work could be as important to Glasgow as Greyfriar's Bobby is to Edinburgh or Molly Malone in Dublin. | He said: "Public art gets into your bones and this work could be as important to Glasgow as Greyfriar's Bobby is to Edinburgh or Molly Malone in Dublin. |
| "I've had numerous venues and what I like to put in them is a bit of social history as reference point - so when you're inside it moves the scope of conversation on from things like Rangers and Celtic." | "I've had numerous venues and what I like to put in them is a bit of social history as reference point - so when you're inside it moves the scope of conversation on from things like Rangers and Celtic." |
| Eight years on, the desire to place the statue has not waned - patrons of the Oran Mor are still urged to sign Mr Beattie's petition. | Eight years on, the desire to place the statue has not waned - patrons of the Oran Mor are still urged to sign Mr Beattie's petition. |
| Unsurprisingly, several signatures were given following the venue's run of Chic Murray: A Funny Place for a Window. The show, which previously ran at the Oran Mor's A Play, A Pie and A Pint series, has also been aired on BBC Scotland in a new theatre series. | Unsurprisingly, several signatures were given following the venue's run of Chic Murray: A Funny Place for a Window. The show, which previously ran at the Oran Mor's A Play, A Pie and A Pint series, has also been aired on BBC Scotland in a new theatre series. |
| It comes ahead of the 100th anniversary of Chic's birthday - 6 November, 1919. | It comes ahead of the 100th anniversary of Chic's birthday - 6 November, 1919. |
| After a brief spell in Edinburgh, the statue is now in storage in a warehouse in Lanarkshire. | After a brief spell in Edinburgh, the statue is now in storage in a warehouse in Lanarkshire. |
| Whether it will see the light of day again remains to be seen. | Whether it will see the light of day again remains to be seen. |
| All images subject to copyright. | All images subject to copyright. |