Lowther Gardens Lytham Trust and Fylde Council are raising money for a special memorial statue of our friend and local legend Bobby Ball that will be situated in the Lowther Gardens, Lytham.
Bobby was a patron of Lowther Pavilion and had performed at the venue many times, including the staging of the first play he wrote, ‘Rock Off Tommy’, seven years ago, that he performed with local community group Fylde Coast Players.
The Friends of Lowther Pavilion was formed in 2008 to campaign and raise funds to help save our theatre and ensure its continued survival, Bobby was part of the team that spearheaded the first fundraising efforts for the theatre and gardens.
In agreement with Bobby Ball’s family, the statue will be located within the grounds of Lowther Gardens and the below provides an outline of the design concept.
- 1.5 x life size bronze statue of Bobby based on his 40th birthday appearance
- In Lowther Gardens close to the Theatre
- To have a ‘twinkle in his eye’
- One leg slightly forward
- Slightly pulling on right brace with right thumb
Tim Lince, Theatre Manager, said “The whole team at Lowther 100 per cent supports this idea, he was more than just a local comedian for our Theatre. Bobby was a great supporter and helped us fund-raise, he wasn’t just supportive of the professional acts, but the amateur groups as well. He was a real community player, and he would often drop in with his mischievous laugh coming down the corridor. He is a great, great loss to Lowther. The volunteers, the staff and everyone else would like to see something done to honour his memory.”
Leader of Fylde Council, Karen Buckley, added: “Bobby was a very special, incredibly talented and unique individual who was truly adopted by the locals of Lytham St Annes. His lasting legacy of kindness and joy means he will be sadly missed and this statue will ensure he can go on giving that joy to visitors and residents of the area long after Bobby took his final bow and left the stage.
We believe that Lowther Gardens is the perfect place for Bobby to be remembered and to remain part of the community as well as in our hearts.”
