Haile Selassie restored once again
Autumn 2007
The Emperor's statue after restoration (above left) with members of his family. Above right, as he appeared before restoration two years ago. Until the latest action it looked as if he was heading for that condition again.
MERTON has responded to an appeal by the Friends and restored the statue of Emperor Haile Selassie once again. The statue of Diana the Huntress has also been restored.
Both statues were restored partly thanks to the intervention of the Friends two years ago after many years of neglect by the local authority. However both had been left to decline once again until the latest restoration.
Mr Charles Mair wrote recently to the Friends:
“I recently visited Cannizaro Park and was immensely disappointed and saddened to see the state of the statue of His Imperial Majesty. The statue's plaque has been defaced and there was a puddle of water making the surrounding grounds muddy and impassable. The stone work is again beginning to look worn and cracked.
“I was present at the unveiling of its restoration. It was a glorious day and it was a pleasure to be part of such an occasion. I was impressed at the Friends of Cannizaro Park's dedication towards the maintenance of the Park's natural beauty and its historical features, in particular the statue of HIM.
“I would therefore be extremely interested as to whether there are any plans to save the statue from falling further into disrepair.”
The statue of Diana the Huntress was restored two years ago through an initiative by an exhibitor with the annual Wimbledon College of Art exhibition in Cannizaro Park. See News Release 5 in Archive.