Port boss calls for more public art in Felixstowe

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 10:34 · Archive

Former Hutchison Ports chief David Gledhill says Felixstowe lacks civic pride and needs more public art.

David Gledhill, former chief executive of Hutchison Ports, has called for more public art in Felixstowe, saying the town lacks civic pride. He wants statues and artworks celebrating the town's history and notable residents, arguing that other Suffolk coastal towns do more to recognise local people and events.

Mr Gledhill, who chaired Felixstowe Museum, said: 'Art has a civilising effect and brings pride in the town.' He suggested potential subjects for commemoration include Colonel George Tomline, who helped found the port, and Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, who served during the First World War.

He proposed using empty shop fronts for displays and involving schoolchildren in designing murals for blank walls, including an area near Mannings Amusements in Platters Road. He made the appeal on his Facebook page, where he created an AI-generated image showing a statue of a docker looking over the seafront to illustrate his idea. He said other organisations in Felixstowe, including the Place Board, Pride in Place and the town council, were already looking at how to improve the town.

How it is being reported

• Port boss slams seaside town as 'lacking civil pride' amid calls for revivalDavid Gledhill, former chief executive officer at Hutchison Ports, has issued a call to arms for more artwork around Felixstowe.East Anglian Daily Times · 14 Oct, 06:00
• Port boss slams seaside town as 'lacking civil pride' amid calls for revivalDavid Gledhill, former chief executive officer at Hutchison Ports, has issued a call to arms for more artwork around Felixstowe.Ipswich Star · 14 Oct, 06:00

In this story: David Gledhill · Hutchison Ports · Felixstowe · Colonel George Tomline · Field Marshal Edmund Allenby

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