Ray Lonsdale unveils two stunning new sculptures celebrating Sunderland's shipyard heritage

Celebrated sculptor Ray Lonsdale has created two evocative scenes which now, fittingly, take their place on St Peter’s Riverside after the artist spent years crafting them from corten steel in his South Hetton workshop.

The first of the two, called It Says Here, towers at 2.7metres high and depicts two shipyard workers having their lunch together, reading about the closure of the yards in the Sunderland Echo, and captures the mood of people in the city as the industry came to the end of its life.

The second scene, called Launch Day, is set decades later and captures one of the workers, now a grandfather , telling his granddaughter stories about what it was like to work in the shipyards.

They’re set to be just as popular as Ray’s many other sculptures in the area, which include Gan Canny in Keel Square, Tommy in Seaham and Shifting Times, a 5m high steel sculpture of a miner’s helmet in Houghton.

Ray said: “As someone born and raised in the North East, I am proud of my roots and it’s an honour to celebrate that through my work.

“These latest pieces have been ready for some time, so it is a magnificent moment, seeing them lifted into position and making their mark on the riverside.

“I never fail to feel overwhelmed by the incredibly warm response my pieces receive from a community that is rightly proud of its past. And I hope they feel a connection to these pieces, which stand alongside some beautiful sculptures lining the riverside.”

The pieces now form part of Sunderland’s Sculpture Trail, which runs along the final part of the Coast to Coast cycle route, and was created over a decade from 1991 to 2001 by sculptor Colin Wilbourn and writer Chaz Brenchley.

Another recent new addition on the trail is Molly, who stands in front of National Glass Centre.

Created by Dr Ron Lawson, she was commissioned by the Sunderland branch of the Soroptimists - who work to support and champion women and girls across the world - with the support of Sunderland City Council and Apextra CIC, to create a piece that would represent a lasting legacy for the Wearside women who kept the shipyards afloat during the war.

Cllr Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “These are stunning pieces that celebrate a part of the city’s history that we’re all enormously proud of, and that residents – understandably – like to see commemorated.

“We have the most beautiful Riverside in Sunderland, with many thousands of people walking along it every year, and – using artwork – we are able to tell them the stories of bygone chapter’s in the city’s rich history. It’s really lovely.”