Mary MacArthur and the fearless women chainmakers of Cradley Heath are my local heroines. They changed the lives of so many women and workers, so it is great to see this monument to them unveiled.
It was officially opened in June 2012, on the corner of the Mary MacArthur Memorial Gardens in Cradley Heath.
It was created by local sculpture, Luke Perry. The artist has had to go to great lengths to stop local hoodlums stealing the oversized chains surrounding the sculpture for scrap.
The monument consists of a crowd of 2D steel striking chainmakers being lead by a defiant and towering (10ft high) woman. The central figure rises from the ground and her lower half bares a slight resemblance to a termite mound. This isn't a criticism - I guess it probably represents the workers rising up whilst still remaining rooted to the earth. Or something like that.
It is a very impressive sculpture that is sure to help ensure the women chainmakers are never forgotten. read more