New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

Friday Photo: The Sleeping Giant

Posted August 5th, 2016 by Julie Webb with No Comments

Blue Nose

Today’s Friday photo is the Sleeping Iron Giant, situated at the junction of Garrison Lane and Cattral Road in Bordesley Green.  The sculpture is a large tilted cast-iron head with sleeping eyes and a cheek resting precariously on a grass mound.  The sculpture was created by Ondre Nowakowski (1992) and commissioned by the public Heartlands Development Corporation, as part of a regeneration of the heartlands area.

The sculpture is supposed to be completely cast iron with no graffiti or paint. However, for any Birmingham City FC fans out there, this famous landmark, being so close to the Blues ground, is more often than not permanently painted with a blue nose! I took this picture a while ago now, but did capture the head with its nose painted blue, representing the nickname of City fans.

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