Fylde MP Mark Menzies has praised all those who have helped in creating the statue of Bobby Ball which now graces and has pride of place in the Lowther Gardens. Meeting up with Bobby’s comedy partner, Tommy Cannon, MP Menzies said ‘Well done to all involved in creating this lasting tribute to Bobby’s showbiz career and local fundraising.’
The brilliant bronzed statue, weighing roughly 600kg (1322 lbs) and proudly standing nine-foot high, portrays Bobby on his 40th birthday with a twinkle in this eye whilst pulling on his braces.
The much loved Bobby tragically died in October 2020 aged 76 after testing positive for Covid. Following this sad news, Ben Twiston-Davies – who created the Agatha Christie memorial in London – was chosen to produce his impressive bronze statue. Bobby’s wife of 46 years, Yvonne, said the artist had ‘nailed’ his likeness after he ‘studied everything’ about the much-loved entertainer and added that Bobby would have been ‘overwhelmed’ by the statue honouring him She said: ‘To put it in his words, he’d be ‘piggin’ chuffed’. Bob loved living in Lytham. We had made it our home so to have him remembered with a statue in the gardens of Lowther Pavilion is very special indeed.’
Councillor Karen Buckley, Fylde Council leader, said: ‘Bobby was a very special, incredibly talented and unique individual who was truly adopted by the locals of Lytham St Anne’s. His lasting legacy of kindness and joy means he will be sadly missed and this statue will ensure he can go on giving that joy to visitors and residents of the area long after Bobby took his final bow and left the stage.’
Bobby was a patron of Lowther Pavilion and had performed at the venue many times, including the staging of the first play he wrote, ‘Rock Off Tommy’.
