Dawley mystery over hillside sign

Monday 7th June 2010, 11:29AM BST.

A Hollywood-style Dawley sign has gone up at the edge of Paddock Mount
A Hollywood-style Dawley sign has gone up at the edge of Paddock Mount

Has the glitz and glamour of Hollywood made its way to a town in Shropshire? That is the question on residents’ lips in Dawley, Telford, today after a mystery sign appeared on the edge of Paddock Mount over the weekend.

It is believed the Hollywood-style sign was put up on Saturday night but town officials have been left scratching their heads as to where it came from.

The huge white letters spelling out Dawley have been carefully cut out and hammered in on top of the tree-cleared mount.

Councillor Carol Williams, from Great Dawley Parish Council, said the sign was the talk of the town.

She said: “I was at Dawley British Legion’s summer party yesterday and everyone was talking about it.

“One person said it was not there on Saturday so it appeared overnight.

“I have no idea where it has come from but it makes you smile, I think it’s brilliant.

“Whoever did it went to a lot of effort because the letters have been cut out very neatly.”

Telford artist Dan Smith, from Leegomery, who left drivers bemused when he put two sculptures made of bicycle parts on Jiggers Bank roundabout in Telford in 2008, today said he was also in the dark over who the artist might be.

“It’s not me this time, but I’d like to know who did it,” said Mr Smith.

Councillor Eric Carter, cabinet member for regeneration at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “Although the appearance of the sign is a mystery, from my perspective anything that helps to raise the profile of the borough is a positive thing.”

Do you know who the artist is? Contact the Shropshire Star on (01952) 242424 or e-mail newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk


  1. 1
    Rob, Telford

    All they need now is a stuffed pig on the wall at the bottom of the bank!!!

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    • Barbara Richards

      I think its well funny.About time someone in the villiage brightened the place up a bit.Glad to know there are still fun people in the small place where i grew up :)

      Report abuse

  2. 2
    Grey

    t looks great! It’s good to see that someone has a sense of humour.
    I hope it is left up until the site is redeveloped.

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    DevilsChair

    Excellent! Hope the jobsworths don’t spoil it.

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  4. 4
    MKhan

    “Has the glitz and glamour of Hollywood made its way to a town in Shropshire? That is the question on residents’ lips”

    Really? I doubt it.

    But pedantry aside, I think it’s fun, and agree with Grey that I hope it is left up.

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  5. 5
    Katie

    What a fab idea!! It looks great!!
    A lot of hard work must have gone into this…. I hope it is left! :0)

    Report abuse

  6. 7
    heather

    It’s about Dawley-Wood and that what people want for Dawley to have our own wood. TAWPA and Carol Williams are the ones who had the trees ripped down in the first place!

    Report abuse

  7. 8
    debbie

    i think its brilliant it made me smile, well done whoever did it !!

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  8. 9
    Old Broadsheet

    Thumbs up to them for drawing attention to the mess that is Paddock Mount!

    I’d like to know what the councillors responsible for this fiasco now intend to do if the Government pull new school building funding? I think we should those councillors personally replant every tree?

    Report abuse

    • Anna Noto

      Its the best thing thats happened since they destroyed Paddock Mount.
      Yes they should plant all the trees back and
      give us are green space back and the wildlife that went with it

      Report abuse

  9. 10
    Tawney Smithers

    Defiantly brightens up a rather spoilt skyline doncha think…..A Most Excellent job:D

    Report abuse

  10. 11
    Shropsman

    Brilliant !!! 10/10 !!!! just goes to show people are still capable if having a laugh without mindless destruction …. more than can be said of the Council bosses who decided to rip out a load of perfectly viable trees !!!

    I think the developers should be made to keep it there permanently !!

    Report abuse

  11. 12
    paula

    I think its fantastic….Best thing i seen in Dawley for a long time!!x

    Report abuse

  12. 13
    roadrunner

    “Thumbs up to them for drawing attention to the mess that is Paddock Mount!

    I’d like to know what the councillors responsible for this fiasco now intend to do if the Government pull new school building funding? I think we should those councillors personally replant every tree?”

    I agree, this could turn into a right fiasco if nothing gets done on this site for years, as tends to happen SOOO much in Telford….just look at Leegomery and the flats at Woodside if you want examples of council dragging their feet and in those two cases it wasn’t even wanton destruction.

    Report abuse

  13. 14
    garry

    i love it, it puts dawley on the map.make it a permanent fixture, at least some one out their has got some sence, more than some tin gods,

    Report abuse

  14. 15
    Emma Ellis

    What a great way to cover up the mess, We really do hope they leave it….

    Report abuse

  15. 16
    Maxine CrazyscousebirdSedgwick

    Laughing at this BRAVO such a shame to see the trees gone glad to see people have a sense of humour!!!!!!! Nice one

    Report abuse

  16. 17
    dawley lass

    i like it, fair play

    lets keep it, simple but effective, no problem bother or cost to anyone really but it puts us on the map

    Report abuse

  17. 18
    Claire

    I think its a great idea, it was such a shame when the trees were cut down when paddock mount was a huge part of dawleys identity, maybe this could become its new id and put a smile back on the faces of at least a few of locals faces.

    Report abuse

  18. 19
    Mick

    Wont be long before the sad council mob take it down, It wont have planning permission to be there.. But then again they still dont have the go ahead for the new school. I live at the foot of what was a nice little wood, Now it just looks like a dumping ground..A big thank you to those people who put money and profit before local people.

    Report abuse

  19. 20
    FoxyRox

    I think this sign is absolutely brilliant! If this doesn’t bring a smile to your face there must be something wrong with you!!

    Report abuse

  20. 21
    pete

    no heather gdpc does not yet have juristdiction over borough planning for a new bespoke secondary school desperately needed for Dawley .Now as a result of your labour policy’s these schools may be axed as the piggy bank has been broken , just remember paddock mount is not a brown field site it is an ancient woodland site of historic importance a remarkable relic of the greenway amid the spoil of dawley’s former industrial past . Well done for the sign though jockey lads ! Doesn’t it make you smile !!!!

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    • Old Broadsheet

      While they may not have jurisdiction members of GDPC have been as complicit in this whole fiasco as they were when the Dun Cow was allowed to be demolished.

      When Telford and Wrekin radically changed the plans last November during a 4 hour public liaison sham (using GDPC offices I might add) the GDPC regeneration committee didnt have the balls to take them to task.

      When a preservation order was being sought on these trees T&W bought forward the plans to fell them even though they didnt (and still dont) have planning permission for the propsed school etc. Where was our representation from GDPC?

      For T&W and certain GDPC councillor’s sake this development had better happen soon or they will feel the wrath of Dawley residents. I can think of some more apt signage that could be placed on the mount if this development doesn’t happen!

      Report abuse

  21. 22
    Donna and ian fox

    Ow bist good on you guys !!!! Since the woods have gone it’s been emotional x

    Report abuse

  22. 23
    Zoe Pope

    Haha!!! That’s abserloutely fantastic!! Havn’t laughed so much in ages but in a good way! Big it up for Dawley!!! :O)

    Report abuse

  23. 24
    Rob, Telford

    If the new school does go ahead what do you think is going to happen to the existing Phoenix site???

    Not houses by any chance???

    Report abuse

  24. 25
    Claire

    Wow – this is so cool, i love it, really made my day, i hope someone dosen’t ruin it though out of spite

    Report abuse

  25. 26
    Meg

    Absolutely fantastic!! It’s certainly put Dawley on the map! Goodbye Hollywood, hello Dawley!

    Report abuse

  26. 27
    dawley mon

    why are all these labour members so negative of this bespoke new school for Dawley .If it wasn’t for the conservatives acting with prescient vision Dawley would inevitably lose it secondary schools provision amid the financial restraints of of labour’s losing governance . Its a green issue theres a lesser spotted flea that lives in them there trees next to the roosting sty box thirty foot up that tree look yer! Why do we need more houses the wallors scream .lets not consider the obvious housing requiste in sixty years we’ll pretend shall we .What a hokum this labour tosh are.

    Report abuse

    • Rob, Telford

      It’s very easy for you to say that Dawley Mon – but damned near impossible for the rest of us to figure out what the hell you’re on about!!

      Report abuse

  27. 28
    dawley mon

    Brilliant sign though we need more fun!

    Report abuse

  28. 29
    simon

    Good point Broad sheet where was Nicola holmes when the consultancy was going on ?She’s always there for the christmas party never misses it ,even has her own table . And who’s fault is it that so may public houses have been closed in the last ten years? Who’s government policy has destroyed public finance? labour losers are so bitter and twisted when people realise others care more sensibly about this country.

    Report abuse

    • Old Broadsheet

      Actually, I was referring to members from all the parties…

      Besides this is not a party issue as some are trying to make it, but incompetence and protection of self interest from nearly all our local councillors.

      On the subject of Public Houses I should mention a couple of parish councillors who lived within a stone throw of the Dun Cow and never uttered a word in its defence!

      As for the following post I think the Conservatives and Eade in particular deserve absolutely no credit whatsoever, remember that is is Cameron that is axing the funding for new schools – isnt he a Tory?

      Report abuse

  29. 30
    timothy

    The conservatives deserve full credit for their actions if they had left the site till after the election the funding would simply not have been given . Eade deserve a pat on the back for ensuring Dawley gets a secondary school provision for the next sixty years I’ll buy him a drink any day. I Think the sign is an ingenious piece of work what fun .At Christmas I’ll go up there and stick a decorated christmas tree that should please the labour members hohoho !

    Report abuse

  30. 31
    Kath

    ermmm – any chance of that in English please, dawley mon? I’ve got a weird mental picture of pigs half way up trees being bothered by spotted fleas.

    Report abuse

  31. 32
    margaret boden

    hi
    i think itsabsolutely brill and hope they leave it

    Report abuse

  32. 33
    Jenni

    This is a disaster, why has the Council destroyed and ripped all these trees out, couldnt they surely of found a flat piece of land to build on, or was it a backhander deal.
    This council must hate anything that is green and growing, What is the point of protecting our trees scheme when things like ths happens.
    Forget the sign you have now lost these lovely woods.

    Report abuse

  33. 34
    pete

    owde up jockey lad !tabloid chap isn’t gdpc labour led cllr Jenny Athersmith is the one to blame if anyone shes been there the longest and let dawley down the most for that . I know cllr shaun davies is trying his hardest amid such out standing (ahem)public figures but his rumours are purely delusional . Not in his wildest dreams would t&w conservative group now leave padduck mount now they’ve commited to giving Dawley folk the school our children deserve.I’d be more worried given labour mess up of public finances had they not of already started to develop the site .As for cllr nicola holmes one minute shes liberal then when they’re in government shes labour has she got a loser fixation or is it that she doesn’t know what her politics are most of us certainly don’t know and most definately dont care for her opinion not that she could be bothered to contribute to the consultancy of this propsal. loolk at the minutes jockey lad !!!

    Report abuse

  34. 35
    Grey

    According to the environmental reports the site is heavily contaminated, there were even reports of spontaneous combustion because of the chemicals in the soil. To clean it up they need to build housing(aparently as remediation is very expensive. The trees had to come down now becuase of the bird nesting season. All wild birds are protected while nestig so if a site where the ground is going to be treated or built on before winter the trees have to come out before spring. Not that I’m excusing the loss of the trees.

    Having said that, conifer trees aren’t great for wildlife and the plans for redeveloping Dawley do have a lot of environmental enhancements for wildlife. We’ll have to see what comes of it I think, it could be a big benefit to Dawley which lets face it is in serious need of TLC.

    Report abuse

  35. 36
    roadrunner

    “According to the environmental reports the site is heavily contaminated, there were even reports of spontaneous combustion because of the chemicals in the soil. To clean it up they need to build housing(aparently as remediation is very expensive.”

    Grey, I’ve lived here 53 years and played on those mounts as a kid and never heard such rubbish….don’t belief all the T and W propaganda, it’s about as accurate as the old TWC stuff.

    Report abuse

  36. 37
    jockey lad

    No no no mr coyote says the puddack munt could explode at any moment ! Like an Icelandic volcanoe casting ash for a thousand years over spain or northern ireland ( depending on the wind see) expirts rekon its due to all the un tapped natural gasses from the flyin pigs trapped in the ether. Its all true I tell yer and theres even a two headed pig that rumoured to be moving into the area real soon. Dont tell new labour they’ll want to put lipstick on it and give it tamiflu then the police will want some then it ‘ll be an epidemic and then we wont be able to afford it ,then we will and then we will have to strike then we will have be poor blah blah blah…………………!

    Report abuse

  37. 38
    simon

    hello its about a sign ,is it only me that thinks parish coucillors have sought to politicise the issue labour lost torys and liberals won deal with it stop your pathetic sudo juvenile nonsense and Stop Doing us down.

    Report abuse

  38. 39
    Captain Practical

    Some of the spelling on here really is atrocious.

    Report abuse

  39. 40
    TreeHugger!

    I Used to drive by there 4 times a day..Leaving aside all thats been said,it’s Now an eyesore!
    ;O(

    Report abuse



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