BETH GETS GOLD STANDING STILL

WORLD Champion Olympic gymnast and Dancing on Ice finalist Beth Tweddle MBE, famously known for moving in extraordinary and breathtaking ways, is to be presented with a gold coloured body cast sculpture at the Museum of Liverpool.

Created by Louise Giblin, Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, Louise will present Beth with the body cast, as a thank you in return for her stripping down and being covered in plaster while standing very still.

A private collector who owns a limited edition Beth Tweddle sculpture is also to loan his piece to the Museum of Liverpool for temporary display in the Atrium.

Louise cast Beth using plaster impregnated bandage at her flat in Liverpool in 2011, a process taking an hour. The plaster cast, reinforced to survive the journey back to Louise's Sussex studio, weighed 1.5 stone (approx. 10kg) but Beth, who uses a 22kg jacket to do exercises, felt virtually nothing.

Beth said:- "I got involved with the project, as it was something completely different. After seeing some examples, I became really interested in Louise's work. It was a very strange feeling to actually have the body cast done. I had to stand still for an hour, which was a difficult task for me! I was also completely covered in what was like paper mache and it was pretty heavy by the time the cast was around me! It was worth it though, I think the end result is brilliant. I love the fact that Louise has been able to incorporate different aspects of my career, with the main theme being London."

The venue for the presentation was selected as Beth, born in Cheshire, has adopted Liverpool as her home town since training with the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club and attending Liverpool John Moores University.

Paul Gallagher, Curator of Contemporary Collecting at the Museum of Liverpool said:- "The Wondrous Place gallery has an entire exhibition dedicated to marking the achievements of sports men and women from the City. Liverpool is very proud of Beth, particularly following last year's London Olympics. She is already featured in one of our locker exhibits, and we are really pleased to be able to display Louise's sculpture of Beth in our Atrium space. It's a beautiful piece, which I'm sure our visitors will enjoy."

Beth's locker exhibit displays the leotard she wore when she won silver at the European Championships, one of her medals from when the Liverpool team won the British title, and some hand guards and gym shoes that she uses in training.

Louise Giblin said:- "The Museum of Liverpool team could not have been more helpful. They admire Beth and have gone to a lot of trouble to show my sculpture in her home town. I love Liverpool and remember the coverage when the Museum opened; it's an extraordinary space."

Olympian Series II – Beth Tweddle MBE was first exhibited alongside body cast sculptures of Dame Kelly Holmes, Kriss Akabusi MBE, Sally Gunnell OBE and Paralympian Darren Leach in Body Casting Olympians at the Mall Galleries, May 2012. The Olympian Series then toured, including visiting the British Olympian Association Chairman's Summer Balls. Sales of the Olympian series sculptures helped to raise money for Headfirst, the brain injury charity.

DEVICE DISCOVERED - SPRINGFIELD PARK

MERSEYSIDE Police, alongside other emergency services were called at about 2pm, on Thursday, 7 March 2013, to a construction site in Springfield Park near to East Prescot Road, Liverpool, after reports that an explosive device was found. A cordon was set up as a precautionary measure and The Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit (EOD) attendance to examine the device. Later that day the EOD removed the item for further examination and the emergency services on scene were stood down. Police would like to thank the public for their patience whilst this matter was dealt with.