'Sand man' Jamie Wardley digs in for city sculpture (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

90 tonnes of sand unloaded in Centenary Square

8:54am Monday 3rd August 2009 in News

More than 90 tonnes of sand has been unloaded in Centenary Square ready for ‘sand man’ Jamie Wardley to transform it into an ornate sculpture.

Jamie, from Ilkley, is a sand sculptor who works around the world, and this week he is creating a 4.5 metre high sculpture of Charles Darwin – the centrepiece of the Garden Magic event in Centenary Square. The sand was delivered by Bradford company Uriah Woodhead & Son on Saturday.

The square is being turned into a tranquil garden, with lawns, flowers, picnic areas, ‘living statues’, live music and street entertainment.

Taking centre stage will be Jamie’s spectacular sand sculpture of Charles Darwin, marking the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his work, Origin of the Species. Organised by Bradford Council, Garden Magic will run from Monday, August 10 to Sunday, August 16, and will include concerts from acts such as the Threads Orchestra and steel band The Cherry Pickers.

Jamie will be building his sculpture this week. “People can come along and see me working on it,” he said.