Has the mystery of Harrogate concrete sculpture panels found on back street been solved?
The Harrogate Advertiser has come a step close to solving the mystery of beautifully-carved panels on a wall in Harrogate thanks to readers.
There was a strong response after we posted an appeal for information after reader Peter Hirschmann discovered four striking concrete relief panels on the back wall of a restaurant on Albert Street in Harrogate.
Reader Jane Hamilton got in touch with us after seeing the article to say: "I remember seeing panels similar to the one pictured when Harrogate Co-operative Society built Victoria House on Station Parade between Raglan Street and Albert Street in the 1960s.
"It was a typical 1960's build and had decorative panels similar to the one in your article on the Station Parade frontage. This building was later Sunwin House and is now Everyman cinema."
The new theory is that the artistic reliefs may have been taken to safety in 2015 when Beales department store was demolished to make way for the current cinema and restaurant complex.
That this may be the case has been confirmed by another reader, Fiona Movley, who kindly wrote in saying: "I think the five plaques were originally on the front of the Co-op building that once stood where Everyman cinema is now. From memory they were commissioned by the builder."I remember seeing a Facebook post from the sculptor’s daughter Moira West in 2021."
This now opens up a new mystery – what happened to the fifth sculpture?
If you think you have the solution, email [email protected]