Town's fishermen honoured with bronze sculpture

A new memorial celebrating generations of fishermen has been created following a four-year community fundraising campaign.

The unveiling on Saturday marks the completion of the £70,000 project to honour St Ives' maritime heritage.

Created by Cornish sculptor Tom Leaper, the life-size bronze sculpture shows two fishermen sitting opposite each other as they work on their nets.

The idea for the memorial was first put forward by members of the local fishing community, who approached Leaper about creating a lasting tribute to St Ives' seafaring past.

Funds were raised largely through the sale of 50 small bronze versions of the sculpture at the Penwith Gallery.

Much of the work was carried out in Cornwall, with bronze casting completed at Fabrication Facility in Longdowns.

Leaper said: "There is something very appropriate about using the skills of people working in Cornwall today to create a memorial celebrating the skills and working lives of generations who came before them.

"I hope that in years to come people will walk along Smeaton's Pier, come across these two fishermen working away at their nets, and be reminded that long before St Ives became internationally known for its art, this was a working fishing town."

Lord and Lady St Levan will officially unveil the St Ives Mariners Memorial on Smeaton's Pier at 14:00 BST on Saturday.

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