A bustard statue named by two school children went on-display in Trowbridge County Hall this morning (Thursday).

 

Custard the Bustard was officially unveiled by Wiltshire Council Leader Jane Scott with help from five-year-old James Coles of North Bradley Primary School and Freya Mitchell, 10, from Mead Primary School in the centre’s atrium.


Both entered the name Custard in a competiton to name the green, white and gold bustard, commissioned following the success of a Go Bustards project held during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee visit to Salisbury in the summer.


Cllr Scott said: “When the Queen visited Salisbury, I saw the amazing bustard collection in the Warminster Area Board’s jousting tent. I was particularly taken with one called Dratsub, and we agreed to commission a sculpture for Wiltshire Council exactly the same. We thought it would be good to name him so we ran a competition through Trowbridge Library inviting under 12s to suggest one, and James and Freya won with the name Custard.


“I am so pleased the bustard collection is at County Hall and will be on display for everyone who visits and works here. The atrium is a community space and we want it to be as vibrant and as bustling as possible.”


The full collection of bustards will be on-display until Friday, December 7 with Custard making County Hall his permenant home.

James said: “Custard is my favourite type of food and I chose the name because it sounds the same as bustard. I think the bustard looks really good.”


Artist Anna Marie Andersen, from Amesbury, painted Custard as well as Dratsub, who is owned by Stonehenge Ales and based at Warminster’s The Organ Inn.


Freya said: “Custard sounded like a cool name, I like art myself and I like how the bustard looks. The gold bits look like feathers.”


For more information about the Go Bustards art project visit www.gobustards2012.com.