My Dad met Abraham Lincoln!

I was told an unlikely story by my Dad last night about when he came face to face with President Abe Lincoln himself. Before you ask, he's not old enough to remember the American Civil War, but he is old enough to have uncovered a controversial statue of the very man himself in Rusholme near Manchester several years ago. Working for the Corporation then, he came across poor old Abe lying prostrate on the floor covered in sheeting. Dad took a peek and saw that renowned wily gaze. The statue must have been placed there after being located in Platt Fields. Later it was moved to what is now known as Lincoln Square in Manchester.

This particular statue is pretty controversial. It was intended to be placed in Parliament Square London, but apparently the Presidents son Barnard thought it simply awful. It was known as the stomach ache statue because of the positioning of the hands. Eventually the statue by Saint Gaudens was used in London and subsequently my dad got the pleasure to meet Mr George Gray Barnard's creation, stomache ache and all.