
Lord's Cricket Ground - St John's Wood Road, London, UK
N 51° 31.806 W 000° 10.160
30U E 696336 N 5712575
This sculpture lies at the junction of St John's Wood Road and Wellington Road and the eastern corner of the Lord's Cricket Ground complex.
Waymark Code: WMEJNK
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/05/2012
Views: 4
This sculpture, that is carved from Portland
stone, stands about two metres high by five metres in length. It was carved by
Gilbert Bayes and shows a variety of sports men and women dressed for different
games. Along the top, between the heads, are the famous words from the poem "Vitai
Lampada", "Play up! play up! and play the game". A reference to a
cricket match and how the same fortitude is needed in battle no matter how bad
the odds may be against you.
The sculpture is Grade II listed and the entry, at the English Heritage website
(visit
link), tells us:
"Relief sculpture. 1934 by Gilbert Bayes,
RA. Portland stone. A bas-relief procession of thirteen sportsmen and women,
depicting tennis players, golfers, cricketers, swimmers, oarsmen and
footballers. Inscribed (after Sir Henry Newboult) at the upper level PLAY UP
PLAY UP AND PLAY THE GAME. Inscribed along base PRESENTED TO St MARYLEBONE BY
ALDERMAN DAVID ISAACS 1934. GILBERT BAYES 1934. The relief was inserted on this
corner following a widening of the roadway in 1934; the corner was remodelled
and a new setting formed in 1995-96."