Councillor Brian Lynch Memorial – Bradford, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 47.548 W 001° 45.146
30U E 582182 N 5961154
This memorial stone with plaque is surrounded by a mosaic called ‘Bradford-by-the-Sea’.
Waymark Code: WMAE43
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/03/2011
Views: 2
The memorial stone is dedicated to the deputy leader of Bradford Councillor Brian Lynch. It forms the centre of the mosaic.
The inscription reads
City Centre Park
In Memory Of
Councillor Brian Lynch
Former Deputy Leader of Bradford Council
A man who took Bradford to his heart
And had the ability to combine dignity
With joy and fun
The mosaic itself is made up of seaside creatures made from pebbles entitled ‘Bradford-by-the-Sea’.
Bradford of course is many miles from the sea, but there are 2 pieces of inspiration for this design.
Firstly Councillor Brian Lynch had a seafaring past and had served in the navy. Secondly in Victorian times Bradford was a booming mill town. Such towns had a tradition of all the mills closing for a week in summer all at the same time. In those days transport was more limited than to-day so most people would use the train to go to seaside resorts. Traditionally many people from Bradford would go to the resort of Morecambe, so many in fact that Morecambe become known as ‘Bradford-by-the-sea’.
The 2 things together inspired the creation of the seaside themed mosaic in the centre of Bradford. It was created in 1997, the centenary of Bradford becoming a city.
The mosaic is formed using seaside pebbles and was designed by Maggy Howarth who specialises in making pebble mosaics. (
visit link)
I think it is a very fitting memorial to someone celebrated for his joy and fun.
The memorial is item number 35 in the Bradford Sculpture trail. This is the last item on the trail and is a nice spot to sit and relax at the end of it, as you return to the City Hall.