Seaham celebrates much-loved WWI Tommy statue's tenth anniversary

A service has been held to mark the tenth anniversary of Seaham's much-loved Tommy statue.

'Tommy' - a statue erected to commemorate those who fought in the First World War - is marking a decade of overlooking the County Durham coast.

The sculpture, created by Ray Lonsdale, has become a popular North East landmark in its own right.

It depicts a First World War soldier sitting on an ammunition box, with downcast eyes, holding the barrel of his grounded rifle in his right hand.

It was displayed temporarily in Seaham to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in May 2014, but became a permanent fixture after a committee of local residents raised £102,000 to buy it.

Ray Lonsdale, the sculptor of 'Tommy', said: "What made this really special is I wasn't funded by a council or a person.

"The money was raised by a lot of people round here. There was children putting pocket money in, there was businesses putting a few hundred pounds in and they got to the total very quickly.

"It meant that it was a people's sculptor, rather than something that's been hoisted upon them. It was a real surprise to us."

Officially named 1101 in reference to the first minute of peace as armistice came into force at 11am on 11 November 1918. However, it is more popularly known as Tommy, the name often given to depictions of First World War soldiers, referring to the archetype private soldier Tommy Atkins.

The statue was relocated onto a paved platform in 2015, under which was buried a time capsule containing donated items, including a letter from Ray Lonsdale, a T-shirt, children's artworks, war remembrances, and a Victory Medal.

The corten steel statue weighs 1.2 tonnes and is 9 feet 5 inches tall.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...