Thursday Throwback: Restoring Glasgow’s Beloved Lobey Dosser Statue

We’ve spotted a lot of people posting their 2016 throwbacks, so here’s one of our own and it’s one of our favourite projects: restoring the Lobey Dosser!

A statue with a story

This statue, featuring the two-legged horse El Fideldo, Lobey Dosser and Rank Bajin, was built in 1992. It came to life thanks to a combination of donations from the public, Clydesdale Bank and the Scottish Arts Council, celebrating the characters created in a Glasgow Evening Times comic strip by Bud Neill.

The public appeal to raise funds for the statue brought in a whopping £20,000 from fans of the much-loved strip.

What happened in 2016

Sadly, Glasgow City Council had to take the statue down in 2016 after it was vandalised, leaving an uncertain future for it.

How we helped

But then we stepped in.

We embarked on a restoration process lasting a year, working to get the statue back to its former glory.

It was a real joy to be involved in this one. We love restoration projects, and this was particularly special because the statue was originally funded by the public — by people showing real appreciation for fun and creativity, and those are two things we love here at Covanburn.

Read more

There is a lovely write-up in the Evening Times about the restoration.