Raymond MASON

I am saddened to learn about the death of Raymond Mason. Especially so, as I had tried unsuccessfully to contact him, late last year, with news of my father's death. As students together at B'ham School of Art, Raymond and my father, Trevor Denning, achieved considerable notoriety for their subversive pranks.

Quite co-incidentally, just prior to the 1998 G8 Summit in B'ham, I was commissioned to modify the structure of Raymond's "Forward" statue in Centenary Square. (As I understand, to make it harder to plant a bomb or conceal a sniper!) I continued to attend to ongoing repairs and at the time of its brutal demise, Raymond and I had been discussing the feasibility of completely repainting "Forward." Our occasional meetings in B'ham followed by some "English beer" with my dad were precious times. My very best wishes to his family.

Robin Denning.