Gift to Nature’s Hare and Magpies Sculpture

contributed by Lin Watterson
The last two months have been memorable for many of us due to the theft of the Hare carved at Arreton Cross. This occurred overnight between 25th and 26th July.
Concerned phone calls were made by passers-by, coordinated by Pat Phillips and when I arrived at the site along with James Pickett and Ann, this was the extent of the damage.
As you can see several cuts were made by hand including across the magpie and under the Hare’s toes. with a handsaw. A mechanised saw was then used to hack the Hare away from its supporting stump.

A concerted effort was immediately made by members of the Parish Council, Island 2000 Trust, Local Police, and local people, one of whom was able to get our pictures onto South Today. National newspapers were contacted and the theft was put on-line under “Public Art Theft” by the Daily Mirror. The aim was to point out how unique this piece of work is.  The County Press agreed to come out and cover the incident in which the perpetrators were asked to return the Hare.

The Hare was found during the first week in August.
When the holidaymakers who found the Hare picked it up, they took it to Russell Palin’s woodyard and Russell, knowing both Paul Sivell the artist and Ian Boyd the Director of Island 2000, was able to immediately tell them where it belonged. A further co-incidence was that this couple had taken a shine to the food and hospitality at the White Lion and Chris and Katie the owners, were the first to know the good news!  The couple, Mr and Mrs Yates from Tarleton, Lancashire have been coming to the Isle of Wight for 19 years. They went to Culver Down to admire one of their favourite views and to their surprise found the Hare in the car park, before the artillery fort. They weren’t sure what it was, so as they were staying at Beaper Farm camp site, dropped it into the Whitefield wood yard at Beaper Shute.

Chris and Katie Cole generously offered to start a collection for Gift to Nature to help put the Hare back. Lin Watterson our Administrator made up a special “Hare restorer” box  and to date the pub have raised more than £60. The original project was backed by the Parish Council with £100 donation and commissioned by Gift to Nature , with the help of IWC Parks and Countryside Manager Matthew Chatfield. Gft to Nature and The IWC paid the majority of the costs and obtained approval. The charity now faces £150 bill for the restoration costs but it looks like this will be covered mainly by local donations. Matthew has asked me to say that the idea of “public art” is that the local people would enjoy and feel that they own items such as the Hare and this certainly seems true. Several people have observed that the magpies seemed to be crying or mourning without the Hare so it was great to have him/her back!