Background to the Singers Links project in Frome

In 2000, Frome Museum, Somerset NOW, The Countryside Agency, Foster Yeoman & Mendip District Council collaborated to form a project exploring Frome's industrial past. This produced an exhibition in the Museum of artefacts made in Frome industries, particularly focussing on the J.W.Singer's collection of glass negatives. These show the amazing range of sculptures made right in the town centre & exported all over the world, including 'Justice' on The Old Bailey & Gordon of Khartoum. Old machines from the works were resited within the new housing area built on the factory site. A new bronze camel, Gordon, sculpted by Gordon Young, takes pride of place overlooking the play area which is sited where the original life-sized camel was cast in 1889. A new artwork was commissioned from Helga Watkins-Baker, freezing some of the products made in Frome in glass blocks in Library Square.

Read more about camels, kilns & crucibles here.

MILLENNIUM GREEN

To the east of the town centre a piece of derelict land has been reclaimed & transformed into the Millenium Green, a place for wildlife & contemplation. It links North Parade car park & Rodden Meadows where the National Cycle Network passes, and hosts several pieces made by local artists, include wooden benches by Anthony Rogers, Barry Cooper & Peter Osborne, a carved look-out platform with views of the town by Tim Ashby, metalwork by Jamie Crossman, poems carved in stone and a stone sculpture by Kate Semple.

APPLE ALLEY

A neglected back lane paved in 'wavy' sandstone from an ancient inshore sea, Apple Alley was repaired in 1998 with funding from the District Council & Heritage Lottery Fund. From here you can view fascinating architectural features from Tudor & Elizabethan times, including pigeon lofts, jettied buildings, old Cockey bollards & a late 17C winding staircase. To this has been added a carved oak plaque & seven secret apples – can you find them all?

CHATEAU GONTIER WALK & LIBRARY SQUARE

Twinned with Chateau Gontier in France, Frome's tribute is a riverside garden which was planted in a formal French style. A local artist blacksmith, Jez Pearson, was commissioned to create new benches here, as with other key pieces of street furniture in the town. Library Square is a project to create a central performance & market square. Commissions include the Singers Links glass blocks, metalwork tree guards & a carved stone bench.

LIBRARY SQUARE & GLASS FRIEZE

Helga Watkins-Baker - using donated items from three local town centre businesses; Singers (brass sprinkler heads), Bussman Cooper (fuses) & Notts Industries (car parts). Helga has used sand casting & kiln casting to incorporate the items, and these produce two distinct finishes. The blocks are (were!) backlit with side emitting fibre-optics with a colour wheel on the projector. From left to right the blocks contain;

1  copper powder

2  impressions of grinding stones and copper powder

3  sheet copper and powdered iron

4  impressions and stamps of sprinkler bodies from Singers

5  incorporated swarf & impressions of car parts from Notts Industries

6  encapsulated glass fuse capsules from Bussman Cooper

7  impressions of bicycle pieces and fuses from Bussman Cooper, mould created at workshop with Frome Youth Groups

8  impressions of fuses from Bussmann Cooper

9  incorporated caps from fuses made by Bussmann Cooper, and impressions from bicycle chain, fingers & fuse bodies, mould created at workshop with Frome Youth Groups

10  impressions of sprinkler components from Singers

11  impressions of sprinklers from Singers & swarf from Bussman Cooper

12  incorporated metal from Notts Industries

13  impressions of metal component from Notts Industries & fuse cut-outs from Bussman Cooper

14  impressions made by Paul, of bike pieces, fingerprints and fuses, mould created at workshop with Frome Youth Groups

15  impressions of fuses from Bussmann Cooper

16  impressions of brass prototypes from Singers

17  encapsulated copper wire from fuses and fuse caps from Bussmann Cooper

18  Library Square Plaque

19  impressions of offcuts from Notts Industries and incorporated powdered copper

20  incorporated offcuts from Notts Industries and metal swarf

21  with Dolly's hand & feet impressions, and incorporating fuse caps from Bussmann Cooper

22  incorporated section of component from Notts Industries

23  incorporated offcuts & swarf from Notts Industries

24 impression smadeby Hally, of bicyclechain, and fuses from Bussmann Copper

25  impressions of sprinkler heads from Singers

26 incorporated offcuts from metal stamping, Bussman Cooper

27  incorporated offcuts impressions from Notts Industries

28  incorporated selection of brass sprinklers from Singers

29  incorporated fuses from Bussman Cooper

30  incorporated section of Triumph car part from Notts Industries

31  incorporated brass run-off, by product of casting process, from Singers 32  incorporated metal swarf from Notts Industries

33  impressions of brass sprinklers from Singers

34  various metal oxides incorporated to provide colour

35  impressions of metal components from Notts Industries

36  impressions of metal polishing stones from Singers

37  incorporated sheet copper and blue colour from metal oxides

38  copper powder to give turquoise colour

39  incorporated sheet copper and copper powder