Talk:Wallace Monument

Bias

The article is biased in favour of the statue —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.189.217.131 (talk • contribs) 30 July 2006

And later it was biased against. Either way, the whole statue section was full of editors' opinions and free of reliable sources. I've added lots of sources, and hopefully captured the controversial reception of the statue; depending on who you believe it's either "iconic" or "crap". -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:01, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Closed in the 1970s

I recall as a child (70s) it being closed. I wanted to know when it was refurbished and opened to the public once again - 1996? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.69.28.242 (talk) 12:02, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

A fence

Didn't they put a fence up around the statue after it got vandalized? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.189.198.2 (talk • contribs) 00:20, 23 May 2007

More than that, a wire cage which was opened in the morning and closed when the centre was closed. I have a (lousy) photo of the statue that shows the folded cage in the background; I don't think I'll bother uploading it, as the statue is gone. I'll see if we can source something about the cage, as it's worth a mention in passing. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 16:55, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Actually it's pretty evident in the photo we show now. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:01, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

I found a source and added it. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:01, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Poor source

This article's only citation is a slightly piecemeal editorial written by a junior, for the student newspaper of an American university. Is this a sound source? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Muz.hunter (talk • contribs) 23:21, 30 June 2007

It's better than when you wrote this, but that editorial really isn't a good source, and it appears to be offline anyway. I'm working on finding better sources. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:05, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

National Wallace Monument

It's called the National Wallace Monument, not the Wallace National Monument. Updated the article as such with reference to the official website. Cloudy (talk) 10:59, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Local Terminology

The local student population in the 1990s often referred to the Monument as "The Knob on the Hill" in reference to its phallic appearance. Can anyone resident in the area confirm whether this still applies, and if so, is it worth noting? 79.81.209.146 (talk) 00:36, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

I've never heard of that, and we'd need a reliable source both that it was used, and that the usage was common enough to be notable. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 16:52, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Appearance section

The description of the statue (from around this time) is lousy. The "scare quotes" are sarcastic and unencyclopedic; evidently the statue is of Wallace, no matter how bad anyone thinks the statue is. Secondly, while we can clearly say it's modelled after Mel Gibson (I'll add an Independent story to that effect shortly, as backup) the part about it not looking like "the historic face of Wallace" is garbage - we have no real idea whatever what Wallace looked like bar the most basic description (nor really anyone from the 14th Century). It doesn't look like other statues of Wallace, but they don't look like each other and none is remotely contemporary. It's clear that the statue was pretty unpopular, and one doesn't have to be Waldemar Januszczak to think it crude, but Wikipedia needs to present the description of everything in neutral terms supported by reliable sources. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:40, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

... which I think I've now done. I confess it was hard to find a positive quote from anyone other than the visitor centre guy and the sculptor. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:03, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Statue hate?

No mention of why this statue is so hated. Anything so unpopular must have a referenced source as to why, I would assume. Any locals able to help? --71.110.69.206 (talk) 23:35, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Connections

I notice that the article doesn't state what the statue actually has to do with the Wallace Monument. Reading between the lines I get the impression that it's where the visitor centre now stands, but the link isn't stated. Somebody who knows something about the statue should add this - or preferably, give it a separate article, given that the link to the Wallace Monument seems to be largely tangential. 109.151.135.51 (talk) 15:55, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

The article reads "...who in 1997 installed it in the car park of the visitor centre at the foot of the craig", having said in the lede that the monument stands on the craig. That seems to me to be entirely clear and not at all tangential. -- Finlay McWalterჷTalk 12:24, 23 July 2012 (UTC)

Lack of Disabled access

ref>Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to ask why there is no disabled access available at the Wallace Monument.

I have been visiting the Wallace Monument since I was a small child living in that area. I used to build 'camps' on the Abbey Craig as the Scots once did while waiting to do battle at Stirling Bridge against the English.

I've never forgotten the joy I felt as a child in coming to the top of the monument, seeing the views open up around me and feeling the wind in my hair.

Sadly this opportunity is still being denied to members of our society. I strongly feel that disabled access must come to the Wallace Monument.

In those days it cost a shilling, which then became 5p to get into the tower. Most of the time I didn't have to pay as the staff knew me as a local boy and, no doubt realised that I had no money to spend anyway!

It would have been difficult to imagine the Wallace Monument becoming the huge attraction it has become today, and, equally difficult to imagine that same monument with a new lift, made in glass, running up the outside of it!

Thinking further back to when the monument was first built a century before, could anyone imagine the Abbey Craig with such a huge tower built from stone sitting on top. I think not. The very work that must have gone into building it is astounding!

At that time, when children were considered fortunate to have shoes to walk in, surely no one could imagine such a tower, even to a heroe like William Wallace. But, despite all the odds, they managed it, for they were our forefathers, they were British, Scots, and we can move mountains if we need to.

We have amongst the best engineers and builders in the world, so with that in mind, the idea of building a glass lift up the side of the monument doesn't seem so difficult after all.

If William Wallace really did say things like 'Freedom for All' I'm sure that's exactly what he meant. This does not mean 'freedom for all able bodied people only'. In this, the politically correct 21st Century, which is thankfully, highly aware of disabled people, and in our nation, very much trying to achieve that 'freedom for all' that I mentioned, there is surely much room for improvement at the Wallace Monument. The old, tower will stay, high on the Abbey Craig, and the new, glass lift can be bolted to it, so that everyone can experience it at last!

This would create a no - lose situation for all. The monument and whichever heritage people attend to it will have to make an initial outlay to have the changes made. The new Disabled friendly Wallace monument will go on to become more famous than ever, will be visited by even more people year round, who will want to try out the new lift for themselves, to watch the horizon as they move up towards the top, and of course, the disabled will come and experience that which has for so long been denied them, bringing they're relatives and friends with them.

The Wallace monument will reap the rewards of forward, caring, foresight and initiative, for generations to come.

TV and press can cover the opening ceremony, and fireworks can light up the Abbey Craig that night.</ref> — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.29.87.249 (talk) 17:09, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Braveheart statue section appropriate?

I question whether information on the "Braveheart statue" should still reside within this article. The statue has been removed, and has a life independent of the monument. This article could include information from when the statue was there (as that is part of the monument's history). If more information on the statue is warranted, I would think one of the following options would be more appropriate:

1. ) Information about the Braveheart statue put on the Braveheart page
2. ) An independent article for the Braveheart statue
3. ) Information on the sculptor's article (if it exists)

My opinion would be it should go on the Braveheart article, as it seem like more of a homage to the film, not actually to William Wallace. But then again, everything I know about this comes from this single article. *Seen a Mike* 21:32, 13 August 2014 (UTC)

Freedom statue in a cage??

The article states that the unpopular Mel Gibson 'Freedom' statue kept getting vandalised "before being placed in a cage to prevent further damage". I know there is discussion further up this talk page about it from 2009, but I can't find any source or images to back this up. Has someone with a good sense of humour added this to the article or what?! LoveEverybodyUnconditionally (talk) 23:39, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Here's a Scotsman story showing the statue with the cage in the background (the cage was opened in the morning, and closed at night - [1]. A similar photo is in the Ardrossan and Salcoats Herald here. Actual photo of the cage closed here. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 00:20, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Thanks - that last photo is gold. LoveEverybodyUnconditionally (talk) 04:06, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Fork?

We might fork the Braveheart statue section out to Statue of William Wallace, Brechin. There are news sources about the relocation and a Reception section could be added as well: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/braveheart-statue-brechin-memes-twitter-b1915174.html ---Another Believer _(Talk) 22:56, 13 September 2021 (UTC)

Entry regarding statue sale

The sale of the Braveheart art piece never went through. The artwork is commemorative of the film Braveheart. In the scheme of things, reference to some potential sale of the statue to Donald Trump in 2008 is not relevant to the entry and should be considered for removal. DrTM42 (talk) 03:57, 17 April 2023 (UTC)