IS Colchester the “female statue” capital of Britain? Evidence suggests it is.

Around 90 per cent of the nation’s statues are of men, but in Colchester the gender count is 50:50 - 12 female and 12 male.

That scoreline will be changed to 14 females against 12 males when the proposed “Twinkle Star” statue of sisters Jane and Ann Taylor is put up in Colchester High Street, diagonally opposite the town hall a few yards to the east of Pelhams Lane.

Both were prolific writers of children’s poems, with Jane writing – in Colchester, in 1806 – the nursery rhyme now known throughout the world as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

The mould for this has just been made, at a cost of nearly £15,000 from previous fundraising and donations. A further £25,000 needs to be raised so it can be cast with fundraising being led by Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell.

The projected cost of £80,000 has been halved because of the extremely generous offer of a pound for pound donation which equates to £40,000.

Still a challenge, of course, but more achievable.

Donations can be sent to 35 Catchpool Road, Colchester CO1 1XN – cheques payable to Twinkle Star Fund.

Alternatively, electronically to gofund.me/c1bfae10

For further information email sir.bob.russell@hotmail.com

Female:

  • Mother and baby – St Mary’s multi-storey car park
  • Two Greek mythical “good harvest” ladies – St Mary’s multi-storey car park
  • Queen Boudicca – North Station roundabout
  • Walking woman – High Street
  • St Helena – on top of Town Hall
  • Queen Boadicea – Colchester Town Hall, corner of West Stockwell Street
  • Queen Victoria – inside town hall, first landing from entrance hall
  • One female statue (agriculture) on town hall tower, bottom of stone section
  • Two “peace” ladies – War Memorial
  • Mother with baby – communal garden at former maternity home in Lexden Road.

Male:

  • Five on town hall – Eudo Dapifer, Thomas, Lord Audley, Dr William Gilberd, Archbishop Harsnett, Edward the Elder
  • Three male statues (military, engineering, fishery) on town hall tower, bottom of stone section
  • Man drinking coffee – side wall of Fenwick department store, High Street;
  • One on war memorial
  • Footballer Peter Wright – Colchester United’s former Layer Road football ground
  • Mercury – Roman god, on Mercury Theatre.