Early in 2003 having exhaustively searched the Internet in vain for mention of a Josef Locke memorial in Derry, or anywhere else for that matter, I contacted the icDerry.com webpage suggesting a life-sized bronze statue, would be a fitting tribute to the great singer.
A "Derry Journal" reporter telephoned me for an interview and the story began in the northern Ireland press.
Many in Ulster will remember the news of my proposal for a Josef Locke statue in Derry hitting the newspapers back in the early summer of 2003.
BBC Foyle interviewed yours truly about it. So did Highland radio.
The newspapers and radio down here ran the story of how I contacted Phil Coulter for support and how he kindly replied personally to my e-mail supporting the idea.
The story of his positive reply appeared in "The Irish News" and "News of the World! etc
I spent hundreds of hours on the project distributing photocopies of the newspaper articles etc and submitting Press Releases on the WWW.
We took our first trip to Derry the summer of 2004 to see the Millennium Hall. A "Derry Journal" photographer photographed my wife Maureen and I on the historic wall close to the concert hall.
The whole story was featured on the Josef Locke Appreciation website.
The beautiful Josef Locke Memorial sculpture unveiled last Tuesday in Derry is a credit to all concerned. I saw all their names in the newspapers.
Only mine was missing:-(
Funny old world isn't it?
PS Of course it was all down to Elvis:-) See: http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com
Maurice Colgan. Swords., county Dublin, Ireland Tel 01-8403685.
