What most nearly symbolises a university? A Pile of books?

Fred Watson (1948) clearly thought so and we in turn might think that pile of books is also a worthy symbol of Fred's own fine achievements. If you care to walk along Northumberland Road in Newcastle, you will see the books in question standing outside the Squires building in the form of an eight foot high sculpture carved from a four tonne block of Swedish granite. It was commissioned from fred by then then Newcastle Polytechnic on its translation to University status and was unveiled by the Duchess of Northumberland at the inaugural ceremony of the new University of Northumbria at Newcastle.

It was natural that the former Newcastle "poly" would turn to Fred for something worthy of such an occasion, since he had taught there as a senior lecturer in the Sculpture Department until 1989 when, having already made quite a name for himself as a sculptor working mainly with wood, he left in order to concentrate on his own work.

And he did so to remarkable effect,holding an exhibition in the sculpture court of the Royal Institute of British Architects in London and completing a large sculpture for a new public library at Haverhill in Suffolk. This sculpture is a table strewn with objects such as books and a camera and flanked by benches where one can sit to participate in the work.

The quality of his work was recognised by the Henry Moore Foundation which, in 1990, sponsored a fellowship for Fred at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop at Lumsden in Aberdeenshire (appropriately near to the granite city) for the purpose of exploring granite carving. A major bursary was granted to him by Northern Arts in 1991 to enable him to carry on with this work for a further year.

Fred tells me he has now retired, though I am not sure what that word signifies in his case. He has recently produced work for an exhibition organised by the Newcastle group, of which he is a member, which travelled to Moscow and Tampere in Finland. Last year he and his wife Margaret (Allen, 1950) who ha also just taken early retirement from teaching, moved to a house which they are presently heavily pre-occupied in remodelling. I am sure you don't need me to tell you that the house has a large outbuilding which makes an ideal sculptor's studio.

Fred's love of art was nurtured at Blaydon by Miss Walton , whom all remember with great affection. She ably drew out his talents in drawing, painting and development of the artist's 'eye'. In the sixth he (and my sister Anne, the other member of the A Level art class - both doing
this as a fourth A level subject) were given the run of the Art Room and were encouraged to explore their respective talents. Here Fred did his first sculpture, a figure in clay, the only medium available there.

He went on to study at and graduate from King's College of the University of Durham (now Newcastle University) and by the time he had completed his first woodcarving in the basementstudeio there, he knew how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He steadfastly pursued his ambition and has clearly derived great satisfaction from his work.

We are proud to know that he has achieved recognition, first as a sculptor in wood and now in granite. Needless to say, he will not be resting on his laurels but with characteristic persistence will be seeking to achieve a yet higher standard of excellence. We wish him well in these endeavours.

MARGARET MITCHESON
The Blaydonian March 93