I visited Midland park home to £35k corgi statutes and got the reaction I expected

The installation by Planet Art has divided opinions

Recent visitors to Walsall Arboretum will have noticed two new five-foot corgi statues on display by the visitor's centre. The stone statues were installed to honour the life of Queen Elizabeth II and to celebrate the Walsall Arboretum's 150th anniversary.

However, the decision to spend £35,000 on them has sparked criticism. The corgis, unveiled on September 28, are made of cast metal and stand on granite stone plinths, each with a water bowl for dogs.

Park-goers this week had mixed feelings about the installation created by Midlands-based creators Planet Art. Dog walker Sue Southern, from Walsall, said: “I can see the connection to the history of Walsall in terms of the making of saddlery for the royal family.

READ MORE: Walsall Council spends £35,000 on corgi statues as services face cuts

“But I kind of didn’t see the connection with the corgis. They are a bit pointless if I’m honest. Maybe I do think money could have been spent on other services.

“When we’ve got the children’s services, violence against women and girls, knife crime, all of those sorts of things going on. I know they’re saying this money comes from last year’s budget, but actually, that just demonstrates they haven't spent the budget correctly.”

Another walker Lynne Patterson said: “I was there on the opening day. It was very special. I think it’s a lovely tribute to The Queen, that’s the main thing. Obviously, they’re not realistic in one sense because they’re huge.

“I’m just seeing it as a memorial to our wonderful Queen. There’s a lot of talent being put into the dogs. I love the arboretum and if those dogs bring more people in, let it be.”

Jayne Kelly added: “I think they look OK, and I like the pattern, but what purpose do they serve? I think the money could have been spent better somewhere else. The park is nice enough as it is, without spending thousands on it. There’s bowls for the dogs to drink out of but there’s already bowls at the visitors centre.”