Daisy Alcock Memorial – Alphabet Colums 2004 Meic Watts New Cross Avenue, Wolverhampton. The site of this work is on the corner of Wolverhampton Road and New Cross Avenue adjacent to New Cross Farm and previously the home of calligrapher Daisy Alcock (1900-1996). Alcock gained national recognition for her work, famously creating a memorial book for the Battle of Britain kept at Westminster Abbey.
Artist Meic Watts was asked to link his work in some way to that of Daisy Alcock, though without creating a memorial. The design should celebrate rather than solemnly commemorate Daisy’s life and work. Meic was also asked to integrate his work wherever possible into the landscaping of the area and in some way link the two sites on either side of the road As an experienced stone carver Meic responded by creating a series of pillars of varying size which carry letters of several alphabets carved in great detail. The design highlights Daisy Alcock’s contribution to Wolverhampton as well as that of the many immigrant communities that have settled in the area, whilst at the same time referring to the standing stones or cromlechs found in the North Wales landscape around Meic’s home and studio.