Regeneration
Walsall town centre legend to make a comeback!
Published on
Walsall Council is restoring the popular Three Men in a Boat clock as part of ongoing Town Centre revamp
The Three Men in a Boat automaton and clock was once a popular fixture in the Saddlers Shopping Centre and a proud part of Walsall’s shopping experience.
Standing proudly in the atrium area downstairs in the shopping centre, the automaton was installed to commemorate Jerome K Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat, and was unveiled to great fanfare in c.1990, with the three characters rowing the boat on the hour.
Sadly due to repeated mechanical issues, it was put into storage.
Residents have called for its return, with a petition in 2017 gaining 100 signatures and Walsall Council, with the help of the Saddlers Shopping Centre Management Team, is now in the process of having the automaton restored and refurbished as part of the significant Town Centre regeneration works that are underway.
“ It’s great that we’ve been able to secure funding through our town centre regeneration to restore the Three Men in a Boat clock. It was a prominent and popular feature in the Saddlers Centre and local people have lots of fond memories of seeing it in action.
While regenerating our town centre is necessary to create opportunities and boost the local economy, it’s important that we keep an eye on our proud heritage and restoring features like this is a really nice way to honour our history whilst moving forward. “
Melvin Glasby. Centre Manager at the Saddlers Shopping Centre added: “Many of our visitors remember the feature and always stopped by to see the characters row away on the hour. It was a family tradition, so I am sure the people of Walsall will be excited to see its return and we look forward to welcoming new generations back to see it.”
The clock is being restored by Smith of Derby, the original designer and manufacturer. Smith of Derby was appointed in late 2023 to undertake an initial assessment of the condition of the models and mechanisms, and the council has now signed the order to proceed with its restoration.
Dean Allen, Production Manager at Smith of Derby, said: “It’s a pleasure for myself and our staff to work on the Three Men in a Boat project. It’s a very interesting and technical project to work on, with a lot of fine detail to go into. We are really looking forward to working closely with the council to get it built back up, put back in and show off its glory to what it was originally.”
