Archive - Monday, 1 February 1999


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THE indignity of it would have made any man blush.

For a character as powerful as Neptune the embarassment of being measured in public would have dented his pride.

But the shame will be worth the gain - lasting youthful looks and a longer life.

"He is in a very exposed position in the Italian Garden where there is quite a lot of prevailing wind," said Tatton Park curator Maggie McKean.

So this week tailors suitably qualified to attend to the Roman God of the Sea, measured the merman's vital statistics for a winter coat.

The thermal cover will protect his limestone bits and wrinkles from a cold snap as well as keeping him clean. "The statue erodes a lot when the wind whips around it and if there is a sharp frost that will also affect the stone," said Maggie.

Now Neptune, brought over from Venice in 1920, can snuggle up warm all winter until March.

Maggie hopes the clear plastic cover, which allows air to circulate around Neptune and visitors to still peek inside, could be ready by the end of the week.

The specialist company which designed the coat are also working on cover designs for other statues in Tatton Park.

"They should make a real difference in preserving the stone," said Maggie.

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