Last year my city hit the national news when fire destroyed the Royal Clarence, the oldest hotel in the country. Now, seven months later work is taking place to make it safe and to protect the salvageable elements. The long term plan is a sensitive rebuild.
Hope and Renewal is a sculpture created from some of the burnt timber from the fire.
This charred wood can be traced way back to the 15th century and is my entry for Paula’s Black and White Sunday.
Lucid Gypsy 
And a wonderful entry it is too, both photographically and thematically. You get double value for the “past” theme with the magnificent church in the background. I love the note on the sign that says it’s dirty, heavy, and full of splinters. Nothing is being glossed over with this sculpture!
Good to hear the Clarence is to be rebuilt….and a good entry for Paula’s challenge
I love your photo with the cathedral behind, but I don’t think much of the ‘sculpture’. How hard is it to pile a few charred timbers? I see that ‘oldest hotel’ is disputed, mainly because the word ‘hotel’ wasn’t used, though as we know there were many hostelries and guest houses well before the Clarence.
This is incredible Gilly. Charred wood from the 15th century! I love it 🙂 This is a very original entry. Thank you, Gilly.
I like the cathedral shot too. Makes the sculpture look kind of like a cross 🙂 🙂
The photo of the cathedral with the charred wood as a foreground is a great capture! I think the BnW version tells the story. Well done, Gilly!
These are olld wonderful, Gilly. The lst one is wistful and powerful. Nicely done …
Issy 😎
Prefer the juxtaposition with the cathedral too. By itself, it does feel like a pile of charred timber 🙂