The Knife Angel currently stands outside Coventry Cathedral: a sculpture fashioned from some 100,000 knives removed from UK streets. Under the banner of ‘Save a life, surrender your Knife”, the British Ironwork Centre sought permission from the Home Office to work with all 43 UK Police Forces to retrieve knives from the streets by providing knife banks.
The scourge and ever increasing problem of knife crime is currently going largely unchallenged, with more and more weapons surfacing on our streets. “The sculpture was created for one purpose only, to focus a spotlight on this national embarrassment, both our government and our educational system need to accept there’s far more to be done, and grasp this nettle”
The number of crimes related to knives and other offensive weapons dealt with by the courts reached its highest level for nine years in 2018. The Ministry of Justice said 21,484 offences were dealt with in England and Wales in 2018 – the highest number since 2009 (25,103).
Something to reflect on…
The Knife Angel [John Callaway 2019]
I also took the opportunity to spend some time in Coventry Cathedral,to revisit a place that for me, defined the city I grew up in…a city that despite everything, was a place of hope and reconciliation.
With hindsight, something of a privilege to have such a back cloth to growing up.
No hidden messages…just art? You decide…
St Michael & The Devil, Coventry Cathedral. [John Callaway 2019]
Christ In Glory by Graham Sutherland
Like the Knife Angel, art to provoke a response…
“Christ In Glory”, Coventry Cathedral. [John Callaway 2019]
Ideas & images from Portsmouth and beyond 
March 25th, 2019 at 09:54
Hi John
I was pleased to read your post on the Knife Angelâ¦itâs an impressive sculpture!
Recently It was in Hull; the last City of Culture.
Your visit to the Cathedral also reignited my early memories too of growing up in Coventry.. â¦..I was lucky enough to win a ticket to see Princess Elizabeth (at the time) lay the Foundation Stone for the new Cathedral. I remember the completed new cathedral when everything was brand new. As a teenager I was immensely proud of Coventry and later as a parent when I visited the city with my children.
Letâs hope that Coventryâs award of the City of Culture will help to reignite the pride and respect and love towards the City and all Coventrians past and present.
Belle x
May 29th, 2021 at 18:08
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