The Thistles
The Thistles were commissioned from Sean Cockburn Blacksmith, based in the Cousland smiddy. Each Thistle is handmade, so every one has a unique characteristic. On receipt of each Thistle, they are then painted in an oil based gloss black, with the top of each Thistle coloured Purple to reflect the real plant.
Here’s a link to a YouTube video showing how each Thistle is transformed from the raw metalwork to the finished product ready for display on the memorial fence. The Town’s Les Mitchell is the volunteer who carefully prepares each of the 130 Thistles – a big thank-you to Les for his attention to detail and the time he’s spent on the Project.
If you wish to purchase a Thistle for your personal use, Sean is offering copies for sale directly from his Smiddy at Cousland. Note the copies will not have a mounting bracket option.
Sean can be contacted through his Facebook page by searching for ‘Sean Cockburn Blacksmith’ or use this link Sean Cockburn Blacksmith.
The photo shows the first Thistle in place – Adam Cranston’s – committed on Monday 13th November 2017.
