Bigjobs loved Dream so much.. he had to climb it (From St Helens Star)

Bigjobs loved Dream so much.. he had to climb it

5:20pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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ST HELENS’ answer to Spiderman has scaled the town’s new landmark Dream statue, climbing barefoot and even carrying a scrubbing brush so he didn’t leave any marks.

Referring to himself as just Bigjobs (he prefers to remain anonymous) the daring climber who hails from Haydock said he wanted to climb Dream as soon as he heard it was to be built, but he was determined not to deface the striking artwork.

He and a fellow climber made the successful attempt at around 6.20pm on a grey rainy day. They spent an hour and a half securing the rope in position, but claimed it only took a matter of minutes to climb it.

With an eye now turned to other tall structures and buildings in his home town, his climb up Dream attracted attention from the police who thought they were responding to a possible suicide.

He explained: “They just wanted to know if I had put in any bolts to climb up or did anything to the door at the back.

“But I hadn’t touched anything and didn’t want to even leave boot marks on it. I even brushed it as I came down “It’s only 20 metres tall, however it’s right in the middle of nowhere so it’s difficult to judge its height against other buildings. It was quite hard just past the hairline, but it’s the best view in St Helens.”

He added: “I’m a 36-year-old single father from Haydock, I have two teenage children, one boy and one girl. They don’t climb with me, but my son sometimes acts as sherpa, if it’s somewhere like Dream that is, easily accessible and safe enough. He's known as Littlejobs.

“Dream was purely an interest in climbing it at first, and I did question why so much was being spent on it.

“However as I turned the corner the first time I went to visit it, I was astounded. It's a beautiful piece of art and makes a stunning mark on the landscape.

“It's just a pity that they aren't being allowed to turn the lights on, I think if it was lit up, it would be a breathtaking sight for miles around.

But Dream is dwarfed in comparison to other structures Bigjobs has tackled, including 120 metre cranes. However he insists it’s safer than crossing the road.

Arrested just once throughout his climbing career he was subsequently released without charge.

Neighbourhood Police Sergeant Andy Rankine told the Star: “Sutton Manor is a fantastic recreational area for the enjoyment of local people. The site of The Dream sculpture is monitored by Merseyside Police and anyone found to have caused damage to the sculpture will be dealt with accordingly. For people’s own safety they should not climb the object.”

Bigjobs says readers can visit these websites for more photos...

www.28dayslater.co.uk & www.nwex.co.uk

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