Cartwheeling Boys artwork back on display

The Cartwheeling Boys sculpture is back on public display after it was restored following a major storm.

The artwork in Reading, which was a gift from the twin town of Düsseldorf, was damaged when the wall displaying it collapsed in Storm Eunice in February 2022.

It was first installed in 1981 on the wall opposite Reading Borough Council's former offices to symbolise the years of friendship between the pair.

Its new home is Reading's Civic Centre, which is undergoing a renovation that will see a new central library opened there later this year.

The council said contractor Morgan Sindall created a "strong frame" for the sculpture on the outside of the centre's new reception area.

A crane was used to lift the figures and they were fixed into place on Wednesday.

The Reading-Düsseldorf Association has funded an information board to sit alongside the artwork.

Liz Terry, the council's leader, said links between Reading and Düsseldorf were first cultivated in 1947 by former mayor Phoebe Cusden.

"I am so pleased to see the Cartwheeling Boys back up on display in Reading, where they deserve to be," she added.