ONE local girl has won the chance to push the button and blow up Westbury’s iconic 200ft chimney later this year when it is demolished for good.
Lily Hope Sargent, of Westbury Junior School, won the recent art competition which saw over 600 local children compete for the honour.
Lily told White Horse News, “I was extremely excited when they announced my name in assembly that I had won the competition. I couldn’t believe it! I have been so happy screaming and jumping about so much!”
Lily will now be the one to push the button and consign the mammoth chimney to the history books when the landmark is pulled down this year.
Demolition was originally expected last month, but work is ongoing and no date has been confirmed. Tarmac says it will give members of the public at least three weeks’ notice of the event.
Staff from Wiltshire Council and Tarmac chose 30 finalists from hundreds of drawings, paintings and collages illustrating both the company’s chimney and the White Horse.
The winning entries were then judged by three VIPs; Dr Andrew Murrison MP, Baroness Jane Scott of Bybrook, leader of Wiltshire Council, and Stuart Wykes, Tarmac’s land and natural resources director.
Stuart Wykes said, “We were very pleased with the level of interest in the project and local children took a lot of time and trouble with their submissions and we congratulate them all for their efforts.”
Councillor Scott added, “I was delighted to see so many local children enthused by this competition. It will certainly give the winner something to talk about for years to come, and will see this distinctive and well-known sight disappear from the Westbury landscape.”
Andrew Murrison commented, “I’d like to congratulate all the candidates for the important job of pushing the button. It’ll be an explosive event!”
