Old Flo has left Yorkshire and is on her way back to East End

Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture Draped Seated Woman - known in the East End as "Old Flo" - has been lifted from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and is on her way back to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from whence she came.

Still from BBC video A Henry Moore statue loaned to sculpture park starts journey

Below I've set out the details of when's she expected home and the display that is being held in her honour

I've been following this story over the last five years in a number of blog posts (see below). This will be the fifth!

• Henry Moore Sculpture - a very poor precedent Nov 8, 2012 - This relates 
• the story behind the creation of Old Flo by Henry Moore; 
• her relationship with the borough of Tower Hamlets (where I live) and 
• the story behind the then Mayor's proposal to sell the sculpture sell the sculpture (he's since had to step down as Mayor and was banned from politics for 5 years) - and 
• why this was a really BAD IDEA!
• Old Flo - the end of the story? Jul 13, 2015 - the High Court determines that Old Flo really does belong to the Council to which it was originally given
• A new location for Henry Moore's "Old Flo" in the East End (2 June 2016) - which includes 'Old Flo - a timeline of mishap and malfeasance'
• Henry Moore's Old Flo to move to Canary Wharf (March 31, 2017) - as I predicted the only safe place for her in LBTH!

Leaving Yorkshire

This is the BBC video of Old Flo being lifted from her plinth where she's lived for the last 20 years inside the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

It'll be sad to see Henry Moore old Flo leave @YSPsculpture She's had the best view of the Valley! pic.twitter.com/mc6m7mm6G9

— Iain Wheeldon (@iainwheeldon) September 15, 2017

A fond goodbye to 'Old Flo': I think she'll miss the Yorkshire air & the beauty of Yorkshire Sculpture Park! @YSPsculpture @YSculpture #art pic.twitter.com/xipuVkwz1n

— Sandie Nicholson (@holmfirthphotos) September 26, 2017

Old Flo "opens" at Canary Wharf

Every time I go to Canary Wharf in the car I keep glancing into Cabot Square which is where she is supposed to end up - just in case she had turned up without any hoohah!

However it looks like we're getting the hoohah! So here are all the facts:

• She returns to the East End on 22 October 2017.
• She will be located in Cabot Square, overlooking Middle Dock and accessible to all who pass by.
• A programme of celebrations, education and outreach will be rolled out while Old Flo is at Canary Wharf. 
• Anyone who would like to receive updates on these activities is invited to contact Canary Wharf at oldflo@canarywharf.com.

Exhibition

There will be a display in the Community Gallery in Canada Place from 20 October to 2 January.  This will:

• celebrate the return of ‘Old Flo’ to Tower Hamlets 
• tell the story of how Henry Moore’s sculpture came to reside on the Stifford Estate is shown 

Canary Wharf Twitter @yourcanarywharf  needs to get its act together for welcoming her back to Tower Hamlets - not a tweet as yet. Meanwhile the politicians are all claiming they did it!

.@MayorJohnBiggs “I'm delighted #OldFlo is finally on her way back home to the people of the East End" https://t.co/5dyCOnk9Nr

— Tower Hamlets (@TowerHamletsNow) September 27, 2017

She's on her way! We've been campaigning for this moment for years. Henry Moore Blitz inspired 'Old Flo’ begins her journey back to us pic.twitter.com/5rEoUOaep6

— TH Conservatives (@THConservatives) September 27, 2017