Bill Heine, who famously put a 25 foot fiberglass shark by the sculptor John Buckley on top his house, has passed away. A BBC radio broadcaster, Mr. Heine spent a good sum of his time protecting what he saw as a fight for creativity.
Placed without planning permission in 1986, the unusual home addition sparked a 6-years long battle with the Oxford City Council. The shark was finally saved in 1992 by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, whose inspector issued the final ruling in the shark's defense, arguing that "any system of control must make some small place for the dynamic, the unexpected, and the downright quirky."
During this time, Mr. Heine's shark had become an undeniable part of the local community, and as his daughter describes, "an irreplaceable (and legal) part of the Oxfordshire skyline." Today, the defiant attraction continues to draw thousands of visitors each year.
When diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 2017, the homeowner launched a bid to preserve the monument after his death. In a supporting letter to the council that had once sought to tear it down, Heine wrote: "although the shark was originally greeted with suspicion, it is loved by locals who would be horrified is anything happened to it."
In the end, the shark will remain protected by the the same planning system whose battle to tear it down has given it its fame. While discussing its potential listing, Heine said: "I’m delighted that ‘time’ has had an opportunity to add some sheen to the shark.”
4 Comments
RIP bill.
doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo doo.
This is gorgeous! We need more supporters of the arts like this. Bill looks so happy in that picture.
Reminds me of Sharknado:
Sharknado:
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