On Friday 16th May 2014 London acquired its latest statue… a sculpture of Teddy Baldock, the East End lad who rose to fame in the 1920s by becoming Britain’s youngest ever boxing world champion- an accolade which remains to this day.

As promised in an earlier post about Teddy’s life and career (please click here to read), here are some photographs from the unveiling…

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Teddy’s statue stands directly opposite Langdon Park Community Sports College which is situated beside Landgon Park DLR station.

The weather on the day was glorious… and as 3pm approached, a large crowd gathered to witness the ceremony.

Until the moment arrived, the statue (sculpted by Staffordshire based artist, Carl Payne) was draped in a golden shroud… which threatened to billow off with the wind on more than one occasion!

The statue was finally unveiled by Pam Baldock; Teddy’s daughter.

Although wee on first impressions, the statue of Teddy is in fact life-sized…he was a tough little fighter!

A plaque on the statue’s plinth informs the public of Teddy’s achievements.

After the unveiling, a group of ex-boxers gathered beneath Teddy’s statue for a fun photo-shoot.

When he died in the early 1970s Teddy was a tragic figure; penniless, homeless and long-forgotten, his funeral poorly attended.

However, thanks to the wonderful campaigning carried out by his grandson, Martin, the legacy of one of the East End’s finest sons has been revived; the huge turnout for the unveiling bearing testament to Teddy’s achievements.

As well as the statue, Teddy’s memory will now live on in the Teddy Baldock Sports Benevolent Fund; a charity which supports former sportspeople who have been disabled by physical or mental injury or are suffering from general hardship. Please click here for more information.