Personalised memorial sundial

“He was just a normal guy who acheived a lot through his own doing”, Antonia Paul, Landscape architect, North Lanarkshire council.

Pinky Williams is the subject of a memorial sundial commissioned by the North Lanarkshire Regeneration Council and made by David Harber. The sundial shows how well armillary spheres can serve as proud, personalised memorials.

Pinky had various jobs: he was a baker, a sandblaster and a caretaker amongst others. He was also a local character, a family man and the father of four. But what made him stand out was his cycling. He rode bicycles from his mid teens until his late 70s, competing in time trials and championships, winning 560 cycling awards and several Scottish titles.

The stainless steel armillary sphere that commemorates Pinky's life has been movingly personalised with dates and details, including his acheivement in breaking the record for cycling from Glasgow to Dumfries and back again at the age of 53 in 1971.

The memorial sundial stands by the side of a roundabout at Waterloo Cross, Overton — at the spot where Pinky started all his cycling time trials.

Engraved on the base of the memorial garden ornament are words from his son, Stratton Williams, summarizing Pinky's philosophy:

“Sport does not build character, it reveals it. And sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”

For more about Pinky Williams, see this article from the local Wishaw News.