THANK goodness, many will say, that a ludicrous and much-published idea of the redevelopment-crazed 1960s never came to fruition at Worcester!

An influential group of local people, including a handful of city councillors, launched a campaign early in 1967 to buy the magnificent Perseus Fountain from Witley Court and transport it to the Faithful City to be set up as the centrepiece of the Cathedral Roundabout.

The Worcester Evening News of January 12, 1967, carried a front page banner headline: "Witley Fountain May Be Bought For Worcester."

The report underneath explained: "Currently valued at £100,000, the large Perseus Fountain at Witley Court - a feature which was once going to Bing Crosby's racecourse in Chicago and more recently to Sir Billy Butlin's country property near Ascot - might, after all, be bought for Worcester.

"Thanks to 'an extremely generous offer' by the owner of Witley Court, it would cost only about £13,000 to purchase, dismantle, repair and re-erect this huge fountain in Worcester.

"Some city council members and 'various local organisations and other individuals' are now actively interested in acquiring this sculptural masterpiece for the city. They hope the money could be raised by a public appeal and with contributions from official sources such as the city council."

However, the Evening News' report went on to highlight opposition to the proposal from city planning chairman Councillor James Croft on the grounds that the Perseus Fountain would be totally out of scale on the Cathedral Roundabout. City Engineer John Williams was also strongly against the idea, objecting to any fountain feature on the roundabout for fear it would distract the attention of passing drivers.

The proposal was obviously put forward out of concern that the Perseus Fountain might be lost to Worcestershire but, even so, it was a misguided plan and would have been disastrous in removing the 'sculptural masterpiece' from its original location since Victorian times.

As we know with the benefit of hindsight, the Perseus Fountain remains proudly in place and is now undergoing a £1m restoration, due to be completed early next summer.

It is now some years since English Heritage came to the rescue of Witley Court, and the organisation has done a superb job in restoring the ruins and the grounds, making them an extremely popular visitor attraction.

My wife and I joined English Heritage on the strength of what had been done at Witley Court and we never tire of visiting the shell of a once great stately home which, perhaps because of its very condition, is alluring, atmospheric and fascinating.

Once again, we must all breathe heavy sighs of relief that cold water was eventually poured or showered down, metaphorically, from the Perseus Fountain on that 1967 scheme for its transportation to Worcester!