THE Forest's most unusual flock of sheep are looking for a semi-permanent home while their eventual fate can be decided, the Review can reveal.
Responding to a reader's inquiry regarding the fate of the flock of glass fibre animals which first appeared in 2007, we have tracked them down to a container 'somewhere near Cinderford'.
Still in the care of Ed O'Driscoll, project manager for SheepScape, the 50 or so highly coloured sheep are safe and well, he assures us.
"We would like to find them a semi-permanent display spot where they would be safe from vandals but this is proving quite difficult," he said.
"The eventual aim is to sell them, of course, hopefully to local sponsors although there is not much cash around at the moment. However we did take two to the Smithfield show where they were auctioned and we split the money between our charity (Arts in Rural Gloucestershire) and theirs (Royal Agricultural Society Benevolent Institution)."
Originally launched as a Gloucestershire millennium project the sheep were decorated by various artists and schools and other groups. The arts group's accounts lodged with the Charity Commission reveal some £80,000 was raised for their creation from grants, cash from the Forest of Dean District Council and money from local sponsors.
Similar schemes have been launched with other fibreglass animals in other towns with final auctions proving quite a moneyspinner.
However Mr O'Driscoll is hopeful they may make other appearances before that happens – and in the meantime, a haven that didn't carry storage costs would be very useful.
Some of the sheep also exist in virtual form and can be viewed on www. ewetube.co.uk