http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23810978 (+ video)
One of the very best series of films was started in the 1990s by the Ridley Scott film “Alien”. If you have seen any of those films you may get a shock of recognition from one of the gargoyles on Paisley Abbey:-
Paisley is a 13th Century Abbey, and many of the existing Gargoyles installed when it was built were crumbling.
The current minister is Reverend Alan Birss, and he explained that the abbey was refurbished in the early 1990s. The best of the original gargoyles were retained, but many had to be replaced. Alan thinks that one of the stonemasons was “having a bit of fun”. I think that his new gargoyle is firmly in the tradition of the old (their original, practical, application is in getting rid of the run-off from the roof).
--------- Alex Kemp