The original Govan Baby made a surprise reappearance last month.

The cherub – centrepiece of the Aitken Memorial Fountain at Glasgow's Govan Cross for more than 100 years – had been missing since the early 1990s. But thanks to a local newspaper article it turned up safe and well in a garden in Crookston.

Once local builder Hugh Kinnaird realised that the missing cherub was the same one that had graced his garden pond for the last 16 years, he immediately made arrangements to return it to its rightful place at Govan Cross.

The unplanned arrival certainly had good timing, as the Aitken Memorial Fountain itself is currently being restored at Ballantines Foundry in Bo’ness – thanks to a £32,000 grant from Govan Cross Townscape Heritage Initiative.

The intricate restoration process involves stripping off the many layers of old paint, repairing the
decorative features, columns and roof, and repainting the fountain in heritage colours. With the missing baby back, it may now be possible to restore the original cast-iron cherub and bowl rather than have to make replacements from moulds.

Source:  CGAP Newsletter September 2010 (pdf)