The River (the Floozie)

In 1993, Victoria Square was pedestrianised and remodelled. This included the installation of a massive water feature.

Around the rim of the upper pool is a quotation from Burnt Norton, one of the Four Quartets by TS Eliot:

"And the pool was filled with water out of sunlight,
And the lotos rose, quietly, quietly,
The surface glittered out of heart of light,
And they were behind us, reflected in the pool.
Then a cloud passed, and the pool was empty."

In and around the fountain are four works by Dhruva Mistry:

The River
Sat in the upper pool, is a monumental female figure representing the life force. The figure has been nicknamed 'The Floozie in the Jacuzzi' and weighs 1.75 tonnes. 'The River' is also a fountain - one of the largest in Europe - with a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute.

Youth
At the bottom of the fountain feature are two smaller figures representing youth, also by Mistry.

The Guardians
These are two Sphinx-like animals made from the same Darley Dale stone as the Council House. They were carved by the carving workshop in Cambridge.

Two abstract pillars, with lamps, complete Mistry's design. He has declined to comment on their meaning.