A MEMORIAL commemorating a gorilla who once lived in Uley is set to be unveiled.

The Uley Society commissioned a stone relief carving memorial to John Daniel, the young gorilla that lived in Uley 100 years ago.

Following a successful planning application, the carving is now ready to be installed on the village green, where a special unveiling ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 2pm.

Uley Society treasurer Dr Rod White said they had chosen to locate the artwork on the village green because it is close to the house where John Daniels lived, and by the pub where he used to drink cider.

“People sit on the green on summer evenings and hopefully it will add to the ambience there,” he said.

The stone relief carving, sculpted from Portland stone, is the work of sculptor Sebastian Rasch.

Funded by the Uley Society, it takes the form of a relief engraving and shows John Daniel flanked by a number of school children.

It was inspired by a photograph showing such a scene.

John Daniel lived in Uley from 1918 to 1921, where he was raised like a child.

His true story went viral last year, after archivist Margaret Groom published a collection of pictures of his life in the village.

Public interest was piqued by the fascinating story of the gorilla, who attended school with the village children, drank cider in the pub and was a frequent passenger in his owner’s open top car.

Alyce Cunningham, from Uley, adopted John Daniel after he was captured as a baby in Gabon when his parents were shot by French officers.

Her brother bought the lowland gorilla for £300 in London.

Raised as a boy, John had a bedroom, was potty trained and made his own bed.

Sadly, the tale ended in tragedy after the gorilla’s adoptive owner, Alyce Cunningham, was tricked into selling him to a circus and he was moved to America.

He died there, it is believed, pining for Alyce.

Visitors are welcome to attend the unveiling ceremony.