Look! There’s Elmer!

“This will be Elmer’s Day. All elephants must decorate themselves and Elmer will decorate himself elephant colour.”

That is exactly what the elephants do.

On one day a year they decorate themselves and parade.

This year, Elmer’s Parade is heading to the nation’s favourite seaside resort: Blackpool. And not just for one day, but for 8 whole weeks! Throughout April and May, David McKee’s much-loved patchwork elephant and a herd of his uniquely-painted elephant friends can be spotted in popular outdoor locations around Blackpool’s town centre and sea-front. Vividly colourful and eye-catching, these sensational giant jumbos (over 1 m high) have been individually-designed and vibrantly-painted by talented local and national artists. What’s more, an additional herd of mini-Elmers, dazzlingly-decorated by creative children from local schools and youth organisations, will also be on display in small groups in free-to-visit, accessible indoor locations.

Visitors are warmly-welcomed to Blackpool this spring to follow this free, family-friendly art trail around key landmarks, streets and open spaces across the vibrant and bustling town. Using a dedicated trail app (alternatively maps are available to buy from the town centre Trail Headquarter shop), trailblazers can locate their nearest Elmer sculpture and ‘collect’ it to earn rewards on the app, completing the trail in one bold endeavour or taking it at a more leisurely pace and splitting up the trail across several visits. Rebecca Ferguson, a spokesperson from the event organisers at Brian House, says "Our art trail is suitable for people of all ages and abilities – our own children at Brian House Children’s Hospice, who living with challenging health conditions and are often in specialist prams or wheelchairs, will be going on the trail". There will be ample opportunity along the way to pause for meals and refreshments, or to visit one of the many world-famous attractions that Blackpool has to offer. You could even extend your visit and make a weekend of it; Blackpool is well known for its many high-quality hotels, allowing for more time to visit all of the sculptures on display.

Elmer’s herd will reunite for a final farewell finale weekend in June before being sold at auction to raise vital funds for Brian House Children’s Hospice, the only children’s hospice on the Fylde coast supporting local children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. The event has been organised in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press, with the support of Presenting Partners Thompsons Contracts and Ameon. For more information and further updates on the event please visit elmerblackpool.co.uk and sign up to the event newsletter.

Have you caught the trailblazing bug? Why not take on another art trail the North has to offer this spring and summer? Here is our pick of the best trails across Lancashire and Yorkshire:

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

It’s no wonder the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was awarded Yorkshire Tourist Attraction of the Year in 2023. With over 100 supersize sculptures to explore and admire, by artists including Barbara Hepworth, Andy Goldsworthy, Damien Hurst, Sophie Ryder and Henry Moore, imaginations will run wild amidst this surreal landscape of walking handbags, flamboyant Buddhas and hybrid-animal spectacles. Sculpture scavenger trail sheets are available from the visitor centre; great for encouraging younger explorers roam the park, hunt for hidden gems and tick-off highlights along the way. Plus there are plenty of sites to stop and have a well-earned picnic! Many of the sculptures are concentrated around the bothy garden and country parkland (allow 90 minutes to spy most sculptures), although energetic explorers may wish to take an extended walk through the woodland and along the far lakeside, taking in the Longside Gallery and perhaps spotting some free-roaming highland cattle in amongst the trees. Accessibility around the park is mostly excellent (off-road mobility scooters can be hired without charge), although paths can get muddy in the woods after bad weather.

Adult admission costs £9; however children are welcome free of charge. The park is just 5 minutes off the M1 at junction 38 and is well-signposted from the motorway. For further information about visiting the park and admissions, visit ysp.org.uk

Pendle Sculpture trail

Set in the dark and eerie Aiken Wood at the foot of the iconic Pendle Hill, the Pendle Sculpture trail has been heavily inspired by tales of the legendary Pendle Witches. Featuring bats and boggarts, devilish dogs and dryads, this 4.5 km trail presents 25 spine-tingling sculptures by artists Philippe Handford, Steve Blaylock, Martyn Bednarczuk, and Sarah McDade that will delight and daunt young and old explorers in equal measure. The trail is accessible for pram-users although some sections (particularly the climb up into Aiken Wood itself) are steep and can get muddy. Once up in the woods, adventurous toddlers may wish to climb out and explore the 1 km hill-top trail themselves! Pay and display parking is available in Barley village centre, as well as toilets at the Cabin Cafe and post-walk refreshments at the Pendle Inn and Barley Mow restaurant.

Trail and sculpture guide available to download from www.visitpendle.com/dbimgs/Sculptor_Trail_leaflet_2016%20(2)(1).pdf

For younger sculpture-hunters, the Vicky Witch Trail can be found close-by in Victoria Park, Nelson. This mile-long trail is perfect for tiny trailblazers to toddle along at their own pace (see below for downloadable trail route), keeping an eye out for wooden carvings of dragons and witches, as well as their favourite woodland creatures and ducks galore on the large lake. Parking is free at the park off Carr Road (BB9 6DG), and there are toilet facilities and a play area by the Pavilion Cafe.

www.pendle.gov.uk/downloads/file/8390/vicky_witch_trail

Beacon Fell Country Park Sculpture Trail

Located within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and just 10 miles outside of Preston city centre (signposted from Garstang and Longridge), Beacon Fell is a haven for wildlife, real and sculpted! Beacon Fell Country Park Sculpture Trail is clearly signposted on a purple way-marked trail from the Beacon Fell visitor centre car park and cafe (pay and display, toilets available), and trail sheets are available at the centre to help with finding and identifying various sculptures along the way. The featured sculptures, created by local artist Thompson Dagnall, depict a number of carved wooden animals, including snakes, lizards, tigers and owls. The trail is pram-friendly, although steep initially and muddy in places, and takes approximately 40 minutes to complete, but allow for longer as children will delight in romping through the spruce woodland and building dens, many of which can be spotted off the trail. There are plenty of picnic opportunities along the route and options to extend the walk to take in additional trails, including the summit trail, which rewards adventurers with spectacular views across the forest of Bowland and out towards Morecambe Bay on a clear day.

For further information, visit: www.visitlancashire.com/things-to-do/beacon-fell-country-park-p1730

Ribble Valley Sculpture Trail

This short (2.5 km), circular and easy all-weather route through Brungerley Park and Cross Hill Quarry, a local nature reserve managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, can be found on the periphery of the thriving market town of Clitheroe. The charming and quirky trail, clearly outlined on notice-boards at the park entrance, includes 20 permanent works of wildlife-inspired art, including Sika Deer, Otters and the aptly-named ‘Ribble King’, as well as carvings of local flora present at the site. The main path meanders upwards through pleasant woodland to the top of Cross Hill Quarry, rewarding visitors with panoramic views of the River Ribble, before circling down into Cross Hill Quarry itself. wildflower-rich warren is a wonderful spot for a family picnic and an obligatory game of hide-and-seek! Nature-lovers may even catch glimpses of some of the local wildlife: kingfishers, herons, salmon, sandpipers, otters, bats and even deer are all frequently observed at the site. Tracks are accessible and easy-to-follow, although the slope returning out of the quarry is steep (wheelchair access only on main walkway).

There are no on-site facilities or car-park, but there is parking for a number of vehicles across Brungerley Bridge on the busy Waddington Road (B6478), 100 yards from the entrance gate – take care walking with young children here as there is no pavement.

For further information, visit: www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/ribblevalleysculpturetrail

Written by: Anna Haines

Photography © Brian's House Children's Hospice