WHITBY.- A tiny fishing village in the North York Moors National Park has landed a catch of a different kind with a pair of giant lobsters spotted in the harbour.
The nine foot lobsters, one coral coloured and the other a striking aquamarine are exhibits in the ‘sculpture by the sea’ exhibition in this year’s
Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage which takes place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September, just 10 miles from Whitby.
The giant shellfish have been designed by Whitby sculptor Emma Stothard, whose work is featured nationwide including Prince Charles’s Highgrove residence, Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons and RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The galvanised and powder coated metal ‘Coronation Catch’ exhibit reflects the continuing importance of lobster fishing in the area, with both lobsters taking pride of place on one of the beach groynes and on the rock armour near the harbour.
This is the fourth year of the Festival, which celebrates the artistic talent that flourishes along the North Yorkshire coastline, and will see Staithes become one huge art display with 145 artists transforming cottages, shops and outdoors spaces into 90 galleries.
The Festival, which is supported by the Coastal Communities Fund as part of the ‘Sea Life, See Life’ project delivered by the North York Moors National Park Authority, kicks off in spectacular style on Friday 11th September at 7pm with a new Illumination Trail designed by Durham artist Mick Stephenson.
The ‘Light Fantastic’ will illuminate some rather unusual objects in the harbour – a giant deckchair, traditional coble boat and a stained glass Reliant Robin as well as lanterns made by Staithes residents out of plastic bottles.
Buskers, pop-up tea rooms and an outdoor picture show, where old photos and film footage will be projected onto the wall at Kipper’s Corner to live piano accompaniment, will all add to the entertainment during the weekend.
The Festival is free to enter and the galleries are open daily from 10am-5.30pm. On Saturday the entertainment goes into the evening along with a second viewing of the Illumination Trail from 8.30pm onwards.
