As one of the county’s top tourist destinations, Ironbridge is used to welcoming colourful characters. But this year a dozen very unusual visitors will be arriving in town. Twelve brightly coloured ducks will form a trail around the town for visitors and residents to follow, after Julie Ward, who lives in Ironbridge, put forward a proposal after hearing about a similar installation in Norwich.
Julie, who succeeded in her a bid for a grant from Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Your High Street fund, said, “I wanted to do something like this ever since I first saw the gorillas on social media, but I didn’t dare hope it would be possible. When news of the High Street Fund was announced I knew this was my opportunity to make it happen. To qualify for funding, the idea had to be innovative, engaging and have a bit of longevity. It also needed to show that there would be wider benefits for the community and for others. I really believe the ducks will be all of these things.”
Having sourced the 9ft ducks from a charity auction after their stint in an art trail in Liverpool, Julie plans to seek business sponsorship for each duck and work with local artists and community groups to turn each into a unique and truly local artwork.
