Four new sculptures to be added to Whitby's fishing heritage trail - but dissenting councillor says 'it's not my idea of public art'

Four additional sculptures are to be added to a heritage trail in Whitby telling the story of the town’s maritime history
WhitbyWhitby
Whitby

Scarborough Council’s planning committee today approved the new works by local artist Emma Stothard which will be added to the seven wire-frame models that already make up the trail.

The heritage trail aims to provide local people and visitors to the town an insight into the local fishing industry and its history.

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Each sculpture represents a character or story associated with Whitby’s fishing heritage, and will incorporate a small piece of signage with a QR code that can be scanned on a smartphone to display information about it.

The committee approved the additional sculptures though not all the councillors were convinced.

Coun Subash Sharma said it was “abhorrent” to him that only one artist had been involved in the scheme and was the lone vote against the plans.

He said: “This is not my idea of public art. I would like to see something that is more than a passing fancy.

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“I have difficulty calling it art as I do not think it meets the level of what I consider art.”

Coun Paul Riley added: “I don’t think they are terribly good but people seem to enjoy them.”

In response Whitby councillor Stewart Campbell said he disagreed with Coun Sharma, while Coun David Jeffels said the heritage trail was “first class”.

The Whitby heritage sculpture trail

- 'Bridge Ender', a fisherman with a barrel and crate for public seating on the Swing Bridge (new)

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- 'Hornblower', a depiction of the planting of the Peny Hedge on Ascension Day, Church Street (new)

- 'Lizzie', a woman carrying a longline and a basket of mussels, Church Street slipway (new)

- 'Herring Lassies', two women gutting fish at a table, Scotch Head bandstand (new)

- 'Fisherwife'

- 'Fisherman mending a net'

- 'Woman knitting a gansey'

- 'Frank Meadow Sutcliffe', local photographer and artist

- 'Crow's nest with a lookout'

- 'Dora Walker', World War One captain in the North Sea

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