Puffins Galore: Meet the people who paid up to £14,000 for puffin sculptures that were part of Yorkshire coast trail

Fourteen of the 42 puffins – each with its own theme, decorated by a local artist and sponsored by a business or organisation – were sold off in aid of several charities after the huge success of the Puffins Galore trail along the East Yorkshire coast earlier this year.

Hull-based auctioneers Gilbert Baitson presided over a public sale that raised over £94,000 for good causes, including the RNLI and Hornsea Inshore Rescue. Each charity will receive at least £25,000.

The ‘overwhelming’ bidding saw people travel from across the country to place offers. Beverley Nightlife, created by artist Katy Cobb and sponsored by jewellers Guest and Phillips, was sold for £14,200.

Fittingly, the Catch of the Day puffin designed by Eleanor Sofia Walker was purchased by a Bridlington lobster fishing family who paid £6,200. Lewis Warters said: "We live in Bridlington and had a great family day out visiting the trail. Our family business is going to sea catching lobsters, with myself, my two brothers and our dad, who had his eye on Yorkshire’s Catch of the Day anyway. He went over his initial budget, but that’s what happens when you want something. The puffin will be kept at my dad’s home for all of the grandchildren to enjoy.”

Leszak and Fiona Piechowski, who bought Lightbulb Moment by Hannah Watson, sponsored by Boston Energy, intend to keep their puffin on their patio, overlooking open fields.

Amy’s Light, a tribute to local aviator Amy Johnson painted by Emma Garness, was also a popular lot, attracting a winning bid of £9,000 from Darren Ralph and Victoria Kerwin of Sutton Mortgage Brokers. They already own a moth from the A Moth for Amy sculpture trail that was held in Hull in 2016.

Mr Ralph said: “It was slightly over the budget, but we’re happy to help raise charity money. We’ll keep Amy’s Light at our office on Holderness Road for the time being, she may come home to the garden eventually, but our team and visitors to the business will enjoy her.”

Hornsea Inshore Rescue supporter John Hepworth bought the Star Gansey puffin, designed by Claire West, and donated it to the lifeboat charity. Station manager Sue Hickson-Marsay said: “We’re absolutely thrilled. We missed our puffin when it was taken away for the auction, and John promised he’d buy one for us. The crew have just been knitted gansey jumpers, so the story is wonderful too.”

Langhill Holiday Cottages owners Alan and Hilary Chapman forked out £6,000 for the Swim, Dive and Catch puffin, designed by primary school pupils, to keep at their site in Burythorpe. They said: “It will be kept at our place of business. We want it to remain pristine so we may keep it inside one of the conservatories. We had four on our list and had lost out on a few, so we thought, right, we’ll dive in and get it, and I’m glad we were successful.”

A poignant purchase was the Headscarf Revolutionary puffin by Susan J Woodhouse, a tribute to the women who campaigned for better safety on fishing trawlers following a series of tragedies involving Hull crews in the 1960s. The puffin, nicknamed Elsie, sold for £7,000 to Lorna Finn, whose husband’s family were Hull fishermen for generations. She said: “My husband is originally from Hull, and his family all worked in the fishing industry. We came today, especially for Elsie. She reminds us of the strong women who fought for the fishermen’s rights. We’re going to keep her in our house. I had a limit, but we went over by £100 to ensure she would be ours.”