Ken's toad leaps onto Hull street

4th August 2010 4:57pm - Return to press releases

Brickwork lecturer Ken Shaw (right) has seen his handiwork unveiled as part of Hull's "Larkin with Toads" art trail.
Ken, who teaches at the College's St Mary's Walk campus in Bridlington, lovingly decorated the one-metre-high amphibian in his garage in the town before it was transported to Hull, where it sits on a plinth in St Andrew's Square, off Woodcock Street in west Hull.
It is one of 40 toads which are dotted around the city as part of the ongoing Larkin25 festival, which commemorates the life and work of the poet, novelist, librarian and jazz critic Philip Larkin, marking the 25th anniversary of his death

Ken's creation, named "Topographical Toad", is painted as sitting wetly in the River Humber as an overseer of the city centre and a map on his back shows the position of the other Larkin toads' squatting spots. It was sponsored by Keepmoat Homes Yorkshire Ltd.

Ken said: "I am delighted to be taking part in the formation of the Toad Trail, and very grateful to Keepmoat Homes for sponsoring my design. This is my first public artwork commission, and it has given me the confidence to pursue more in the future.
"As well as being an inspiring and fun idea that introduced me to the poems of Larkin, I hope that the trail will help in raising the profile of Hull's cultural offer - it is a vibrant, creative city and far too often overlooked."

Maps for the Toad Trail and Larkin25 programmes are widely available across Hull, or event details can be viewed at: www.larkin25.co.uk 

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