Oakham and Rutland Local News

Oakham and Rutland Local News
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

£20,000/week for plastic toads…and you thought your city gov’t was nuts.


A (city) council is to spend £200,000 on 65 giant fibreglass toads to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of poet Philip Larkin. The over sized amphibians will be displayed at locations around Hull for 10 weeks later this year, reports the Daily Telegraph.

“This project is designed to spark interest in Larkin’s poetry among people who are made curious by the unexpected presence of their local toad,” says a Hull City Council report.The move is intended to honour Larkin’s two poems, Toads and Toads Revisited. The poet completed many of his most important works while working as a librarian at Hull University.

one blogger questions?

Did Hull Council have a competition for "How we can waste money in the most ludicrous ... obviously has so much money it can spend £200000 on plastic toads

Rutland has Hippo's. Sponsorship is not going well.
I have put a suggestion forward for the use of a Hippo and was told yes its possible if they can find a sponsor to pay £2000!

I am not a artist, but what real artist is going to want to create a work on a hippo and have a sticker stuck on their work sponsored by HSBC bank or the like.

I can't see how any small company based in Rutland could even consider spending £2000 in this present climate.