Have you spotted the ‘pork’ of the town as the pigs return?
1st June 2021
People may have spotted the welcome return of some of Tamworth’s popular herd of pigs around the town, as the Trotters Trail pigs are being re-installed after their new make-over.
The sculptures from the trail disappeared back in October 2019 and was the ‘pork’ of the town but thanks to the help of Tamworth residents and artist Luke Perry, they have been given a new lease of life as groups came together to save their bacon!
The 15 3ft by 3ft wood and metal sculptures have once again been restored from designs created by schools, community groups and businesses and have started their return back to prime locations across Tamworth.
Designs have been produced by groups including Thomas Barnes School with their Reliant creation; Dosthill Brownies; The Peelers Society; an NHS tribute by Two Rivers High School; plus paintings of rainbows, fireworks, canals and ocean scenes. Due to the pandemic, all designs were submitted to Luke Perry, local sculptor and creator of the Aethelflaed statue at Tamworth railway station island, for painting.
The sculptures have been sanded down and refurbished by Luke, giving them a fresh new look based on the individual group’s artwork. The project has taken a little longer than expected due to the pandemic, but are now ready for a ‘snout’ of approval!
A full list of the whole Trotters Trail will be available next month on the Tamworth Borough Council Arts and Events website.
The pigs originally arrived into town back in 2015 as part of a major community art project, but several years on, they were ready for a bit of TLC, so were taken away for a complete restoration.
Cllr Rob Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: “The Trotters Trail has been a real success story and people have grown exceptionally fond of seeing the pigs around the town.
“When the pigs were first installed, we thought they’d last for a year or so. However, they were so popular with people that we decided to keep them in place while they were still looking good.
“More than four years later they did need a little TLC, so we rounded them up and gave them a new lease of life so they can continue to be enjoyed by the town’s residents and visitors.
“I’m sure you will agree they look very vibrant and stunning, with designs including Aethelflaed, rainbows, peelers, robin reliant and a fabulous NHS tribute. Keep an eye out for them arriving over the next few weeks in some new locations around the town.”
Inspired by the famous Tamworth Sandybacks, the pigs were originally created as part of the hugely successful I Am Tamworth project which was funded by Arts Council England and developed by the council’s Arts & Events team to inspire people of all ages to embrace the arts and get creative.
