The first six-foot rat has been unveiled as Hull and East Yorkshire prepares for its latest animal trail.
In recent years, brightly coloured giant moths, puffins, and toads have landed on the streets on Hull and East Yorkshire. Now it’s the turn of rats with the ‘A Mischief of Rats’ trail set to open to the public on May 3.
Rats were chosen for the latest trail inspired by Hull-born musician Mick Ronson who was a member of local band, The Rats, before he teamed up with David Bowie to form The Spiders from Mars alongside Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey.
The designs of the 45 rats were chosen after 180 designs were submitted by over 150 artists. The rats have each been sponsored by local organisations or businesses who cover the cost of the manufacturing of the rats.
Once the event comes to an end in August, the rats will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to Daisy Appeal, a charity based at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham supports the detection of cancer, heart disease and dementia through highly advanced PET-CT scanning techniques. Mick Ronson himself died of cancer in 1993 at the age of just 46.
When designing the rats, artists could pick from one of five themes:
- Mick Ronson and the Hull and East Yorkshire music scene.
- Health and medical science.
- Rats in literature, TV, films and cinema.
- Rats, ships and the sea.
- Rats made beautiful – imaginative make-overs.
Clare Huby, co-director of A Mischief of Rats told the LDRS that around 30 of the 45 rats are expected to be in and around Hull, whilst others will be dotted around East Yorkshire.
At an event in Hull, the first rat, named ‘Daisy Rat’, designed by artist Leo Soph Welton, was unveiled by Mick’s sister Maggi Ronson, and Keith “Ched” Cheeseman, the bass player in The Rats. Daisy’s design contains the Daisy Appeal logo which appears numerous times across the yellow rat.
As Hull City Council supported the commissioning of the rat trail, the unveiling of Daisy was attended by numerous senior members of the council including the Council Leader, Mike Ross. At the event, Cllr Ross said: “I’m sure when the rats hit the streets this summer it will bring excitement and joy to the city and the people who live here.”
Cllr Ross said he hoped the rats would also attract people from outside the city to come and visit hull: “We want to encourage people to come here, and this just is one more way of doing that.”
One of the rats has been sponsored by local businessman, Manuel Mestre Valdés, who owns the Botanic Pharmacy in Hull. Mr Valdés told the LDRS how, as a big Mick Ronson fan, he was excited to play a part in the trail as well as it being a chance to highlight the valuable services pharmacies like his own can provide.
QR codes will be placed on each of the rats, allowing people to virtually tick off all 45 on an app.
Of the 45 rats, two remain available for sponsorship ahead of the trail’s opening in May, with local businesses being urged to contact the organisers if they interested in taking part and sponsoring the remaining rats.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
