UK: Bristol is Going Crazy about Gromit

While visitors to Blackpool Pleasure Beach have been wowed by a newly created dark ride dedicated to the famous claymation characters of “Wallace & Gromit” for several months now (we reported in EAP issue 4/2013), the city of Bristol in South West England is going crazy about the canine character of Gromit. Eighty giant sculptures (about 1.5 meters high) of the character, individually designed and decorated by artists and celebrities, can be found throughout the city and its surrounding areas and visitor attractions – big hit in the city where the creators of the Wallace and Gromit films, Oscar-winning Aardman Animation studios, are based. Until 8 September 2013 tourists and visitors can still discover the sculptures – some of them can even be found at Bristol Airport or at London Paddington railway station, being the most far-flung location. Different themed “Gromit Trails” take visitors from one sculpture to another – all trails are listed in a smartphone app. When the marketing campaign comes to an end in September, the Gromits will be auctioned off in aid of “Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal”, the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity. (eap)