I’m a bit late to the party with this one. Nothing new there, then. Harrogate BID’s contribution to your sanity by keeping the family occupied this summer, is a trail of Lego sculptures depicting jungle animals. I donned my Pith helmet, safari jacket and long, khaki shorts – only metaphorically as I didn’t want to scare the good people of the town – and set off to stalk my prey.
The structures are placed in various buildings throughout the town centre, and, as there are thirteen of them, I just concentrated on those in a small area because a) it was scorching hot and b) I knew I would have to walk home, as roadworks have meant the buses to my place have been diverted. I don’t think David Attenborough has that trouble. I also wanted to give the independent traders some love.
First up was the Kangaroo keeping watch over James Street from its vantage point in the window of Lucy Pittaway, Art Gallery. When asked if they wanted to foster the joey for a few weeks they obviously jumped at the chance.
Just across the road, things get a bit more scary with the Tiger at Piglet In Bed, the bed linen store. Although it looks cuddly and smiley, were I a piglet in bed, I wouldn’t fancy waking up to seeing that.
Another resident of James Street which looks at though butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth is Wolf Pup at Yorkshire Soap Company. If you need me to tell you what they sell, please sit a bit further away, preferably out of smelling distance.
We now come to a couple of exhibits in open spaces, i.e. The Victoria Shopping Centre. The Monkeys are upstairs, whilst the Giraffe is on the ground floor. I am sure that when it grows to full size it will be able to have a chat with the chimps when the place is closed.
All in all they’re just some other bricks in the mall.
Coffee time now. I don’t know what Artisan Café put in their brews but I am not sure that Red Pandas are quite this vivid, if they are, it is no wonder that are an endangered species. Where the heck would you hide in trees being that colour.
The object of the exercise is to visit all thirteen sites to scan a QR code which reveals a letter enabling you to find the secret safari-themed phrase. When you have done this you go to Games Crusader on Oxford Street, where you can collect your prize! They haven’t made it easy for you as you will need to find someone to collect your entry, however, as the animal in their window is a Chameleon, they might not be easy to spot.
Then again…..
The Harrogate Lego Trail 2025 runs until 26th August. More details are at https://harrogatebid.co.uk/lego2025/
For more information about Harrogate BID (Business Improvement District) please go to https://harrogatebid.co.uk/
To help you, here is a tip I learned from a safari guide in Africa. The Jeep broke down and we were stuck in an area full of lions. He said that we would need to get out of the vehicle and leg it as fast as we could to the nearest town. I put my boots on and he slipped into his trainers. I asked him if he thought the Nikes could help him out-run a lion, he said not, but it didn’t matter as he only needed to out-run me.
Enjoy!
Tyke It To The Limit 