Huge sand sculptures to grace Bradford city centre

The Cottingley Fairies, Emily Bronte and Bradford's legendary wild boar are just some of the well-known local figures being carved out of sand as part of the week-long event, called Discovering Bradford.

The art trail, by Bradford-based Sand In Your Eye, will be on display in the opening week of the Broadway shopping centre to encourage people to explore the rest of the city.

The five-strong team has already started carving some of the sculptures.

A flock of sheep can now been seen grazing inside the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, while Bradford Interchange now has a giant four-ton sculpture of Bradford's legendary wild boar, the creature immortalised on the city's crest.

Throughout next week, the figure of Emily Bronte will start to appear at the Waterstones bookshop in the Wool Exchange.

Then, the week after, work will start on the centrepiece, outside the Visitor Centre in Broadway - an eight-ton sculpture of Bradford's cityscape featuring the Wool Exchange and Alhambra Theatre in miniature.

Other artworks will be created on North Parade, Darley Street, Rawson Place and Centenary Square.

The trail has been commissioned by Bradford Council and will run from November 5 to 12.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, portfolio holder for culture, said: "Sand in Your Eye have done some fabulous sand sculptures to grace Bradford city centre before.

"It's amazing what they can achieve in sand and I'm really looking forward to seeing these latest works.

"The founder of Sand in Your Eye, Jamie Wardley, also has the distinction of being a Bradfordian, and his company is now famous internationally as well as nationally. So it's great to see how successful he has been and welcome him back to his home city."

Mr Wardley said: "It's so wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate Bradford's cultural heritage and to make sand sculptures here in the city again."

Vanessa Mitchell, major events programme manager for Bradford Council, said one aim of the trail was to encourage visitors to the new Broadway shopping mall to explore the rest of the city centre.

She said: "If you have not been to the city centre for a while, you probably won't recognise North Parade and all the new bars and restaurants there.

"We have got all these people coming into Bradford that week, it will be like rediscovering Bradford again."