With many of us having missed seeing loved ones over the past year, a local artist has brought a favourite family back to Felixstowe. The ‘Wickers’ have now returned to their home on the seafront, this time with a new addition to the family. But whilst family life has moved on, they still firmly reflect the late Victorian period in keeping with their surroundings in the Seafront Gardens. On being told that the ‘old’ family would not survive another season, Felixstowe Town Council agreed to support a new family, which had originally been funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Seafront Gardens project over 5 years ago.
Creator of the Wickers, artist Tracy Barritt-Brown, said: “I have been very fortunate to borrow space at 142 gallery in the centre of Felixstowe to weave as I needed a larger space than usual to build the family and my lockdown lounge isn’t nearly big enough! I was thrilled to have been asked to recreate the family and hope that five years on the new sculptures will be as loved and iconic as the first. Working with willow is very satisfying making sculptures from a natural sustainable eco-friendly material that has been used for centuries. I have used commercially grown willow but also foraged material from the local area.”
The Mayor of Felixstowe, Cllr Mark Jepson, said: “The Town Council was delighted to support the return of the Wicker family, who had become a familiar and popular attraction in the Seafront Gardens. The Wickers, and their new addition, complement their surroundings and the high standards that Norse and the Friends of the Seafront Gardens have in maintaining the gardens. It is lovely to see them back home in time for Easter. I hope people enjoy seeing them and would encourage anybody who has yet to visit to come and say hello! Thank you to Tracy and everyone involved in the new creation.”
The Wicker family in their seafront garden home, with The Mayor & Mayoress of Felixstowe, Cllr Mark Jepson and Mrs Julie Jepson, their creator, artist Tracy Barritt-Brown, the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Sharon Harkin and members of the Friends of the Seafront Gardens.