06 Aug Manningtree plays host to the smallest Octopus Ahoy! sculpture within a shop in town
MANNINGTREE IS racking up the visits during the Octopus Ahoy! public art trail as intrepid explorers seek out the smallest sculpture. Measuring just 12 inches high, compared to its larger siblings which stand 4ft tall, Bubs has been found more than 330 times after the app racked up over 6,000 downloads in just a few weeks. Painted by Alana Fensom, the bubbly little sculpture is situated in Townsends of Manningtree and pays homage to the town’s status of being the smallest in the UK.
The colourful, yet miniature, sculpture forms a ‘big’ part of the art trail and has already pulled in a huge number of visitors, as has its larger sibling ‘Mondrianopus’, situated at The Walls. The diminutive artwork will likely also pull in a big bid when all the sculptures go up for sale to raise a gigantic sum for Essex and Tendring charities. Tendring and the wider Essex area has been taken over by Octopus Ahoy! in association with Mayflower 400™ and 150 years of Clacton celebrations.
Katie Skingle, Director of KAT Marketing, said: “Manningtree may be one the smallest towns, but we are delighted that it is playing a big part in the fun of the Octopus Ahoy! public art trail. Bubs might be small, but he is mighty and a wonderful feature of the trail. Wily explorers can learn about the exact whereabouts of the tiny mollusc on the app, where they can also unlock rewards for their efforts when scanning the larger counterparts.”
Nicola Baines, of Townsends of Manningtree said “Lovely to have something uplifting and positive. The trail has brought a lot of families to Manningtree. It’s been great hosting Bubs, lots of people have been in the shop looking for him, as he’s the smallest octopus in the smallest town!”
