Larkin statue appeal launched

A public appeal has been launched to help raise funds for a statue of Philip Larkin to be built at Hull Paragon Interchange.
It is hoped the statue, which will cost up to £80,000, can be unveiled in the railway station concourse on 2 December to mark 25 years to the day of the poet's death.
Although born in Coventry, Larkin worked for many years as the University of Hull librarian.
His deep and abiding fondness for Hull, where he lived for 30 years until his death in 1985, inspired the poetry which brought him national acclaim.

Eye-catching design

The appeal, led by the Larkin Society, has gained the initial backing of Network Rail and First Transpennine, and the unveiling of the statue will mark the end of 25 weeks of commemorative Larkin 25 events which are being held to celebrate the poet's life and achievements.
The finished statue will be unique and capture the likeness and spirit of Larkin.
"The aim of the commission is to provide a bronze statue that will be an arresting feature of the recently refurbished station and interchange," says Graham Chesters, of the Philip Larkin Society.
"It will mean the people of Hull and visitors to Hull can recognise the presence of England's best-loved poet.
Ideally the statue would be slightly larger than life-size."
Designs have been received from three leading contemporary sculptors who between them have created some of the country's most celebrated recent works.
Graham Ibbeson created a statue of comedy legends Laurel and Hardy at Ulverston in Cumbria and Eric Morecambe at Morecambe Bay.
Jemma Pearson created a statue of natural scientist Charles Darwin – showing him striding across an island in the Galapagos – for Shrewsbury School and a figure of composer Elgar with his bicycle at Hereford Cathedral.
Martin Jennings created the statue of poet Sir John Betjeman at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras Station in London.
It is expected a winning design will be chosen later this month and the public fundraising appeal will run until May, after which the statue will be moulded, casted, transported to Hull, and installed at the interchange ready for the anniversary in December.

For more information visit www.philiplarkin.com

Year of the tiger Chinese New Year falls on Sunday 14 February and it's the year of the tiger. Members of Hull's Chinese community will celebrate by cleaning out their homes, preparing special food, buying new clothes, exchanging gifts, lighting fire crackers, and giving little red packets containing money to children. They also carry out the tradition of decorating their homes in red – believed by the Chinese to be a lucky colour. The celebration is based on the lunar calendar rather than the western solar calendar, and the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. "This time of year has the same significance to the Chinese community as Christmas and New Year do in the west," says Luana Smith, of the Hon Lok Senior Association in Hull. "It is a celebration of the year ahead and of a way of getting rid of bad luck from the previous year." Members of the community go into schools to give talks about the celebration and invite pupils to take part in Chinese mask making, lion dancing, cooking and calligraphy.