Description
Inspired by one of the world’s smallest penguins, the Little Blue Penguin (also known as Fairy Penguins), this penguin is a little bit magical (like a fairy). She watches all the wishes fly off into the night sky to be with the stars and come true.
Audio read by: Toni McDonald from BBC Hereford and Worcester
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Artist
Marnie Maurri
Marnie is an independent artist and illustrator (with a background in theatre design) based in Worcestershire. Her work tends to be a whimsical combination of adorable characters, intricate details, and magical settings, and she’s very much inspired by nature and the natural world.
She adores colour describes her work as vibrant, playful, and happy. Marnie specialises in creating beautiful, highly detailed art and privately commissioned bespoke pieces, mainly created by hand using a variety of mediums – gouache, watercolours, acrylics, ink, pen, and pencils, and a picture of surfaces.
She also work digitally, creating prints and other products for her Folksy shop.
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Location
26. Cripplegate Park
By the mid-eighteenth century, the medieval bridge that had spanned the Severn at Worcester for more than five centuries had become inadequate for the traffic crossing there.
The city authorities set about planning a new crossing point. In 1771 they commissioned a notable architect from Shrewsbury, John Gwynn, to design and build the new bridge. This was a considerable undertaking. The medieval bridge had to be demolished, which proved a difficult task as the pilings proved to be incredibly sturdy.
The point where the new bridge was to span the river lay a few hundred yards downstream from the location of the old bridge. In order for the new bridge to link up with the existing roads north and west, a ‘new road’ had to be built on the Severn’s western bank. The road retains the same name today.
More about this location
26. Cripplegate Park
Bridge street was developed on the east bank to form the approach road. The project was at least partially funded by the 6th Earl of Coventry, who was Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. The 6th Earl laid the first stone. The bridge was completed in 1781 and sported an attractive toll house which helped pay for the upkeep of the roads.
In 1931 the bridge was significantly remodelled and widened, officially unveiled by HRH Prince of Wales in October 1932, at the same time as the remodelled Cripplegate park was opened.
It’s believed that Sir Edward Elgar took the original iron railings from the bridge and used them to decorate the garden at his home Marl Bank on Rainbow Hill.
This location fact has been provided by Joe Tierney of Faithful History. To learn more stories of the ancient city of Worcester, spanning thousands of years of history in ‘The Faithful City’, visit https://www.facebook.com/faithfulhistoryworcester
Take home your own feathered friend
In October 2024 all 40 large penguins and one chick will be auctioned to raise funds for the care provided by St Richard’s Hospice.
In 2021, 31 stunning elephant sculptures raised a mammoth £368,800 to support the care provided by St Richard’s Hospice across Worcestershire.
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