Beryl Cook Trail Gets a Tasty Twist with Giant Fish & Chip Sculpture!

A new life-sized sculpture called Hips and Chips is being added to the Beryl Cook trail in Plymouth. This artwork shows two people enjoying fish and chips, a classic British meal often eaten by the seaside. The sculpture is inspired by characters from the paintings of Beryl Cook, a well-known artist from Plymouth who became famous for her lively and humorous depictions of everyday people. The new piece is being created at TR2, the Theatre Royal Plymouth's production and learning center. It will soon be installed next to a bench by The Belvedere Victorian summer house on Plymouth Hoe, a popular spot with beautiful views of the sea.

The Beryl Cook trail already features several other sculptures based on her paintings. For example, the Jolly Sailor sits on a bench outside The Dolphin Pub in The Barbican, and the Cheerful Shopper stands outside Plymouth Market. The Bowls Player is placed next to the public bowling green on the Hoe, and Ruby Venezuela is near the former Lockyer Tavern, now called The Bank pub. Each sculpture is located in the area where Beryl Cook originally painted the character, making the trail a unique way to experience both her art and the city of Plymouth.

This trail is part of a larger celebration of Beryl Cook's work. The Box, a museum in Plymouth, is hosting the biggest exhibition of her art ever, marking 100 years since her birth. Thousands of people have visited the exhibition, which runs until the end of May. The city council is working to extend planning permission so the sculptures can remain in place until at least 2029. The trail has been very popular, with over 1,000 people scanning QR codes to follow it and more than 500,000 views of related content on social media. Council member Jemima Laing said the response has been fantastic and that Plymouth is proud to be the home of Beryl Cook. The new Hips and Chips sculpture is expected to attract even more visitors and make the trail even more enjoyable for everyone.