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Award winning Toads triumph again!
It’s official - everybody loves the Larkin Toads! Once again, Hull and East Yorkshire are on the map. The terrific Toads will add a third prestigious award to their collection at a national tourism awards ceremony on 22 May 2012.
The loveable Larkin Toads have been selected as finalists in the Best Tourism Event of the Year category of the national Visit England Awards for Excellence 2012.
From a record-breaking 392 applications for 15 award categories, the tremendous Toads stood out from the crowd, and were chosen as winners guaranteed to receive a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended Award. A victory for the Toads - a victory for Hull and East Yorkshire!
Rick Welton, Vice-Chair of Larkin25 and the originator of the project, is thrilled. “Larkin with Toads surprised and then excited the public who took them to their hearts - and the toads succeeded in introducing the poetry of Philip Larkin to thousands of people. It's wonderful to get this national recognition."
The Larkin Toads captured the hearts of Hull and East Yorkshire residents and visitors in Summer 2010, as part of the Larkin25 programme. Since then they have impressed judges and voters all over Yorkshire, and have already won two prestigious tourism awards - Tourism Event of the Year at the White Rose Awards 2011, and the Remarkable Experience Award at the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards.
Well over 120,000 people were inspired and delighted by the Toads in their 10 weeks on the streets. Footfall in the city centre increased by 40% and local businesses saw their customers increase by an average of 10.4% - some by as much as 50%. The project attracted new visitors to the city, and the Old Town, Museums Quarter and key arts venues, who hosted a Toad, all saw their visitor numbers increase.
Don't forget- some of the Larkin Toads still live in Hull - can you find them all?