The Pride marks its territory...

96 of the 100 lions in the Pride have now been released onto the streets of Bath and the surrounding area and thousands of residents and visitors to Bath are enjoying heading off on safari around the World Heritage city.

Of the lions still to be installed, Big Game?" is expected to bravely take up position outside "The Huntsman" pub near Bog Island this weekend, "Llewelyn", who has had to be repainted by his artist after having being damaged, has now arrived back from artist Sonja Benskin Mesher's studio in North Wales and is being varnished before installation later today and "Angele" is due for release into the wilds of Orange Grove in the next couple of weeks. 

We hope that "Lions of Communication", sponsored by From You to Me, which is having to be repainted by his artist Ted Smith after having been damaged, will be back in pride of place in The Circus by the end of July.  

"Killerbyte" by Simon Spilsbury, sponsored by Backup Direct

"Read between the Lions", decorated by Jo McCarron and sponsored by Olton, and the fabulous "Killerbyte" (above), have now taken up their positions at Bath Spa train station and are delighting commuters on the journeys in and out of the city.

The Lion Framer

One of the more unusual lions to have taken up residence in Bath recently is "The Lion Framer".  Decorated as a traditional lion-tamer, "The Lion Framer" is the only lion in Bath with a different paw configuration as his sponsors have adapted him to leap through a giant picture frame above the entrance of The Framing Workshop in Walcot Street.

"Edgar - the People's Lion", named after Edgar the first King of all England who was crowned in Bath in 973AD, is living in the Lions of Bath shop in Milsom Place where he will guard the store until the "Lions Roar Goodbye" auction preview event on 9th/10th October when he will then join the rest of the pride for a wild weekend on public display in front of the Royal Crescent, before the lion charity auctions on Friday 15th & Sunday 17th October.

Visitor Information

If you are planning to come to Bath on safari this summer, please see www.visitbath.co.uk for details of accommodation in and around the city and for a wide range of other useful visitor information.

Literary Lion

Actor Simon Callow , who recently starred in "The Man from Stratford" at Bath's Theatre Royal, kindly signed one of the Lions of Bath mini-lions after his final matinee performance.  This mini-lion currently lives at Toppings Books where a host of literary lions and celebrities visiting Bath over the next few months will add their signature to him before he is auctioned alongside the rest of the pride at the charity auctions in October.

The installation of Partymania turned a few heads in Southgate...

The Lion installation team has been very busy installing the pride in locations all over Bath and the surrounding area. 

 Some lions are displayed on heavy stone plinths supplied by Rudloe Stone in Corsham, and others are on wheeled plinths - rather like giant skateboards - and are wheeled in at night by a wide variety of shops and businesses - the official "Lion Keepers" to the Pride!  Keep your eyes open - lions are taking over the city!

Happy Lion Spotting! 

Masco director Steve Tomlin getting to grips with Frank Fantastikous, helped by Cllr Bryan Chalker and the Lion team

MASCo at Walcot

A huge thank you to MASCo at Walcot for kindly providing the project with a workshop to prepare lions for release into the wild and to care for any injured lions.

MASCo recently took over the old Walcot Reclamation yard and is now the largest architectural salvage company in Britain.  The site is filled with all sorts of fabulous objects, from massive ornate fireplaces to garden seats, statuary, doors and flowerpots....definitely worth a visit!  Keep an eye out for Frank Fantastikous, their Gifford Circus-themed lion just inside the entrance, who has become their mane doorman for the summer....

Lions released on to the streets of Bath!

The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath was taken over by the pride of multi-coloured lions recently for the media launch of the Lions of Bath 2010 public art event.

It was a wild success, attended by sponsors, artists, press and TV and was featured on BBC and ITV regional news throughout the day.  Stories about the event have appeared across Britain in the regional and national press.

Bath's gold Olympic medallist and talented artist Amy Williams MBE took a well-deserved break from her training to team up with "Medallion", the lion she has painted for sponsors Bath Rugby, and was joined by the Club's real life British rugby lion, Danny Grewcock. "Medallion" is displayed outside the Bath Rugby shop on Pulteney Bridge.

                                                                        Above photos by Celia Mannings 

Bath-based musician Midge Ure OBE of Ultravox, who co-organised the Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof and is an ambassador for Save the Children, dropped in between UK tour dates to see his lion "Tunited", named after his new music download website. "Tunited - Iron Lion Zion", to give him his full name, is now installed up over the entrance porch of Ralph Allen House, Railway Place - just down to the right as you come out of Bath Spa train station.

  

"The Bath Lion", was inspired by Lions of Bath event sponsor Lord Bath of Longleat.  The lion was unveiled to Lord Bath at Longleat recently who declared it "a remarkable likeness - it could be my twin!"

Sir Peter Blake painting his 2008 "Tattooed Pig"

Graffiti Lion

Sir Peter Blake's "Graffiti Lion is now on display upstairs at Bath's Victoria Art Gallery .

Lion locations

Most lions are in the centre of Bath, but some have taken up residence in  locations around the city including a trail of lions down the A36 towards Longleat, three have padded their way across to Bradford on Avon, a couple are providing  light relief for commuters along the London Road, and another lion, "Maximus" has set up home at Boniti Stone, opposite the entrance to Dyrham Park. 

Thank you so much to all our wonderful lion artists for their talents and hard work decorating these majestic 6ft sculptures -  they are looking fabulous in their positions around the World Heritage city!

 

                                                               Photo by Celia Mannings

Please contact us:

  1. if you are interested in sponsoring a lion
  2. if you interested in event sponsorship
  3. if you have any other general enquiries

 

LIONS NOW INSTALLED ARE:

- KILLERBYTE - Bath Spa train station ticket office.  Artist = Simon Spilsbury.  Sponsor = Backup Direct

- READ BETWEEN THE LIONS - Bath Spa station inner corridor (ask nicely and you'll be allowed in to see him...)  Artist = Jo McCarron.  Sponsor = Olton

- PRIAULX - BMW Wellsway showroom, Lower Bristol Road.  Artist = Paul Dabson.  Sponsor = BMW Wellsway

- ON SAFARI - Longleat Animal Adventures (viewable from within the Safari Park and from the grounds - grounds entry tickets are A=£4, C=£2, S=£3)  Artist = Longleat animal keeper Jo Hawthorn.  Sponsor = Longleat

- LLEWELYN - North side of the Abbey.  Artist = Sonja Benskin Mesher, Sponsor Bath Holiday Rentals 

- AEQUITAS - ("Justice" in Latin) Outside Justice Jewellers (next to Body Shop), Burton Street.  Artist = Jon Buck.  Sponsor = Justice Jewellers

- WAYNE ROARNEY - Abbey Churchyard. Artist = Susan Hughes, Sponsor = Bath & Country Holidays.

- THE PRIDE OF BATH - outside Crisp Cowley, 7 York Street.  Artist = Emma Rose, Sponsor = Crisp Cowley

UHURU - Kingsmead Square, Sponsor = HPH Commercial Property, Artist = Zoe Kenway

GALAXY LION - Studio Flowers, Charles Street.  Artists: "Design a Lion" competition winner 9 year old Toby and  friends from Pensford Primary School. Sponsor = BaNES (welcome back to your new fragrant home Galaxy!)

LOUIE - end of St Michael's Church, Broad Street.  Aritst - James Long, Sponsor = The Trevor Osborne Property Group

QUERCUS VIRIDIS - Woody's Farm Shop & Dining, Norton St Philip, BA2 7NG, Sponsor = Aecern Structures, Artist = Lisa Wooding

AQUA LION - Freshford Village Hall, Sponsor = Galleries Shop & Cafe, Freshford, Artists = Jan Pitt and Alison Harrison

HAROLD THE HERALD - The Red Lion at Woolverton, Artist = Dave Young, Sponsor = Red Lion at Woolverton

KING OF THE WYLDE - Milsom Place (Broad Street entrance).  Artist = Richard Twose, Sponsor = Nicholas Wylde Jewellers

- SEA LION - Broad Street alongside St Michael's Church.  Artist = Helena Howcroft, Sponsor = Reymond Langton Design 

- THE MANE COURSE - St Andrew's Terrace (behind George Street, west of Bartlett St).  Artist - Susan Elliott, Sponsor = The Bertinet Kitchen 

- THE KING OF THE ROCK 'N' ROLL JUNGLE - The Guildhall Market. Artist = Eric Anderson, Sponsor = Guildhall Market

- MAXIMUS - at Boniti Stone, Dunsdon Barn, Dunsdon Lane, SN14 8JA (entrance on A46 opposite/just after the entrance to Dyrham Park)  Artist = Josephine Sherabayani, Sponsor = Boniti Stone and Woodhouse & Law

- THE LION'S SHARE - Old Bank Antiques Centre, up on 14-17 Walcot Buildings, London Road.  Artist = Alan Dun, Sponsor = Old Bank Antiques

- VERMILION - Edgar Buildings, George St. Artists = Bhari Long, Sponsor = Savills 

- DJ SPACEY - Kingston Parade, alongside the Abbey.  Artist Annette Smith & young carers from Off the Record, Sponsor = City of Bath Lions Club  

- PARTYMANIA - Southgate (opposite Animal/O2) Artist = Susan Hunter Jones, Sponsor = Priston Mill. 

- KING OF POP - in Duck Son Pinker, Pulteney Bridge entrance, 9-12 Bridge Street.  Artist = Lucy Eves, Sponsor = Duck Son Pinker

- MATHEMATICAT - Milsom Place, Broad St (by Yo Sushi & behind Cath Kidston)  Artists = the Junior Art Scholars of Kingswood, Sponsor = Kingswood School

- RIGMAROLE - Hall & Woodhouse, Old King Street (behind Jollys).  Artist = Rachel Doble.  Sponsor = Hall & Woodhouse

- THE MANE BANK - Queen Square. Artist = Bradley Macmath, Sponsor = HSBC 

- EUREKA - The Podium Shopping Centre.  Artist = Nina Gronw-Lewis, Sponsor = Abel & Imray

- FRANK FANTASTIKOUS - MASCo at Walcot, 108 Walcot St.  Artist = Jacqui Harrison.  Sponsor = MASCo at Walcot

- HANDSON - RNID Poolmead Centre, Twerton. Artist = RNID Bath Workshop.  Sponsor = RNID Community Services

- MILSOM - Milsom Street (outside Milsom Place entrance).  Artist = Emma Leith.  Sponsor = Milsom Place

- PAPER CIRCUS - The Whole Bagel, Upper Borough Walls.  Artist = Nicky Ackland-Snow.  Sponsor = The Whole Bagel

- QUERCUS S. REX - The Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Road.  Artist = Heidi Lee Sperring.  Sponsor = Friends of the Royal Oak

- ADVOCAT - Mogers, Queen Square.  Artist =  Helen Nock. Sponsor = Mogers

- ROARTORK - Outside Thermae Bath Spa.  Artist = Jane Veveris Callan.  Sponsor = Rotork Controls Ltd

- KING OF BLING - In The Silver Shop, Northumberland Passage (behind/east of Union Street).  Artist = Jane Robinson.  Sponsor = The Silver Shop

- THE BATH LION - The Roman Baths, Abbey Churchyard. Artist = Jo Hawthorn.  Sponsor = Longleat 

- LEO AQUAE SULIS - On balcony overlooking the Kings Bath, the Pump Room, Roman Baths.  Artist = Joanna Dewfall.  Sponsor = Mandarin Stone

- MONOPOLION - Roof of Hamptons International, Gay Street.  Artist = Matthew James. Sponsor = Hamptons International

- THE KING OF FUDGE - Roof of San Francisco Fudge Factory, Church Street near the Abbey.  Artist = Gareth Sayers.  Sponsor = San Francisco Fudge Factory (Welcome back King of Fudge!)

- SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS - Outside The Cork Bar, Westgate Buildings.  Artist = Nick Walker.  Sponsor = The Cork

- TUNITED - Iron Lion Zion - Up on porch of Ralph Allen House, Railway Place.  Artist = Penny Stanley.  Sponsor = Tunited

- ROBO-LION - Digiprint window - 19 Lower Borough Walls, Southgate. Artist = Digiprint.  Sponsor = Digiprint (Robo-Lion has an in-built live-feed Robo-cam and his own website!)

-LION OF JUDAH - (who appears on the front of the Lions of Bath maps) Foyer of Bath City Church, The Forum, St James Parade. Artists = Missy Ingleton & Deborah Keiller. Sponsor = Bath City Church

- BLOOM - Outside the Royal Crescent Hotel.  Artist = Julia Trickey.  Sponsor = Deloitte

- EARTH LION - Outside the Royal Crescent Hotel.  Artist = Sarah Grace. Sponsor = Deloitte

- MANELY IN THE PINK - Outside the Assembly Rooms/Fashion Museum.  Artist = Louette Eagles.  Sponsor = Shepperton Homes

- MEDALLION.  Bath Rugby Shop, Argyle Street, Pulteney Bridge.  Artist = Amy Williams.  Sponsor = Bath Rugby Club

- ZAN-ZAN.  Bartlett Street.  Artist = Emma Rose.  Sponsor = Artizan Hair Stylists

- AESOP.  Shire's Yard, Milsom Place, Broad Street entrance.  Artist = Jane Robinson.  Sponsor = The Norie Trust

- LA LA SENSORY LION.  The Podium, by Library stairwell window.  Artists = Elena and friends from Three Ways School.  Sponsor = BaNES

- MAESTOSO - Green Park Brasserie. Artist = Darren Portch.  Sponsor = Green Park Brasserie.

- BULLION - Queen Square.  Artist = Catherine Beale.  Sponsor = Principal Investment Management

- AUROARA SULIS - Queen Square.  Artist = Jo Russell. Sponsor = BBWA

- STELLER - outside Bath Aqua Glass, Walcot Street.  Artist = Mike Jenkins.  Sponsor = Embroidery UK.

- DAVE - 1 Queen Square. Artist = Nicola Donovan.  Sponsor = The Apartment Company

- MANE EVENT - The Fat Fowl, Bradford-on-Avon. Artist = Sam Charles.  Sponsor = The Fat Fowl and Giraffe and Me. 

- LIBRARIUS - Waterstone's, Milsom Street.  Artists = Tess Farlow & Hannah Shaw.  Sponsor = Waterstone's

- LION DE FLEUR - The Circus.  Artist = James Adams.  Sponsor = Bath Granite & Marble

- LIONS OF COMMUNICATION - The Circus.  Artist = Ted Smith.  Sponsor = From You to Me (damaged by vandals - in for repairs)

- ZILLION - Kingsmead Square.  Artist = Kate Rattray.  Sponsor = Zenith International.

- ABSTRACT AFRICA - Andrew's Estate Agents Newbridge branch. Artist = Anna Robson.  Sponsor = Andrew's Estate Agents

- STREET LION - Andrews's Estate Agents George Street branch.  Artist = Beryl Desmond. Sponsor = Andrew's Estate Agents

- DANDELION - Queen Square. Artist = Louise Rushford.  Sponsor = id homes

- PARSLEY - Outside the Bath Vetinary Group, 4 Beaufort East, London Road. Artist = Claudia Phipps. Sponsor = Bath Veterinary Group.

- DAISY HONEYSUCKLE - Outside cafe, Royal Avenue, Victoria Park.  Artist = Samuel Lindup. Sponsor = Norland Nurseries

- LAURENCE - Outside Bradford on Avon Tourist Information Centre.  Artist = Melissa Wishart. Sponsor = Bradford on Avon Town Council & Tourist Information Centre.

- LEONARDO DA STIG - Kitchens at 32, Bradford on Avon. Artist = The Stig.  Sponsors = The Old Manor Hotel, Trowle Common & Kitchens at No 32.

- NICU - inner courtyard at the RUH. Artist = Claire Benison.  Sponsor = The Cullum Family

- ROARING AHEAD - Orange Grove.  Artist = Charlotte Moore. Sponsor = The Liberal Democrats

- KING LATERITUS OF TASBURGH - The Tasburgh Hotel, Warminster Road, BA2 6SH. Artist = John Gould.  Sponsor = The Tasburgh Hotel

- REGENCY DANDY LION - Dukes Hotel, Great Pulteney Street.  Artist = Jane Skuse.  Sponsor = Dukes Hotel

- RECYCLION 1 - Outside Bath Recycling Skips, on the A367 between Odd Down P&R and Peasedown.  Artist = Sarah-Jane van der Westhuizen. Sponsor = Bath Recycling Skips

- RECYCLION 2 - Outside Bath Recycling Skips, on the A367 between Odd Down P&R and Peasedown.  Artist = Sarah-Jane van der Westhuizen. Sponsor = Bath Recycling Skips

- CORINTHIAN - Walcot Street by John's Bikes.  Artist = Sophie Howard.  Sponsor = Newmans Conservation Builders

-SPOT THE LION - Union Street near Carphone Warehouse.  Artist & Sponsor = Deep Blue Sky

- IMPERIAL LION - Milsom Street outside the Octopus shop. Designed by Cath Kidston, painted by Sarah Jane Richards. Sponsor = Imperial Nannies

- BORIS - Jika Jika, George Street.  Artist = Kevin Whitney.  Sponsor = Zest Concierge

- ASLAN - T.R.Hayes, 15-18 London Road.  Artist = Teresa Foster.  Sponsor = T.R.Hayes

- WORDSWORTH - Union Street, outside the Disney store.  Artist = Wild & Wolf Design.  Sponsor = Wild & Wolf.

- COEUR DE LION - Window of the Whistlefish Gallery, Northumberland Place.  Artist = Helen Stanfield.  Sponsor = Abbey Ales.

- FENTON - Royal Photographic Society, 122 Wells Road, Bear Flat.  Artist = Stephen Seal.  Sponsor = Royal Photographic Society

- JEFFREY DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS? - Odeon foyer, Kingsmead Leisure, James St West.  Artist = Andrea Cryer.  Sponsor = Jeffrey Carpets & Interiors

- LIONHEART - Southgate, outside Azendi.  Artist = Justina Benson, Ken Loach & the People of Bath.  Sponsor = Andrews Estate Agents

- STREAMLION - Larkhall Inn.  Artist = Angela Goodman.  Sponsor = Larkhall Traders

- THE GRATE LION - Outside Red Cross & Dorothy House charity shops, Corsham Town Centre SN13 OHL.  Artist = Rudy de Kooning.  Sponsor = Rudloe Stone

- LES FAUVES DE BATH - City of Bath College, St James Street (now on a stone plinth outside the main entrance)  Artist = Leroy Harding.  Sponsor = London & Country Mortgages

- MIR CAT - The Guildhall. "Mir" means "peace" in Russian and "Mir Cat" is an international peace lion, which was sponsored by the City of Bath Charter Trustees and painted by well-known Russian artist Lada Pestrovska, who flew over to Bath for 5 days especially to paint him!  Please note that the Guildhall closes at 5pm most days and is closed at weekends... Click here for opening times.

- THE LION, THE WATCH & THE WARDROBE.  Outside Orvis, Bridge Street.  Artist = Natasha Rampley.  Sponsor = Mallory

- AUTOLOGISE - 36 Bathwick Hill.  Artists = Chris & Eddie Straughan (aged 7 & 12).  Sponsor = reDERMIS

- PORCELION - King's Lounge, off the Pump Room.  A Jiangxi/Bath twinning lion. Designed by Professor Li Leiying (Jiangxi), painted by Julia Davey (Bath).  Sponsor = BaNES

- LION 'ART - North side of Queen Square.  Artist = Dominic Eaton.  Sponsor = Stride Treglown Tektus.

- MY ROOTS - Orange Grove.  One of the Twinning lions, which has just been shipped over from Bath's twin city of Aix en Provence where he was painted by Provencal graffiti artist Fabien Debois.  My Roots is sponsored by the City of Bath's Charter Trustees

- PERSICUS.  Up on the ledge of 1 Belmont, Lansdown Road.  Artist = John Bendon.  Sponsor = West of England Residential

- PAT THE LION.  The Piazza, Southgate.  Artist = Matter Product Design Team.  Sponsor = Matter.  Pat the Lion is a special, heat-sensitive lion and changes colour if you leave your hand on him for a minute or two!  Just be gentle though, he's quite a sensitve lion really...

- GRAFFITI LION. Upstairs at the Victoria Art Gallery.  Painted by world famous pop artist Sir Peter Blake.  Sponsored by Lions of Bath.

Spot the barcodes..

The Deep Blue Sky team with Spot who is covered in bar codes relating to each of the 100 lions in the pride.  Point your mobile phone at the bar codes and a web page about each lion will be revealed!  Spot is now on display in Union Street.

E-Safari

Local Bath company Media Grand approached the Lions of Bath team offering to set up a LAYAR application for the Lions of Bath event - one of the first in the UK!  

iPhone, 3GS and Android device owners can use LAYAR to navigate their way around the city to track down the lions.

By downloading the free LAYAR app onto your phone, each lion in the pride is represented by a gold dot.  Click on the dot to reveal a webpage about each lion, giving details of its name, artist and sponsor and even directions to them from your current location!

"King of the Rock 'n' Roll Jungle", which is now on display in the Guildhall Market

Recyclions

A pair of magnificent golden lions recently took up residence on top of skips outside the Bath Recycling Skips HQ on the A376 between the Odd Down Park & Ride and Peasedown St John to the South of Bath, amazing motorists and providing some excellent entertainment for slow-moving commuter traffic!

Artist of both lions, Sarah-Jane van der Westhuizen, who was also responsible for the fabulous Pigasus silver-winged pig for the 2008 King Bladud's Pigs event, spent weeks collecting junk and recycled materials to cover the lions' bodies.  She has used everything from bottle caps and buttons to toys, mobile phones and baby shoes, with telephone curly cable for the lions' dreadlocked manes and many hundreds of inverted computer keyboard keys, which make up their tails.  A roaringly good example for recyclers everywhere!  

 

Lionheart, signed by Ken Loach, watched by fellow lion artists Beryl Desmond, Anna Robson and Justina Benson

Lionheart

One of the lions sponsored by Andrews Estate Agents found himself on the football pitch at Twerton with his team-mates recently, where film director and Bath City FC fan Ken Loach met up with the mini-pride and decorated the football club's logo on "Lionheart's" head!

Lionheart, which was recently decorated by scores of artistic lion fans in Milsom Place, has now taken pride of place in Southgate.  His mates "Abstract Africa" and "Street Lion" have set up new territories in the estate agent's Newbridge and George Street branches.

DIARY DATES

Mid-July - all lions expected to have been installed  

May-August -  Giant pride of 100 lions on public display around the city and beyond

September - Lions start coming into the Den for restoration to their former glory for the auction, at a rate of approximately 5 per day.

October 9/10 - "Lions Roar Goodbye"    auction preview weekend - the giant pride of 100 lions will be on public display in front of the Royal Crescent to say their final farewells before the live charity auctions

October 15 - Charity auction of approx 60 lions - Assembly Rooms, Bath

October 17 - Lunchtime auction of approx 40 lions - Komedia, Bath

To register an interest in the auctions please email info@lionsofbath.com


Pride and joy...

You may have seen the fascinating encounter between one of our Lions of Bath sculptures and the real life pride at Longleat on BBC Points West recently, which has since become quite a talking point!

The footage can be seen in the Lions of Bath shop, along with a video of how to use the e-safari LAYAR mobile phone app...

The fantastic lion footage can also be seen in a two minute film about the Lions of Bath 2010 event on the Lions of Bath YouTube Channel. 


 

Paws for thought

One of the world's leading lion researchers, the appropriately named Pieter Kat, came to Bath recently on his tour of the UK to draw attention to the plight of lions in the wild. From a population of 200,000 lions in the 1960s, there are now thought to be only 20,000 lions left - even fewer than the polar bear.

It seems there will be more lions in the city of Bath this summer than in over 75% of African countries.

See www.lionaid.org for further information about Pieter Kat's campaign.

Pieter Kat, Megan Witty, Cllr Bryan Chalker with stone and fibreglass lions in Bath's Royal Victoria Park

CONTACT THE LION TEAM...

                       Photo - imagesbymarko.com

Megan, Wendy and Sue - the Lion Team - with "King of the Wylde" sponsored by Bath  jewellery designer Nicholas Wylde

To sponsor a lion, discuss event sponsorship or for further information about Lions of Bath 2010, please contact the Lion Team via the website, email, or phone us on 07837 990951.