Cromer Crab and Lobster festival

Friday morning I headed down to the gangway at Cromer beach to see all the giant hand painted crabs and lobsters for the Cromer and Sheringham Crab and lobster festival that will be held on from the 21 to 23 of May. There will be lots of bands, concerts, children's activity's, comedy and food demonstrations. This photo was taken by my Uncle Eddie Anderson who has just finished a film for the Chauncy Maples hospital ship, a ship, that needs restoring on lake Malawi in Africa so it can be a floating hospital for the people on the lake. Uncle Eddie came down to the gangway to see all the action. In this picture is the Chris Taylor studio taking really nice pictures of the event. If you click on the link above the first picture in his website you get more pictures of the lobsters and crabs and a couple of nice pictures of me.

I spent a month painting my lobster in the back garden, dodging the rain that seemed to never give me a break. It is covered in flying ice creams, sting rays, strawberry's, star fish, and is a camouflage design in sea colours. On the 30th of May at Cromer Pier 4pm there will be a charity auction and the 80 lobsters and crabs will be sold off to lots of happy people. The fundraising from the auction will go to lifeboats and the help for the heroes. Personally I would like the funding to go to the lifeboats, who are on call day and night saving people from the sea.

On a arriving at the gangway I met John Morgan who was carrying all the heavy sculptures down to beach. John has been helping organise this event and has kept me informed of everything going on. I have spoken to him many times on the phone and through email and it was great to see him in real life.

My Mother Marian O'Hare who came down to see all the fun. She was going to help paint a crab with the West Runton art group but she put her back out mid project. Very keen to be involved she came and helped me varnish the lobster outside Cromer carpet shop, who sponsored my lobster and a crab. The carpet shop was a hive of activity there was a crab in the front of the shop being airbrushed by Mark Wootten his crab will be going on display in Sheringham as a mark of a new era with Cromer and Sheringham now becoming friends. The carpet shop had lots of carpets and floor lino and they were friendly and laughing, joking and made us a cuppa tea. We set to work and painted the varnish on and lots of people came up to embrace the lobster as if it were there long lost lover. It was hard work keeping them off the lobster, but some I didn't manage to and they went a way with varnished hands. The Cromer Crab line newspaper reporter Philip Keddell was hanging out in the shop too and having a laugh with the owner and my sponsor Graham Burdett. If your looking for my lobster its on Louden Road, opposite the car park and tourist information. If your really stuck as to where it is give the carpet shop a call on 01263 514065.

Here I am being interviewed by top East Anglia reporter Natalie Gray who said kind words about my lobster, which I recon she liked. David is on camera. He got some nice cutaway close up shots of my lobster. This interview should be on About Anglia on Sunday night 6pm ITV but I am not really sure.

There is also a 2 minute film festival at the Crab and lobster festival that I will be entering. They will take the best films and make them into a DVD to raise money for the RNLI. So if you like making little films in your spare time this is where you can show one off.

The group shout shot at Cromer beach. A nice English tradition of the town crier with his bell lets the public know of the good news in town. The sponsors, artists and two Lord Mayors were present. The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Sheringham stood by my lobster and asked me "If I was famous" and shook my hand. I told my Lord Mayor Noel Gant, "Yes I am famous" and whispered "Now!" afterwards.

Here I am with a few of the lobsters that will be around Cromer and Sheringham. I am wearing a red fisherman's top which my Dad gave to me. It is a tradition for artists to wear fisherman's tops while painting. This was the first time I broke mine in to paint the lobster, which got me into the spirit of the sea and kept me warm while painting outside.