08/05/2026
Official launch of the Pride of Yorkshire
So last night was quite the do, music from everyone Sheffield was playing, a thousand guests and hundreds of Lions for the forthcoming
Truly extraordinary, it looked amazing.
It’s such an honour and a privilege being a part of it all.
The Lions are now at the Sheffield Utilita Arena to meet their friends and introduce themselves to all of us… wow!
A bit more info for now…
My Lions were designed and drawn and painted to celebrate the It has been 75 Years since it was set up by Ethel Haythornthwaite and her husband Gerald. Hence the names honouring them both. One side of Ethel tells a very stylised story about the Peak District in my maximalist style with a lot of small detail showing the various elements that go together to make up this first national park.
Ethel’s other side tells the Sheffield story with dozens of icons and lots of hidden detail with a boundary down the length of her back.
Gerald, along similar lines, has my Contour Map of Edale ( a little over stylised down his legs ! ) on one side and the Peak District 75 years celebration on the other side. More on the making of this later.
It really has been a privilege to paint these lions and a learning curve being let loose on a large 3D sculpture of such beauty. It's been quite a thing!
love to all
Si
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