With just over a week until a herd of safari animals descends on Hamilton, a special Tunnock’s Teacake giraffe is getting ready to make the journey to a sweet spot in the town, where it will set up home for the summer.
At over 8 foot in height and 40kg in weight, Thomas the giraffe might be the biggest ‘Teacake’ to ever set foot in Lanarkshire, which is sure to excite fans of the iconic brand.
The giant sculpture is the work of 23-year-old Scottish artist, Rae McCulloch and is just one of the many animals that will be visiting Hamilton this summer as part of The BIG Stampede.
Picture: Rae putting the finishing touches to her BIG Stampede animals, courtesy of Ian Watson
Organised by Hamilton Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Wild in Art, The BIG Stampede will transform Hamilton into a sculptural animal kingdom from Friday 23 June.
The event will bring businesses, artists and schools together to create a spectacular and colourful trail which will positively contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of the town.
After the trail, the sculptures will go to auction for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
Other animals on the trail will include ‘Sekhmet’ the lion and ‘Albert III’, a powerful gorilla crafted in a fibre glass space suit with an acrylic helmet that have also been created by the young artist and graphic designer from Stonehouse.
Rae’s trio of designs are getting ready to join over 100 other animals, including elephants, giraffes, gorillas, rhinos and hippos, on the safari trail which will be in town for 10 weeks this summer.
Gareth Walker, BID Manager at Hamilton BID, said: “The countdown is officially on with just over a week to go until the invasion of The BIG Stampede. Rae’s bold and adventurous designs are fantastic and perfectly capture the essence of the trail. "
"The Tunnock’s Teacake inspired giraffe is sure to be a highlight for visitors and I have no doubt Rae’s collection of animals will raise valuable funds for charity.”
Picture: Thomas being fed a Tunnocks Teacake by artist Rae McCulloch before boarding a horse box to go on display in Hamilton, courtesy of Ian Watson
From Friday 23 June, Thomas can be visited in his new home at Top Cross Street in Hamilton. To help spectators find the 108 animals on the trail, a special map has been created and will be available from shops, libraries, community centres, hotels and other attractions throughout Hamilton.
