ENCHANTED visitors bid a fond farewell to eye-catching penguin sculptures which cast such a spell on the city but for some the magic is only just beginning with a chance to take one home at auction.
The Great Waddle of Worcester farewell event at Worcestershire County Cricket Club in New Road in Worcester on Friday drew in crowds from near and far.
There were 82 penguins on display across the city and 41 of them will go under the hammer to raise vital funds for St Richard's Hospice in Worcester which has provided care for the last 40 years.
The trail, which took place for eight weeks over the summer, was part of a public art event and it captured the public imagination, with interest across the UK and overseas and support from as far away as Australia.
However, now the real fundraising begins with an auction on Thursday, October 24 set to raise vital funds for the hospice.
Hosted by Rich 'Hursty' Hurst, people can attend the auction in person at a studio in DRPG in Hartlebury at 5.30pm or bid online, registering their interest by visiting the waddle's auction site.
St Richard's patron Philip Serrell, known to many from Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, is set to be the auctioneer on the day with a reserve for each sculpture set at £3,000. Previously, the elephant sculptures sold for between £5,500 and £36,000 - but the hope is that this year's auction will prove the best yet.
Claire Loveday, the communications manager at St Richard's Hospice, said the people of Worcester had taken the waddle 'into their hearts' and the support from the community had been 'overwhelming'.
Ms Loveday said: "We have had a huge interest. Thousands of people walked the trail every day. The penguins really do capture people's imagination. We have had a huge amount of support from the community here."
The trail followed others organised by the hospice in 2018 (Worcester Stands Tall featuring giraffe sculptures) and 2021 (Worcester's Big Parade, featuring elephant sculptures) which together raised £700,000 for the hospice.
However, to put that in context, it costs £12 million a year to keep the hospice open so it is vital people continue to provide their support.
Ms Loveday said, while there was no target for this year's trail, they would like to at least match the funds raised at the last trail.
"It is a really important fundraising opportunity for a charity like us," she said.
Among those to attend the ticketed farewell event were Beckie Faulkner of Worcester and her two children. The family took part in a bike ride and saw two-thirds of the penguins in one day during the summer.
"They're beautiful. St Richard's Hospice is a wonderful cause really. My friend's mum had cancer and St Richard's definitely helped them," she said.
Jan Whitehead has lived in Worcester for 50 years and says she has always supported the work of the hospice. Because her husband is disabled they could not complete the trail so thought the farewell event was the ideal opportunity to take some photographs.
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"I'm impressed with it. I think this has been even more successful than the elephants," she said.
Ainsley Wedgwood, 31, wife Rexanna Wedgwood, 30, and their daughter Clara, aged one, from St John's enjoyed the farewell event together as a family.
Mr Wedgwood said: "My daughter has loved them. The only reason we came was she loved them so much. She did the trail a couple of times and she was sad when they came into town and the penguins weren't there."
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