8 Flaxton Street, Hartlepool, TS26 9JY

Telephone: 01429 867 800

Email: flaxtonstreet@live.co.uk

Over the weekend 7th Aug, the 2010 Tall Ships Race will descend on Hartlepool, that quaint fishing village on the banks of the river Tees, with an estimated 1 million visitors expected.

With all the attention this event will bring to the town, it seemed only fitting that it should be commemorated by something memorable.

As Hartlepool Marina will be a focal point of the celebrations, Mr. Allan Henderson, Marina Manager, saw the potential of this unique commemorative piece of art very early in 2009 and kindly donated a prime location for the project.

This site will be cleared and prepared by supervised volunteers from the Probation Service who will be doing the harder, physical work e.g. the erection of railway sleepers as boarders, the filling of the area with soil, sand, topsoil etc… (aprox. 5 tons) and any heavy lifting and shifting.

This prepared area is a 25ft x 12ft sustainable, community garden, designed and tended by 45 children from Eldon Grove School in Hartlepool. By working closely with the Allotment co-coordinator, the children will produce a blue and white spectacle in plants.

Standing proudly above the blaze of colour is “TALL SHIPS EMBRACED”, a 6ft by 4ft octagonal, fabricated, metal plaque, depicting representations of tall ships entering a safe habour visualized as human hands. Raised nearly 7ft atop a metal column, the plaque is coated in a bronze-effect finish.