Journey with a 28 tonne secret!
Article by Hull Daily Mail appeared in The Journal – February edition
As Made in Hull came to a close on January 7, organisers had another card up their sleeve, one they kept secret, even as it was trundling along the A63 in the early hours of the morning.
There was an unusual air of intrigue and excitement among the press, organisers and workers helping to shift the 28-tonne wind turbine blade as they turned up to Alexandra Dock at 1am.
The key, organisers told me, was shock and awe. I understood what they meant when I saw a driver park up on the side of Hedon Road shortly after 3am with a puzzled look on his face. Walking alongside the huge blade, I quickly got a sense of the immense scale. Traffic lights were removed and barriers altered to make way for this “abnormal” load. Police cars drove ahead, as if they were guarding a royal parade.
Blade is very precious, not because it is the work of an artist, but because it has been made by a team of hundreds of engineers, designers and other staff at Siemens. It was one of the first turbine blades produced by the factory, which is set to employ 1,000 people and produce hundreds of similar blades each year.
By 4am the blade appeared in Market Place and glowed gold in the lights of the city centre, almost matching the colour of the famous King Billy statue. Fortunately, it turned the corner without incident. As the blade reached Savile Street, and a few residents popped out to see what the fuss was about, 200 Siemens staff arrived to welcome the sculpture into Queen Victoria Square.
Their hard labour, usually directed to wind farms in the North Sea, will be on display until 18 March for everyone to appreciate.
Picture: Kate Woolhouse
HDM ERM NEWS 09-01-17
The Blade art installation in Queen Victoria Square is now installed. Pictured is the massive blade from Siemens now fully installed for the public to view. Pictures: Kate Woolhouse
Prints can be ordered from www.thisisphotosales.co.uk/hullandeastriding or call 08444 060 910