Save the Jolly Fisherman!
Skegness mascot is at risk of being axed over health and safety fears
HE’S the cheerful, whitehaired angler often seen skipping along the sands of Skegness, relishing the bracing breeze.
But the net is closing around Jolly the Fisherman as local officials consider axing the mascot over health and safety worries.
The character is based on the poster created by artist John Hassall in 1908 to advertise Great Northern Railways.
The famous illustration was accompanied by the slogan: ‘Skegness is SO bracing.’
Locals dressed as Jolly are seen parading on the pier and beach to greet holidaymakers.
But a report commissioned by the town council has highlighted hygiene fears over the ‘very dirty’ mascot costumes, along with the ‘resource and cost of operating Jolly’.
The costs are ‘more than
Poster boy: Jolly from 1908 many will imagine’ due to strict regulations, especially if they are worn by more than one person, it said.
Nobody can wear the costume for more than 20 minutes without having a 20-minute break, and all mascots must undergo a check to ensure they can work with children.
Former town councillor John Byford said: ‘Jolly is not just our town mascot – he’s a crowd-puller, he’s our A-list celeb. He may be 112, but he’s certainly not ready to hang his boots up yet.’
There are statues and daubings of Jolly around Skegness. But this is not the first time the fisherman has been caught in a row.
In 2015, animal rights group Peta said he ‘evokes images of cruelty to animals’ and demanded that he be replaced with a fish.
Lincolnshire Coastal Business Improvement District, which used to look after the mascot, has stopped lending out the costumes and handed them to the council.
Last night locals took to social media to launch a ‘Save Jolly’ campaign. They described the character as a ‘real asset to Skegness’ and ‘part of the town’s history’.