Owls take flight

After three months of enjoying the colourful sculptures around the city, the Minerva’s Owls of Bath bid a fond farewell at the Rec at the weekend

Owl fans were having a hoot as all 82 sculptures were displayed together for one last time before they take flight. Forming a colourful parliament, the Minerva’s Owls of Bath Hoot Farewell weekend attracted hundreds to the colourful characters ahead of their being auctioned off. Marking the end of the official trail after being on show around the city and beyond for the past three months, they all landed at the Rec. As well as admiring the stunning artworks in one location at the weekend, visitors enjoyed owlrelated activities including meeting real owls, owl decorating and badge-making workshops, owl artist displays and Bath City FC’S ‘Beat the G’owlie’ challenge and the Raff’owl gave one lucky person the opportunity to win one of the supersized Owls of Bath sculptures. The owls can next be seen at the charity auction on October 17 at The Apex Hotel, Bath. Profits from the evening at which 59 of the large owls and three of the smaller ones will be auctioned off will go to four good causes: The new Royal United Hospital Cancer and Therapies Centres Bath Young Carers’ Centre (a vital resource for children who look after ill, frail or disabled family members) Roman Baths Archway Project (opening up secret Roman tunnels & creating a new World Heritage education centre) UK Little Owl Project (based in Bath and working to protect Little Owls, whose numbers have declined by over 60% in recent years. For more details about the auction and to book tickets go to https://minervasowls.org/auction/