00:00The Grand Appeal has unveiled a dozen incredible new unique Gromit and Leash sculptures ahead of the art trail next week.
00:08The stunning sculptures were loaded onto the Harbour Stream train where Wallace and Gromit co-creator Nick Park sat at the helm of the iconic locomotive in the driver's cab.
00:19He shared his thoughts on Gromit and Leash Free.
00:2230 years ago the Grand Appeal came to us, of course we're a local company, to ask us if we would create a kind of mascot character for the Grand Appeal.
00:31And we talked about it a little bit and talked about how long it would take to establish.
00:36But there was Wallace and Gromit on the shelf and we all kind of looked at each other and said, how about Wallace and Gromit?
00:42And everyone went hooray and it all started there basically.
00:47And it's, yeah, now 30 years on and I believe it's raised £90 million.
00:54It's a great privilege. I mean, we've always been at Aardman very enthusiastic about helping out in whatever way we can.
01:03And everyone gets really enthused and starts designing and creating stuff and, you know, obviously so many other artists have got involved as well.
01:13Sir Paul McCartney has been involved and given his blessing to the Yellow Submarine Gromit.
01:19He wrote a lovely letter back. And Richard Curtis, the writer and producer of Love Actually, he's been involved.
01:27Pixar have been involved. Lucasfilm, yeah, with the Darth McGraw as well.
01:34The thing is, it's hard to keep them all in your mind because there's such amazing invention and creativity everywhere you look.
01:45And each one, you know, some are really dazzling and others are more about the detail and they're quite elaborate.
01:52And, you know, it's hard to know, it's hard to have favourites, you know, when you look around, there are incredible ones.
01:59But I find it, it's hard. It's like choosing your own children, you know, which is your favourite, because there's such array, you know, such an array of invention and creativity.
02:09And so many artists involved, designers and they all look stunning, really.
02:19It's kind of humbling for me because my characters are like a blank canvas, really, for all these amazing artists and designers, you know, to just have a field day.
02:28And they've all come up with original and creative designs. It's amazing. It really lifts the city and makes it incredible.
02:37I used to dream of just creating characters that might become known, but it's not on this level.
02:44To be established in a solid kind of fashion like this, actual sculpts and statues around Bristol is amazing, really.
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