The Grand Unveiling

Apologies for the quick iPhone snap - it was all I had to hand...

The day had finally arrived, after much excitement and impatient waiting: the grand unveiling of our Gromit! Those of you that follow our journal will be well aware of my (Annie's) obsession with the Bristol Gromits - 80 large statues of this lovely cartoon dog, all painted by different artists.

I did all 80 in the trail while they were round Bristol. And then they were being auctioned off in aid of the Bristol Children's Hospital, and a mad idea was born: 3 months later, and enormous number of people had put an enormous amount of effort into fundraising to buy one at the auction - there were marathons and 90 mile cycles round them on the trail, cake sales, auctions, raffles, Gromit-themed summer fayres and even abseiling down the Avon gorge (with Chris dressed as a Gromit). The money would all go to the Bristol Children's Hospital whether or not we were successful, but luckily, having raised over £19,000, we got one!

Here he is, introducing "Why Dog? Why?". He's gold coloured, with a big question mark coming out of him (hidden here by the sheeting). He's just lovely - not the fanciest paint job of the Gromits, but he's ours.

I think the thing that makes me proudest is not the £19,000 raised already. It's the fact that he's currently held in trust, looked after by our company. However, if we ever come to want to sell him in the future, the Bristol Children's Hospital will be the beneficiary of the trust and so the sale as well. Not bad, for a mad pub-based idea to buy a Gromit.

I was on an important conference call at the time of the unveiling - it refused to finish on time, so I switched to my mobile phone and ran over to watch. The picture is therefore as rough and ready as would be with a camera phone juggled with another phone next to my ear, on the balcony looking down...

Chris is working in London today and tomorrow, and I'm in Brsitol for the rest of the week, so at a loose end this evening. I think I'll wait until no one else is in the office, and go and give Gromit a little hug. ;)