It’s been a busy year for pumpkins at Sand In Your Eye – October has seen us turn our studio near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire into a pumpkin carving factory! Carved pumpkins have been flying out of the doors, expertly carved by our team of talented professional pumpkin carvers for Halloween promotions and events, we have been running pumpkin carving workshops across the north of England and organised pumpkin trails in Hebden Bridge, Hillingdon borough in London and Bradford. The final pumpkin event of the season was the Bradford Pumpkin Trail held for the second successive Halloween over October half term in Bradford city centre.
Working with our friends at Bradford BID and the National Science & Media Museum we devised a science themed trail to run alongside the Bradford Science Festival this October half term.
This Halloween, the carved pumpkin displays looked at famous scientists such as Benjamin Franklin, who discovered electricity during a kite flying experiment and Charles Darwin.
The scientist and TV presenter Brian Cox even featured in our live carve when pumpkin artist Jamie Wardley made a carved 3D pumpkin portrait of the physicist.
Pumpkins also explored archaeology in a scene at Oastler market, digging up the bones and treasure of an ancient inhabitant of Bradford.
Some very funky pumpkins entertained visitors to the Sonic: Adventures in Audio exhibition at the Science & Media Museum with some tunes.
We even managed to fit the entire solar system, including a carved pumpkin sun, painted pumpkins of all the planets and some pumpkin aliens and astronauts into the Broadway Shopping Centre! You may have seen an escapee pumpkin spaceman floating away from the scene along Tyrrel St…
There were other pumpkins cavorting around town celebrating Bradford’s achievements and generally having fun in the autumn weather. Bradford is bidding for City of Culture in 2025 and recently made the long list – these pumpkins outside the BD25 office are very excited about this fact.
As part of their efforts to achieve net zero and mitigate climate change, Bradford Council have pledged to plant a tree for every primary school child within the district, working in partnership with Trees for Cities, and the Forest of Bradford.
A very excitable pumpkin was waiting eagerly to watch a film at the Light cinema, popcorn in hand and 3D glasses at the ready.
Pumpkins are well known for being active and enthusiastic, a group of keen pumpkins were to be found at Capital of Cycling a charity that works with other cycling organisations, community groups and charities to promote cycling in Bradford. They were climbing all over the giant bike in the window, checking the tires, tightening bolts, trying on helmets and squabbling over who got to have a ride next.
The pub may not be the usual place to find carved pumpkins but at Sunbridgewells there was a whole gang of them playing on the steam train and having a brew and a game of cards together.
However, the pumpkins with the best chemistry and biggest reason to celebrate were this pair, who may have got completely carried away by the moment and got hitched at Bradford Cathedral, they look very pleased, as do their bridesmaids (Sand In Your Eye’s Emma, Ronnie and Charlie). The bride’s beautiful bouquet was kindly made by Blooms florists.
As it was half term – we ran pumpkin carving workshops for families alongside a live carve of a giant pumpkin, which became a very smily Brian Cox and ended up stargazing in our solar system pumpkin scene. The pumpkins for the workshops were generously provided by Morrisons.
Thanks to Bradford BID and the Bradvocates for all their hard work, and all the locations for hosting a carved pumpkin scene. See you in 2022!
