The English are known their fondness for a pint at their local pub as well as their distinctive slang veiled in their thick accents. Sheffield artist John Dowswell, also known by his artist pseudonym coLor, has combined these two very British things in an effort to get local drinkers to explore more of their local pubs.
Dowswell has painted 25 ducks, known as the Ay Up Ducks, inside different pubs in Sheffield, each saying South Yorkshire expressions along the lines of “tah”, “sup up”, “gee ova” and others yet be to found.
Besides getting people plastered at various Sheffield pubs, the ducks are also designed as a reflection of the community’s street art and pub life in a humorous manner. This venture is a pub crawl for the drinkers, an art exhibition for art lovers, and allows locals to pride themselves on the beloved slang that separates Sheffield from both other English cities and the rest of the world. These pubs are anywhere from the suburbs, the city and even the outskirts of town. With all this moving around, bar hoppers certainly won’t be sitting ducks.
Besides getting to try out new watering holes, another incentive for punters to go figurative duck hunting is gaining a hand-painted duck with a Sheffield phrase of their choice to call their own as a potential prize. Duck hunters must email photos of either themselves with as many ducks as they can find, or photos of each pub name with the phrase being said by the painted duck there. With all the fun involved, drinkers will travel in flocks much like real ducks on this zany pub crawl.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ayupducks or email [email protected]
Matt Wilson
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