The show must go on, and that is exactly what will be happening this weekend in the Coppergate Centre, when a Viking storyteller steps into to replace a damaged Snook which has been taken away for repairs.
The huge model of the fantastic Norse-themed creature, which is part of Make It York’s citywide Snook Trail, was damaged earlier in the week and needs to be taken off-site for essential repairs. Conscious that there will be a hole in the trail, the Snook’s sponsor, JORVIK Viking Centre, will substitute one of its own saga-sharing Vikings this weekend.
“We absolutely think that our Snook, Harald Hardreader, is the best on the trail so we are very upset that he will be taking the weekend off to receive some TLC so he can return very shortly,” comments head of communications and marketing, Lisa Wood. “We’ve made a few phone calls and sent a few letters, and have been able to track down his human half-cousin twice removed (by marriage) who is going to step in for Harald on Saturday and Sunday. We’ve got another copy of Harald’s book, Eirik’s Saga Ragda, and so our substitute Snook will be reading stories every hour on the hour from 11am to 3pm each day.”
The JORVIK team will also be setting up a table with Viking Snook colouring sheets for young visitors to enjoy – perhaps a welcome break as they make their way around the other 20 Snooks still on display.
“On a serious note, the damage to our Snook is really disappointing. When the trail is over, all the Snooks are set to be auctioned off to raise money for St Leonard’s Hospice, so we really need them all to look their very best right through to the end of April,” adds Lisa.
