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Bristol’s favourite icons revealed for the city’s Walk of Fame - 01/03/11

Submitted by lucy on Wed, 2011-03-02 10:33

Bristol’s favourite icons have been revealed for a new Walk of Fame at Bristol Zoo Gardens.

The city’s most renowned people, places and icons from across the historic, creative, sporting and wildlife spectrum will be featured in The Bristol Walk of Fame from Easter, after they were voted on by members of the public.

Bill Bailey with Trevor the lemur at Bristol ZooThe list of inductees features a host of famous names from Banksy, Massive Attack, Justin Lee Collins, toJ.K Rowling, Tony Robinson, Bill Bailey, and the Wurzels.

It also includes local legends, Blackbeardthe pirate and Alfred the gorilla, as well as well known local organisations such as Bristol Blue Glass, Bristol Aeroplane Company, Bristol Cars and Bristol Old Vic (full list detailed at end).

The Bristol Walk of Fame forms part of celebrations to mark Bristol Zoo’s 175thbirthday this year and is set to open at the Zoo from April 9th2011.

Television presenter Johnny Ball is one of the 50 icons due to appear in the exhibit. He said: “I am so very thrilled to have been included in the Bristol Zoo Gardens Walk of Fame. I was born in Bristol and most definitely my most happy memories of outings as a child were at Bristol Zoo. I always recall Guy the gorilla and the other animals and especially the elephant rides.”

He added: “My parents passed away some 20 years ago, but oh how thrilled they would have been. Bristol featured so strongly in my TV career as almost all the Think of a Number and Think Again shows were made there. I couldn't really imagine a happier or more pleasing honour to receive.May I wish the Zoo every success with the Walk of Fame project and with its 175th anniversary celebrations.”Walk of Fams icons - Alfred, wallace and gromit, cary grant and Brunel

Ten honorary icons have automatically been included in the attraction, exempt from the public vote. These are: the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Cary Grant, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Alfred the gorilla, Concorde, the BBC Natural History Unit, The ss Great Britain, John Cabot, Samuel Plimsoll, and Wallace & Gromit.

Renowned engineer Brunel is best known for designing and building the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which has become a world-famous symbol of Bristol. Brunel’s great-great-great grandson, Isambard Thomas, said he was thrilled that his ancestor is due to be included.

He said: “I imagine that Brunel would have been quite humbled to have been included in The Bristol Walk of Fame, particularly as he was an original shareholder of Bristol Zoo, so I think he would have approved. It’s great that he is also being recognized along with some of his most famous work – the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the ss Great Britain.”

He added: “It’s brilliant that the people of Bristol recognize Brunel and his work, and celebrate his achievements, and that his work is still here today, standing the test of time. The Bristol Walk of Fame is a wonderful list of talented and well deserving people, and shows how Bristol has both spawned and attracted exceptional talent.”

Wendy Walton, Head of Commercial Operations at Bristol Zoo, said: “As a hotbed for music and the arts, Bristol has a well established reputation for producing talented and inspiring people, whether they were born, lived or studied their crafts here. The city certainly has plenty to boast about when it comes to famous people, places and stories.We’re excited to now be celebrating the city’s favourite icons on the Bristol Walk of Fame, which opens in April.”

The Bristol Walk of Fame will be a trail of specially designed plaques within the grounds of the Zoo, with each plaque bearing the names of famous inductees. Further icons will be voted on and added to the Bristol Walk of Fame over the coming years.

The attraction is being created in association with Walk of Fame Ltd trademark owners and operators of cultural attractions in the UK.

To find out more about the Bristol Walk of Fame, visit the Zoo’s website at http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/wow-walk-of-fame.

For more information about BristolZoo Gardensvisit the website at www.bristolzoo.org.ukor phone 0117 974 7300.

ENDS

 

For more information please contact Bristol Zoo’s press office:

Lucy Parkinson, T: 0117 974 7306, or email: lparkinson@bristolzoo.org.uk
Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, email: vhollier@bristolzoo.org.uk

Notes to the Editor:

The icons to appear on the Bristol Walk of Fame at Bristol Zoo are:

Honorary icons:

  1. Alfred the gorilla
  2. BBC Natural History Unit
  3. Cary Grant
  4. Clifton Suspension Bridge
  5. Concorde
  6. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
  7. John Cabot
  8. Samuel Plimsoll
  9. The ss Great Britain
  10. Wallace & Gromit

 

Icons voted onto the Bristol Walk of Fame:

  1. Acker Bilk
  2. Banksy
  3. Bill Bailey
  4. Blackbeard (pirate)
  5. Bristol Aeroplane Company
  6. Bristol Blue Glass
  7. Bristol Cars
  8. Bristol Old Vic
  9. Bristol Rugby Club
  10. Bristol Zoo Gardens
  11. David Attenborough
  12. Don Cameron
  13. Fred Wedlock
  14. Gary Mabbutt
  15. Geoff Bradford
  16. Ian Holloway
  17. Jack Russell
  18. James May
  19. John Atyeo
  20. Johnny Ball
  21. John Cleese
  22. John James
  23. J.K Rowling
  24. Johnny Morris
  25. J.S Fry & Sons Ltd
  26. Justin Lee Collins
  27. Lee Evans
  28. Mark Watson
  29. Massive Attack
  30. Nick Park
  31. Paul Dirac
  32. Russell Howard
  33. Rolls Royce
  34. Stephen Merchant
  35. Sir Winston Churchill
  36. The Wurzels
  37. Tony Benn
  38. Tony Hart
  39. Tony Robinson
  40. W.G Grace

 

BristolZoo Gardens

  • Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
  • Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on income from visitors and supporters to continue its important work. 
  • In 2011 Bristol Zoo celebrates its 175th anniversary and wants to do more than celebrate.
  • Over that past 175 years, the Zoo has brought six generations of Bristolians closer to wildlife, helped save over 175 species from extinction, established over 30 field conservation and research programmes   all over the world, showed 40 millionschool aged children the wonder of nature and given more than 90 million visitors a wonderful day out.
  • Throughout 2011 we’re bring people, businesses, charities and wildlife together to share amazing experiences that raise awareness and funds to save threatened wildlife and places. To find out more, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on
  • Throughout 2011 we will be focusing our efforts on raising funds and awareness in support of gorilla conservation.
  • Throughout 2011 Bristol Zoo will support theEuropean Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ape Campaign.The campaign aims to make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes and their habitats, and is being led by Dr Bryan Carroll, the Director of Bristol Zoo.
  • To find out more about the EAZA Ape Campaign visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/conservation-campaigns.
  • Bristol Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
  • Itemploys over 150 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
  • Bristol Zoo supports – through finance and skill sharing - 15 projects in the UK and abroad that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species.
  • In 2010 Bristol Zoo Gardens set up a Conservation Fund to raise vital funds to help care for threatened animals and plants – both in the Zoo and through the conservation work we do in the UK and around the world.
  • BristolZoo Gardensis a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.