Jings, crivvens and help ma boab!
Around 20,000 people made their way to Dundee’s Slessor Gardens over the weekend to catch one final look at the Oor Wullie statues which have captivated the city over the past 11 weeks.
One of the event’s organisers said the success of the bucket trail in Dundee has been “beyond belief”.
With ticket sales of 16,500, and thousands more paying for entry over the weekend, the Archie Foundation has said they have now covered all their expenses.
That means all proceeds from tonight’s auction will go directly towards raising money for a twin operating suite at Tayside Children’s Hospital.
Neil Cooney, project manager for the Bucket Trail, said: “There were enough walk-ups to bring the total up to the 20,000 mark.
“We weren’t sure how many would make it, before tickets went on sale, but again, this is a testimony to the event, and the popularity of the statues over the course of the trail.
“It was one thing saying, ‘wow, we sold all those tickets’, but actually seeing and experiencing all those people was quite another — it was an amazing sight.
“It was also great to be able to speak to people about the statues and how much they have got into it.
“The event summed up the whole trail, with a great, family atmosphere and, apart from Friday night, great weather for it too. It was a great send off.”
Suzanne Scott, artist coordinator for the trail, said: “I knew it would be fun and people would enjoy it and it would grab people’s attention, but this is beyond belief.”
Mr Cooney said there has been a lot of interest in tonight’s auction, which will be held at the Dundee Rep Theatre.
He said: “The crowdfunding side of things has made it interesting and there is still time left for the campaigns to get a boost in the next 24 hours.
“I think the ‘Oor Original’ will be the star of the show.
“It was painted by Peter Davidson, who has drawn Oor Wullie for the Sunday Post since 1995, so it really sets the bar.”
The auction is the last event on the bucket trail calendar, with 70 sculptures going under the hammer for charity.
Kicking off at 6.45pm, bidders will have the chance to take their favourite Oor Wullie home with them.
Tickets are required to attend, and anyone wishing to take part should have completed a registration form.
However, for those unable to attend the evening, all the lots are available on i-bidder.com, allowing people to follow the auction on the night and bid in real-time as if they were in the auction room.