Dynamic dino fans give town's models a facelift
Some of the volunteers who have been working to repaint and repair Exmouth's much-loved dinosaurs - Credit: Liz Oram
Exmouth’s dinosaurs have had a revamp, thanks to a band of volunteers armed with repair materials and paintbrushes.
The dedicated dino fans have spent hours smartening up the models on the Strand.
Mid-way through the revamp of the stegosaurus - Credit: Liz Oram
Liz Oram from Exmouth Town Team said: “The dinosaurs are really loved by the Exmouth community, but needed a bit of TLC, so a shout went out for volunteers from the community to help repair them.
Repainting the stegosaurus on Exmouth Strand - Credit: Liz Oram
“We had a wonderful response and over the last month we have had several repair and painting sessions to help – it even involved sitting inside the large one at one stage. They have all been strengthened where possible, so wear and tear and weather will hopefully not be such an issue.”
Painting those hard-to-reach parts of a dinosaur - Credit: Liz Oram
The dinosaurs were introduced in 2016 by the Exmouth Town Team, helped by enthusiastic volunteers including ‘Dinosaur Dave’ Nelson, who has carried out many repairs over the years. They are also supported by Exmouth in Bloom who tidy and maintain the dinosaur paddock, the district council’s Streetscene team and the town council.
One of the revamped dinosaurs on Exmouth Strand - Credit: Liz Oram
Liz said the latest revamp of the dinosaurs was important, in recognition of the work done by the Town Team members who started the project several years ago.
The freshly repainted stegosaurus on Exmouth Strand - Credit: Liz Oram
She said: “It personally means a lot to me as three founder members Cllr Bill Nash, Cllr Alison Greenhalgh and Suzanne Birkett (Town Centre Manager) did so much to get it started and sadly are no longer with us.
Shiny stegosaurus after its revamp - Credit: Liz Oram
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“We wanted to make sure that the dinosaurs continued to be a great fun attraction for youngsters, and in their memory.
“The reason behind having the dinosaurs was to be a stepping stone to the Jurassic Coast story that made the community realise we are lucky to live in such a unique and important World Heritage Area …. and the dinosaurs are only just a twinkle in the eye of the Jurassic landscape!
“A special thank you to Chris Woodward, Jurassic Coast Ambassador, who is helping give us expert advice and great ideas to continue to build the dinosaur trail and will be providing us with more information to take us through the world of dinosaurs and also the tales of the Jurassic Coast.”
