Ely's Eel Day
Saturday 3rd April
If you have walked around Ely in the past six weeks you may have come across a few unusual pieces of art that you have not seen before and have asked yourself what on earth are they! The eel mosaic in Jubilee Gardens, the octagon of gleaves outside the Maltings, the new engraved glass entrance to Babylon Gallery, the circular bench outside Oliver Cromwell's and the beginnings of a willow hive in Cherry Park not to mention 70 circular discs set in the ground around Ely are all part of the new Eel trail which has its official launch on Saturday 3rd April.
The City has lots of recognised walks already taking in many points of interest and beauty but a partnership between East of England Development Agency, East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Ely Perspective (a body of volunteers who strive to improve the quality of life in Ely) have been working on a project to relaunch the existing City Trail to form the Eel Trail. As I am sure you are aware Ely is very proud of its connection with eels and it is thought that the name Ely is derived from the Isle of Eels when Ely was surrounded by water and marshland. Eels are still caught in the Great River Ouse although only one commercial catcher still remains, Sid Merry. Sid is a well-known character in Ely and quite a celebrity having appeared on television many times. Having lived all his life along the River Ouse as did his father and grandfather before him, Sid has always had a strong interest in river life. Every morning Sid turns out on his boat to set his nets and every evening, seven days a week he collects them in. Historically eels were part of the local staple diet as well as a valuable source of income. Clients also came from London with the popularity of jellied eels although today this is a dwindling market. Smoked eels, now considered a delicacy, can be purchased on Ely's award winning Farmers Market and dishes such as eel stew and eel pie can be found regularly on the menu of Ely's Lamb Hotel as well as a few of the other restaurants in the area.
The story of a life of an eel has been very cleverly portrayed in the five pieces of public art that you may or may not already have seen and the route of the trail is marked out by brass discs set in the ground. Elizabeth Jane Grosse was chosen as the commissioned artist for this project and has spent many hours researching eels including many conversations with our Eel expert Sid. Working with local schools the whole project has had a strong community input and this is reflected in the launch day where pupils from St Mary's School, Ely and Springmeadows are involved.
The Eel Day begins with a procession leaving from Palace Green at 11.00 am and following part of the actual trail ending in Jubilee Gardens. The procession is headed by a giant eel (Chinese dragon style) made by and involving pupils from St Mary's School. The general public are encouraged to join this procession which ends in Jubilee Gardens. In the Gardens there will be dancing, music, eel tasting, story telling, puppet show, displays and exhibitions and lots more.
For further information about the day, contact Tracey Harding, Tourism and Events Officer at East Cambridgeshire District Council on 01353 616377.