Last chance to complete the Pigs Gone Wild trail

Readers have shared their Pigs Gone Wild selfies and family photos as the trail reaches its final few days in Ipswich (Image: Archant)

The bank holiday is the perfect opportunity to arm yourself with a map and tick of those you are missing, or revisit your favourite of the 40 unique pig sculptures which have become part of the furniture over the summer months.

The last full day of the trail is Friday, September 2, after that, they will be herded up and relocated to the Corn Exchange ready for the Ta Ta Trotters finale on September 10 and 11.

Mike Sorhaindo, centre manager at Sailmakers, said: “We have been inundated with children and families coming in with their maps to see the pigs. Our footfall had been increasing anyway because of our recent refurbishment but had we not had the pigs here I am sure the figures would not have been so high.

“It is not just children and families who have been following the trail, we have had adults on their own and even entire classes.”

He confessed they will be sad to see the pigs leave, adding: “We hope Gigs Can Fly will go to a good home, someone who can display it as the focal point of their establishment. It has hanging loops so perhaps someone will be able to fly it in their reception, that would look spectacular.”

Reader Carole Smith agrees that the pigs will be missed. Posting on our facebook page, she said: “What great fun it has been, most weekends that I have popped into town while my hubby has been playing on bikes I have wandered and looked at these amazing artworks.

“The family fun it has given so many that you see is priceless, a brilliant idea and I will be sad to see them go, a great tourist attraction as well. “We need a trail every year in the school holidays as it gives parents that maybe strapped for cash a brilliant time with their children, it makes adults kids again and benefits a worthy cause, loved it.”

So far, the QR codes on the pig plinths have been scanned a staggering 60,000 - and thousands more people have completed the trail using the paper version of the map.

Sam Catling, of St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “We have 3,678 registered users on the app, however hundreds, possibly even thousands more, have downloaded it without registering.”

The Pigs Gone Wild stickers have been flying off the shelves over the summer holidays with many families near close to completing their books.

You can still claim a free pack of five stickers for every paper purchased and for those who are only missing a few, we are hosting a swap shop at the Co-op Education Centre in Fore Street on Thursday.

We will be there between 11am and 1pm, with a selection of spares and you can also see if other swappers have the stickers you are missing.

• There are 40 pigs and 30 junior versions, scattered around the town centre and slightly beyond - there are some at Ravenswood and one at Jimmy’s Farm

• You can get a trail map from the Ipswich Star office, St Elizabeth Hospice shops, the Town Hall, Crown Pools, Coes, stores in the Sailmakers, Ipswich Tourist Information Centre, Boots, Suffolk County Council offices, Idelo Travel, County Library, Cult Cafe, Love One, La Tour Cycle Cafe, Holywells Park Stables, Reg Driver Centre, Ipswich Building Society, Pennikkity Pots, Jenny Wren’s Yarns and East of England Co-op stores

• Depending on which route you take, you will cover around five miles walking around the town centre - you will need to drive to the outlying pigs, or get a special Pigs Gone Wild rover bus ticket priced at just £5 for a family

• There is a Pigs Gone Wild app that you can download for a digital version of the map, and it will also allow you to check-in at each pig and unlock prizes and offers along the way

• The Pigs Gone Wild sticker album is on offer now - cut out two tokens from the paper to claim 50% off when you purchase an album from the Ipswich Star and EADT offices plus claim a free pack of stickers for each newspaper purchased.