The streets of Penzance town centre and the promenade have received their annual splash of colour with the arrival of the town flags and banners, this year designed and produced by local artists Liz Tyrrell and Sarah Bell.
Penzance Council commission and fund the flags every year that fly from buildings in Market Jew Street, Chapel Street, the Greenmarket, Causewayhead, and Alverton Street and the banners along the promenade.
The Town Flags
Liz Tyrrell started creating the current style of flags back in 1999 and has made hundreds for the town since: first as an assistant and co-worker and since 2017 running the town flag project.
The display of flags incorporates new designs and older flags from the past four years to ensure that these beautiful decorations are as sustainable as possible.
This year Liz has created four brand new designs which reflect local life here in Penzance – Star Gazey Pie, Afternoon Tea, a rugby player, and a surfer!
“I designed several sets of new flags, and designs were chosen from two of the sets to create variety across the range of flags displayed this year” said Liz.
Promenade Banners
In addition to the Town Flags, Penzance Council are happy to introduce a new approach to the Promenade banners for the 2024 summer season. The silk banners of previous years, produced locally by Lucy Birbeck, were always one of the most popular and well received of Penzance Council’s projects.
The Council’s Arts and Culture Committee chose designs for this year created by local artist Sarah Bell who has produced beautiful artwork celebrating the sea life in and around Mounts Bay.
The designs were then sent to Mark and Vaughan at www.sailflags.co.uk based in Goldsithney who have printed the designs on their eco banner material which uses a recycled polyester material and water-based inks.
“I want people to feel like the promenade is their very own open-air art gallery full of uplifting, moving paintings, featuring the precious marine life in our Mounts Bay” said Sarah Bell.
Pictures and videos of the design process can be seen on Sarah’s Instagram profile @sarahbellart_pz
Rigging the flags and banners
Both the town flags and Promenade banners are supported by a season-long rigging contract so that damaged flags can be retrieved and repaired and, when weather conditions dictate, the promenade banners need to be brought in to protect them. This contract has been awarded to High Maintenance SouthWest for the 2024 season.
Mayor of Penzance, Cllr Stephen Reynolds, said: “It’s always a sign that summer has returned when the flags and banners reappear to brighten our streets and prom. Liz and Sarah have certainly risen to the challenge this year, producing designs inspired by things that really matter to local people: surfing, rugby, our amazing sea life, and of course food! And thanks to the team at Sailflags, this year’s Prom banners will not only look great, theywill be good for the planet too!”
Penzance Council would like to thank Cornwall Council for granting permission for the banners to be flown from their flagpoles on the promenade and local businesses in the town for granting permission for the summer flags to be flown from their premises and continuing to support this fantastic initiative each year.
