The Whitehaven Wave To Shine Bright Again
The Whitehaven Wave To Shine Bright Again
There is a whole generation of locals that have never seen the Whitehaven Wave transform the stunning historic harbourside into a kaleidoscope of colour.
Well, hopefully sometime very soon, this will all change.
One of John Baker’s — Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners CEO’s — parting gifts to the town will be to see the Wave come back to life; hopefully sometime in mid-May is the plan.
When lit up in all its glory, it really does bring the harbour to life; it was stunning in its day, and so many fantastic photographs can still be found online if you look hard enough.
Initially, the Wave and the Crows-nest lighting installation were installed as part of the Millennium Project, which saw millions of pounds spent on redeveloping the harborside.
Due to wear and tear and considering the technologies used at the time, it was always going to fail without significant investment. The times have changed, and technology has changed with them. This means that alternative, affordable options are now available and sustainable.
Thanks to a partnership with the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and a local West Cumbrian company, Forth Engineering, there will be light!
Forth Engineering is renowned around the world for their engineering expertise, and around the globe they have travelled to source the materials and technologies to overcome all obstacles and bring the Whitehaven Wave back to its former glory.
I always saw the installation as an ‘art installation’ in its own right; it actually created an emotional reaction and had that WOW factor; it just looked amazing.
Once lit up, images will travel around the world as social media platforms become alive with stunning images of our little harborside and shine a light on West Cumbria.
It will without doubt be a fantastic and priceless marketing tool that will draw people to Whitehaven from far and wide, or at the very least put us out there.
John Baker said, “Since I got here, the Wave has always been in demand and a priority; there has been lots of feedback and conversations, and the Wave has always been one of the main talking points. It has been great to work in partnership with another local company and be able to draw on the expertise of Forth Engineering, who have gone above and beyond to bring this to fruition and of course Trevor Prowse our Projects Manager here at the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, who has project managed the job and delivered once again.
“There is no definite date set in stone for the relaunch of The Wave; hopefully, mid-May. Despite not being in my current position, I will be making the trip back for the switch on. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
With last years unveiling of the refurbished lighthouses and now the return of The Wave our Harbourside is going to be a real sight to see!
