'Jolly is not ready to hang up his boots': The 'truth' about uncertain future of Skegness' mascot
Reassurance we have not seen the last of the Jolly Fisherman has been issued after concerns were raised he has not been spotted at events in Skegness this summer.
The matter was brought up by the town’s honoured citizen, John Byford, after speculation spread across Europe to Lanzarote, where he is on holiday.
“Apparently, Jolly won’t be out and about greeting holidaymakers this year and, I have to say, that’s incredibly disappointing,” he said.
"I sincerely hope this isn’t an attempt to quietly retire him through the back door under the guise of ‘health and safety’.
“Let’s be clear, Jolly is not ready to hang up his boots.
"The last time the council tried to sideline him, the public backlash went viral.
“Jolly has been promoting Skegness since 1908 and , yes, he may be old, but he’s certainly not old hat.
"People still love him. He’s part of the fabric of our town, our A1 celebrity, and he deserves to be out there doing what he does best, meeting, greeting, and spreading a bit of seaside joy.”
The Jolly Fisherman - created in 1908 from a poster by artist John Hassall, which was commissioned by the Great Northern Railways (GNR) - is regarded as one of the most famous holiday advertisements of all time and is believed to have influenced the success of Skegness. He celebrated his 115 birthday in 2023 at a special reception at the Village Church Farm Museum.
As reported, this is not the first time there has been concerns about the future of Jolly. In March 2020 Skegness Town Council, who now operate him, were left with a dilemma after the former Lincolnshire Coastal BID board decided to no longer offer the service and returned the costumes to the council offices.
Residents were urged to have their say about the mascot’s future, but the council decided he was too important to be lost.
Reassurance comes from the Town Clerk, Steve Larner.
He explained: “There is no question that the Jolly Fisherman character will re-appear in due course.
“The continuation of the Jolly Character is not dependent on finances, but any improvements or changes to the service (which need to be considered by councillors) will require investment which is not yet in place.
“The whole service is currently based on volunteers – this has risks and difficulties associated with it. If this continues to be the way it is run, then processes and procedures need to be re-examined so that it is safe and delivers what Council and the public expect.
“The Management Committee has recommended a new Business Plan objective of the “professional operation of the Jolly Fisherman mascot” – this has not yet been considered by Full Council or closely defined.
“It is doubtful whether the Jolly Fisherman will appear again during these summer holidays, but I am not ruling this out if circumstances change.”
Already there have been offers of help to get Jolly out and about again. Steve Andrews, manager of the Hildreds Centre, said: “I have repainted the heads several times and offered to do it again at no cost,
"I’m not great with needle and thread if it is the actual costume but other than that I’m happy to help.”