Yarn bombing Bairns Bombers brighten up Falkirk High Street

The group have yarn bombed the High Street and Lint Riggs to bring a smile to people’s faces.

The knitted items adorning bollards the length of the street brighten up the town centre area.

Dawn Corbett, one of the Bairns Bombers behind the project, explained: "We have 136 bollard covers going along the High Street and down Lint Riggs.

“They were made about three years ago for the Falkirk Arts Festival.

“During the festival we yarn bombed the High Street and it got lots of positive feedback.

“We had been planning on keeping the arts festival going each year, but Covid came along and we were unable to.

“The yarn bombs have been in storage since 2019 and with the festival no longer continuing they were going to end up in the bin but we decided to use them one more time.

“There’s been a group of about six or seven of us, including Chris Fraser and myself, who decided to take the bollard covers, fix some of them and improve them.

“We call ourselves the Bairns Bombers.

“We put the covers out last Friday and they will be out for 16 days.

“I think there’s an excitement if you just do something for a few weeks and then take it away again.

“The idea of the Falkirk arts festival was all about promoting the High Street and bringing people to the town centre and to remind them that the High Street is still there.

“We hope that people will come along and see the yarn bombing, and we hope we can do it again in the future.”

The group have printed labels, saying We Love Falkirk High Street, which are attached to the bollard covers and knitted flowers also adorn some of the flower beds.

On the last occasion when the yarn bombing took place during the arts festival only a few pieces were damaged while on display, however the organisers have already encountered some difficulties this time around.

Chris Fraser said: “We got so many lovely comments when putting out the covers.

"However, within a day five bollard sleeves have disappeared, four were badly damaged and a snake gone.

"Out of 136 bollard sleeves it’s not too big a percentage, but it’s still sad.”

As part of the yarn bomb an art competition was held for local schools.

This year’s theme was ‘canals’ and the pupils’ artwork will now be displayed in the window of the shop used as a hub by Falkirk Delivers, next to the Steeple, for a couple of weeks.

Chris added: “Carmuirs Primary School have given us their art entries and we have secured prizes from Scottish Canals and The Canal Inn, Camelon which is fantastic.

"This will be a wonderful pat on the back for all these children.”