Final item selected for local life exhibition

The final item to be included in a display about local life had been revealed, following a vote.

Residents were previously asked to select the last piece for 'A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects' exhibition, out of five shortlisted items.

Winning more than 50% of the vote was the Binty chicken, which had been painted across the county in different locations by an anonymous artist since 2012. The artist, who wanted to be known as Binty, said she was "overwhelmed" by the result.

The exhibition, displayed at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, runs until February.

Speaking about why she started painting chickens, the artist said: "I didn't want to write a word like most graffiti words, I wanted to do something that my children would see and think, 'Oh look, a chicken'.

"Now my children are sick to death of them, but other people like them, so that's nice."

The chicken beat the likes of Northampton Town's 2020 League Two play-off final trophy, a Dr Marten's boot and the lantern from Northampton's Diwali lights festival.

While the artist accepted that some people do not like graffiti, she hoped the chickens would make people smile.

She said she was not "expecting it in the slightest" when she found out her work had won the public vote.

"It is so lovely because it has come from the people of Northampton, the people who see all my work," she continued.

"I feel blown away because it's an honour."

Nick Gordon, museum services business manager, said the team had wanted to hold an exhibition that heavily involved the community but had been spoilt for choice selecting items to include.

"We say it's our history of Northamptonshire, not the history of Northamptonshire," he explained.

"A key thing about this exhibition is also telling stories that don't make it into the big history books and that aren't part of these grand exhibitions."

Mr Gordon said he loved the Binty chicken and it was "very emblematic of Northamptonshire".

Conservative Alison Eastwood, chair of West Northamptonshire Council, said she believed it was important for people "to know about where we live".

"We need to know the history of that which preceded us," she said.

"I always feel that history becomes today, and today gives you the bounce for tomorrow.

"For children and adults, we need to have a substance, and it enriches our lives when we begin to understand the history of a place."

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