Machynlleth Lantern Parade – The Angry Angler Fish

Angler Fish

After entering the Machynlleth Lantern Parade last year we had more ambitious plans this year. The theme was ‘Under the Sea’ so we decided on a lantern fish. Our inspiration was something like this.

Suitably ‘fishy’ and suitably ‘halloweeny’ at the same time and with a lantern dangling in front of it as a lure, perfect for a lantern parade too.

We tried to get the Scouts involved with the build but to be honest most of them weren’t interested so it ended up being a mainly leader and adult helper built affair. I drew a design, made a plan and orchestrated the building of the frame. We had bought a £40 ‘large lantern kit’ from the parade organisers but didn’t actually get much material with it really. With a few of us working on it it soon started to take shape. We used every single piece of willow on the build, but by the end the shape was exactly how we wanted it and it was beginning to look good.

Ready for it’s skin

It wouldn’t fit in our car though so Dave and Sarah were called on with their van to get it back to our house ready for the messy task of adding a skin. Anna and Morgan took care of this and now it was really getting there.

Adding the finishing touches of lights, attaching the lower jaw and adding the colour-changing eyes was a joint effort between Anna and myself and finally ‘Alan the Angry Angler Fish’ was ready for the Machynlleth Lantern Parade.

Once again Dave and Sarah were called on for transport and we were soon in Machynlleth on a warm, dry and still evening with loads of other lanterns. Only 3 Scouts (and Morgan of course) turned up to help out with the parade. Most of the other lanterns were smaller than ours, but there was one huge puppet-style mermaid with moving arms and a large ‘leafy sea-dragon’ which looked really good. Our Angler Fish was also well received and it was really good to walk along in the parade getting little rounds of applause and positive comments from everyone with people shouting things like ‘if there’s a prize, then you’ve won it’ and such like. Much better than our attempts at a ghost last year where most people thought it was a jellyfish!

After the parade it was into the field ready for the fireworks, which as usual were spectacular.

All followed by a bundling of the Angler Fish into Dave and Sarah’s van, sausage chips and a huge bar of galaxy. Another good night out at the Machynlleth Lantern Parade, but we might take a year off the building next year so that we can actually get to see the other lanterns.

Tags: FireworksLanterns