AFTER recent news of the win of the ‘best arts project’ in the prestigious National Lottery Awards, it has been announced that the largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain will rise again next Easter in a sparkling ‘Resurrection Tour’.

Five mining-related venues across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset will each host two separate events for the Man Engine Resurrection Tour; a daytime family-friendly fun day and an ‘after dark’ edgy extravaganza.

This time around, however, people will have to buy a ticket to see the 11.2m high colossal structure to prevent the problems of last year where many had to be turned away because, in the words of Man Engine creator Will Coleman, ‘it all went pretty bonkers’.

Early bird tickets, costing £5 each, are now on sale and there will be 3,000 of these available for both the day time and evening events which will take place in the Bedford Car Park in Tavistock on April 3.

The money will go towards raising the Man Engine which costs £25,000 to get up and out on tour plus a whole team of puppeteers.

The Man Engine steamed the length of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site last summer, unearthing a deep lode of passion and pride. On his resurrection tour he will drive further, into Somerset, South Wales and up to the North of England.

Will Coleman of Golden Tree Productions said: ‘Our big boy is setting off in the footsteps of the Cousin Jacks but he needs to say a proper farewell to Cornwall and our friends just over the Tamar in Tavistock, before he goes onto Somerset on the first UK leg of the epic global tour that we hope one day to achieve.’

The Man Engine is powered by Volvo’s brand new L220H wheeled-loader.  On Saturday March 31, 2018, he will re-appear where he was last seen: at Geevor Tin Mine in the ultimate West. Then he heads east; on Easter Sunday, April 1, he will be at Heartlands. On Easter Monday (April 2) he will visit Cornwall’s ancient Stannary capital, Lostwithiel then he crosses the Tamar to Tavistock.

He will then travel to the old coal-mining town of Radstock in Somerset before heading onwards to South Wales and then onto Ironbridge in Shropshire, Elsecar in Yorkshire, and to the foremost mining and quarrying equipment show at Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton in Derbyshire.

Will Coleman explained the difference between the new daytime and night-time events which will take place at each of the Cornish, Devon and Somerset venues saying: ‘Our ‘Afternooner’ will give families and big kids the chance to really get to know their favourite giant miner: there will be an industrial-scale feast of fun and frolics. The ‘Afterdarker’ promises an edgier explosive experience including white-hot pyrotechnics - sparks will fly! Suffice to say, we are cranking up the experience that held everyone spellbound last year.” 

‘Last year 150,000 residents and visitors from across Cornwall and West Devon managed to see the Man Engine. It all went pretty bonkers and, due to the colossal demand and excitement, we had to encourage people not to come to certain events that we were expecting to be really busy and some people even got turned away.

‘This year, we want to make sure that everyone who is keen to see the Man Engine can definitely know that they will get to see him at a certain location, at a certain time. So, we are going to sell 3,000 super cheap tickets for each event, starting from now! 

‘We really hope people will want to come out and support The Man Engine again.’

Mayor of West Devon Cllr Jeffrey Moody said: ‘It means a great deal to West Devon and to Tavistock that The Man Engine will be returning next year. West Devon and Tavistock is the gateway to the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site and when he came to Tavistock last year, it generated so much interest. It was brilliant for the local economy, brilliant for tourism and for business. Once people know that he is coming back, I am confident that we’ll have even more people come into the town – I am really looking forward to it.’

Go to manenginetickets.com for more information. The cheap tickets will be available for five weeks only or until 3,000 tickets have sold for each event. The ticket price will then increase up to £10/£12/£15 until the events themselves next year.