Gina Baker Illustration - Do the penguin waddle: there’s a puzzle to solve!

There’s a penguin standing proudly at the entrance to Southend Pier and Railway and he’s not just there to look dapper (though let’s be honest, he’s absolutely nailing it). He is easy to miss with all his fabulous friends around. You really need to do the penguin waddle over to him and look a little closer; you’ll notice he’s hiding something.

Somewhere in his design is a secret message; a phrase that says a lot with just a few words. It’s not obvious, but it is there, tucked into the artwork through visual clues. You might spot a few letters straight away, others might take a second glance. And the full message? Well, that’s for you to piece together.

To give you a head start, here are some of the letters. The rest? You’ll need to see for yourself. Take your time. Look closely.

Painted illustration by Gina Baker of a black and white penguin making a snowpenguin. Both are wearing green jumpers and have orange beaks. Letter N. Foorprints in snow. Snowball. Water. Colourful fish

Painted illustration by Gina Baker of the PenguInn a penguing house. Signpost, jumping colourful fish showing the way. Footprints. Penguin swimming backstroke in the water

Playful grey seal balancing ball on its nose shaped as the letter D. Black and white penguin with green jumper. Colourful fish. Penguin with green glasses playing in the water

Painted illustration by Gina Baker of a black and white penguin with orange feet and wearing a stripey red hat standing on a bridge and next to a signpost that says penguing crossing.

WoS Blog 2 Penguin SnowPenguin letter N

WoS Blog 2 PenguInn Letter I water signpost

WoS Blog2 D Seal Balloon

WoS Blog 2 Penguin on bridge crossing letter N stripey hat

This design is all about celebrating TEAMWORK because penguins don’t go it alone. They huddle, they help, they survive together. That is a message that runs deeper than just the design; it reflects the values and heart of what Havens Hospices is all about. Caring for someone takes a team. Families, nurses, volunteers, therapists, fundraisers – everyone plays a vital part; when people come together with compassion and purpose, incredible things happen.

When you’re out exploring, here is your ticklist;

Find him (Percy is my affectionate name for him) at the pier
Take your time spotting all the visual imagery – work together. Which is your favourite?
Can you crack the code?
Upload your pictures to the app or tag me – it brightens my day enormously!

Some penguins make you smile.
Some make you think.
This one will do both!

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