by Gemma Constable

A mermaid and other piratical props will decorate Queenborough Harbour, courtesy of Blackfeet Peet, for the 12th annual World Walking the Plank Championships.

Otherwise known as Pete Nicholls, the 22-year-old sculpture graduate will be making the area look shipshape on Sunday with rum barrels, old rope and a full-size mermaid.

He said: “I have been fascinated by pirates my whole life. Growing up by the seaside I was always out in my dad’s boat and imagining I was a pirate.

“My dad’s family comes from the Seychelles which was a notorious pirate haunt in the 18th century.

“When I hear my nan telling me stories of growing up on a tropical island with none of the technology or developments we have today, I begin to imagine what it was like.

“Pirates attracted me because they were the outcasts and dregs of society often forced into thievery.

“The world was controlled by a few rich and powerful people at the expense of the poor. It’s still a little bit like that now so I can relate to it. But back then it was much more brutal.

“The pirates turned that order on its head. That’s what I love about them.”
Pete, from Westgate-on-Sea, came up with the character of Blackfeet Peet when he was 15.

“He is a runaway who finds himself forced into a life of piracy,” he said. “I love to write about him and his adventures.

“That’s where my inspiration comes from. I like to bring stories to life by creating characters and objects from my adventures.”
He also writes and records soundtracks.

He will be organising a pirate-themed arts workshop for children at the Granville Theatre, Ramsgate, today (August 20) and tomorrow and displaying his work at the Championships on Sunday. The fun starts at 2pm.