IT was such a simple idea - but, often, the best ones always are.

Hang some colourful brollies up in a rather forgotten corner of York and see if it attracts more footfall.

That was the idea behind installing a canopy of umbrellas in York's Coppergate Walk back in 2017 - and the organisers haven't looked back.

As the latest 'brolly walk' installation goes up - a collection of rainbow coloured umbrellas - ahead of York Pride, we take a look back at the best brollies in Coppergate over the years.

How it started

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2017 - do you remember when Coppergate bosses installed a beach at the outdoor shopping precinct?

It was a sign that things were a-changing, and Coppergate was going to get some long-deserved TLC.

York Press: 2017: Andrew Lowson of York BID, with the series of suspended umbrellas in Coppergate Walk. Picture Frank Dwyer.2017: Andrew Lowson of York BID, with the series of suspended umbrellas in Coppergate Walk. Picture Frank Dwyer.

York Press: The Coppergate brolly walk supports the Love Local campaignThe Coppergate brolly walk supports the Love Local campaign

Next came the hanging of a bunch of colourful brollies - 40 in all - in a partnership between the Coppergate Centre and York BID.

At the time, the then director of York BID Andrew Lowson, told The Press: “We hope that this could become a colourful annual addition to York’s event calendar – adding something new and exciting to a familiar space.”

How it's going

Fast forward to today and it's hard to imagine Coppergate Walk without its colourful brollies.

Over the past seven years, we've seen a colourful array of designs go up - everything from Union Flags and giant flower prints, to reproductions of Impressionist paintings and black and yellow brollies to highlight the plight of our bees.

This month, the well-loved rainbow brollies are back ahead of York Pride, which will take place on Saturday (June 1).

York Press: Brolly walk in 2019 inspired by Impressionist artists. Photo suppliedBrolly walk in 2019 inspired by Impressionist artists. Photo supplied

And look out for a new installation come the middle of June which will mark the 40th anniversary of the Coppergate Centre.

Today, the brolly walk is quirky and popular tourist attraction in its own right - attracting locals and visitors alike to take photographs and share them on social media.

A brolly good show indeed!