Has Slater the Traitor Taken Our Tater? — Mr Potato Head Missing from Belper, Derbyshire

Has Slater the Traitor
Taken Our Tater?

Have You Seen Mr Potato Head?

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Belper's beloved two-metre spud has gone missing — has Slater the Traitor returned to steal more from our great town? We need your help to find him, restore him, and give him the home he deserves.

Last known location: De Bradelei Shopping Village, Belper

Mr Potato Head statue at De Bradelei Shopping Village in Belper, waving against a red brick wall

A Tale of Two Towns

How industrial espionage led to a giant potato

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Belper

Derbyshire, England

Home of Strutt's Mills

UNESCO World Heritage

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Pawtucket

Rhode Island, USA

Home of Hasbro

Birthplace of Mr Potato Head

In 2001, Belper's twin town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island — home to Hasbro, the creators of Mr Potato Head — gifted the town a two-metre statue of its most famous toy. Dressed as English settler William Blackstone in buckled shoes and a Quaker hat, he was a gloriously eccentric celebration of the bond between two towns connected by one very cheeky bloke from the 1700s.

Part industrial heritage. Part international friendship. Part giant potato. It suited Belper perfectly.

Mr Potato Head on the lawn in Belper — In happier times — on the lawn in Belper

Mr Potato Head still standing proudly in 2023 — Still standing proudly, 2023

Has Slater the Traitor Stolen
Mr Potato Head As Well?

The evidence is circumstantial. But compelling.

If he's been chipped, someone will be in hot oil.

1789 — The Original Betrayal

Slater Steals Belper's Secrets

Samuel Slater, born and raised in Belper, apprenticed at Jedediah Strutt's cotton mill. He memorised every detail of Arkwright's water-powered spinning machines — then, disguised as a farmer, boarded a ship to America. Britain was furious. Belper called him "Slater the Traitor."

1793 — America Gets Rich

He Rebuilds Belper's Mills in Pawtucket

Using nothing but his memory, Slater recreated the Belper mill system in Pawtucket. President Andrew Jackson called him the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution." By 1835, he owned 13 mills and was worth over a billion in today's money. Belper got a thank you card. Eventually.

2001 — The Potato Arrives

Pawtucket's Gift

Centuries later, Pawtucket — now home to Hasbro — sent Belper a two-metre Mr Potato Head. Part apology, part cultural exchange, entirely ridiculous. But was the spud really a gift... or a Trojan Potato?

Now — The Disappearance

Mr Potato Head Vanishes

After years of vandalism, spudnappings, and limb removals, Mr Potato Head has gone missing. Put into storage? Spirited away? Or has the ghost of Slater the Traitor returned to steal one more thing from Belper? First our mill secrets, now our potato.

The Chaotic Life of Mr Potato Head

A brief history of vandalism, spudnapping, and resilience

2001

The Grand Arrival

A mystery gift from Pawtucket is unveiled in Ripley Market Place. It's a giant Mr Potato Head dressed as a settler. Locals are mixed in their reception.

2002

Spudnapped

The "Potato Liberation Front" wraps Mr Potato Head in tin foil and deposits him on the Safeway roundabout. Yes — the Potato Liberation Front.

2002–07

Drunken Attacks

He becomes a regular casualty of Belper nightlife. Knocked over repeatedly by revellers after closing time.

c. 2007

Vegetable Witness Protection

For his own safety, he's relocated to American Adventure theme park in Shipley — under constant supervision.

2008

The Missing Years Begin

American Adventure closes. Mr Potato Head disappears entirely. Six years, unaccounted for.

c. 2014

Dumped on a Doorstep

He reappears, anonymously left at the Drop Inn Youth Centre. Tattered and worn, but intact. The youth centre kindly gives him a makeover.

2015

Banned from the Bus Station

The council considers mounting him atop the bus station. Health & safety intervene: "If high winds got hold of him, the Belper spud could fly off and cause a serious injury."

2015–17

Arms Removed. Twice.

At Belper Community Cottage, his arm is ripped off in 2015 and again in 2017. Staff from Gulliver's Kingdom reattach the limb. He writes on Facebook: "I want to stay in Belper and make people smile but sometimes they are not nice to me, folks."

c. 2021

De Bradelei Courtyard

He finds a quieter life at De Bradelei Shopping Village. Selfies with visitors. Smiles all round. Finally at peace.

Now

Missing Again

Mr Potato Head has vanished. In storage? Stolen? Belper needs answers. Belper needs its spud.

The Mission

Find him. Fix him. Bring him home.

Find Him

Track down Belper's missing potato ambassador. He's two metres tall — he can't hide forever.

Restore Him

After decades of weather, vandalism, and limb removal, he needs professional restoration.

Display Him

Give him a permanent, protected home where this wonderfully ridiculous piece of Belper history can be properly enjoyed.

Help Bring Mr Potato Head Home

After Belper accidentally exported the Industrial Revolution to America, the least we can do is rescue the potato they sent back.

Donate on GoFundMe

Has Slater the TraitorTaken Our Tater?