Observant locals may have noticed this charming oddity at the Delish Yoss Coffee Bar opposite Broughton Primary School in Edinburgh.
Owner Yoss Masson explains: ‘In Oct 2021, when I was preparing the police box for winter, I had an idea to add a fun image under the counters.
I wanted something directly in children’s line of sight when they pass on their way to and from school. The idea was to
create a scene of cute animals living in a nook under the counter.
‘The choice to commission Kirralee Fisher was the easiest thing. Kirralee had been a customer of mine for a long time, stopping every now and then for a hot chocolate and a chat. I was aware that she is an illustrator and had followed her on social media, so I had an idea of what I might expect should I commission her.
‘After explaining what I’d like to do, she started on some sketches, and we bounced ideas off each other. Pretty quickly, we arrived at red squirrels, and Kirralee had the genius thought of making them superheroes. I loved that!
‘Shortly after commissioning the piece, I was unfortunately injured and had to convalesce for some considerable time.
Following my return, the first thing I did after thanking Zoe, who minded the coffee bar in my absence, was to hang Kirralee’s piece in position.
‘The kids love that scene. It attracts lovely reactions from passers-by almost every day. Mostly, children notice it long before the grown-ups.
‘Some children ask whether the squirrels have names, to which I reply: “They all have a different name every day.
Today it’s your turn to choose.”’
