A motto?

Posted on April 10, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Hanley, Laughter, Mary and Jesus, mercia, Rain, rain gods, Sculpture, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

This statue stands behind the Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. I think it is Mary and the Baby Jesus. But what do the words painted on the building mean.

Mercian

Rain God

Laughter

Mercia is the old name for the English Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent is in the North Midlands. Rain God? When you drive towards Stoke-on-Trent you realise it is higher than the surrounding area and rain clouds travelling over the Cheshire plain do sometimes dump their rain here… And Laughter? Maybe that’s about the place, the character of the people, or perhaps the writer was imagining the damp, wet people who had been rained on and was laughing at them. Who knows?

Spitfire gallery

Posted on April 10, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Gladstone pottery museum, Hanley, Longton, opening times, Potteries Museum and art gallery, Reginald Mitchell, Spitfire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

We also visited the new Spitfire Gallery at the Potteries Museum and Art gallery today. Our local council spent millions on the gallery to house a Spitfire E (with shortened wings for low altitude flying). But then earlier this year they decided to reduce the museum opening hours. This means it will be closed two days a week. The Gladstone Pottery Museum will also be closing for five months a year due to council plans to cut budgets. There is outrage in Stoke on Trent. We realise that this will affect tourism in the city and that it is cultural vandalism. But that is what you get when you are ruled by ‘bean counters’ knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing as the saying goes.

Knife Angel

Posted on April 10, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 000 knives, 100, amnesty, Art, Charity, Hanley, knife angel, Knives, Peace, Sculpture, Stoke-on trent, Tragedy3 Comments

Currently visiting Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent on Trent. A sculpture called the Knife Angel. Its there for the rest of April and its made of over 100,000 knives handed in across the country in a UK wide knife amnesty. It makes you realise how many young people think they need to carry knives to stay safe. Where the USA and other countries have problems with gun crime we have young people, particularly young men and youths, dying and injured by knives. This sculpture is trying to persuade them that the use of knives is dangerous and foolish and the organisers are raising funds to educate people to say no to using knives. I hope they succeed.

Reflected

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Building, Car, Coincidence, Hat, Longport, Odd, Photo, Reflection, Roof, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Building reflected in my car window. It looked funny as I have a hat in the back of the car and the building looks like it has a hat on too. I hope you can see it?

Rooves

Posted on April 4, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged distant, Grey, Hanley, Life, Photograph, Roof, Rooves, slates, Smoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Yesterday I drew an horizon. But this was a photo I took that I almost worked from. I liked the serried rows of house rooves and chimneys , but they are capped with tower blocks and modern concrete buildings up in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. I decided that it wasn’t what I wanted to draw. Slate rooves, old and grey, covered in lichens, no longer wrapped in the smoke of potteries and bottle ovens. Cleaner air, further views.

Lost

Posted on April 3, 2022 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Emulsion on lining paper, Fire, Leopard, Life, Murals, Stoke-on trent, the Leopard Hotel in Burslem, WallsLeave a comment

We drove past the Leopard Hotel in Burslem today. Its just hidden behind wooden hoardings and scaffolding. I haven’t been up past it since the fire that destroyed it back in February. We only glanced at it. I couldn’t stop. It’s a hole in the history of Burslem, and a hole in my memory. I managed to find a photo of the Leopard sign. It was also known as the famous Leopard. I’m still trying to find copies of the photos I took of the murals I painted in there. A remote hope.

Horizon

Posted on April 3, 2022April 3, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Drawing, Etruria, Felt pens, fine line ink pen, Horizon, Life, Sketching, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was Horizon. This was the horizon as I walked over the canal bridge at Etruria, Stoke on Trent, near the Industrial Museum.. Its mostly obscuring the houses behind. Felt pen drawing and fine ink liner pen. It was a lovely sunny day. Not drawn in situ but from a photo.

Thai Noodles for tea

Posted on March 27, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged fishcakes, Food, Life, Sawadee Thai taste, Seafood, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Thai food, Thai NoodlesLeave a comment

We had a starter each of Thai fishcakes then I had Thai Noodles with squid, prawns, fish balls, spare ribs and chicken. This was mixed with spices and vegetables. As usual the portion size was a bit too big for me. But I really enjoyed it. Not to spicy not to mild.

We were at Sawadee Thai Taste in Stoke. We go there about once a month because its nice to try new flavours every so often. But I’m also not going out very often because of Covid. I have to feel safe to go out!

Falcon Works

Posted on March 10, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged collapsed, Falcon pottery, Goss works, History, Industrial archaeology, Penkhull, Pottery, roof damage, Sad, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The derelict Goss Falcon Works at the back of Portmeirion pottery. (I hope I’ve got this right). You can’t see from here but part of the roof has collapsed at the other end of the building. You can see it from Penkhull New Road but I couldn’t get a close enough view to get a good photo. The city of Stoke-on-Trent that I live in is becoming more derelict. History is being forgotten or neglected. So sad.

Sunset

Posted on March 5, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Air, Cold, Penkhull, Reds, Short walk, Stoke-on trent, Sunny day, Sunset, yellowsLeave a comment

Sunset looking out towards Cheshire/Shropshire. Its been a cold and breezy day today but plenty of sunshine. I went out drawing for an hour, then I went for a little walk this evening round Penkhull. It wasn’t far, and it was very chilly. I felt a bit better. I didn’t sleep well last night and the cold air refreshed me. Good to see the sunset.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Stoke-on trent