Fairy in a tree

Posted on January 8, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Fairies, Fairy, Metal, Sculpture, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, swing, Trentham Gardens, WireweavingLeave a comment

If you visit Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent you can find various wire woven fairies dotted around the grounds. Some are easier to spot than others. One flies down to a fountain to fill a watering can, another holds onto a huge dandelion seed head as it is caught in the wind. A warrior queen fairy stands on a plinth by the lake. I liked this one, hanging down from a branch in the trees on a swing. She’s hard to spot as the tree is an evergreen pine. She’s a welcome addition after walking around the lake.

Potteries

Posted on January 7, 2022January 7, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ceramics, Craft, Design, Greek potter, Life, Ornaments, Pottery, Six towns, Stoke-on trent2 Comments

Burslem, Tunstall, Hanley, Stoke-upon-Trent, Fenton, Longton.

Six towns United as one city. Stoke-on-Trent.

I remember seeing this print and taking a photo of it, but I cannot remember where it’s from. So apologies for using the image and if I’m infringing copyright let me know and I will remove it. I like the style of the illustration. It’s almost grecian in style. The Potter is throwing a pot on a foot treadled wheel. The background looks a bit like a Minton tile. I did Google it and found some very similar images.

Pottery is such a wonderful craft. The things you can make out of clay. From tableware to ceramic insulators. Sanitaryware (bathrooms) to delicate ornaments. The Potteries has a great history. It’s fame is world wide. I’m proud to live here.

Tea at the Rabbit Hole Tearoom.

Posted on January 5, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cake, Fruit, Photo, Scones, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Tasty, Tea, Teapot, Tearoom, the rabbit holeLeave a comment

A good memory from a few years ago. Having tea with friends at the Rabbit Hole Tearoom in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent.

We had been looking for somewhere different to visit and we had a friend coming down from Yorkshire. I had to book in advance but it was worth it. My memory is of a themed Tearoom around the Alice in Wonderland stories, with the white rabbit, mad hatter, dormouse and Queen of Hearts. The tea was lovely, cakes, scones, sandwiches, fruit. A pot of tea each.

It was a family themed Tearoom and it was very full. No social distancing in those pre covid days. I wish I could go back in time. Remembering those days is getting harder. But seeing old photos like this help to reassure me that things might one day be better. One day. When we can I hope this Tearoom will still be open.

Willow pattern

Posted on January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artists, City, Clay, Close up, Creative, Painting, Poetry, potters poem, Pottery, Stoke-on trent, Willow patternLeave a comment

A bad, fuzzy close up

Of a painting I did

A willow pattern plate

That Spode pottery made

Based on patterns

That came from the east

So many variations

That you find all around.

Blue and white pottery

Glazed and painted

By skilled, creative artists

Paid by piecework,

(the number they did) .

Stoke on Trent city

A fading of clay,

But once so many people

Gave their art to the day.

Last sunset of 2021

Posted on December 31, 2021December 31, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Clouds, Colours, Penkhull, Photo, Sky, Stoke-on trent, Sunset, the Croft, Warm, WinterLeave a comment

We went out for a short walk locally as the sun started to set. The sky was very grey but there was a little patch of light in the south west, so I hoped it would possibly turn into a sunset. As you can see it did! I took lots of photos so I decided to do a sort of abstract compilation of some of them. I might try and line them up better later. So yes, this was the last sunset of 2021 here in my bit of the UK. In some places in the world midnight will have already been and gone. In others it’s probably only the morning. May your new year be good and safe. X

Little paintings for sale.

Posted on December 16, 2021 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Covid, Fine Art, Fun, Life, little paintings, Longport, Miniatures, Painting, Stoke-on trent, The Waiting Room gallery4 Comments

Almost the end of my couple of weeks at the The Waiting Room Gallery at Longport.

I’ve had my paintings up for sale there and sold a few already. But as they are tiny I can’t say I’ve made a massive amount of money (less than £40 so far). But I don’t care, I’m just pleased people liked them enough to buy them.

What next? I might add ribbons to them and turn more of them into Christmas decorations for next year, after all I’m not sure when things will get back to normal (if ever) and at this rate it might be a long time before I can mount an exhibition.

Happy Sun

Posted on December 7, 2021 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Fun, Longport, on exhibition, Painting, Stoke-on trent, Sun, Waiting room gallery2 Comments

One of my little paintings has been reserved. It might be a Christmas present for someone? It’s pleasing to think someone likes it enough to buy it. I must think of new things to paint. Whether to do mythical images again, like green men? I don’t know. I’ve got lots of canvases to fill. I’m not making much money out of them but at least it’s a small success.

B’oatcake boat

Posted on December 5, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged b'oatcake boat, cheesy burger, Food, Que Sera Sera, Stoke-on trent, Walking, Westport lakeLeave a comment

Called at the B’oatcake boat, Que Sera Sera, on the canal today. We wanted cheese oatcakes but they were sold out ao we had cheesy burgers with salad instead. I have to say they were very tasty with a nice hot drink. Suitably fed we went for our walk round Westport Lake. Thank you b’oatcake boat.

Westport Lake

Posted on December 5, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Derelict, Industrial archaeology, Industrial heritage, Longport, Stoke-on trent, Time, Waiting room gallery, Walking, Westport lake, wild fowlLeave a comment

While we were at the Waiting Room gallery in Longport we decided to go for a walk round the lake. The local council has bought in parking charges at the lake (I’m not sure if they have started taking money yet), but rather than driving there we left our car on the street and walked a few hundred yards along the canal to the lake.

As you walk along you see the sad dereliction of the industrial heritage of Stoke-on-Trent. Buildings that used to use the canals for transport are falling to rack and ruin. Firms buy them up then instead of restoring them and perhaps nurturing the buildings and creating museums or even apartments like they have in Manchester or Birmingham, let them fall down or burn down!

Leaving the sad buildings behind, we walked along the canal towpath to the lake. We bought a bag of bird food and fed the wild fowl around the lake. Worryingly we did see a Canada goose with what looked like mucus hanging from its beak. There is bird flu in the country which is very harmful to the birds. Once round the lake and then back along the canal. A good walk.

Thai again

Posted on November 9, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cooking, Food, Lunch, Noodles, Restaurant, Sawadee Thai taste, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, TastyLeave a comment

The trouble with having food at Sawadee Thai taste in Stoke is that I eat the food before I think of taking a photo of it. Today I had some noodles with king prawns and pak choi for lunch. Very tasty. The owner is a lady called Apple who is very friendly and helpful. It’s worth a visit if you want to taste Thai food, and it’s not expensive.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Stoke-on trent