Mother and baby macaque Monkey sculpted from an old tree stump. This is at the entrance to the Trentham Monkey Forest. We went a couple of weeks ago and saw a few babies, a bit older than this one. They were swinging off branches and twigs and learning to climb. I think the guide said there have been eight babies born so far this year.
They are happy in our climate because they originate high up in the mountains in North Africa so they are used to wide temperature variations. The monkey forest is part of a group of parks, the rest are in France, and they are working to conserve the Macaque population. Worth a visit.
I haven’t got the hang of social media food posting. I either take photos of the plates before I get the food or after I’ve eaten it!
We’ve just been for a birthday meal at Sawadee Thai taste in Stoke. It’s becoming a redular thing. Tonight we had starters of athai fishcakes and spare ribs, then red duck curry and jasmine rice. We used to have more food but I’m trying to be good as its all too nice but too filling! Plus I had some mango and pineapple pieces for afters. Full up and sleepy now…
Current lightning over us. It’s gone dark and rumbly above us. Although the main storms seem to be swirling around Congleton and Stone tonight. The map is from Blitzortung.org and I hope I’m not breaching their copyright. I can hardly see its gone so dark, cumulus clouds boiling above us. I’m glad we live at the bottom of the hill, I think we are less likely to get hit! God’s certainly moving a lot of furniture!
Macaque Monkey at Trentham Monkey Forest. We visited today.
The monkeys live in a forested area south of Trentham Gardens on the A34 in Staffordshire. It’s near the city of Stoke on Trent.
Two troops of Barbary Macaque monkeys live in the enclosure. They are being raised to support the species which is in decline in North Africa. The climate here is equivalent to there natural home which is the Atlas mountains I think.
This year they have had eight babies. They are thriving. You can walk around in the enclosure but you have to follow strict rules, getting no closer than 2 meters, not trying to feed them, not touching them, not taking food into the enclosure.
We really enjoyed it despite the heat of the day. Seeing a baby that was less than a month old climbing up branches was amazing. It was a god walk up and down hills and along a stream in the cool of the forest.
Hubby gazing across the canal at Etruria festival today. I should have used two pages to show what he was gazing at! But he moved too much so I just got a quick sketch in…Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was gaze.
We went to Etruria canal festival today. It was a brilliant sunny day, huge crowds (that made me anxious) (I still haven’t learnt to feel safe again after the pandemic). But there was lots to see and some incredible exhibits. There were hawks and snakes and a puppet theatre which made huge insect puppets. Lots about climate change and Morris dancers too! The industrial museum was open for free to the public and there was a massive queue for the cafe. B’arts were involved in a lot of the work and Etruria Artists had a stall there using clay to create objects children could take home with them. @ladybirdsu had her little caravan there and was running a little print workshop. You could print on cards that have wild flower seeds pressed into the paper. You literally plant them to grow wild flowers…
Overall it was an enjoyable experience, although I did tear up for a while. Something set me off and I needed a hug. Life can sometimes jump out on you when you’re not looking and hit you between the eyes!
Anyway, the photo is of a lovely steam punk, (I think he’s with the Doomsday Morris who were performing at the festival).
Lost mural of Burslem Riot that was destroyed in a fire
My legacy is my art. I have painted for years. I hope that someone wants them when I’ve gone.
I was involved in painting several murals over my time as an artist, but sadly most of them have been destroyed in one way or another. I painted a mural in the stairwell of the Unemployment action centre in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent just after I finished college. Then we found the building was going to be demolished. So myself and a friend got permission to go in and take photos. Unfortunately the photographs came back blank. The film had not been attached to the spool and was not exposed!
Then I painted some murals with a council art group. Over a few weeks we worked on a school canteen (alien/ sci-fi landscape) a ward at a hospital (images of Stoke-on-Trent to aid elderly patients memories), and a memorial for the 1914 to 18 war. All of these were demolished.
Finally I did twelve murals at the Leopard Hotel in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. This took me the good part of two years on and off. The painting above was a mural I did of the Burslem riot of 1842? I researched it and a lot of the characters were based on local Burlem residents and people who worked at or frequented the Leopard. All of the murals were destroyed in a fire that burnt down the hotel.
I have also painted scenery for the local pantomime and Mystery plays, but I don’t know what has happened to them.
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
So if this isn’t my legacy what is? All the paintings and artwork I have created over the years since I was a child. Not all of them still exist. Art turns out to be quite ephemeral in some ways. But I’ve sold enough that, if no one wants the ones I still have, the rest have gone to new owners. Even if they were to appear in charity shops, I hope that some do find good homes.
After visiting the Arts and Minds gallery in Harper Street Middleport today @arts_and_minds_vsn, we popped over the road to Middleport pottery to get a replacement burleighware tea plate to replace the one I broke. While we were in there I saw this stags head decorated with flowers on the wall. This is the kind of trophy I approve of… Ceramic! I took a photo because it was interesting…. I like the fact it is on an old wall with cracked and flaking paint. The place is an authentic piece of industrial history.
Mallaband-Brown 