Monkey sculpture

Posted on June 26, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, conservation, Life, Macaque Monkeys, mother and baby, Sculpture, Stoke-on trent, tree stump, TrenthamLeave a comment

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.

Trentham Monkey Forest

Posted on June 11, 2023June 11, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged A34 Road, afternoon visit, atlas mountains, Barbary Macaque monkeys, macaque, monkey forest, Stoke-on trent, TrenthamLeave a comment

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.

Craft fair in June.

Posted on April 16, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Craft fair, June, pasting table, small paintings, Stoke-on trent, summer fair, Table, Time, Trentham, warped1 Comment

I said I would post about this. Apart from trying to do some small paintings (see my previous couple of posts) I need to buy a small table. My pasting table was stored outside in the shed and it’s badly warped! I got it because it was cheap, too cheap unfortunately. Anyway I need something big enough, but not too big if you know what I mean. I can’t really carry anything too heavy because of my left arm and shoulder, but I need to make an effort if I’m going to try and do a few craft fairs in the future… It will be interesting to see what other people’s products are like. If its anything like the one I went to a few weeks ago I’ll end up buying more than I sell!

Humid day

Posted on August 16, 2022August 16, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Building work, Escape, gentle exercise, Humid, Lake, Nature, Sitting, slow walk, Trees, TrenthamLeave a comment

Humid but no rain sadly. The air is sticky with moisture. The storms we have been promised haven’t materialised. We got out and walked round Trentham lake because our neighbours are doing building work and digging up the land next to our garden. This was despite my back hurting as I got in the car. But I think the walk has helped. We managed to get round slowly and the breeze off the lake has helped. It’s still humid but I do feel better.

A single tree

Posted on September 18, 2021September 18, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Life, lone, lonesome pine?, longevity, Photo, Poem, Poetry, Single, Tree, TrenthamLeave a comment

Are you a lonesome pine?

Single, all alone.

Broke. Breaking, shattered

But still alive.

You prop yourself up

Naked limbs exposed.

Caught in the sunlight.

Our shadows see you

Your longevity

Precedes you…..

Monkey forest

Posted on August 12, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Day out, Macaque Monkeys, monkey forest, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trentham, Walking2 Comments

This morning we went out in the sunshine and visited Trentham Monkey Forest. Three troops of Barbara Macaques spread through a forest landscape. They have the run of about 60 acres and the park is helping save them and repopulating them into the wild.

Trentham Monkey Forest is just south of Trentham Gardens on the A34, near the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Staffordshire.

Clay at the gardens today

Posted on June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, BCB, British ceramic biennial, Clay, Fun, Pottery, Spode, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, Trentham, WorkshopLeave a comment

One thing I did do yesterday was make a couple of pieces clay that might be used as part of a tiled piece at the BCB (British Ceramic Biennial in September at Spode in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent. They will be fired up and someone else may end up glazing them.

I made lots of marks using old buttons and metal rings. I tried to give them a three dimensional look. I hope they won’t explode on the kiln.

It’s good finding different things to do when you are having a day out.

Daisy type flowers

Posted on January 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Colour, Daisies, Flowers, Gardening, Photo, Plants, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trentham, Trentham Gardens2 Comments

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One of my favourites. The centres of these are a multitude of flowers with petals round the edges (think of sunflower hearts). There are oxeye daisies and osteospermums, cone flowers, asters, all sorts of types and colours. Life in all its variations can be wonderful. This photo is of Rudbeckia I think, taken at Trentham Gardens in the autumn. What I like about daisies is the length of time throughout the year that they flower. They cheer me up.

Have you ever made daisy chains? We used to when we were kids. Pick a daisy and make a hole in the stalk with your fingernail parallel with the stalk, then thread another daisy through till the flower head is in contact with the stem. Then do again till you have a chain. (I’m not suggesting you do this, just how we did it, you shouldn’t pick wildflowers).

Flower photos today..

Posted on September 19, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, Colours, Flowers, Garden, Plants, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Sunshine, Trentham, Trentham GardensLeave a comment

We went round Trentham Gardens at Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, late this afternoon, and at the far end of the garden past the tea shop and the children’s play area are a series of colourful and interesting gardens, a bit like at a flower show. In fact some of them were show garden winners from previous places like Tatton Park. There are an allotment garden and sensory and secret, plus other styles of gardens. Best of all there was still plenty of flowers in them. It made for a very pleasant walk around the gardens. Relaxed and interesting.

Reflected

Posted on September 9, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cafe, Mirrors, Reflections, Trentham, Trentham Gardens, ViewLeave a comment

When I’m typing on my phone I take my glasses off to see the screen. So when I took this photo I didn’t realise I was looking at my reflection, I thought we were in a much bigger room with a view through to windows at the far end. It was only when I zoomed in that I realised the blurred figures in the image are me and my hubby! It’s funny how the eyes can be fooled. It’s a cafe in the shopping village at Trentham Gardens.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Trentham