I wasn't sure whether the children would want to do the Shaun the Sheep trail around Bristol this year, but as the summer wore on they decided they did want to go and see at least some of them, so on Tuesday we went for a wander round the city centre.
Bristol is currently the European Green Capital, and the green (coloured) Shaun designed by Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun paid tribute to that. The whale is also designed as a plea to people to choose re-usable bottles rather than disposable ones for drinks. The waves are made from thousands of discarded water bottles from the local marathon. It was shocking to see them all laid out like that. The whale himself is constructed from willow. He really was most impressive.
It's good to see environmental concerns being highlighted, and people trying to make progress in the right direction. It reminded me of my time living a couple of miles from the centre, when I used to hurtle down Park Street on my bike to go to work. It was a long hard slog home, but boy did I fly along in the morning when it was all downhill. I'm happy to be a long way away from the hustle and bustle now though.
The boys' favourite part of the day was probably at the end when we went to Brandon Hill and there was room to run around on the grass and time to play in the park. And of course, it was good to leave the city behind at the end of the day and come home. Bristol was a lovely place to live, but I've adjusted to a smaller place now.
It must be fun finding all those 'Shaun the sheep'. It is good to see the environment isn't forgotten either. Bristol has been known for it's green awareness even going back to the '80's. Now it's my son rather than you hurtling down Park Street to work! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI really like Bristol. Great place to visit. Home is always good though isn't it!? Xx
ReplyDeleteHa! I love cross-eyed Shaun.
ReplyDeleteI think it's good to go to a city every so often, just to remind ourselves how lucky we are to live where we do. x
ReplyDeleteLove it! Sounds like a lovely day out with the boys. Am I super cheez-wiz for loving the first one with Shaun in chainmail?
ReplyDeleteI love all the Shauns. So cute.
ReplyDeleteWe have had Liz-art (lizards), Arty-Gator (alligators) and Swansong (Swans) in our area. Some of the swans are still around the city of Lakeland. The lizards and gators were all auctioned off for charity.
Such a great idea with the empty bottles to highlight environmental concerns, it certainly looked impressive as did the sheep. Home is where the heart is...
ReplyDeleteThe whale looks fantastic, and what they have done with the bottles is amazing, but yes, what a lot of waste from one marathon event. Sounds like it was a fun day out, but nice to get home to some peace and quiet.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about London - it's a great place to visit but I couldn't go back and live there again. Love the willow whale and all the Shauns. xx
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like a day out in a vibrant city to make you appreciate the calm tenor of home. Glad you and the boys felt some soft grass underfoot too, pounding those pavements can be hard on the soles.
ReplyDeleteThe Shauns are fun and the whale is amazing. I know what you mean about Bristol. We go there fairly regularly and I know lots of people who live there and find it a fun and vibrant place to live. For me a gentler pace of life calls, but I do like to be able to drop in and out of places like Bristol and London.
ReplyDeleteCathy x
I'm just the same, visiting a city reminds me why I can't live in one. Love the Shauns though! and that whale is fantastic. I love how all the marathon bottles were re-used, it horrified me when I did the Great North Run to see the streets absolutely Covered with plastic bottles everywhere.....
ReplyDeleteLove the whale and how effective those bottles are. Not too many climable trees about for you though. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think the Shauns are a fab idea - a good way to keep children amused and for no real expense other than getting there. I know what you mean about cities. I love to pop in and sample the galleries and events but I'm much happy surrounded by some greenery.
ReplyDeleteA nice, fun post with an underlying serious message about environmental concerns. Enjoy the weekend. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I love Shaun the sheep. Bristol is a great city too - some nice independent shops on Park Street too if I remember rightly.
ReplyDeleteThe whale is magnificent. How scary to see all those plastic bottles from one local marathon, but a great way to get the reuse/recycle message across. Have a lovely weekend. Jane xx
ReplyDeleteFinally, having got back online and restored the blog, I have time to catch up with people.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're feeling unslumped now. I don't think I can add to the suggestions you got (beyond offering to help you house hunt in North Wales ;o) )
That whale ... wow!!!
oh! that whale is fabulous! the plastic bottles, not so much. a pox upon whoever decided to start selling bottled water - it's decidedly stupid. don't people know they can turn on a tap? *slaps forehead*
ReplyDeletethe idea of visiting a large city gives me the collywobbles....i'm afraid i've transitioned quite completely to country bumpkin. xo
This sounds like a great summer day activity. You are so good at getting out and showing your children so many new and different things about their environment. These sheep are pretty cute and I love the environmental message too. I hope you have a lovely weekend CJ. Thanks for the sweet notes on my blog. I've had a nice time checking back in with you over here in between feedings. xo
ReplyDeleteWow - what a fabulous whale. And the Shauns look like a fun trail to do. I love to visit London but I'm always very happy to come home and leave the hustle and bustle behind.
ReplyDeleteFabulous! I loved all the Shauns but you won't be surprised to hear that my favourite was that beautiful Whale. They have his eyes just right, don't they? What a fabulous idea to create the sea from Marathon water bottles. But how awful that so many were just chucked away. We re-use everything we can and I'm always surprised when folks don't. Too much of a throw-away culture I guess. xx
ReplyDeleteThey're brilliant. Searching for sheep is a good way to get kids out and about, and good to see issues being highlighted too. I didn't realise that the waves around the whale were made from bottles until you said, amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I love them. What a wonderful exhibit. Your boys must have had such a good time, and it's even educational for them too. My kids would enjoy this a lot. Some cities in the US have things like this too, where different artists will design statues on a theme, such as cows or other animals, then they're put in different locations and I think you can have a hunt for them with a map. Thanks for sharing, this looks like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteLove the Shaun's, I'd assumed they were in London which I can't do with my lot (waaaaay too overstimulationg for the ASD one), but Bristol sounds very doable. I might just try and fit that in before they start back to school. Thanks CJ!
ReplyDeleteJillxo
The whale is amazing!! It sounds like you had a super fun time x
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun adventure to have in the city! I'm sure it was nice to head home to a quieter pace of life, though. Both worlds are nice, but have space to breathe and relax is the best:) Hope you had a great weekend, CJ!
ReplyDeleteShaun is pretty amazing but that whale is too. What a fun day.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith