Artist's playground

The playground at Hanley Park is as attractive as you can get... but I always think the lay-out is a about more than just banging in a lot of brightly coloured circles.
There seems to be an artist's mind behind the design, especially from this angle.  I know it's a bit off the mark, but it reminds me of the paintings of Sonia Delauney.

Interestingly, the park is now open 24 hours a day.   In the old days, the 'parkie' would close the gates at dusk.  I suppose there is no money to pay park-keepers now.

Empty park

Gloomy day.  The election results are in, and it looks like the far-right MPs on the Tory backbench will hold the balance of power in a government which only has a very slim majority.  This gives foreboding.

Hanley's deserted municipal park, full of diverging lines-of-sight and people-less, made reflection easier.

Tamworth's attractiveness

Tamworth really does try harder. The park, which is slap bang in the centre of the town, and on the river, has flowers in it virtually all year round (see Tamworth January post), and really looks terrific - a place where people are happy and proud to gather.

Other Staffordshire towns try too; but, in terms of its central parkland attraction, Tamworth wins hands down.

Do You Feel It Too?

I like public art, and the weirder the better. Something finely-fashioned and placed into our daily environment, no matter how odd, throws a jolt to the imagination I think. It doesn't matter if we even stand there and go - 'what the heck is this???'  It's just good to be (gently) shaken up, IMHO.
Anyway... rant over! 

This piece comes from Hanley Park.  And, no, I have no idea what it 'means'...

Stafford by the sea

Welcome to Stafford Beach!
You may know that Stafford is about as far from the sea as you can get in Britain, but that didn't stop Stafford Borough building its own beach and water-play area in Victoria Park.

The good people (well, kids) of Stafford weren't worried about the variable weather recently; instead they embraced the opportunity to pretend we are having a lovely summer.  Good for them.

I put the timer on, so for once I'm in my own photo.  A sort of Hitchcock cameo-role...

This post was featured on the International City Daily Photo website

I-sola-ted solar panels

These are solar panels (I think) … and they are isolated on an island … in the middle of a park lake.
Hmm.
If they are solar panels, I can’t quite compute what they are doing there - unless the electricity generated from them is driving some pumps in the water (?).
If anybody who knows Longton Park (in Stoke on Trent) can tell me the answer, I’d be grateful.

Mind you, we’ve had so many cloudy days recently – with so much rain to go with them – that I doubt much has been processed from these particular panels anyway.

Bowling with WG Grace

Playing bowls is pretty popular in these days. As the bowls whizz by, the spectators take it all in; and the bowling green at Victoria Park in Stafford seems packed with players in the current sunny summer days.

The statue, 'Waiting To Bowl', is actually of WG Grace, who was not only a famous cricketer, but a bowling fan too.