Cirencester March Hare Festival

Madame Butterfly by Debbie Stirling

Something I haven't come across before is the Cirencester March Hare Festival.  Dotted about the town are a (large) number of decorated hares by different artists.  Some hares are life sized and some are rather large (5 feet tall).  I can't say I saw them all (there are over 40) but the one above was my favourite.

Here are a few more ...

Charles by Emma Samms - check out the magenta whiskers!

Corinna by Laura Fearn

Daby Hare by Kaffe Fassett

Hare to the Throne by Dominique Sanglier

Hareoh the Pharaoh by Prior Park Prep School & Ann Jelley

Harriet by Penny Hill

Harrison by Cirencester College Students

Hartley the Cirencester Chocolate Hare by Lick the Spoon

James by Simon Morriss

Miles the Millionhare by Rod Ashman

Party Hare by Jane Callan

Whare's Davey? by Powells School Pupils

Woolly Jumper by Laura Plant

Hare in Sheep's Clothing by Kate Dove

The idea behind all these fantasy hares is to provide an additional attraction for visitors to Cirencester.  Why hares? Well, there is a great Roman hare mosaic which is now in the Corinium Museum.  Also, it has provided an opportunity for local businesses, artists and the community to work together on this project to promote Cirencester.  

The hares will be on show until 14 September 2014.  Then, in October they will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to help fund the ‘Green Hare Churn Walkway’ around the River Churn in Cirencester. This new walkway will involve schools and community groups and have lasting benefits for both locals and visitors.  Sounds good to me!

The Feathered Aviator - Cirencester

On a recent trip to Cirencester I took in the current exhibition at New Brewery Arts - "The Feathered Aviator" by Celia Smith.  It celebrates the role of the homing pigeon in communications during World War 1.  The delicate wire sculptures reflect the bird's twin qualities of fragility & strength.  Some pigeons were made by members of the local community and carry messages written by those who made them.

Celia Smith says:

Here's a flavour of the exhibition ...

Flock of Pigeons

Pigeon's carrying messages

 

Close up

wire bird sculptures also make attractive shadows

 
Comments on communications during WW1 and today:

and the wire connection:

You can even make your own pigeon & message and add it to the large wire poppy sculpture ...

Wire

Instructions

Mould

Adding our pigeon to the poppy

"Hoping you are all safe at home"

The exhibition is on until Sunday 7 September - it's well worth a look!

Mini Jersey Bunting Supports Marie Curie Cancer Care

The Knit a Bike Installation, celebrating Le Tour Yorkshire, is gone but the jerseys have been washed ...

the labels have been printed...

and the mini jerseys have been put back on their black knitted cord ...

so they are now ready for sale in aid of Mare Curie Cancer Care, the official charity of the Tour de France Grand Départ.

They are for available for £10 per set plus £3.50 postage and packing (UK only).  All proceeds (excluding postage & packing) will be forwarded to Marie Curie Cancer Care so if you want to add a donation as well that would be great.  There are only 10 strings of bunting still available and all were part of the Knit a Bike Installation in Rowntree Park, York. (This project was sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park, was part of the Yorkshire Festival & the York: Be Part of it Festival Programme which celebrated the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014)

The bunting cord is approx. 3.2 metres long and each set has 7 mini jerseys.  Two sets have yellow and white jerseys and all the rest are various shade of yellow.  The jerseys vary in size and shade.  They can be hand washed.  The bunting cord should be washed separately to the mini jerseys.  If you are interesting in buying a set please email me.  My email address is here.

The Woolly Bike Exhibition

Cassandra Kilbride worked with yarn enthusiasts across the region to create 10 Yorkshire themed Woolly Bikes as part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014 (100 days of art & culture in the run up to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire - Le Tour Yorkshire).  These Woolly Bikes are currently being exhibited in Sheffield Cathedral until 3 August 2014.  

I contibuted to the Historic Yorkshire (Viking) bike which was made in York & so was lucky enough to be invited along to the private view of the exhibition.  Here are some pics of the lovely bikes ...

 

1. Off t'Coast - Representing Yorkshire's fab coastline and made in Scarborough 

Don't you just love those seagull handlebars and the puffin representing Bempton Cliffs -  a great place for watching seabirds!

2. Historic Yorkshire - Paying homage to the Viking influence & made in York

Don't let that Viking scare you!

3. The White Roses - Depicting the white Yorkshire rose emblem & made in Leeds

Lots of different white roses on display!
 
4. Yummy Yorkshire - Concentrating on food & made in Wakefield

Yorkshire pudding, Yorkshire tea, rhubarb and Wensleydale to name but a few!
 
5. Landscape & Literature - Paying homage to local writers and those that feature descriptions of Yorkshire & made in Haworth

Those Brontes get everywhere!
 
6. Green Rolling Hills - Not just hills but rugged moorland, dry stone walls and roaming sheep & made in Hebden Bridge

What's not to love - fantastic textures and those sheep!

7. Multicultural Yorkshire - Celebrating diversity & made in Halifax

Fantastically colourful - using yarns made from reclaimed saris and South Asian textiles

8. Yorkshire's Industrial Heritage - Coal, canals and mills & made in Huddersfield

 

Recognize the coal mine on the bike's sprocket?

9. Flat Caps & Whippets plus a ferret (need I say more?) and made in Holmfirth

 

I just love Compo the whippet and did you spot the ferret on the front wheel?

10. Yorkshire's Sporting Heritage - A tribute to Team Yorkshire's Olympic & Paralympic successes, Yorkshire's favourite sports and other sporting heroes & made in Sheffield

Jessica Ennis-Hill is featured on the handlebars.

and as if that wasn't enough there were Yorkshire refreshments too ...

 

If you're in the vicinity take a look!  The bikes move on 4th August, after which 9 will go on display in Wakefield One then each bike will return to it's local community. You can read more about the bikes on the Woolly Bike Trail website or take a look at Jess Rowbottom's official photos of the bikes here.  Thanks, Cassandra!