When I woke up to blue sky I knew exactly where I wanted to go today. Blue sky and sea go together like chocolate and orange. Ok, so it was only a tiny little bit of blue sky amongst quite a lot of cloud but still, beggars can’t be choosers in late September. Continue reading The sea and the sky
Walking in the park one October lunchtime in 2013 it struck me that the city looked very bare without the rhinos brightening up the place. We’d come to know them all during their short stay and they felt like old friends. Now they were gone we missed them. Alice and I both agreed it was sad to see them go. Of course I haven’t quite finished telling you about them yet. After our visit to Sea City Museum there was one more surprise in store for us. Continue reading Goodbye rhinos – first published 14 October 2013
The Go Rhinos trail officially ended on 22 September 2013. All the beautiful, colourful rhinos that had been living in our city for ten weeks were being rounded up and taken back to where Go Rhinos began, Marwell Wildlife at Owslebury near Winchester where there are real live rhinos. For ten weeks I’d been wandering around searching for these wonderful sculptures and I’d shared all the city rhinos. Now it was time to share the out of town rhinos. They weren’t always easy to find
There was one park left and three more rhinos to find before I went home. These were the Andrews Park rhinos. Also known as East Park, this park has the highest concentration of trees, shrubs and plants of all the city parks and, when I worked at Dream Factory, I used to love walking through the wonderful wisteria pergola every morning, wondering at the beauty and the way the under planting changed with the seasons. Continue reading The final park rhinos – first published 10 August 2013
The Saturday walk on 10 August 2013 was mostly about rhinos. It was sunny and warm so it seemed a good idea to search for the rhinos at the top end of town, the ones too far from the office for a lunch time walk. This had the advantage of taking me through all the city parks along with a few other interesting places that could stand a more thorough visit later. Continue reading a saturday stroll to look for rhinos – first published 10 August 2013
The first Sunday in August 2013 and, as usual Commando was out on a run and I was cleaning the bathroom, washing clothes and pegging them on the line. When he came home we went to town, just for a mooch around. It’s something we do once in a while on a Sunday afternoon. Then Commando asked if I fancied a coffee in Tudor House. This was not something at all normal and I jumped at the chance. For all the times I’d walked past it I had never been inside. Continue reading a very old house – first published 4 August 2013
The first day of August 2013 began badly with lots of annoying jobs and a call from a grouchy supplier. Then there were Bridge supplies. It seemed impossible to get my head round that minefield. Things started to look up when I went for my lunch time walk. The parks were looking beautiful and there was another rhino to tick off my list. Then I found the rhino motherload… Continue reading The rhino mother load – first published 1 August 2013
On the last day of July 2013 another of those early starts I don’t like all that much saw me clean, dressed and in the kitchen washing up whilst preparing my breakfast smoothie when Commando came in. Mind you, my eyes were barely open at the time. The weatherman had lied. My phone weather app had lied too, it and the weather map were filled with happy little sunshine symbols. It didn’t look very sunny outside to me so I took my canvas jacket and my beret. Good job too because no sooner had I shut the door behind me than it started to rain. Continue reading Spot the penguin and count the bees – first published 31 July 2013
Gigi’s last day at work and I almost didn’t make it because of an upset tummy. In the end I did go to work though and, at lunchtime, there was some more rhino hunting with Alice. The Bargate rhinos were easy enough to find but the WestQuay rhino proved a tricky customer. Then we discovered one of the rhinos in the park had been vandalised… Continue reading gremlins and a goodbye first published 29 July 2013
Commando and I both set off at the same time this morning. He was off on a thirteen mile run and I was off to the Airport to look for a rhino, an eight mile journey there and back, give or take. He disappeared round the corner while I waited on the island in the middle of the main road to get across. Sometimes I wish I could run, these little jaunts would be so much faster. Still I’d probably miss loads of stuff if I did. Continue reading Hunting down Airport Rhino – first published 28 July 2013