winter gardens – Wonderwall

The Winter Garden’s Sheffield Christmas Decorations

Breastfeeding celebration; winter gardens plus hats and elephant

Additionalky currently in the Winter Gardens: a pop up hat shop , the Arctic Monkey Elephant now resides here and the usual green art.

Head Turning: Untill 29th June Pop up Hat 🎩Shop in the Winter Gardens, Sheffield

Hello again, to Arctic Monkey elephant🐘 in his new home in the Winter gardens.

Head Turning: Untill 29th June Pop up Hat 🎩Shop in the Winter Gardens, Sheffield

Pretty hats to look at and some hair bands for younger girls.

The winter gardens with it’s plants always had a certain charm.Today I saw these flower heads that I thought looked like bird heads in profiles with beaks.

Sheffield Elephants vs Hull moths

Points for Sheffield

Bigger scale and more 3D than moths so more area for design.
As 3D and at ground level could engage with them more; stroke them, or give them a pat on the way past or children could crawl between their legs, of course it was strictly forbidden to sit on them but think there is a few people with pictures of themselves or their children sitting on them. Could even look through the bely of the Steel Elephant.
Better app because recognized in locations without having to scan QR code.
Better signs next to elephants which gave information about design and designers unlike minimal signs next to the moths (apart from the moth at Sheffield university that had a full board next to it).
Moths had little variation on theme yes, more constrained brief but surprised not to see more about insect moths for example how a caterpillar turns into a moth.
Bigger variety of locations. All moths were hung on walls insdie or outside buildings. Whereas elephants were in a walled garden, in a winter garden and in farms and more.
There was a mini herd of elephants whereas no mini moths.
Elephants signed by snooker players and members of Arctic Monkeys.

The mini Elephant Herd

Top 5 Large Elephants (Children’s Hospital Trail Sheffield 2016)

Points for Hull

They had a glow in the dark moth; Fly me to the moon.
They had a moth covered in swavorski crystals.
The moths went national extending as far away as London and Kent.

Tips for viewing Amy Johnson’s moths

Butterfly net out; to catch Amy Johnson Inspired Moths

Result

Completely unbiased Sheffield win 8-3.

Hello again, to Arctic Monkey elephant🐘 in his new home in the Winter gardens.

The arctic monkey elephant now lives in the foliage in the winter gardens.

The botanical gardens offers a natural setting for the elephants, it was very effective to see the mini herd peeking out between the foilage.

A list to be grown as to why Sheffield is city of culture.

After being shortlisted for city of culture for 2013 which made the council aware of the finicial burdens of hosting such an event then Sheffield will not be bidding for city of culture in 2021. The benefits of being a city of culture for a year; have not yet been realised. Sheffield may not be a city tourists think to visit but it does have lots of culture to offer. I have a couple of German colleagues who even after working in Sheffield for 9 months and a year respectively, Still loved it enough to return for trips. Perhaps as Sheffield is so close to Hull, it is unlikely even if bided for 2021 city of culture to win.

I can keep adding to this list but these are the cultural assets I can think of. What have I missed?

The elephants prove we can host big, city wide art events. With varied places to display large scale arts from city centre locations like Winter Gardens, Peace Square to spaces further out of the city; Endcliffe park, Graves Park, Hillsborugh walled garden.

The mini Elephant Herd

Top 5 Large Elephants (Children’s Hospital Trail Sheffield 2016)

I saw all the big and mini Sheffield elephants; but where are they now????

Theatres

Lyceum theatre shows everything from panto to ballet.
The crucible has seating around the stage as well as being home to championship snooker host plays, musicals and talks. The Nap in 2016 about the snooker was one of the highlights of 2016.

Top theatrical performances 2015 and 2016

The studio within crucible is an intimate space for performances which I have seen configured many different ways.
The Deli theatre which was formally Woolworths is a massive space. I have seen Pic and Mix down in the Woolworths basement and The Great Gatesby immersive theatre.

Great Gatesby:Incredible Immersive Theatre (Deli Moor Theatre Sheffield)

Montgomery theatre
Universty drama studio theatre.
Lantern theatre; a small quirky Victorian theatre in Netheredge who offer similar quirky offerings

Music

Tramlines which features multiple music venues throughout the city; many free.
In 2016 cliffhanger included a music stage on Devonshire green.
Outline festival
Jazz at the Lyceum monthly
Music stage at Heeley festival where you get the authentic festival experience of sitting on the grass.
Carol singing at various pubs November and December. Featuring Sheffield’s traditional carols that are not known outside Sheffield.
Chorus and semi chorus concerts. Next Chorus concert at the city hall featuring the community choir of over 200 is on 2nd April 2017 and features songs from films.
Once a month a folk train leaves Sheffield station to travel to Edale. On one of these nights we spotted Sheffield born Jarvis Cocker in the beer garden. Music is also played on the train.

Cinemas

Showroom shows some main steam films and some quirkier films.
Curzon never been as seems expensive but shows some less mainstream films like showroom.
Many are not keen with Odeon, it is not grand but I have found it adequate to watch films in.
Centertainment, large multplex which shows all the blockbusters and some Bollywood films.

Visual Art

The winter gardens is a great venue where local art groups sometimes show their pictures, mobiles can be hung from the ceiling and sculptures placed within the foliage; for example the Arctic Monkey elephant now lives here and some of the mini elephant herd lived here during summer 2016.