Tuesday, August 16, 2011

in search of gorillas (and wellingtons)....


Bristol Zoo Gardens celebrates its 175th anniversary this year and they’ve come up with a very popular public art event to mark the occasion called: “Wow! Gorillas”. Artists have decorated 61 life-size gorillas, sponsored by local businesses which have been placed around the city for 10 weeks until 7 September. Children, including Iris+Rosa, have really been enjoying discovering the gorillas (“Gorilla!” is eagle-eyed Rosa’s battle cry whenever she spots one!).
Iris+Rosa+I had a great day yesterday gorilla hunting in darkest Clifton – with our main aim being to see the special “Brunel Gorilla” (or “Gorizambard” as he is now called!) at the end of the suspension bridge. Iris was brilliant and walked the entire way (including the steep trudge up to the bridge itself)(Rosa fell asleep for this section!) from start to finish.
As well as gorilla-spotting, the day included a picnic, a trip to the Museum (to see the stuffed gorilla!), drinks at no.1 Harbourside Café and a ferry ride from the Watershed to “The Cottage”.
Great fun… and pretty exhausting for all concerned!
Photo: Gorizambard+Rosa+Iris plus drinks in the café.
PS: You might notice in the photograph that Rosa is only wearing one wellington boot (wellingtons are her footwear of choice!). That’s because the other one had dropped off when she’d been asleep – as I was pushing her in the buggy. As you can imagine, this was serious stuff… but we came up with a plan at the end of our adventures to re-trace the early part of our walk. I put the surviving wellington in the buggy for safekeeping (for some reason, Rosa refused to hop) and off we went. Amazingly, we DID find it! The celebrations were VERY enthusiastic… but also, sadly, somewhat short-lived because “silly granddad”(!) obviously hadn’t secured the other wellington adequately in the buggy basket and, ridiculously, it meant I had managed to lose wellingtons on two separate occasions. Granddad has taken a lot of “stick” (from Iris) for being so pathetic and Rosa is currently receiving counselling….
In the meantime, if you see a small black wellington with blue trimmings (see pic), can you please let Granddad know (there could be a reward!).

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