Wolves Wild

The animated sheep sculpture on the balcony of Wolverhampton Art Gallery is back working again.
Originally dating from 2000, and presumably one of the symbols of the town being one of the two in England promoted to city status to mark the millennium. It’s been out of order for a decade or so, but at last it’s been decided to get it repaired.
Now it’s back to performing every hour on the hour. It’s even had a new tune commissioned to play as it does its dance.
For a view of its first incarnation, see this post from 2010.

Growing up against the wall of the house at New Place, Stratford on Avon, a red hot poker coming in to flower.

Willows drooping by the far bank of the Avon, and a small reed bed by a small bay formed by the river at Fishermans Car Park. Calming rural views just a short stroll from the frenetic activities of traffic bottlenecks and tourist crowds of Stratford on Avon.

Irises in the garden of Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Shottery. The plantings are supposedly of species which at least resemble those of Anne Hathaway’s times, though I suspect this may apply more to the kitchen garden area than the floral beds.

As might be expected in a prosperous market town which is also a major centre of international tourism, the plantings in the flower beds of Bancroft Gardens in Stratford on Avon are worth watching. Here are a few of the all-white flowers from a bed of irises.

I was still resting on the bench at the Fishermans Car Park in the Anglers Walk LNR when a mallard began to swim across the river, floating downstream as she did so. Following her were nine ducklings, looking like they had not long emerged from their eggs, all in a line.