The Girls Can't Help It!

Hubby and I ventured to the right end of town today - Ecclesall Road/Sharrow Road. I've mentioned before that this end of town still boasts lots of lovely independent shops, cafes, restaurants etc (although some of the chains are starting to pop up here now sadly). We had a special mission, but firstly, where should we eat?

There are so many really lovely cafes around here, its hard to choose.

I have to say, that this is one of my favourites and on this occasion it won again!!
I could eat the Grilled Haloumi Pitta Wrap every day - it is so tasty!
After lunch, we headed across to Pete Mckee's "Month of Sundays" Gallery to the opening of his new exhibition "The Girls Can't Help It". Once again the originals and prints are fabulous. I urge you strongly to head down and take a look if you can.
Pete had kindly laid on cup cakes (by the Fancie team - totally delish!). Each depicted one of the paintings. This was my hubby's fave . A Sheffield Wednesday fan has discovered that his girlfriend is a Sheffield United supporter!
A fabulous way to spend a cold rainy Saturday ! x

Pub Scrawl part deux

Nest, we made our way to the Bowery. We loved the work of Tado who are a Sheffield duo. Their installation was an animated depiction of Sheffield life.

A "still" of this work was in the window of the Bowery - can you make out one of Sheffield's own recording stars?
Well done if you recognised Jarvis Cocker!
There was great music in most of the pubs - we loved the panda DJ in here.

The best "experience " of the tour was in the Washington pub where Warp Films had taken over the joint and made the place their own - love what you did with the place lads. Warp are one of the leading independent film makers in the UK who refuse believe that London is the centre of the universe. I love the last 2 lines of this introduction.
They had turned the pub into one of their films - This is England and had actually got the actors from the film to appear in character! The actors were serving behind the bar, drinking in the pub - it was all very realistic and a bit scary especially when the skinheads kicked off at one point!

The DQ was a bit star struck and loved having her photo taken with the cast.

Warp made one of my favourite films - did you ever see Grow your own?

Our next drink was at the Forum. I loved the work of Sarah Abbott and would love to see some of her work in my own home. I'm going to visit her shop for a look around.

I knew that you would like these too.
Next, we were supposed to go to the Frog & Parrot, but it was packed and so our group did the Conga through the pub, then some of us went for chips!

For those concerned with our alcohol intake, we didn't manage a drink in each pub. I was driving, so I was on fizzy water, hubby had a few halves of Thornbridge ale, and the DQ is a bit of a light weight drinker and felt tiddly after an Archers and lemonade and a cider!

Next up was the artist GEO at the Great Gatsby pub
And then across to Bungalow and Bears where Fine and Dandy seemed to have filled the place with decorated cardboard boxes. This was nearing the end of the tour and all the blokes (and some of the ladies) decided to "play". They had loads of fun building huge towers and walls - then knocking them down again. As this was one of the last pubs on the tour, a long line of revellers could be seen walking out with a box tucked under their arms!
We did make it to the last pub, and the Everly Pregnant Brothers had promised to play their Ukulele's for us, but it was absolutely packed and the DQ said she was tired and had work the next day. (There is a striking similarity between Saffy and Edina and the DQ and I!!!) so we left the tour at this stage.

It was a great evening and I hope that they repeat it again. It was very popular and a great showcase for some of the marvellous home grown talent that we have in the city.

Pete McKee's Pub Scrawl

Last night, hubby, the Dancing Queen and I took ourselves out on a pub crawl with a difference. Iconic Sheffield artist Pete McKee had organised for 10 talented Sheffield artists to showcase their work in 10 city centre pubs, all within comfortable walking distance of each other. I took loads of photos, so I'll have to do separate posts, and some photos are a bit poor as the pubs were darkish and packed! But I wanted to take you along as it was so great.

Pete himself gave us the introductory talk. The pubs were open for anybody to wander in and out of, but we chose to partake in the guided tour which was well worth it (all proceeds going to the city's children hospital).
We were highly delighted to find that Shaun - singer in the Everly Pregnant Brothers was our tour guide. And surprisingly he kept us all in order and I don't think we lost anyone along the way!
We started of in the University Arms which displayed this installation by Ian Anderson. You don't get the full effect of this as the words and colours changed. If you visit his website by clicking on his name, you get a better idea of his stunning graphic design work.
We got to visit some lovely, proper old pubs (as well as some very lovely new ones) along the way.
We loved the work of Lord Bunn.
As well as his poster style art,
he had used fruit and veg as art. This piece was as large as a market stall, and was really effective.
I also loved the humour in this too.
The artist at the Harley Hotel was Tom J Newell who's work was a bit macabre. This was a dummy, but it was scarily lifelike!

I loved this style though,
and I loved how you could watch the artists still producing work and get to have a chat with them.
Catch me later to see where we went next and see which place really put on a spectacular show.