CrawCrafts – Page 17

Prickly Situation for Explorer Beastie at Aquazoo - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ

Beasties of the Deep!

Posted on July 6, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Happy Friday, everyone! And with the high temperatures continuing, and still no sign of rain for us here in the Emerald Isle, a cooling dip in the sea might be just what we need… So isn’t it lucky that when we left Explorer Beastie last week, he was just about to venture inside Düsseldorf’s Aquazoo? I caught up with him at the hamster enclosure…

… By which time I was already feeling a little like the guy draped over the rocks in the picture on the right! Adventuring is clearly a lot easier when you have someone to carry you from place to place.

But I soon perked up as we started to explore Aquazoo – part aquarium, part zoo and part natural history museum, there’s loads of cool stuff to see. So, let’s turn left at the penguins, and head for the tropical jungle!
There were plenty of curious reptiles to meet in there…… But none as curious as the mysterious headless turtle!

The weirdness continued with an opportunity to see both the inside and the outside of a snake…
… So it was quite a relief when we encountered a tank full of complete, entirely normal tortoises.

And next… Explorer Beastie was very keen to get his picture taken with the stick insects. Can you spot them?
Fascinating as this game was, we were excited to get to the “Aqua” part of Aquazoo!

Appropriately enough, one of the first displays we saw was about mythical monsters of the deep. Explorer Beastie decided it was only fair that he add himself to the lineup…
…Although the specimens of real-life deep sea fish almost had him running for cover in my handbag. Check out those teeth!
Further down the hall, we met a much friendlier fish – a giant freshwater puffer fish! We could have watched this guy’s antics for hours.
But why should we have all the fun? Here, say hello yourself!

We also enjoyed the reef tank – it was full of brightly-coloured small fish, rays, a moray eel and even a shark!
And while I saw a similarity between these sand eels and Pepe the Prawn from The Muppets…

Sand Eels and Pepe the Prawn - CrawCrafts Beasties — Image of Pepe the Prawn borrowed from http://pepelovesdanandphil.tumblr.com

… Explorer Beastie felt a certain stripey kinship with these butterfly fish.
Some of the fish were very eager to get to know Explorer Beastie!
But perhaps some of these underwater marvels could have got a little bit too friendly. Um, are you sure this giant clam shell only wants to give you a hug?
Fortunately, he was able to escape the clutches of the scary shell and join me in what I shall affectionately call “The Realm of the Weird Squishy Things” – hello neon sea anemones and glowing jellyfish!
The coral reef display gave a certain little woolly monster an opportunity to pretend he was scuba diving…
… And he enjoyed getting up close and personal with an axolotl too!
But he had to wait until the very end before he finally got a chance to hitch a lift on a fish’s back!

Then there was just time for a quick snap with the whale skeleton at the entrance…
…Before we washed up on dry land once more, blinking in the bright evening sunshine!
Phew! That’s enough fishy goings-on for one week… Or is there anyone else out there who loves a good wander around an aquarium? Let me know in the comments!

We’ll be back with more monster shenanigans on Tuesday… Until then, have a super weekend!

A Shy Baby Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ

Beastie Super Science!

Posted on July 3, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody! It’s a new week, and a new month… So I reckon we’d better have a new Beastie, too! Following my first experimental leap into the world of the Scientist Beastie…
…I got a request for another science-minded monster from the same customer, who wanted a special gift for a friend! And this one has even more of a twist, because…
… She’s also a SUPERHERO!

Here, take a look! I made her some special accessories to keep her heroic alter-ego a secret… A hand-stitched felt mask and a silky cape to billow behind her as she flies off to fight evil.
I also created a personalised superhero logo to go on her jumpsuit, in colours that complement her outfit and her delicate rose-pink complexion. Brand identity is very important in the superhero universe, y’know.

But who’s this? Looks like there’s someone else here too… Although apparently they’re feeling a little bit shy. Can we maybe see that pretty face?
Yay! That’s much better.
Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is also a proud mum… So it only seemed right that this monster lady had a little girl Beastie of her own to keep her company. Ready for your closeup, Baby Girl Beastie?

She’s inherited her mum’s lovely pink skin tone, and her rich chestnut-coloured hair too. But hers is still baby-fine, so she loves to wear it in a cute pineapple ponytail on top of her head. I’ve completed her outfit with stripey legs and a sweet botanical-print cotton skirt!

But hey, where does the scientist bit come in?

Right now, actually. It’s time to head off to the day job! On with the lab coat…… And grab a coffee along the way!

Once she arrives, she’s got everything she needs for her working day, too. Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is a biologist, so I made Beastified versions of some of the equipment she uses – a cell culture flask and a micropipette!
I used a combination of sewing and needle felting techniques on these accessories to get the shaping just right… I even ended up stitching the flask with fishing line to keep it as close to transparent as possible!
Phew! I reckon I just about captured all the facets of this busy Beastie’s life! What do you think?
Don’t forget to drop back in on Friday for more German shenanigans (or should that be Germanigans?) with Explorer Beastie! And if you missed part 1, you can catch up here. See you then!

Düsseldorf Days – A Walk in the Park!

Posted on June 29, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Hello everybody! It’s veeeery nearly the weekend… And between the scorching weather and the lovely time I’ve just spent picking out pictures to use in this post, it really does feel a lot like I’m still on holiday! Hopefully a little of that will radiate out from your screen as you read… Now, let’s catch up with Explorer Beastie and see what he got up to on our first day in Düsseldorf!
Aha! He appears to have waded into a Beastie-sized jungle. It’s certainly an adventurous way to kick off the holiday! Maybe we’d better stick to the paths, though?

When we visited Düsseldorf last spring we were only there for a few days, so we pretty much stayed in the city centre. This time, we took advantage of a bright sunny morning and hopped on the underground to Nordpark – a park made up of a series of themed gardens. Perfect for an early summer walk!

Everyone we saw stopped for a photo op with the fountains, so of course Explorer Beastie wanted to as well.
And as we ventured in deeper, we found some formal walks to wander along…
… And some places where Nature seemed to have gained the upper hand!
Explorer Beastie found some interesting beetles wandering around here… Does anyone know what these are?
And then, around the next corner, we found ourselves on the other side of the world!
Welcome to the Japanese Garden!

It’s a beautiful place to relax and stroll through – lush and shady, and there are even koi carp in the pond!
Something you may not know about Düsseldorf is that it has one of Europe’s largest Japanese communities – in fact, the third biggest after London and Paris! In the years after the Second World War, a handful of Japanese firms set up in the city so that they could export metal and machinery from Germany’s industrial heartland back to Japan. Word spread, and by the early 1970s, 200 Japanese companies were registered there, and 2000 Japanese people called Düsseldorf home.

The community continued to grow through the 80s, but numbers dipped a little in the early 90s, when Germany’s capital relocated to Berlin and Japan’s economy took a downturn. However, Japanese people began to drift back to Düsseldorf from the late 90s onwards. Why? Because it already had everything they needed to help them feel at home when working in Europe – a support network for new arrivals, a Buddhist centre, a Japanese school and even a weekly Japanese newspaper!

So, to celebrate this special bond, in 1975 the Japanese garden was gifted to the people of Düsseldorf by the “Japanischer Garten in Düsseldorf” Association, a group of Japanese firms and members of the city’s Japanese community.

I’m not sure that those people could ever have imagined that one day, a little woolly monster from Ireland would be climbing in those perfectly-manicured trees…
… Peering over the bridge…
… Or catching some rays beside the stream!
Feeling very zen indeed, we took one last look back at the Japanese Garden…
… And continued our wanderings! I really loved this place, too… A sundrenched meadow where the long grass was full of singing crickets!
Having successfully “Beastie-bombed” my tranquil vista, Explorer Beastie tore on ahead to our next destination, at the end of this tree-lined path…
Where are we off to? You’ll have to come back next Friday to find out!

In the meantime, enjoy the weekend – are you enjoying the same heat and sunny climes as we’re getting in Ireland? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to join us again on Tuesday to meet another new Beastie friend!

Finn McSpool Storms Kilkenny Castle - T. Painter/CrawCrafts Beasties

Friday Social #7 – What’s Goin’ On? Beastie Family Update

Posted on June 22, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Life at Beastie Towers

Well, as you all know, I’ve been taking a bit of a break from the computer these past couple of weeks… But luckily for me, other members of the Beastie family have been busily snapping and blogging away in my absence! So today, I wanted to say a big “thank you” to those hard-workin’ folks, and to make sure everybody gets a chance to share in these monster adventures.

First up, a familiar monster face…

Yes, Mr Finn McSpool is back, and is sharing the first of his Irish adventures! Check out Tammie’s blog to see what mischief he got up to in Kilkenny Castle!

Also, those of you who follow Tammie already will know that she released her latest novel, “The Bonds of Osteria” at the end of last month. And fortunately, she had a heap of Beasties on hand to help her with her marketing efforts… This is my favourite promo shot!

Beasties Promoting "The Bonds of Osteria" - T Painter/CrawCrafts Beasties — Also borrowed from tammiepainter.com!

If that made you chuckle too, you’ll find more in this post… And don’t forget to check out the Books section of Tammie’s site for more info on the Osteria Chronicles, where you can buy your copies, and all ongoing special offers.

Next up… A sneak preview of a new Beastie!

tierneycreates Beastie, A Personalised Knitted Monster by CrawCrafts Beasties — One of my own photos, for once!

Meet tierneycreates Beastie, a brand-new addition to our ever-expanding global tribe of little knitted monsters!

I’ll be formally introducing you all to this Beastie lady on Tuesday, but I was so overwhelmed by Tierney‘s welcome-to-your-new-home post on her blog (not to mention the comments from her own loyal band of readers) that I couldn’t NOT share it with you! So please take a sec to jump over and read “I’m A Monster!!!“, and its hilarious followup “Beastie Outing: Trip to the Library“… In which an overzealous knitted monster demonstrates how NOT to use a barcode scanner.

@crawcraftsbeasties The tierneycreates beastie got a little silly today at the library and she tried to make her new library card work under Library’s barcode scanner…

A post shared by tierneycreates (@tierneycreates) on Jun 14, 2018 at 5:42pm PDT

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Tierney’s site tagline is “A fusion of textiles and smiles”, and it definitely delivered on both those counts for me this week!

So, that little lot should provide you with some fun weekend reading! We’ll be back on Tuesday to see what tierneycreates Beastie has in that shoulder bag of hers… Then Explorer Beastie will be presenting the first of many, many posts about Germany next Friday!

See you then!

Paddy and Plunkett in Torquay's Greenery - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties, Beasties… Everywhere!

Posted on June 19, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie, Paddy and Plunkett

Hey there everybody! We’re baaaaaaack! And what a couple of weeks it’s been… Beasties have been popping up just about everywhere! So this post is about picking up where we left off, and telling you what you lucky folks can expect to see on the BeastieBlog over the next while!

First up, Paddy and Plunkett are still living it up in the English Riviera. Before I headed off on my break, they were exploring the steep stone-lined streets of Clovelly…
… But they haven’t stayed put in the meantime! The adventurous twosome have also been spotted gambolling in the beautiful flowerbeds in Torquay – clearly their tour of the Eden Project has given them an appetite for horticulture!
Plunkett also had high hopes of cooling off in a nearby Beastie-sized swimming pool – but for some reason this sign put him off.
Erk. Probably for the best, Plunkett!

The boys also visited the laid-back, alternative town of Totnes, where Plunkett took some snaps of the unusual buildings and picturesque streets…
… And Paddy visited a gender-neutral toilet. Um… Thanks, Paddy! I suppose these are still a rare enough sight back home – or maybe it was just the nice bright sign that caught his eye.
Meanwhile, I might have mentioned once or twice that Explorer Beastie and I have been on holiday recently!
We can’t wait to share our travel pics with you… I’m still amazed how much we managed to cram into our trip!

And if you can’t wait until next week to start the tour, you’ll get a quick fix of some of the highlights from our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds!

On the road again… . . . #explorerbeastie #beastieontour #beastiefamily #beasties #travel #wanderlust #germany #fromthetrain

A post shared by CrawCrafts Beasties (@crawcraftsbeasties) on Jun 9, 2018 at 4:52am PDT

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Then, if that lot has still left you hungry for more monster-based entertainment… There are new Beasties for you to meet! May was a veeeery busy month, and there are recent additions to the family who are keen to have their moment in the spotlight!

So, join us on Friday to meet a new monster friend! Plus we’ll also be checking what the rest of the Beastie community has been up to in our absence. See you then!

Paddy and Plunkett at Clovelly Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett in Lovely Clovelly!

Posted on June 5, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Phew! It’s been a busy old day… Hence the slightly later than usual posting time! Fortunately, the subject matter for today’s post is a lazy stroll around one of the prettiest and most unusual places that Paddy and Plunkett have visited in a long time. Welcome to Clovelly, a village in northern Devon which has been privately owned since the 13th century! It’s built on a veeeeeery steep slope, and the houses almost appear to tumble down the hill into the harbour…
Clovelly is well-known for its beautiful cobbled streets, which are apparently made from stones gathered at the beach below. Paddy wanted to take a photo of himself with the sea waaaaay down at the bottom of the main street…
… But then Plunkett commandeered the camera for a snap of the cobbles themselves.
“Beautiful! Look at those nice smooth edges!”

Fortunately, Paddy was able to regain control of the picture-taking by telling Plunkett that there were even better cobbles further down the hill. Normal service resumes!
You might have noticed already that these streets, as well as being very steep, are also reeeeeally narrow. And that makes Clovelly officially a car-free zone! In fact, using any form of wheeled transport is pretty much impossible – although I wonder how many runaway carts ended up in the harbour before they figured that one out?

Anyway, back in the day, donkeys did all the -ahem- donkey work of ferrying people and their chattels up and down the hill. But that’s a hard day’s work for anyone, and these days you’re more likely to see the donkeys taking it easy in the sanctuary at the top of the hill. So if you want to move anything, you’ll be using one of these!
These sledges are what locals use to bring home their shopping. After parking their cars up at the top of the hill, they load up the sledge and bring their deliveries to their front door on foot. At least it’s downhill all the way!

And as you can see, Paddy has found the perfect way to turn this system to his own advantage.
“Hop in, Plunkett! Let’s get a lift to the harbour!”

Their journey took them past some of the achingly pretty shops and houses on the main street…
… And soon they could look right into the harbour from above!
It’s lucky the tide’s out, or Paddy probably would have tried to dive in! The lads decided to opt for a sedate walk down to sea level instead.
“Ooooh! It’s beautiful!”

And the view behind them wasn’t bad either!
The only thing they have to worry about now is how to get back up that hill!

We’ll be rejoining Paddy and Plunkett in a couple of weeks… Because now it’s MY turn to go on holiday! I’ll be taking a break from blogging while I’m gone, but I’ll be posting on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as I travel.

See you again on the 19th for fresh Beastie fun!

A Beastie Birthday Bonanza!

Posted on June 1, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

It’s new Beastie day! So it must be… Friday? Yes, we’re breaking with tradition a little here, but after giving this very special pair a brief introduction in Tuesday’s post, I couldn’t wait a whole week to give you the guided tour! This cheerful monster couple were created as a very special birthday gift for author and long-term BeastieBlog reader Tammie Painter, and were requested by her husband as a surprise to round off their recent trip to Ireland.

So, after several top-secret design discussions, we decided to dress the Beasties in miniature versions of the outfits worn by their human counterparts on their wedding day!
That meant a sophisticated black dress with pin-tucked bodice and a floaty organza top layer for Tammie Beastie…
… With a hook-and-eye fastening closure at the back. These are my new favourite dress fastening!
Meanwhile, Mr Husband Beastie was cool and casual in a Hawaiian-style shirt and shorts.
Alas, a true Hawaiian print comes up too large for Beastie-sized clothes! So I picked out a blue fabric that came as close as possible to the colours in the reference photos I worked from…
… And then added a pair of boxy-framed glasses to complete the look!
Very stylish.

But wait a sec… What’s going on here?
Aha! Good call, Beasties!
Those hand-knitted Aran sweaters are much more suitable for exploring the Emerald Isle! Oh, and look…
… They have bags, too! A red felt backpack for Mr Husband Beastie, and a teal shoulder bag for Tammie Beastie! Now, what can they put in there?

How about a sketchbook and pen, to record the highlights of the trip?
Or maybe snacks for long bus journeys!
And if you have snacks, you’ll need something to wash them down with. Hop Monster IPA, anyone? This special Beastie brew comes in a needle-felted bottle, with hand-embroidered felt label!
Or, for the designated drivers, a nice hot cup of tea from the travel flask might be just the thing.
And last but not least… Don’t forget your reading material! This Ireland travel guide will surely come in handy, while “The Trials of Herc-Woollies” will make the plane journey home pass much more quickly!

(Oh, and human readers can pick up a copy of the non-Beastie version, “The Trials of Hercules” for FREE right now! Find out more here)
“Hmmmm… I think we’d better pack all of it, just to be on the safe side!”
And now I reckon they’re ready to go!
Bon voyage, Beasties!

Have any of you got big plans for the weekend? And if so, what will you be packing in your backpack? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Aaand we’ll be back on Tuesday as usual, with more antics from Paddy and Plunkett. See you then!

A Beastie Gathering! May Update, Beastie HQ - CrawCrafts Beasties

The End of Mad May!

Posted on May 29, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie's Dublin

I might have mentioned it already (once or twice) but May has been a SUPER-busy month here at Beastie Towers! With multiple commissions on the go, our stint at Woollinn last week, and a bit of extra time spent at our local yarn shop, it’s a miracle I’ve had time for anything else!
But May has also been the month of visitors, and one of the people I’ve been looking forward to meeting the most is long-time Beastie-and-blogging buddy, Tammie Painter! She and her husband first told me of their plans to visit Ireland waaaaay back towards the end of last year, and I have to admit that the excitement of maybe meeting one of my virtual friends in the real world has had me bombarding them with suggestions for must-visit places ever since.

Fortunately, this didn’t deter them.

But hey, what happens when two camera-shy blogesses meet up? Well, you let your Beasties take centre stage, of course!
In the mix here, we have Explorer Beastie and the famous Finn McSpool… Plus a couple of new Beastie faces!

The turquoise-complexioned Beastie lady enjoying a bottle of Hop Monster IPA is Tammie Beastie, while the yellow fellow clutching the cookie is the monster counterpart of Tammie’s own “Mr Husband”. Human Mr Husband got in touch with me well ahead of their travel date, asking if I could create this woolly pair as a surprise birthday gift for Tammie – so of course I jumped at the chance! You’ll be able to meet them (and their extensive collection of Irish travel essentials) in my next post this coming Friday.

So, on with the tour… Although honestly, I was so busy playing guide that I kinda forgot to take pictures. And when I did, they ended up looking waaaaay better on the phone screen than they did once I saw them on my computer. OOOOPS.

Our first port of call was the Book of Kells and the Long Room Library. You’re not allowed to take pictures in the room where the Book of Kells is kept, but it’s so dark in there that I doubt my phone camera would have coped anyway! Fortunately, it’s a different story in the Long Room – and it’s every book lover’s idea of HEAVEN!
Each one of those alcoves on the left and right sides is lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, and their lovely neat arrangement is down to the fact that they’re arranged by height, rather than alphabetically.
As is the norm at this time of the year, the library was packed with visitors from all over the world… But Explorer Beastie still found a quiet corner to pose with this regal-looking bust!
I was also eager to take Tammie and Mr Husband to the home of the Black Stuff – but as the main Guinness visitor experience is pretty touristy (and also scarily expensive), I thought their experimental Open Gate Brewery might make for a better evening’s entertainment.

Once we’d chosen which of their extensive selection of brews we’d like to try, it was time for a little Beastie magic…
Abracadabra! One humble bottle cap becomes several Beastie-sized glasses of beer. Nice one, Explorer Beastie!

Now, the good news is that Tammie has been much more diligent in documenting her travels than I was. You can catch up with Finn McSpool’s first reportage from the Emerald Isle here!

Oh, and speaking of holiday plans… It’s almost time for a new calendar page! I’m doing something different this time around, and doubling up June and July as one download.
It’s still free, of course! But at this time of year, there’s so much to keep track of… And this way, you can get going with those holiday plans right now! You can download your copy now from the Beastie HQ store, here.

Are any of you thinking of travelling to far-flung places? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments! And I’ll be back on Friday with some new Beasties to share… See you then!

PS Over the last couple of weeks, the BeastieBlog has apparently been snacking on some of your comments! I’m really sorry about this, and I’ve been fishing them out of the spam folder as promptly as I can. Hopefully this glitch will be sorted out soon, and thanks to all of you who have persevered and left comments anyway! You’re the best!

Our Monster Day at Woollinn!

Posted on May 25, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Crafting

Happy Friday, everyone! And it’s been a double fun one for us, because we’ve just spent the day at Woollinn, Dublin’s festival of yarn!

I was helping out my buddy Diarmuid of S Twist Wool for the day, so there might be a bit of a bias in the photos…
Are you spotting a pattern yet? Still, I was pretty excited to see the new ranges he’s added since we last met up to talk yarn… And top of the list was definitely this spectacular batch of naturally-dyed Galway fleece! Check out those colours…
Another bonus is that the wool itself is ALL sourced from Irish farms… As you can see in the map in the photo above.

Oh, and of course there were a couple of Beasties knocking around!
This little monster guy was specially made to tie in with a promotion Diarmuid is running on his stand at Woollinn this weekend. If you know the significance of his accessories…
… Bring along your copy of the “Guide” or a towel to receive a sneaky discount off your purchase!

It was also nice to catch up with another old friend – do any of you remember Ruari, the spinner’s assistant Beastie?
He was helping out like a true pro, showing off some of LB Handknits‘ beautiful designs! This is the San Fhoraois sweater tank, which you can find here on Ravelry.
However, our newer Beastie friend maybe had less success when he tried to model the Laitís sweater…
All the same, he looks pretty cheerful – even if it is a little on the large side!

And, after a fun day helping out (and having a good squish at all the yarn, of course) I just had time to run upstairs and get a snap of all the stands from above!
If you’re in Dublin this weekend, be sure to check out all the yarny goodness at Woollinn for yourself! Or if you’re already planning to head there, let us know all about it in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday with an update from a Beastie abroad, so be sure to join us then… In the meantime, have a wild woolly weekend!

Plunkett, Eden Project Vegetable Garden - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

The View From Outside Eden

Posted on May 22, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Can you believe it? Paddy and Plunkett are still exploring the Eden Project! I always thought that the main draw of this awesome place was the exotic plant communities that live inside the biomes, but WOW was I wrong! It turns out that there’s a lot to see outside those bubble-like domes too. And, to Plunkett’s relief, there don’t appear to be any jaguars lurking in the undergrowth this time around. Let’s take a closer look!

First stop – the vegetable garden. This is definitely Plunkett’s cup of tea!
And after “borrowing” a light lunch of green salad – much better than the picnic Paddy had planned – he also enjoyed the beautifully laid out wildflower beds.
And although Paddy thought he’d found a quicker way to get around the outdoor gardens…
… This incredible life-sized driftwood horse sculpture by local artist Heather Jansch proved no match for a set of wheels. Paddy even let Plunkett drive!
And they discovered all kinds of treasures on their way! First up, a willow dome with honeysuckle growing around the branches…
I bet this place smells AMAZING on summer evenings! They also met an elegant reclining lady in the forest.
Paddy was particularly impressed with her hairdo, but she remained close-lipped about who her stylist is. He didn’t mind though, because he caught sight of this around the next corner.
“Plunkett! What is THAT?”
“Ha! It’s an industrial plant!”

An Industrial Flame Plant, to be exact. This striking sculpture is surrounded by thickets of plants that can be grown and burned as biomass, a means of energy production that is renewable, carbon-neutral and provides a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

And look at Plunkett, standing right next to a “danger” sign! Could it be that he’s feeling a shade more daring than usual?

Well, maybe… But he still let Paddy forge a path through the heather forest that they visited next!
The sun-warmed heather perfumed the air, and the boys were surrounded by drifts of pink, purple and white flowers… Which were buzzing with hundreds of busy bees.
And further along, they discovered just how important this bee restaurant could be!
But then, the honeybee hum suddenly seemed to get a bit louder.
“Paddy, do you hear that?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Paddy realised that Plunkett probably wouldn’t take particularly well to the giant bee that had just landed behind them.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s go and see what other adventures the English Riviera has in store for us!”

Join the lads again in a couple of weeks, when they’ll be stopping off in some of the peaceful towns that make this part of the world such a lovely place to visit! Meanwhile, we’ll be back on Friday with the latest news from Beastie Towers!

See you then!

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