Snoopy Spotting in Birmingham

You remember the Snoopy Trail which Bookworm Bygrave and I attempted at Trentham Gardens back in May? It turns out that a similar series of sculptures have now popped up at numerous locations across Birmingham City Centre during the school holidays, so I'd better start collecting the Beagles of Brum!

- The Bookworm meets 'Golden Hound' -

I'm going to be taking two bites of the Peanuts cherry this time around, reacquainting myself with some of the installations Emily and I saw at Trentham whilst also checking out any that haven't been repeated from the Potteries event. The Bookworm is my companion for Round 1, a Tuesday 4th August quizzing evening where we spend an hour finding the likes of 'I Need More Space' (the planetary kennel in Piccadilly Arcade) and 'Grrrrnarly Beach Hut', a seaside specimen found at the Great Western Arcade. One favourite we're particularly pleased to see again is 'Golden Hound' with its gilded shimmer populated by observational depictions of flora and fauna. It is currently based inside the Burlington Arcade near the Bacchus Bar steps.

- 'BowWow Haus' -

Of the installations we hadn't seen previously, 'It's Treat O'Clock' makes a sweet impression in depicting a gingerbread house complete with mini-Snoopy peeking out of an upstairs window, all very Hansel and Gretel! That one resides close to the Town Hall whereas 'BowWow Haus' lurks outside the Stalybridge Suites hotel on Corporation Street, instantly standing out with a design influenced by the Bauhaus movement and the geometric patterns of Piet Mondrian. As for the quiz, the Bookworm and I join friends Zoe and Mike at the Barrel Store for an evening of testing trivia. Fuelled by indulgent pizzas, we finish a respectable 5th just a handful of points behind the eventual winners. Steve Coogan anagrams and a festivals connection round go well but we get stumped by a close-up picture of a stapler - never mind!

- A Bespectacled Bull -

Round 2 of my Snoopy Sweep occurs on Monday 10th August in the company of my Chip Foundation colleagues. Assembling at New Street Station, we're amused to see that Ozzy the big mechanical bull is now adorned with a fetching pair of tinted spectacles which add further lustre to his rock and roll personality. Two of the Snoopys - or should that be Snoopies? - are positioned around the wider station concourse: 'Plant Dreams, Harvest Joy' has a greenhouse windowpane effect near one set of ticket barriers while the fruit tree fun of 'Garden of Delights' requires escalator access up into the malls of Grand Central.

- Mr Beardsmore by the 'Riverbank' -

Moving along to John Bright Street, 'Riverbank' is the next Snoopy to report for inspection and conveys a waterside air, helped by depictions of swans and a wading heron. A dramatic Peaky Blinders mural extends most of the way along Hill Street, capturing the likenesses of favourite characters such as Tommy Shelby and Aunt Polly, while a separate artwork on the Navigation Street bridge references the four original members of Black Sabbath. We're really getting a solid impression of Birmingham's indelible imprint on British popular culture around here.

- 'Tales for Tails' -

Continuing towards the Mailbox, Stephen can put his dodgy knee to the test negotiating flights of steps and escalators as we work our way through Harvey Nichols floors and past the BBC Studios entrance. 'Tales for Tails' is located close to the broadcasting hub and is probably the most amusing of all the Snoopy designs - I love the comical wordplay giving a canine twist to well known literary works and authors, hence Romeo and Drooliet, Woofering Heights, Bark Twain and Fetch 22. My accomplices all approve of this one too so it definitely appeals to our collective sense of silliness!

- Beer Stop at the Botanist -

This being a Chip Foundation get-together, there are bound to be a few refreshment stops along the way. We might have tested out the Sixes 'Social Cricket' concept had it still been trading but the Botanist is close at hand, via Holliday Passage and Bridge Street. I'd never been here before but both Nick and Stephen had vague recollections of prior encounters, maybe even dating back to when it was called the James Brindley. Either way, it boasts a prime location looking out over Regency Wharf and Gas Street Basin, with pricing to match such a prestigious setting. As is his custom, HRH subjects the menu to rigorous analysis - we suspect Mr B wouldn't be a fan of their hanging kebabs but could go for an edible chocolate plantpot as served with its own spade.

- 'Bee More Snoopy!' -

Upon leaving the Botanist, any debate over where else to try is quickly resolved by the merest mention of the Prince of Wales - we've scarcely seen Nick being so decisive! Our Cambridge Street call yields a cracking pint of Teignworthy's Gun Dog Bitter plus considered discussion about the punk and heavy metal musical genres, then it's on with the Snoopy stuff. A second glimpse of Town Hall gingerbread residences precedes a Corporation Street study of 'Bee More Snoopy', inspired by the importance of bumblebees to our natural ecosystem. 

- Sabbath Signage in Scruffy Murphy's -

Our earlier chat about the various forms of rock music has reminded me of a certain venue we really ought to visit so - once 'Fungi's House' has been foraged with its toadstool-capped top - we deviate to Dale End for a slice of Scruffy Murphy's. Formerly the Pen & Wig (which itself hosted many live bands in its time) this place pays due tribute to the gods of heavy metal and boasts an enviable collection of mounted guitars, not forgetting a gallery of silver disc records. Extracting ourselves from soft low sofas (easier said than done), we nip into the Square Peg Wetherspoons to taste the remnants of their recent craft cider festival - cue Hecks Slack-ma-Girdle for me and a Scrummage for HRH. At this juncture we must sadly go our separate ways, albeit with 'BowWow Haus' supplying one final Snoopy sighting. Cheers!

The Snoopy Trail at Trentham Gardens

The Trentham Estate is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Stoke-on-Trent city area, providing people from the Potteries and further afield with hundreds of acres of beautiful parkland, not to mention a Shopping Village, Monkey Forest and ancient woodland. The crowning glory has to be Trentham Gardens, an Italianate landscaped complex designed by the legendary Capability Brown, and it is these which have been playing host to a dozen Snoopy sculptures over the last month or so...

- Classic Snoopy -

It's Sunday 3rd May as Bookworm Bygrave and I descend upon Trentham from our Leek base for the Bank Holiday weekend. The gardens are nationally renowned and occupy the grounds of what used to be Trentham Hall; much of the big house was demolished in the 1910s due to unsustainable maintenance costs but some buildings remain in situ as romanic ruins, namely the Grand Entrance and Orangery. Cumulatively, the vast site covers hundreds upon hundreds of acres and has a large ornamental lake as accompanied by the River Trent. We navigate the shoppers car park, pay our admission fees (£15 for adults during the summer season), pick up our Trentham Trail Explorer Pack and immediately meet our first target, 'Classic Snoopy' seeing everyone's beloved beagle relaxing atop his kennel.

- Golden Hound -

It’s fair to say we’re both extremely excited about this. Regular readers will know I love any Wild in Art public art events anyway but Emily is a confirmed admirer of all things Peanuts as my Instagram algorithm can well testify! Taking place from 27th March to 4th May (hence this being the penultimate day), the trail is formed of 12 doghouse-shaped sculptures each with a reclining Snoopy on the roof. Our second specimen is 'Golden Hound' with its gilded shimmer and illustrations that resemble a catalogue of pressed flowers. It is delightfully positioned close to a special border planted in partnership with David Austin Roses, showcasing the beauty of English roses as part of a 2024 collaboration.

- The Candy Prince -

As if the Peanuts proliferation isn't fun enough, Trentham have their own Spring Bulb Festival on the go which means an additional array of characters are dotted about. Seemingly taking inspiration from the successful Traitors television series, the idea is that 'Tulip Claudia' sets you off on a task to discover an imposter flower which doesn't grow from a bulb at all. It's an imaginative way of getting youngsters to think about and enjoy horticulture, hence we soon spot the Candy Prince (wielding his spiral lollipop), Jetfire (with a daffodil lapel) and Flora (nominated as the head gardener) amongst other painted wooden placards. Dandelion presents a certain roguish look, his seeds ready to blow away on the breeze.

- Tales for Tails -

Back with the beagles and each Snoopy staging post has its own stamp which you can use to perforate your guide booklet; admittedly some of these work better than others but it's nice to punch your passport as you progress. 'Tales for Tails' is an early contender to be our favourite of all the sculptures because of its play on words. The kennel lid resembles two literary book covers - one for A Tail of Two Lovers by William Shakespaw, the other for Romeo & Drooliet - while the base boasts bookshelves stocked with Lord of the Fleas and Around the Garden in 80 Seconds. Putting a canine spin on fiction-themed puns makes this a winner in Bygrave eyes and it's very hard for me to disagree...

- Fungi's House -

Emily however is a nature lover too and therefore declares herself impressed by 'Fungi's House' with its striking red-and-white-spotted toadstool cap roof plus blue tit depictions. Avian representation is extended further by 'Snoopy's Songbird Chorus' for fans of robins, pigeons and turtle doves, all framed within a snowtopped setting to emphasise how resilient birds are during the winter months. I hadn't realised that the Peanuts cartoon strips first debuted back in 1950 when Charles M. Schulz introduced the likes of Charlie Brown to newspaper audiences; 75+ years later his creations continue to be enjoyed with worldwide affection.

- I Need More Space -

Gravitating gently towards the tearooms and an adventure play area, we next note 'Plant Dreams, Harvest Joy' in a secluded sensory space. This sculpture's design is reminiscent of greenhouse windows with crisscross panes and hints of fruit, strawberries and tomatoes to be precise. Nearby, 'I Need More Space' takes a reflective cosmic approach with ringed planets and starry constellations, then 'Garden of Delights' beckons across towards the Food Festival marquees. Cathy Simpson has decorated this one with peaches, a crowing cockerel and buzzing wasps for another fruity, nature-tinged example.

- Woodstock Waits -

And the treats keep on coming! We take a break from the sculptural stuff by bravely entering Trentham's resident 'Hide and Speak' maze, fashioned from tall hedges with several deceptive dead ends. Seven Peanuts personalities are lurking inside although finding them all proves quite the challenge because it's easy to become disorientated among the walls of leafage. Lucy and Peppermint Pattie encouragingly have us on the right track to start with before Charlie Brown declares his noted presence, each character shown in an orange spacesuit. The maze's central mound has Woodstock at one end of the coiled path and Snoopy at the other, astronaut helmets affixed in both cases. After this point it feels like we're going round in circles seeing the same ones repeatedly but Franklin and Sally are located eventually. 

- Dreaming of the Mountains -

With some relief, we make it out of the maze without getting totally lost and reward ourselves with double scoop ice cream, combining flavours of honeycomb, chocolate brownie and vanilla clotted cream. There are four sculptures left to find and the next two are close to the lake's north-eastern shores: 'Dreaming of the Mountains' conjures up a sense of all things Alpine thanks to a crisp wintry sky, pine trees and ice-capped peaks, whereas 'Home Sweet Home' evokes thoughts of Hansel and Gretel, gingerbread residences and candy canes aplenty.

- Grrrrrrnarly Beach Hut -

We're almost done and the final two finds require us to head back towards the main entrance and then follow the River Trent along the lake's southern edge. 'Grrrrrnarly Beach Hut' speaks of the seaside with kite-flying and deckchair stripes, then last of the twelve comes 'Riverbank' with its nod to swans, herons and other watery wildlife - very effective, as indeed are some adjacent treetrunk carvings featuring otters, beavers and fish shoals. We've loved doing the trail and indulging our liking for a little black and white dog, an excellent way of spending a steady Sunday in Staffordshire. Cheers!