2011.08 LOCKDOWN 2.0

So from last Thursday the UK is back in a full lockdown which means we can only leave our homes for essential journeys. All non-essential shops and hospitality have been closed.

1908.31 DRAWING AND THAT

When I was a kid my dream was to draw cartoons for the Beano, I used to copy characters from the comics of the time then I started to develop my own.

1801.14 CATCHING UP WITH EVERYONE ELSE

I have a confession.

I love cartoons (that's not the confession). The actual confession is that I've never before watched the animation of Seth MacFarlane! Why? I always thought he was trying to knock off The Simpsons so never watched.

1607.18 BETTER THAN POKÉMON GO

Everyone seems to be talking about Pokémon Go, the game where you can capture virtual monsters using augmented reality on your smartphone.

In Sheffield, my hometown, there's a slightly different game going on - and I think it's more fun than Pokémon Go. A herd of 58 elephant sculptures and 72 elephant calves have arrived and can be found in parks and open spaces for the biggest public art mass participation event the city has ever seen.

Each elephant sculpture has been decorated by artists and are proving popular with everyone, the object is to find them all. The 'little herd' are sited at indoor venues and have been decorated by local schools.

I found my first one at the weekend outside the iconic Park Hill flats...

I've only found the 1. #herdofsheffield #sheffield #elephant #art #parkhill #betterthanpokemongo

A photo posted by CaptainKirt™ (@captainkirt) on Jul 16, 2016 at 5:20am PDT

Although I later found what I think will remain my favourite...

This was number 2, an At-At Elephant 🐘. #herdofsheffield #sheffield #elephant #art #Meadowhall #starwars #betterthanpokemongo

A photo posted by CaptainKirt™ (@captainkirt) on Jul 16, 2016 at 12:22pm PDT

"This exciting initiative is brought to you by The Children’s Hospital Charity and Wild in Art, uniting businesses, communities, artists and schools, leaving a lasting legacy for the city."

If you're visiting Sheffield soon it's worth a look but be aware, it's very addictive and you might forget why you originally came.  There's an app for your phone where you can earn points for every elephant you track down. Check out the Herd of Sheffield website for more info or look for #herdofsheffield on social media. The herd are out all summer until 5th October 2016.

Definitely better than Pokémon. Join the stampede!