Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message or tell a story, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo of a lonely bridge on the Old Military Road, near Braemar in the Scottish Highlands, in 2019.
Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message or tell a story, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo of a Paddington Bear tucking into a marmalade sandwich at John O’Groats (in the far north of Scotland) earlier this year.
Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message or tell a story, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo of a green iguana at Tortuguero in Costa Rica.
Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message or tell a story, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo in Jaipur, India, in 2006.
I don’t normally post to my blog on Mondays, but as today (22 September) is World Rhino Day I thought I’d bring forward my deadline to share an update on Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s “teenage” superstar…
When a baby Eastern Black Rhinoceros was born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in January 2024, the management knew they were onto a winner. Great news for species conservation, obviously, but great news too for visitor numbers. I mean, who doesn’t love a baby rhino? The marketing department went into overdrive, and Rocco the Rhino – named after a public vote – quickly became the Park’s pin-up superstar. The only problem was that, for us at least, Rocco proved to be disappointingly elusive.
Now nearly 20 months old, Rocco clearly enjoys his food!
Mrs P and I visited the Park several times during the 18 months after the birth, and top of our wish list was always a sighting of Rocco, who was – to judge from the publicity photos – the epitome of armoured cuteness. But we were always disappointed. Instead of roaming their enormous paddock. Rocco and his mum and dad were holed up in their indoor quarters and therefore visible to visitors only via a grainy CCTV system. When we asked about the best time to see him, we were told that the doors to the rhinos’ outside world opened at 11:30am, but it was up to Rocco and his parents to decide whether or not they wanted to come out.
The marketing department went into overdrive, and Rocco the Rhino – named after a public vote – quickly became the Park’s pin-up superstar
We were also advised that sometimes the doors would remain closed beyond the 11:30am deadline to give Rocco’s mum Najuma a much needed rest. Rocco, we were told, was an energetic and demanding calf who was causing his poor mother a good deal of stress, and the keepers felt it was important to consider her welfare as well as the needs of the infant rhino. Fair enough, I suppose, but it was unfortunate that Rocco was never out and about when we were visiting the Park.
This video, made by staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park at the end of March 2024, provides the view of Rocco that we sadly never got to enjoy!
But at last, just a couple of weeks ago, we finally caught up with Rocco in person. At last! The only downside of this encounter was that Rocco is no longer the cute little calf we had been longing to see. He’s now around 20 months old, and his build and bulk more closely resemble that of his poor old mum. To put it into human terms, I suppose he’s now a sturdy teenager. Impressive? Yes, definitely. Cute? No, sadly those days are gone for good.
Rocco trailing close behind his long-suffering mum Najuma
Putting aside our disappointment at missing out on his cute phase, Rocco’s birth gives cause for celebration. Najuma and Rocco’s dad Makibo came to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2018 as part of an international breeding programme to save the species, which is classed as critically endangered. Here’s what the Park’s website has to say about its plight:
Eastern Black Rhinos are the rarest of the 3-remaining subspecies. Between 1970 and 1992, their population declined by 96% to 2300 from a devastating period of poaching for their horns…Thanks to global conservation efforts, Black Rhino numbers have steadily risen to around 6000 individuals. The European Breeding Programme currently holds around 100 individuals in various wildlife parks and zoos.
Source: Yorkshire Wildlife Park website, retrieved on 8 September 2025
Rocco follows Najuma everywhere!
It’s good to know that ethically responsible organisations like Yorkshire Wildlife Park are doing their bit to support the conservation of this wonderful species. Finally catching up with Rocco, after so many missed opportunities, was a big thrill. Hopefully before too long he’ll have a brother or sister, and if he does we will visit the Park regularly in the hope of spotting the new arrival before it grows too big to be cute!
No longer a calf, Rocco’s growing up fast!
Of course, there are many other species – including several conservation priorities – living at the Park. The following photos offer a glimpse of some that we encountered on our recent visit. Maybe I’ll write at length about these species in future posts to this blog?
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Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message or tell a story, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo at Cajabamba market in Ecuador, in 1989.
Wandering through the centre of Birmingham a few weeks ago, we were delighted to encounter The Floozie in the Jacuzzi flaunting her wares seductively in Victoria Square. More properly known as The River, the lovely lady is a bubbling fountain, a landmark popular both with local residents and with visitors to the city like me and Mrs P. She’s definitely a bit of an eyeful.
“The Floozie in the Jacuzzi” (aka “The River”) by Dhruva Mistry
Dhruva Mistry’s sculpture dates back to 1993. It’s said that his water goddess represents the life force, and was conceived as a vehicle for instilling a feeling of ‘peace and safety’ amongst people visiting this busy city centre. The good folk of Birmingham appear to have decided that this explanation is maybe a bit pretentious, and that the The Floozie in the Jacuzzi sums her up a lot better. Who am I to argue?
Another piece of Birmingham’s public art celebrates three men who made important contributions to the development of the steam engine in the late 18th century, and who were therefore key players in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution. James Watt (1736-1819) was an ideas man who came up with various improvements to the basic steam engine, while Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) was a wealthy businessman who provided the funding to put Watt’s ideas into practice. They went into partnership in Birmingham in 1775, and the highly practical William Murdoch (1754-1839) formally joined that partnership in 1810.
“The Golden Boys” (aka “The Carpet Salesmen”) by William Bloye and Raymond Forbes-Kings
The homage to the three princes of steam dates from 1956, and is the work of William Bloye (formerly head of sculpture at Birmingham School of Art) and sculptor Raymond Forbes-Kings. Unsurprisingly, it is known as The Golden Boys. More unexpectedly, however, locally the alternative name for the piece is The Carpet Salesmen, reflecting the fact that the plans for a steam engine that the three men are inspecting looks suspiciously like a bit of carpet. Oh, how I love the cheeky irreverence of Birmingham folk!
Another eye-catching piece of artwork in Birmingham city centre is A Real Birmingham Family, a cast bronze sculpture by award-winning artist Gillian Wearing. The subject matter is unconventional, and features two ordinary local women and their sons. The women are sisters, one of whom is pregnant – her second son was born shortly before the sculpture was unveiled in 2014.
“A Real Birmingham Family” by Gillian Wearing
No review of public art in Birmingham would be complete without reference to bulls. The city’s famous Bull Ring shopping centre is built on a site that was for centuries used for the brutal “sport” of bull-baiting. The practice was outlawed in 1835, but the name continues to be associated with that part of the city and is remembered through Laurence Broderick’s magnificent bronze sculpture. The Bull was installed in 2003, and in my eyes portrays the animal as a noble and powerful beast, rather than as the victim of an appalling blood sport.
“The Bull” by Laurence Broderick
There is of course another equally, if not more famous piece of public art celebrating Birmingham’s connection with bulls. I have written previously about the Raging Bull, which was commissioned to open the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham in 2023. A couple of years after the games, Raging Bull was relocated to New Street Station, and renamed Ozzy in honour of local heavy metal music hero Ozzy Osborne. We were delighted to see Ozzy in his new location when we visited earlier in the summer, where he was continuing to draw in hordes of admirers.
Ozzy the Bull, star of the Commonwealth Games 2023, now residing at New Street Station
Ozzy Osborne was born in 1948, and grew up in the Aston area of Birmingham. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and rose to prominence in the 1970s as their lead vocalist. After being fired by the band in 1979 due to his problems with alcohol and drugs, he began a solo music career and later became a reality television star. Ozzy died in late July 2025. He had remained for decades a much loved son of Birmingham, and it was clear during our visit there shortly after his death that the pain caused by his passing was still raw.
Mural featuring Black Sabbath. Ozzy Osborne is third from the left
Heavy metal music is not really my thing, but one song by Black Sabbath is etched into my memory. Released in 1970, Paranoid is a bitter, gut-wrenching exploration of depression and despair. The lyrics are as follows:
Finished with my woman ’cause
She couldn’t help me with my mind
People think I’m insane because
I am frowning all the time
All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I’ll lose my mind
If I don’t find something to pacify
Can you help me
Occupy my brain?
Oh yeah
I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can’t find
I can’t see the things that make
True happiness, I must be blind
Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal
And so as you hear these words
Telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could but it’s too late
Source: LyricFind
Ozzy didn’t write the lyrics Paranoid – they were the work of bandmate Geezer Butler – but did create the melody. His early years were very challenging, and Ozzy said later that as a teenager he attempted suicide on multiple occasions. Perhaps this is why his performance as lead vocalist on Paranoid is so powerful. You can listen to Ozzy doing his stuff by clicking on the following YouTube link.
Birmingham lost one of its favourite sons when Ozzy Osborne died on 22 July, just 17 days after what had been billed as his final live performance. He clearly remains close to the heart of the people of his home city, a genuine working class hero. Rest in Peace, Ozzy.
Detail from a poster promoting a summer 2025 exhibition in Birmingham about Ozzy’s solo career
Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia in June 2015.
Wordless Wednesday is a simple blog post featuring a photo. It seeks to convey a message, but speaks for itself without using words. Mrs P took this photo near Gir National Park in Gujarat, India in 2013.
For readers unfamiliar with the place, Norwich is a historic city in the east of England that is famed for its magnificent medieval architecture and mustard! It’s not somewhere a visitor might reasonably expect to encounter giraffes, rhinos or elephants. But these critters, as well as some lions and the occasional gorilla, were all strutting their stuff in Norwich when we took a trip there a few weeks ago.
“Ankara” by Julie Allum
The reason for the invasion was the GoGo Safari, a temporary public art trail featuring around 50 sculptures decorated by professional artists, sponsored by local businesses and curated by Wild in Art. As well as adding some welcome splashes of colour to the local street-scene, the GoGo Safari project is raising funds to support Break, a local not-for-profit organisation that seeks to make life better for young people on the edge of care, in care and leaving care.
Left: “Head in the Clouds” by the Pink Hare. Centre Top: “Prideoscope” by David Cutts. Centre Bottom: “No Charge” by Alix Carter. Right: “Giraffiti” by Donna Newman
Various fundraising initiatives are linked to the Safari, the most significant being a public auction of the sculptures a few weeks after the trail closes. Based on experience at similar events elsewhere, the average price of the sculptures is predicted to be around £6k to £7k (USD 8k to 9.5k), meaning that the whole event should raise a sizeable sum for a very worthy cause.
Left: “Swifts” by Rosalind Harrison. Centre: “Silverback” by Daniel Bland. Right: “Sprinkles” by Emma Everitt.
Sadly, Mrs P and I won’t be bidding at the auction! Although many of the sculptures are fabulous, their expected price is way beyond what we’re able to spend on a decorative item for the garden. However, walking the streets of Norwich in search of random rhinos and sundry other colourful characters was a great way to spend a couple of days. The artworks were impressive, and it was interesting to meet and share ideas with other folk on a similar mission.
Top Left: “Yarns” by Karis Youngman. Centre Left: “Savannah” by Rachael Butler. Bottom Left: “Postcards from Norfolk” by Charlotte Brayley. Right: “Norfolk by Night” by Jodie Silverman
While the design of some of the sculptures is purely decorative, others feature local themes and places. All the Fun of the Fair (below), for example, takes whimsical inspiration from the nearby Thursford Steam Museum.
“All the Fun of the Fair” by Karis Youngman
And the detail on some of the sculptures is very eye-catching. Just why the rhino sculpture (below) is called Andy remains a mystery to me, but the birds adorning his ample body were splendidly handsome.
“Andy” by Franklin Rackham
Another positive aspect of the project is the opportunity for schools and community groups to contribute through decorating their own small giraffe. We were delighted to encounter this herd of “Mini G’s” (below) in the Chantry Place shopping centre.
A herd of little giraffes (Mini Gs) at the Chantry Place shopping centre, all designed and decorated by local schools and community groups
Everyone, it seems, was having a good time on the GoGo Safari trail, and it was particularly encouraging to see the excitement on the faces of little children when they spotted another spectacularly decorated sculpture. The event closes in just a few days, but similar initiatives happen up and down the country every summer and occasionally abroad. They are definitely worth checking out if you ever get the chance.
Now I'm 64 