From the City Centre Floral Trail to the Big Hoot & Sleuth over the years in St Paul's Square

Every summer during the Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail there used to be certain floral sculptures in St Paul's Square. In the summer of 2015 there was the Big Hoot and in the summer of 2017 there was the Big Sleuth. Here we will look at what was on display from about 2009 to 2019.

Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail

I started taking photos of the Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail in September 2009 when I spotted Wallace & Gromit on Great Charles Street Queensway from the footbridge. Although didn't see the piece in St Paul's Square until November 2009. Planted Silver Tureen, which seems permenant now, was part of the 2009 Floral Trail.

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It represented the Jewellery Quarter, and is of a Planted Silver Tureen. Which was made by Matthew Boulton for Mrs Elizabeth Montagu, a long time friend of his. It was part of a large dinner service. Similar products are still being made in the Jewellery Quarter today. Over 2300 plants have been planted.

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It was a mixture of cotton lavender, curry plant and helichcrysum korma. A Christmas tree was out, and you could see the base in the middle that was later used for future Floral Trails and the later Big Hoot and Sleuth trails.

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While there was a bit of purple, they had finished flowering by the autumn of 2009.

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Seen during July 2011 was Planted Silver Tureen. Which I previously saw in 2009. The middle of July is the best time to see the lavender here in bloom. Looked like the base in the middle had gone (it would be back).

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Seen in St Paul's Square during August 2012 was the Paralympian Tennis Player. A wicker sculpture based on Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker. It was the summer of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. And this was obviously based on the Paralympics.

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The wicker sculpture of a Paralympian Tennis Player seen from the back. It had red coloured flowers all around the base of it. Before London 2012, Birmingham hosted the American and Jamaican teams who trained at the Alexander Stadium and at the University of Birmingham respectfully.

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No wicker sculptures in July 2013 but this was when Birmingham was having visitors from the judges of the Entente Florale Europe competition. Birmingham was chosen to represent the UK by the Royal Horticultural Society, due to it's recent gold wins at various RHS flower shows in recent years. The lavender of previous years was still there, if a bit overgrown. See details further up about this piece known as the Planted Silver Tureen.

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Nothing much else to see at the time, so took these bushes and flowers as someone was sunbathing to the left. Note that you can see one or two of the gravestones to the right. But everything was lush and green. I hope the judges liked what they saw all over Birmingham at the time.

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The last year of the Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail was in 2014, before the Big Hoot trail a year later in 2015. The theme for 2014 was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One in 1914. The British Victory Medal was a wicker sculpture seen in St Paul's Square during July 2014. It was one of five campaign medals issued to individuals who saw service in the First World War.

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This time there was red, pink and purple coloured flowers around The British Victory Medal. It resembled an angel with wings. People out and about enjoying the summer sunshine, sitting on benches in their shorts and t-shirts, or just walking up towards St Paul's Church.

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After the years of the Big Hoot & Big Sleuth (see below) it didn't feel like there was still a Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail. Or at least not as big as in past years. There were smaller trails, such as ones with dinosaurs when Dippy was on Tour. In August 2019 I saw the Angel in St Paul's Square again. Formerly known as The British Victory Medal in 2014. It was nice to see it again. The lavender that had been there for at least 10 years was still around.

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The Big Hoot Birmingham 2015

Bejewelled Owl was by the artist Claire Scully and the sponsor was the Jewellery Quarter BID. It was near the lavender which comes up every summer. Seen during July 2015.

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Slightly further back. People sitting on benches or walking past in St Paul's Square. Doesn't Bejewelled Owl look wonderful in the middle of the lavender? I once went to Provence in May 2011 but didn't see lavender there until we went to Norfolk in about July 2011.

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The Big Sleuth Birmingham 2017

Peabody by the artist Tory Allen and the sponsor was the Jewellery Quarter BID. Seen during July 2017. The lavender was there again as it is every summer.

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This view of Peabody with St Paul's Church and the distinctive spire.

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From the back, Peabody seems to resemble the wings of butterflys. This view looking to Ludgate Hill.

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There was at the time a second bear in St Paul's Square. Harley, the Original Bear's Angel, designed by Valerie Osement, painted by Mik Richardson and the sponsor was Harley Investments. The view to the main entrance of St Paul's Church.

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From the back it looks like Harley was wearing (almost typed bearing) a leather jacket, which read "Bear's Angels Motorcycle Club West Midlands".

dndimg alt="The Big Sleuth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Harley The Big Sleuth St Pauls Square (July 2017) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020