Cheshire East Explorer Bear
Cheshire East Council's Explorer Bear has arrived!
Explorer Bear
Cheshire East Council is supporting the
Congleton Bearmania Festival and has worked with Congleton artist,
Allie Pottinger to create an ‘Explorer Bear’ to encourage people to
get out and about and see the many attractions and sites that
Cheshire East has to offer.
‘Explorer Bear’ is currently at Westfields in
Sandbach until next week and then he starts his tour of the
following libraries and leisure centres:-
The Tour
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DATES FROM
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DATES TO
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VENUE ADDRESS
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1st August 2011
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8th August 2011
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Cheshire East Council HQ, Westfields,
Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ
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8th August 2011
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15th August 2011
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Sandbach Library, The Common, Sandbach,
Cheshire, CW11 1FJ
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15th August 2011
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22nd August 2011
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Crewe Leisure Centre, Flag Lane, Crewe, CW2
7QX
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22nd August 2011
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29th August 2011
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Nantwich Library, Beam Street, Nantwich, CW5
5LY
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29th August 2011
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5th September 2011
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Middlewich Leisure Centre, St. Ann`s Walk, Off
King Edward Street, Middlewich, CW10 9BU
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5th September 2011
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12th September 2011
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Alsager Library Sandbach Road North, Alsager,
ST7 2QH
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12th September 2011
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19th September 2011
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Congleton Leisure Centre, Worrall Street,
Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1DT
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19th September 2011
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26th September 2011
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Macclesfield Library, Jordangate,
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1EE
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26th September 2011
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3rd October 2011
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Poynton Leisure Centre, Yew Tree Lane,
Poynton, Stockport, SK12 1PU
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3rd October 2011
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10th October 2011
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Wilmslow Library, South Drive, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 1NW
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10th October 2011
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17th October 2011
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Knutsford Leisure Centre, Westfield Drive,
Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 OBL
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17th October 2011
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Where he will stay
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Cheshire East Council HQ, Westfields,
Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ
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The Artist – Allie Pottinger
Contact: 07903 655 777 or email Allie.
Allie grew up in Macclesfield and really
enjoyed painting Explorer Bear with some of the many exciting
places that there are to visit in this varied part of our County.
Allie graduated with a BA (hons.) in graphic design specialising in
illustration at Hull University. After graduating Allie’s work was
selected for the ‘Young Illustrator of the Year ‘exhibition at
Smiths Gallery, Covent Garden. More recently in 2008 she has had a
sell-out solo exhibition entitled ‘A Taste of Cheshire’ at
Bollington Arts Centre.Last year she showed paintings at
Summerfields in Oxford in aid of Art for Youth. Allie is
inspired by natural subjects and works mainly in watercolour.
Arrangements are in hand for another solo show in East Cheshire, in
spring 2012, based on Cheshire’s wealth of local produce and
fabulous landscapes.
After a couple of years working as an
illustrator in London, she returned to Cheshire and married Neil
and they have two young children. Allie’s recent commissions
include Prestbury Golf Club’s 18th green and clubhouse,
six different breeds of hen for a client’s new kitchen and the
proposed finished appearance of a converted stable block of six
cottages near Sandbach, as well as lots of large bears! Allie now
works from her studio in Congleton -the heart of Bearmania, she has
painted five different bears for this fabulous local community
inspired project. They are all very colourful and great fun to spot
around the town.
Allie says “I hope that you enjoy Exploring
Cheshire East and its many delights. Please drop me a line if you
would like to discuss a project you have in mind -I’d be happy to
help you”. Visit Allie Pottinger's
Website.
Allie said: ““I thoroughly enjoyed painting
explorer bear and being able to highlight some of my favourite
places to visit in this part of Cheshire. We are so lucky to live
in an area with a wealth of hills to climb, winding canals and
river walks, interesting historic towns and great halls, parks and
the ever fascinating Jodrell Bank Telescope.
We regularly take our children up Shutlingsloe
the ‘Matterhorn’ of Cheshire and hope Explorer Bear encourages you
to experience parts of this fantastic county you’ve not visited
before. Have fun!”
Bearmania 
The Bearmania trail begins at Congleton Town
Hall, then leads through nearby villages and finally ends at
Mossley CoE Primary School. Local schoolchildren have been
encouraged to use the fibre-glass models as a blank canvas to try
out their creative skills, with impressive results.
The campaign, which runs until September, was
made possible after businesses, Cheshire East Council, schools and
other organisations agreed to individually sponsor the bears in a
bid to create a similar success to the rhinos in Chester and the
cows in Manchester.
The town’s link with bears is buried in myth
around 400 years ago, when residents were said to have sold their
own bible to buy a bear – a story vigorously denied by locals.
For more information
For more information, please visit
the Beartown Website.
