Despite being the penultimate giant bee on the Manchester Bee in The City tour, this was the first bee we visited (due to location). And to be honest, it wasn’t a good start to the project. We felt extremely let down by the design and location. The extensive use of green paint made the bee appear more like a grasshopper, and there doesn’t seem to be much thought in the concept of decorating the sculpture with random vegetables. There are in my opinion far better designs in Bee in The City.
It was also disappointing to see that neither the organisers, sponsors, or staff at Heaton Park / Manchester City Council hadn’t considered removing or relocating the scruffy banners on the railings behind the artwork. A background of the lake would have been far more preferable than adverts for Pay & Display Parking and Pizza nights for families. (If this changes before the end of the event, please let me know!). I will be contacting MCC about this!
If you are going to visit this bee, the closest parking is Sheepfoot Lane (Pay & Display), although it is a reasonable walk from here to the other bee – Flora, and the mini bees at the Stables Cafe.
Sponsor: Eat Pennines Ltd. and Wall’s
Location: Heaton Park (by the lake)
