Bristol Gorillas back in Bristol - Bristol Zoo (24-28 September)

Bert and the rest of the gorillas guys & girls are back in Bristol.  They are now lined up on the central lawn at the zoo.  They can be seen until closing time on Wednesday 28 September.

On Thursday 29 September, 60 of the apes will be auctioned at The Victoria Rooms, in aid of The Wallace & Gromit Grand Appeal in aid of Bristol Children's Hospital, and ape conservation.  There are no tickets left for the auction but there will be a live web cam feed of the events at the auction to the auction page http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/auction on Thursday evening.

Bert in London (until Thurs 22 Sept 2011)

Bert would have great views if he could look round about him.  He's surrounded by views of Tower Bridge to his left, and behind him, HMS Belfast, The Gherkin and the Tower of London...and of course 19 other colourful Bristol Zoo Wow! Gorillas.  There is also another NEW Gorilla painted in the last few days.

Bert & Tower Bridge  (photo: Suzy-Jane Tanner)

 

...& The Tower of London (photo: Suzy-Jane Tanner)

...& The Gherkin (photo: Suzy-Jane Tanner)

The Gorillas have already been visited by the press, including Newsround (CBBC), and lots of people, including my cousin and ex-Bath illustrator friend.

Gorillas on Parade (& HMS Belfast)  (photo: Liz Shaw)

Trip to London (16-22 September)

20 Bristol Zoo Wow! Gorillas are in London for 7 days from today to promote the auction back in Bristol at 7pm at the Victoria Rooms on Thursday 29 September.  Bert is one of them.  See his bottom just visible in a photo of the apes in front of Tower Bridge in the Bristol Wow! Gorilla Facebook album.

Inspecting Bert

Inspecting Bert on one of my 9 visits to Bitton, bearing in mind all the shoe scuffs etc were going to have to be removed before a trip to London, a mass gathering at Bristol Zoo and the auction.

(Photo: Hilary Hawkins)

Bert at Bitton

Bert at Bitton, where he is apparently a hit with the local kids. (9 July 2011)

A couple of little boys (aged about 4 or 5) wanted to 'poke him in the eye or bottom'...with coffee stirrers.  I tried to tell them about bushmeat and endangered animals.  It went a bit over their heads!  A little girl said that she liked him.

Map of Gorilla Locations

Download a map of where the full-size Wow! Gorillas are to be found.
Even better are the maps that can be picked up from Bristol Libraries, and other places, as they also give the names, sponsors and artists of the apes.  Apparently the locations of the mini apes decorated by schools will appear on the Bristol Zoo website eventually.

Guide books, presumably featuring photos of all the Wow! Gorillas, comments and possibly profiles of the artists are available (hopefully by now) from Bristol Zoo and the Tourist Information Office, for £2.95.

LOADSA pix of Gorillas on the streets

The public have posted LOADS of pictures on the Wow! Gorillas Facebook page of all the big Gorillas (probably) except Anthony Hitchcock's Guerrilla Tourist, which is in Birmingham Coach Station encouraging people to change their travel plans and come to Bristol, as well as lots of the 101 little apes decorated by Bristol schoolchildren.

Anthony's Hubert outside the Holiday Inn City Centre, Bond Street, has been much admired though.  He used to be known as Joe, when I knew him,

There are a couple of pictures of Bert on the 'Wall'.