Sutton Manor Dream Trail Race Coming Soon

St Helens Sutton AC and The Steve Prescott Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural St Helens Dream Trail Race on Sunday 11th September.

Trail races involve a variety of surfaces including parkland paths, fields and pavements. There will be 3 races and competitors of all ages and abilities are welcome.

The Mini Dream Trail - A short “taster” trail event for children between 6 and 11 years of age. This event can be entered on the day.

The Junior Dream Challenge - Up to 4KM in length, the Challenge is open to anyone at Secondary school. Entries must be completed in advance by following this link: Junior Race Entry Link

The Dream Trail Race - The main 8.5KM event is open to anyone over 16 years old* and will challenge elite runners and trail novices alike. Entries are strictly limited and must be completed in advance by following this link: Adult Race Entry Link

*Elite runners from Under15 level and above can compete with formal parental approval and must be accompanied to the event.

Latest News

To keep up to date on Trail news please return here in the future and become a Fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/DreamTrail

http://st-helens-sutton.co.uk

Jaume Plensa exhibits Dreamy Sculpture in YSP

Jaume Plensa Spanish sculpture and creator of The Dream Sculpture comes to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to exhibit exquisite sculptures.Find out about his art and opera as well as seeing his various sculpture in a magnificent manicured landscape setting.Within spitting distance of the M1 link to the M62.Its FREE!




http://www.ysp.co.uk/whats-on/this-season.See the dream influenced alibastar heads that glow like dream when the sun shines through the roof of the gallery indoors.

Construction Video

Cyclo Cross Race a Success

Over 100 competitors competed in 6 categories around the mainly grassy course on Sunday.

The race held on the lower slopes of the now remediated former colliery of Sutton Manor, braved sunny to rainy conditions on gravel and in mud.From junior under 9s to seniors and veterans, competitors across over 6 categories competed as part of the Northwest Cyclo Cross League.

For more information on racing,results and photos

http://www.nwcca.org.uk/2010/11/lady-of-the-manor-cross-nw-league-round-8-6-nov-2010/

Lady of The Manor Cyclo Cross 2010 Slideshow: greenstreeter’s trip from Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom to Saint Helens was created by TripAdvisor. See another Saint Helens slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

Its Goes Down Like a Dream

........Allegedly!

Dreamy Apple Pie

Ever wondered what else you might see or gather at Sutton Manor besides the dream sculpture?

Apple pie made from apples that hang from trees along the peripheries of the site. To make this you will... ...need short pastry roled

out into a pie dish and sugar or honey to sweeten the apples.

masses of spring flowers from the apple trees follow a harsh winter!

Besides the fantastic range of flora there's the edible fruits.Blackberries and Apples!

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Why Evans Concrete are most proud of Dream

http://www.britishprecast.org/podcasts/dream.php

article from http://www.britishprecast.org/

"Jaume Plensa wins 2009 Creativity in Concrete Award for Dream
2nd October 2009
Images (l-r) Jaume Plensa receives his award from Martin Clarke and Garry McBride,...

... He spoke about the inspiration behind Dream and how he came to be involved in the project.

... Garry McBride, Chairman of bespoke precast concrete specialists Evans Concrete, also spoke at the event, explaining how his company turned Dream into reality.

Jaume said “By artists and manufacturers working together they open their minds up to new possibilities and that’s when something succeeds – just like Dream. Ideas without materials simply can’t exist.”

“We are thrilled that Jaume chose concrete for Dream, the first time he has featured our material, and we are delighted to make this award,” said Martin Clarke of British Precast. “Dream stands out, quite literally, this year and is a beacon of optimism for the precast industry as well as for the North West region and the local community. Congratulations also to Evans Concrete, one of our most progressive and exciting member companies, for their dedication and skill.”
Garry McBride added “Dream is probably the finest achievement in the company’s history and it also has to be one of the highlights of my own professional career. The skill and attention to detail that were necessary to design and manufacture the individual pieces of concrete which form this sculpture needed to be of the highest quality. I am proud to say that I believe that we have succeeded in creating an iconic sculpture which will remain as a permanent showcase to our skills and traditions. I am therefore particularly delighted that British Precast has chosen Jaume as the recipient of this special award.”

Man Climbs Scuplture

A local man from Haydock has climbed the Dream without a scratch or climbers bolt.
For the story...
http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/4474224.Bigjobs_loved_Dream_so_much___he_had_to_climb_it/

For more dramatic photos from the top...
http://nwex.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4530

Dream to help regenerate Bold and Sutton Area of St Helens

A visualisation using V2D Software

Members of Sutton Ramblers enjoy a Friday evening stroll and picture with the Dream

The sculpture attracts inward investment , and is owned by not only the local community but business, and becomes a symbol of economic success!

signs from M62 Junction 7 lead to the sculpture

mountainbikers rest and admire the sculpture

Postcode:WA94BA
Grid Ref:SJ521906

With over 2000 people attending the launch of the Dream sculpture Sutton Manor Woodland has become a tourist destination.With firm backing from The Forestry Commission who put up 10% of the funding required for the sculpture this site could be part of a network of green recreation sites that form the St Helens Forest Park as part of The Mersey Forest

Read the latest news here:

www.merseyforest.org.uk/mft.pdf

http://www.merseyforest.org.uk/

So whilst we might think this site is somewhere to walk the dog or take a breath of fresh air it could become a destination for mountain biking courses,bird watching,mountain boarding and mountain balling in the near future.

A wider network of pathways and greenspaces could be linked with way signs and information boards and a local visitors centre or cafe (like the one pictured above) could be the springboard to making this a major local visitor destination with over 2M people already within a 20-30 minute drive from the area.

Other areas worth a walk include Daisy Fields to the north of Sutton Manor accessible through King Georges playing Fields,Clock Face Country Park to the East through the Miners Way and beyond this Maypole Wood and Griffin Wood http://www.griffinwood.blogspot.com/ and link from here to Weatacre Woodland and the Bold Colliery and Colliers Moss recreation sites.

Photo credit slideshow: photos by Minako Jackson, www.artinliverpool.com

please note that photos may change and therefore any credits as these are subject to 'tag' status

A door in the Dream

Like all good fairy tales there has to be a secret door.So even in the Dream sculpture there is one.But ,where does it lead? is this possibly a door to another world or is it possibly a place for a future electrical connection to a light or skyward beam in the future should the Highways Agency see sense in the idea of having an illuminated sculpture adjacent to their highway,just like a road sign??

Dream Sculpture Launch 31st May 2008

Dream, http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=dream+sculpture&m=tags&page=1 the dramatic new sculpture for St.Helens and the Northwest, was launched with a spectacular public event on Sunday 31 May at Sutton Manor as thousands of members of the local community and visitors from further afield attended.
The launch event started at noon, where the assembled pageant proceeded to the summit of the hill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MTDVvSypPA&feature=related

to officially launch Dream at 1.00pm. The launch included a traditional Whit Walk complete with brass bands, the May Queen and her entourage, a choir, ex-miners and their families and all those who have made Dream possible including guest of honour artist Jaume Plensa.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandjwalks/tags/junction7/

The song 'The Dream' sung by a local choir was composed by local singer and storyteller Chris Roche.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDgP5E-pso&feature=channel_page
St.Helens Council operated a free shuttle bus service from Lea Green Station to Sutton Manor. Brown direction signs saying 'Dream' from the M62 Junction 7 direct you to the sculpture. http://www.visitsthelens.com/

Can I see the sculpture as I approach?

The sculpture ("hello it's me Anna,I am not asleep i am dreaming of course"!)reveals itself from many approaches but in the tradition of great landscape design like those of Capability Brown you get glimpses from afar but it becomes hidden as you approach nearer.So there is a sense of 'delight' and 'progressive realisation' as you come closer.

The sculpture can be seen clearly east on the M62 from just west of Warrington Junction 8 and from the west at Junction 7 for St Helens.Glimpses from as far as Winwick west of Junction 9 ,Billinge Hill to the north and the hills behind Frodsham to the south!

What do visitors think!

On Saturday I took a hike up to the top to talk to visitors.In 5 minutes I came across 15 people.More than the average for Sutton Manor.

Residents,dog walkers,sight see-ers and tourists have been coming to see the sculpture from around and about.There even been a freelance photographer from a Shropshire Newspaper
today.

"It's the best thing thats happened around here for ages" Sutton resident and Sutton Manor dogwalkers

"I'm St Helens born and bred.....it's pretty amazing" former Clock Face resident now St Helens

"I've come from Hamburg to see this and it's very impressive" Former St Helens resident and ex miner from the colliery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruithneacht/3617142369/in/photostream/

more comments on this great blog: http://needled.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/ex-terra-lucem/#comment-7122

So what is the sculpture made of?

plastic, stone, white chocolate, glue?
no...
http://www.cnplus.co.uk/regional-news/north-west/evans-concrete-casts-dream-sculpture/1995296.article

"there ain't a problem that i can't fix when i got it in the mix"

Ever wondered what those small grey flecks are: well they're not fossils :they are a fibre glass type material that helps bond and strengthen the mix of limestone and concrete.

Weighing in at 373 tonnes it's some Buddha. 8 piles were driven 38 m into the colliery spoil and the plinth is 17m wide.

Read more by clicking onto the photos to enlarge! them....