Love on the Rocks

Reporter  Jonathan White, Wistaston

Pebble artists have been painting bees on rocks to create a tribute on the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack. The worker bee is one of the best-known symbols of Manchester and came to symbolise Manchester’s resilience after the atrocity.

The ‘Love on the Rocks Wistaston, Crewe & Nantwich’ and ‘Love on the Rocks Shavington, Wybunbury and Hough’ pebbleart Facebook groups have been painting their own bee designs on rocks along with the hashtag ‘#LoveMCRBees’.

They have painted dozens of bee rocks and will join in with over thirty other UK pebbleart groups involved in the tribute by leaving their rocks in designated areas - St Anne’s Square and Exchange Square - in Manchester on 22nd May 2018. Nikki Lunn from ‘Stockport Rocks’, who organised the tribute, will be handing out free #LoveMcrBees pencils and ‘Pebbleart Rocks, Bolton/Bury’ will be handing out bee-friendly flower seeds. It is estimated that in total there will over 1,000 bee rocks. Visitors will be asked to take a bee rock home as a remembrance gift.

Sharon Cattell, founder member of ‘Love on the Rocks Wistaston, Crewe & Nantwich’, and ‘Love on the Rocks Shavington, Wybunbury and Hough’ said: “The bombing last year affected everyone, so when I saw Nikki Lunn’s idea on Facebook, I wanted to get involved with the tribute. I decided to organise it as an event on Facebook and arranged for the Lifestyle Centre in Crewe and the Swimming Baths at Nantwich to be drop-off points for anyone who wanted to submit a rock. The members have painted over ninety rocks. I will be taking them to Nikki for her to add them to the tribute.”

For further information please search ‘Love on the Rocks Wistaston, Crewe & Nantwich’ on Facebook.