tilleybancroft

Last week at The Big Tourism Conference, Staffordshire’s new visitor mascot was officially unleashed… meet Staffy, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Alongside the reveal came the announcement of The Staffy Trail , launching in 2026 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Staffordshire Day. The trail will see a series of giant Staffy sculptures popping up across the county, each one transformed by artists and schools to celebrate Staffordshire’s creativity, character and communities. Designed as a...

We’re stepping into 2026 with a glow still hanging in the air from a very busy end to last year, and plenty to look forward to in the months ahead. Just before Christmas, Gary the giant gonk headed out into the world as part of East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Canvas of Light event, with projections by Luxmuralis. Over three evenings, Burton town centre was transformed with large-scale light projections, sound and colour, drawing people into the Memorial Garden and surrounding area for a...

The workshop is in full swing this week, and it’s one of those brilliant moments where completely different projects are all happening at once. First up, we’re making arrangements for a poetry trail celebrating women in science. These projects are a lovely reminder that trails don’t always have to be giant creatures — sometimes the quiet, thoughtful installations are just as powerful. This one is shaping up to be really special. Alongside that, I’m currently painting a giant gonk for Burton’s...