Rosa Wollerton Old Hall - flowering non stop since May on virtually thornless long stems.
A climber, David Austin claims it to be the most fragrant of all. I say he has an issue with his nose, Helen says I have an issue with mine. Well with a nose like this, that’s no surprise!

#rosa #rose #davidaustinroses #wollertonoldhall #flowersfromthefarm #britishflowers #britishblooms #underthefloralspell #sherborne #dorset #roses

Look what I found! That’s really it now though.
We’ll be digging up our favourites this year, using the excellent instructions from Connie’s Dahlias from Vancouver Island on Facebook.
What a season!

#dahlias #sherborne #dorset #allotment #flowerfarmers #britishblooms

Why do we look to politicians to improve our lives? They very rarely do.
The most important and long lasting changes have been made by engineers, scientists, botanists, artists, writers, doctors, nurses, teachers, librarians, our friends, families and in this case our Mum, @loustickland and your Grandmother, @rowanstickland, @_stickland and @augustus_stickland, Felix, Kit and Tabitha. A life dedicated to children, making a real difference to not just our lives but many, many others. We all have the power to instigate change for the better, we all have the power to make a better world.
We don’t need to look to others to improve things, we can do it ourselves.

Drawing by my Grandfather, Geoffrey Squire, a true inspiration to me.

#change #inspiration #art #artists #ordinarypeople #betterworld #families #family #friends #teachers #empower #improve #onestepatatime #smallchanges #education #teach #share #inspire #aspire #improve #engineer #design #scientist #doctor #librarian #writer

Loved this building I stumbled upon earlier today in Sharjah. Keeping myself warm on the freezing train. 95 degrees and 4000 miles away!! Ye gods…

#sharjah #rainbow #streetart #uae #persiangulf #justfoundsomechocolatesinmybag #notanymore

Have we been having fun?! In the past week, I’ve met, worked and played with wonderful children and their families from all over the Middle East, learnt so much, had such simple innocent fun. Our daily lives may be so very, very different but we share one vitally important thing, the love for our families and friends.

I sincerely hope that xenophobia and ignorant, misinformed hatred of foreigners does not triumph today. It did in the UK to our lasting shame. We have the gutter press and shameless self serving politicians to blame but also ourselves for letting it happen.

The focus must surely be on our children, so that they may all live happy lives, without fear, regardless of race, nationality, location or wealth.

Another unknown beauty, forming a large shrub, springing up weed-like on vacant lots. Delicious glaucous indumentum on the leaves and stems, and these lovely flowers with, as my 7yr old daughter put it, magenta tints.

#thatsmygirl #exotic #weeds #shrub #magenta #flowers #persiangulf #sharjah #glaucous #indumentum (at Central Gold Souq Sharjah)

By popular request, some plant porn!
An unknown beauty from the plant and flower souk in Sharjah. Any ideas @taniacompton?
Fantastic array of delights, almost too much to bear…

#mystery #exotic #flower #itchyfingers #botanising #sharjah #souk (at Sharjah Animals & Birds Market)

Becoming the art. My friends decided to incorporate me into the Yayoi Kusama installation at the Sharjah Art Foundation.
It was only later, whilst buying Colocasia tubers in the fruit and vegetable souk, that I realised that I was still covered in dots, much to the amusement of the sellers in the market!

#sharjahartfoundation #sharjahart #artinstallation #art #dot #dots #spot #spots #becomingtheart #sharjah #idiotabroad

Another shot from the wonderful Yayoi Kusama installation at the Sharjah Art Foundation. This time actually inside the largest infinity mirrored polka dot sphere. Gasps of delight and wonder from us all!

#infinitymirror #yayoikusama #sharjahartfoundation #sharjahart @sharjahart #artinstallation #art #artist #infinity #infinityroom

The delicious crisp minimalist lines of the Sharjah Art Foundation, a series of beautifully lit galleries in the heart of old Sharjah, made me long to fill them with the experimental sculptural forms inspired by my explorations of folded paper. A very inspiring visit that made me long to return to my studio to develop them further.

#sharjahartfoundation #sharjah #art #artist #minimal #minimalist #architecture #uae #sculpture #inspiration #white #light #shadow #contrast

Yayoi Kusama - Dot Obsessions
Amazing exhibition in the Sharjah Art Foundation, a fantastic installation in this stylish gallery in the heart of Sharjah. This inside of a large polka dot ball.

#sharjah #sharjahartfoundation #art #installation

Very busy at the Sharjah Book Fair today, schools day, it’s crammed with smiling, chattering, excited kids and their teachers. The noise is astounding, that’s even before I get them roaring!! What fun!
#childrenoftheworld #kids #sharjahbookfair #fun #school #teachers

Lime and mint iced cocktail, ideal for these temperatures, craving one now after a busy morning session with a group of local children who knew Dinosaur Roar! which was something of a surprise! Did some great roaring too, dinosaurs are truly hard wired into all the world’s children!

#dubai (at Gold & Spice Souks (Markets) Of Old Dubai)

Salavat Fidai, the Russian guy who does these extraordinarily minute pencil sculptures is here at the book fair. Amazing work, wonder whether he would sharpen my pencils for me…
#sharjahbookfair #sculpture #miniature #salavatfidai #pencil #microscopic #steadyhand #sharjah #instagram #instagramlogo

A video posted by Paul Stickland (@naughtydinosaur) on Nov 4, 2016 at 10:45pm PDT

Visited another planet yesterday. Dubai.
Good lord, I’ve never seen anything like it. Nothing could persuade me to climb this tower!

Followed this by visiting the Spice Souk and puttering about on the water in an ancient wooden boat, amongst the fabulous working dhows. Talk about contrasts!
#dubai #uae

A video posted by Paul Stickland (@naughtydinosaur) on Nov 3, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT

Waterworks on the waterfront. I’ll spare you the inevitable Carmina Burana…
40 degrees today!
#sharjah #fountain #lightshow

View from my breakfast! Another busy day with the delightful children of Sharjah beckons. Doubt I could ever get used to this, let alone the wonderful food and the chauffeur driven air-conditioned limo. Amazing where a few scribbles and a couple of pop up paper monsters will take you! And so very odd going to a book fair where you don’t end up in a bar somewhere putting the world to rights! So wish you were here darling Helenxx
#93degreestoday #spoiltrotten #author #illustrator #itsatoughlife

A video posted by Paul Stickland (@naughtydinosaur) on Nov 2, 2016 at 4:54am PDT

Members of the Beijing State Circus warming up. Follow that!… Been a fascinating day, had such a bright, intelligent group this morning for my Dinosaur Roar! presentation. Pop ups later.
#sharjah #bookfair

Perfect, pale and papery.
Last post from me, early tomorrow I’ll be talking dinosaurs with the children of Sharjah. I did check to see if Islam is OK with Dinosaurs. Guess I wouldn’t have been booked if there was an issue…

#bougainvillea #sharjah (at Gold Souk Sharjah)

Wonderful to see these incredible huge wooden dhows still in use, improbably laden with dozens of cars and all manner of goods destined for the ports of the Persian Gulf.
One for @rowanstickland!
#dhow #woodenboat #persiangulf #wood #shipwright #sharjah #boat (at Khalid Sea Port Sharjah)

Its important to choose a good book for a little poolside reading @commonfarmflowers! Thinking about our poor chilly dahlias back home… Wait for me my dears!
#poolsidedreaming #britishblooms #flowersfromthefarm (at Copthorne Hotel Sharjah)

Definitely not Dorset! Been wandering round the souqs in some heat…
#sharjah #souq #camel (at Sharjah Animals & Birds Market)

A video posted by Paul Stickland (@naughtydinosaur) on Oct 31, 2016 at 12:54pm PDT

Happy Halloween y'all from Sharjah in the UAE! It’s midnight here soon and it’s 85 degrees outside, thankfully not in my hotel room! A week of working with children at the Sharjah Book Festival awaits…
I really fancy a beer after travelling all day, but not possible here :(
#halloween #allhallows #bats #socks #fullmoon #sharjah

Shaggy Ink Cap profusion on the way home from Beer Hackett. Edible I now discover.

#fungi #mushrooms #sherborne #dorset

My dahlia/canna hybridisation experiments are bearing fruit!
#iwish #dahlia #flowers #canna #foliage