This week marks a month of me playing Pokemon Go.
Now, I know this topic is a little different than my usual interiors binging, and yes I’m almost 30 and a self-confessed addict to the game which may make you think differently of me, but hear me out for a minute.
Pokemon Go is one of the greatest ways to add positivity to your life.
There, I said it.
Let me tell you why.
- It’s a good excuse to get out of the house more if you’re the kind of person that needs one. I’m a big lover of weekend outdoor adventures anyway with our little girl but it’s a good motivator when I’m feeling defeated.
- It gives me small talk for when I’m feeling socially anxious in a crowd of people I don’t know: “Found any good Pokemon around here?”
- It’s a reason to look for the happy in everything, and I’ve fallen in love with Manchester all over again.
That last one is a biggie. I walk through the city centre every day but I never really SEE it. Visiting Pokestops, taking new routes and making a conscious effort to look around me and peer up at the skyline means that I’ve really taken in my city and discovered it in a new light.
I’ve done a bit of a photo diary below if you’re interested to see some of my favourite spots this past month. It’s a bit of everything from artwork, to architecture to landmarks – and everything in between really which I simply hadn’t spotted before this month! The game isn’t for everyone of course, but I’m always looking for new ways to find positivity – so let me know what you’ve found lately that’s made you smile.
(Please pardon the imagery if it’s blurry. It was taken on my phone and probably in the middle of trying to catch a Pokemon so go easy on me!)
Manchester Ancoats Graffiti
Graffiti in Trafford
Artwork by local schools in Trafford
Tiled Mosaic Floor at Media City
Seating Area at Dock Number 9 in Media City – shaped like a 9
The Blue Peter Garden! It’s at the Media City Metrolink station and is where Petra the dog is buried.
Seagull graffiti high up on a wall outside of Beetham Tower. I walk past here every day and never noticed it before this month.
Graffiti mural at B.Eat Street, Deansgate.
Urmston Town Centre has a clock – never knew! It’s so beautiful.
Chorlton Water Park. Animals carved into wooden beams to form a bench to feed the ducks.
Animal sculptures in a children’s park in Trafford
More wooden sculptures. This is a throne carved out of a tree at Wythenshawe Park. One adult can sit in it whilst children can sit in the stumps which surround it for storytime.
Tropical jungle and cacti garden spotted in Wythenshawe Park.
Boardman’s Entry – an alleyway in Manchester with umbrella metal sculptures overhead
Blackfriars’s Bridge
