Sunday 13 September 2009

Blue Sky thinking.

I hate "management speak". At one place where I worked, a very clever and witty work mate would actually invent phrases and see how long it took the "powers that be" (or idiots as he called them)to start using the phrases.
The sky in South Yorkshire has looked like this for most of the past week, and the temperature has soared during the day. On Saturday, we decided to go for a walk around the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as it is only about 15minute drive from here. If you enlarge the photo, you can see a tiny plane!!

Ive taken you here before, but it is a great place to visit time and time again as the main exhibitions change, and it is a great place for a long or short walk. The park is in the grounds of Bretton Hall which is an old stately home and now part of Leeds University - even though it is a fair trek from Leeds. The grounds are used to exhibit some very large pieces of sculpture.
This is a fabulous gallery and was built fairly recently into a garden which is on a slope. At the top of the garden is a Bothy, which houses more exhibits.
This is the view from the Bothy. As you can see, the new gallery had no impact on the view of the surrounding countryside. The roof of the gallery is grassed and is the piece immediately in front of the trees. You would never know it was there.

These are some of the recent exhibits by Peter Randall-Page . They are quite spectacular, especially the very large ones in the underground gallery.



One of the things I love about the YSP is that kids can run around and actually touch the exhibits (the outside ones).
Another thing I love about it is the cafe. Think National Trust x 10!!! (but at the same prices). All the food is locally sourced and the vegetables are always so tasty. Hubby and the young man had Steak & Ale Pie, whilst I had the Gammon, poached egg and chunky chips with tarragon mayo.

We sat on the balcony which overlooks the spectacular scenery of the park. With the Mediterranean style sunshine, the wonderful views and the stunning sculptures, it is very hard to believe that you are less than a mile away from Barnsley.

16 comments:

Sue said...

LOL! How funny! I don't see us on the photos but we may be hiding behind the trees somewhere :-)

It is very nice there. I second your thoughts on the cafe, we had a delicious Bakewell Tart, mmm.

Sue said...

PS I had no idea I was less than a mile from Barnsley! We came the other way. You live and learn.

Diane said...

Sue, were you wearing a red top? Ive looked through the other photos that I took!!

Michela said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michela said...

A relaxing walK...that's what our party animal needed!

elsy said...

thanks for the photos, i have wanted to visit the sculpture park for ages, but havent made it yet. was up your way for a uni visit this week, will return again soon i hope. you are a great ambassador for south yorkshire

Susie's country cottage said...

I like the blue sky photo! Summer is finally here isnt it. It looks like an interesting place you've been to. I like the sculptures.
Susie

Caroline said...

Oh Diane, not only do you know how to party, but your daytrips always look immensely fun too.
You and your family so seem to enjoy life!
How was your last night of the Proms party, was there a lot of flag waving going on?

Sue said...

I was wearing a white top which you can see if you look on Helen's post... How funny if you have caught us on camera!

...Nina Nixon... said...

'Ah' Mr Blue Sky - I remember him!!

Have a lovely week,

Nina x

Lisa said...

Great place to go to make the most of a sunnt day, great food too which is a bonus!
Lisa x

The Girl said...

That food looked amazing - those chips!

menopausalmusing said...

How funny that three bloggers should visit the same place on the same day! Great looking place. x

Cal said...

Four! LOL
I'll have the chips. x

A time to dance said...

Hi...do you know Sue too...how strange...I think you went to different places to us...we had to crawl up this huge hill, we usually stay round the area where there is a wood carving of a man bending over! I love your blog, I collect hearts in fact my studio is know as the lair of love because of all the hearts...I especially love you stones and pebbles...I spend most of my time searching from them when we are on holiday by the sea..please pop by again...love H (my other half studied at Sheffield Uni...it has a lot to answer for)

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

It looks like a place that interesting for people of all ages - I was especially interesed in the chips. Sounds like you had a lovely day Diane