Sheffield Street Art

I forgot to show you the art that was on display at Castle House recently.  

Some of the installations were huge and painted by some of Sheffields Street Artists.  My favourite was by Rocket01 who decorates our Sheffield streets so well.  I believe that this piece depicts Mother Nature as a bit of a Femme Fatale.  It was decorated with real plants - of the fly trap variety.  I loved it,  the colours were beautiful.

It's such a great idea.

I also loved the huge mural by Phlegm

So much detail.

I loved the art that they had made from thermal imaging.  This is the City Hall

And the Town Hall

In Sheffield, we hold the national archive for Fairgrounds.  You could dress up and have your photograph taken - it looked like fun.

This piece didn't photograph well, and to start with we didn't get it.  But after speaking to the artist, we totally got it.  His piece was about perspective and he had hung pieces together that you could make out what words they spelt when you were stood on the exact spot outside.

I hope others spotted it as they walked on by.

The Snake Pass walk

Our latest walk with the walking group took us to an are we know very well, but on a walk we had never done.  We met at the Snake Pass Inn on the very hilly road which runs between Sheffield and Manchester.

We drove through some weird banks of mist on our way there and worried that we might not get very good views on our walk.

But the area where we strode out from was crystal clear - a perfect walking day.

It soon became apparent  that the views were going to be quite spectacular on this walk.

Can you believe that this place is less than half an hours drive from both Sheffield or Manchester city centre?  We are constantly reminded just what a stunning landscape we have on our doorstep.

I was worried that at some stage we would have to do a spot of up hill walking, and I didn't like the look of those steep slopes, but to my deep joy, we didn't have to climb at all!

This steady walk landed us slap bang in the middle of the Pennine range with some of the most stunning views I have ever seen - my photographs do not do the views justice.

Hubby declared that he had just found his newest favourite place as we stood taking in the stunning scenery 360 degrees all around us.

Don't I just look as if I know what I am doing with that map!!  But I was just holding it for our group leader whilst he took the photo!

The last leg of our walk took us through a very dramatic plantation wood.  We all commented that it could have been the set on a Harry Potter film - it was so dramatic!

The walk was 9.1 miles in length and I was OK for the most of it, but the last .1 was a killer!  Once again another stunning and thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Saturday - keeping we ladies out of the shops (as we always say!!!) .

Edale to Hope - taking the difficult route!

My sister asked if the walking group would incorporate a walk she had always wanted to do but didn't have the oomph to attempt on her own - a walk from Edale railway station to Hope railway station via Mam Tor and Loosehill.  Our leader obliged (as it is one of his favourite walks) and as she wanted to do this walk to commemerate her 50th birthday.  So one rainy Saturday morning, off we went.

The first bit of the walk was by far the worst with a horrendously steep climb to the top of Mam Tor.

But even in the very low cloud, this area of the Peak District has some of the most  stunning scenery.

Once at the top, our walk would take us all way along this fabulous ridge.

Here are the lady walkers!!  Still smiling at the top!  The wind speed was unbelievable.

Yes, we had to climb this hill too - although it wasn't as bad to climb as it looks!!

Once we arrived at Loosehill, my sister cracked open her Gin & Tonic!!  And the sky started to clear too.

So we managed to finish our walk in the sunshine!

I love the downhill bits!! Especially as the pub was the next stop before catching the train home.

It certainly was a cracking walk and one I would do again in a shot! (even though I constantly say "I don't do hills!!!")