Sunday 18 September 2011

Dark Satanic Mills and Sun Dappled Stately Homes

Wonderful weekend with our (equally wonderful) new friend from Sydney.


FRIDAY

Lovely lunch in the Fusion Cafe http://www.fusioncafe.co.uk/ then our old favourite the  Graves Art Gallery - well curated exhibition of Sheffield's own collection.  Sad this gallery now only open 4 days a week for a few hours each day.  The cuts.  Also discovered Kelham Island isn't open on Fridays or Saturdays - so that's scuppered us showing off our industrial past if friends visit on those prime days.

Off over Ringinglow and over the moors to Hathersage and Little John's Grave - rainbow's and big skies and these fellas on the church walls


Cinematic sky moment while driving under Stannage Edge, bringing to mind R.S.Thomas's The Bright Field - photo not doing the moment justice sadly:

Evening stroll up to the Top Red for a taste of Bradfield Brewery's Farmer's Blonde http://www.bradfieldbrewery.co.uk/home/bradfield-beers
although I still love Deception and Moonshine best if I am in a beer mood - http://www.abbeydalebrewery.co.uk/regular_beers.html

SATURDAY

A grand day out in Bronte territory - with Heathcliffe/Cathy weather to boot!
First stop the Saltaire Festival - great lunch at Vicar's cafe and wet walk through the amazing food stalls.
Another tick on my Unesco World Heritage list visits!
http://www.saltairevillage.info/



Sudden downpour causing a dash into the 1853 Gallery at Salt Mills and stumbling across the new David Hockney exhibition.

Just loved his new portraits and drawings done in his ipad and iphone using software called Brush or Brushes (?).  Exhibition so new there weren't any books or postcards and can't find much online just yet.

Exhibition was entitled "25 Trees and Other Pictures" and only opened 3 days ago on 14th September.    The blurb went "We're very proud to be opening a new show by David Hockney here at Salts Mill, featuring three 27-foot-long pictures of Bessingby Road, Bridlington.  Other Yorkshire landscapes and recent portraits of family and friends are also on show.  You can see Hockney's recent works on the iPhone and iPad, which cannot be seen anywhere else in the UK" and it was the iPhone and iPad works that Hockney had emailed to friends after sketching on his iPad and iPhone that were so amazing.  Really fine lines and would never have guessed at the drawing medium.

typical Yorkshire summer attire
Next over the hill tops to Howarth, vintage shops and a visit to the Bronte Parsonage and Churchyard
 




and what are these table type slab graves all about - answers on a postcard?

Giant Yorkshire puds and sticky toffee pudding and custard - just the thing to warm us up on a late summer day - at the White Lion 

and finally a drive over the misty moors to Halifax and the Viaduct Theatre in the bowels of the Dean Clough Mills to see Blake Morrisions' world premiere of "We Are Three Sisters" to complete the Bronte day.  Great play, lovely space and good reviews:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/sep/17/three-sisters-blake-morrison-review

http://www.northern-broadsides.co.uk/


SUNDAY

Dawned bright and sunny and off south into the rollling Derbyshire hills and down into the Chatsworth estate.  Sadly covered in scaffolding on the approach side but tour of the interior fastinating and much restoration has been carried out including real gold leaf on the windows!
http://www.chatsworth.org/

The Chatsworth Tulip trees on the main entrance approach




Ahh - and home in time for a good Sunday lunch