Hey Now, Little Pup!
Apr. 15th, 2015 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeOn Saturday, we headed over to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to meet up with Tanuki, Shep and Avon, along with Molly the dog of course. Sadly the weekend weather wasn't as glorious as that during the week, with a biting cold northerly wind being somewhat pesky, but at least it didn't rain and we had an enjoyable four hours walking around the complex. To be honest, I was expecting far more sculptures than there actually were - we only saw about six and while they were perfectly former Henry More pieces, it was clear that a lot of the collection was elsewhere (we later discovered they were in the Hepworth in Wakefield or in London). I've never been a huge fan of abstract art but the sense of perspective on these was quite well defined, with my favourite being one I christened "Fox's quivering tailhole". There were also some interesting non-sculpture exhibits including a load of charcoal tree stumps which looked rather eerie sat by the lake. We had a wander around the lake but sadly one part of the walk was not suitable for dogs due to the presence of cattle. There was an alternate route but this was poorly signposted and we soon got lost, eventually clambering on top of a ridge where we noticed a dead tree on its side framed by a dry stone wall. This was another mystery sculpture and I do enjoy the fact that they are in the most random of places, adding a treasure hunt feel to proceedings. We also saw a tree trunk with a load of coins hammered into it - a waste of good money if you ask me - while Molly had a lot of fun disturbing the ducks bounding around and in the lake.
Indeed having Molly there was a delight, I rarely get to spend time around dogs these days and her boundless joie de vive was infectious. Sadly, I was also reminded just how restrictive dogs can be - finding dog friendly pubs in Pudsey in the evening proved that - while I don't think our lifestyles would be conducive to getting a dog, no matter how much fun it would be. The highlight of YSP was inside the old chapel, another place Molly couldn't enter. Outside there is a giant brown rusted metal tree while inside, you are descended into pitch black. You have to fumble around to get to the main auditorium where there was a stained glass window projected onto a screen. In the panels of the window are coal mining scenes while the soundtrack is an opera song detailing coal, what it is and its history. It was quite a moving piece of about ten minutes in length, with the darkness of the chapel adding a far greater atmosphere to the performance. It did take your eyes a good five minutes to get accustomed to the darkness and many people crashed into the bleachers as a result but this was a definite highlight of our time at YSP.
In all, I thought the £8 car park was a little expensive for what this was, and the lack of sculpture was a but disappointing. Dodging sheep shit all day wasn't particularly fun either but the grounds are extensive and we did have a very pleasant walk. After this, we went around to Avon's house briefly before going to his local, The King's Arms in Heath, which has a fantastic little snug which we all decamped in. We decided to take the cars after all of the walking we had done, with our ankles in particular feeling it after the rough terrain. Feeling hungry, we got some delicious pub food (mince and onion pie for me, although it was one of those fake pies with a lid and no other pastry) and real ale, while we caught up further with old friends.
The conversation continued after we had got back to Pudsey, once we had split from Avon and had wished him a happy birthday. Tanuki, Shep and Molly were destined to stay at ours so after we had got some supplies from the supermarket, we searched for a dog friendly pub in the town. I had hoped to go to The Bankhouse, and we made the 20 minute walk there, but alas they had a live band playing so we had to walk straight back again. In the end, we got into the Commercial, where Molly was a huge hit, particularly with a scary looking biker chappie. I introduced everyone, including Molly, to poppadoms in a crisp packet with mango chutney and we had a good time sampling a few local ales and generally talking. Interestingly, Molly got quite distressed over the weekend when Tanuki left her, even if he was just going to the toilet, but as the weekend progressed, she became more at ease, seeing us as part of her pack. This was certainly the case when she went for a walk without the group - she did her business but then wanted to come straight back home as everyone else was there. We had hoped to end in The Marsh as they have a pub dog, but apparently Lincoln is a little tio territorial and it wasn't appropriate. This meant we headed home early and just chatted in our living room, while I introduced the guys to The Chin Review, which Shep in particular found amusing. We also saw a lot of Look Around You and the excellent Little Mouse music video.
After a long day of walking, we were all knackered and were in bed by 1am, very early for us when we have guests. Still this meant we were fresh in the morning, which was quite leisurely as we waited to see what the weather would do. Typically, once we thought it would be okay and once we had decided on somewhere, the persistent drizzle started meaning that spending time outdoors wasn't a viable option. We did have a quick walk around Golden Acre Park, with Shep staying in the car as he didn't have appropriate clothing, before going to a dog friendly pub in Horsforth which I had never been to before (courtesy of a website listing dog friendly places). Molly was quite barky here as there were quite a few other dogs but the staff were very dog friendly and the food was pretty fantastic (but then you can never really beat a lamb roast in a pub on a Sunday). They had a nice selection of ale too and it was a good afternoon in the end, despite the weather. Afterwards, we went home where Tanuki showed us The Cunning a Little Vixen, an operatic cartoon tale done in the Czech style. It was a little slow, like quite a few operas are, but it was very well done and I liked it a lot, even if Molly did bark at many of the cartoon animals on the screen. She soon settled though and we got through half of it before everyone had to leave for what would be a very delayed trip back to Cambridge, lasting five hours rather than three. It was great seeing them again and I look forward to visiting my university city in June when I can put my smell in Molly's domain for a change - our place had a distinct wet dog smell for a few days not to mention dirty carpets - the trials of dog ownership I guess - definitely worth it though.
Indeed having Molly there was a delight, I rarely get to spend time around dogs these days and her boundless joie de vive was infectious. Sadly, I was also reminded just how restrictive dogs can be - finding dog friendly pubs in Pudsey in the evening proved that - while I don't think our lifestyles would be conducive to getting a dog, no matter how much fun it would be. The highlight of YSP was inside the old chapel, another place Molly couldn't enter. Outside there is a giant brown rusted metal tree while inside, you are descended into pitch black. You have to fumble around to get to the main auditorium where there was a stained glass window projected onto a screen. In the panels of the window are coal mining scenes while the soundtrack is an opera song detailing coal, what it is and its history. It was quite a moving piece of about ten minutes in length, with the darkness of the chapel adding a far greater atmosphere to the performance. It did take your eyes a good five minutes to get accustomed to the darkness and many people crashed into the bleachers as a result but this was a definite highlight of our time at YSP.
In all, I thought the £8 car park was a little expensive for what this was, and the lack of sculpture was a but disappointing. Dodging sheep shit all day wasn't particularly fun either but the grounds are extensive and we did have a very pleasant walk. After this, we went around to Avon's house briefly before going to his local, The King's Arms in Heath, which has a fantastic little snug which we all decamped in. We decided to take the cars after all of the walking we had done, with our ankles in particular feeling it after the rough terrain. Feeling hungry, we got some delicious pub food (mince and onion pie for me, although it was one of those fake pies with a lid and no other pastry) and real ale, while we caught up further with old friends.
The conversation continued after we had got back to Pudsey, once we had split from Avon and had wished him a happy birthday. Tanuki, Shep and Molly were destined to stay at ours so after we had got some supplies from the supermarket, we searched for a dog friendly pub in the town. I had hoped to go to The Bankhouse, and we made the 20 minute walk there, but alas they had a live band playing so we had to walk straight back again. In the end, we got into the Commercial, where Molly was a huge hit, particularly with a scary looking biker chappie. I introduced everyone, including Molly, to poppadoms in a crisp packet with mango chutney and we had a good time sampling a few local ales and generally talking. Interestingly, Molly got quite distressed over the weekend when Tanuki left her, even if he was just going to the toilet, but as the weekend progressed, she became more at ease, seeing us as part of her pack. This was certainly the case when she went for a walk without the group - she did her business but then wanted to come straight back home as everyone else was there. We had hoped to end in The Marsh as they have a pub dog, but apparently Lincoln is a little tio territorial and it wasn't appropriate. This meant we headed home early and just chatted in our living room, while I introduced the guys to The Chin Review, which Shep in particular found amusing. We also saw a lot of Look Around You and the excellent Little Mouse music video.
After a long day of walking, we were all knackered and were in bed by 1am, very early for us when we have guests. Still this meant we were fresh in the morning, which was quite leisurely as we waited to see what the weather would do. Typically, once we thought it would be okay and once we had decided on somewhere, the persistent drizzle started meaning that spending time outdoors wasn't a viable option. We did have a quick walk around Golden Acre Park, with Shep staying in the car as he didn't have appropriate clothing, before going to a dog friendly pub in Horsforth which I had never been to before (courtesy of a website listing dog friendly places). Molly was quite barky here as there were quite a few other dogs but the staff were very dog friendly and the food was pretty fantastic (but then you can never really beat a lamb roast in a pub on a Sunday). They had a nice selection of ale too and it was a good afternoon in the end, despite the weather. Afterwards, we went home where Tanuki showed us The Cunning a Little Vixen, an operatic cartoon tale done in the Czech style. It was a little slow, like quite a few operas are, but it was very well done and I liked it a lot, even if Molly did bark at many of the cartoon animals on the screen. She soon settled though and we got through half of it before everyone had to leave for what would be a very delayed trip back to Cambridge, lasting five hours rather than three. It was great seeing them again and I look forward to visiting my university city in June when I can put my smell in Molly's domain for a change - our place had a distinct wet dog smell for a few days not to mention dirty carpets - the trials of dog ownership I guess - definitely worth it though.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2015-04-16 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-04-17 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-04-17 12:19 am (UTC)£8 seems not bad, really - I dare say they have quite some costs to bear, given the need to maintain the land (and possibly a lease as well?), though bumping up the "attractions" seemingly wouldn't go amiss either, if funds permit.
The highlight of YSP was inside the old chapel
That actually sounds worth the price of admission in itself.
one of those fake pies with a lid and no other pastry
=:P I like pot pies. ^_^ Fully encased, there's too much pastry for me, unless it's a "full sized" thing you'll slice up into loads of portions.
and the excellent Little Mouse music video
... hmmmm?
even if Molly did bark at many of the cartoon animals on the screen
Hee! So, have you tested how she is with 6' pink puppies? ^_^
no subject
Date: 2015-04-17 11:28 pm (UTC)On reflection, perhaps £8 was okay, particularly as it was for all day and there was no entrance fee anywhere else. Was a little shocking initally though.
I once saw a petition that said a pie should not be labelled as such unless all sides are covered in pastry (exceptions made for shepherd's, fish and cottage pies). I tend to agree although too much pastry can become overbearing.
Just put Jack Morgan Little Mouse into YouTube.
I'd so love a cartoon of six inch pink puppies, would be awesome :)