Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Lovely couple of days in West Yorkshire visiting Archie and Meriel. Got to see the wonderful William Kentridge exhibition at the YSP before it finished at the end of the month. The video installations are particularly excellent. Lovely food and meet ups with old friends and assiociates. Weather was kind to us on Thursday but a bit grim yesterday. Good to see the house coming along. I took a few photos but camera ran out of juice.

West Yorkshire

Early drive over to Lostock to pick up Audrey who hasn't been very far for ages so a bit of an adventure for her. Nice for her to see Archie and Meriels new home too. Started off at 6-45am and the sun was coming up. Hazel had to wear her special glasses as not to be dazzled too much. The weather changed several times during the day - sleet = sun - hail - sun - cloudy - rain etc. Typical Yorkshire weather! Archie cooked us lunch and Tanya came too as she was driving Hazel over to Huddersfield to see the solicitor. I had a brief shuftie round the charity shops but didnt get anything. Brrr! it were right cold! Back home again around 2 so we missed the school run. Always seems faster going back for some reason.

Dropped Audrey off and went in for a cuppa and biscuit. Home by 4-30.

Marsden Again

Nice but exhausting couple of days in West Yorkshire - sorting more Dave stuff and dismantling lots of Billy bookcases. Taking more books downstairs etc. Had time to have celebratory fish and chips courtesy of Dave's meal fund. Also looking out for the infamous Cuckoo Parade but we saw little sign of it. Also took Tanya along to the folk club. They allowed us to sit outside the sacred circle and listen for 30 minutes with a G&T ( Tanya had a lime and soda) . Nice bunch of folks. Hazel took some petals from Dave's garden to float in the river where Mo and his ashes were scattered ( 1st anniversary of his funeral.) Nice to be home again to rest our weary bones.

Marsden Again

A few snaps from our day in Marsden. Had a list of jobs to do. Went really early - up at 6am. Hazel and Archie measuring te outside of Dave's for some reason. Got the old war memorial plaque from the shed for a clean - being picked up by cemetary officials in Manchester to be included in collection of memorials. Some men who died in WW1 are also intered there. More mags humped downstairs to be picked up by MMU fashion course for library. VHS tapes sorted and piled up for disposal. etc. etc. Nice sunny start to day though very annoying for Hazel having to drive into bright sunshine. Better going home in the drizzle and gloom! Felt pleased we got so much done. Aching all over!

West Yorkshire Again

A bit nippy in West Yorkshire. Lovely to meet up with Archie and Meriel who came to help. Frosty morning. Lots to sort out as usual. Trying to make the walls more viewable for a survey. Piling books up - taking down shelves - etc. Filling bags of rubbish. Filled four wheelie bins. That must be over 24 so far. Piles for charity shops and the tip. Nice steamed buns in the local pub - a bit rowdy but good fun. Also excellent chinese takeaway the following evening. Nice to be home again though.

40th Anniversary Trip To Marsden

Gosh - time flies when you are having fun! 40 years ago was our first date at a bonfire party in Alsager where Hazel wasa student doing her degree at MMU. Here we are all these years later. Here are the collaged cards we made each other. You can see we are well matched - both nutty as fruitcakes! Shame it rained most of the time. We did find time to go for a nice meal at resturant in Marsden. More sorting to do at Dave and Mo's. Will it ever end? Still tons of magazines and books to find homes for. Found two old digital cameras to play with. Test shots -

Marsden Again

We had intended to stay for 2 or 3 days to sort more stuff and shift boxes of mags etc. but after 5 hours we'd done as much as we could and filled three wheelie bins ( one was already full ) and Hazel had cricked her back so couldnt bend without wincing with pain. So after a cheese and tuna toastie for lunch we packed up the car again and set off home. Took back a stack of postcards for Hazel's Mom to sort through ( she loves postcards and has an impressive collection) and the ones she doesn't keep will go to the charity shop. We have already been though them and picked out a few that caught our eye. We have an impressive collection too and don't really need any more, but who can resist a Kurt Schwitters collage (Tate) or Sir Peter Blake painting etc.

Marsden and Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Nice few days in West Yorkshire. More sorting of Dave's stuff. Tooka day off to wander round the YSP to to be amused by the Erwin Wurm exhibition which was terrific and not somebody I'd known really. He has a nice sense of the absurd - dancing sausages, dancing suits, wonky cars, bendy lorries, hot water bottles with feet etc. It cheered us up despite the rain. Also very nice installation in the chapel by a New York artist - piles of broken wood made into an impressive structure. We had a snack in the cafe and then more wanderings around the smaller galleries to see some lost wax workshops and prints in another gallery. 50 acres to explore but the rain put us off and we headed back to Marsden via Holmfirth - where Last Of The Summer Wine was filmed. Had a scone, cream, jam and tea in the infamous Sids Cafe. Thought it would be full of tourists but very quiet. Popped into a few shops to dodge the rain.

Marsden

Nice couple of days in West Yorkshire again. Things to sort. A quick walk up the canal to delightful woody bit with bluebells and dry stone walls. Rigo the cat has returned after being lost for 5 weeks so that was a nice reunion. She needed lots of well earned TLC after being goodness-knows-where!

Marsden _ Dave's Funeral

In Marsden for Dave's funeral and wake. April 2023. Hazel and Tanya did an excellent job of sorting out funeral plans and admin that goes with it. Hazel cut some Camelia from Daves garden to decorate the coffin. Humanist service in Halifax at delightful crematorium high on hill with blossoming cherry trees all around. I should have taken a photo but didnt seem right at the time. Wake was at local cafe and later at pub beer garden by the riverwith ducks coming into land every so often. Even a fly past by tow low flying jets! Who organised that I wonder?

Marsden - Halifax

Another trip overnight to see Dave in hospital in Halifax. Managed to have a nice walk to the resevior in Marsden. Hair raising drive around the windy lanes of West Yorshire - daffs looking good at the moment.