Arts and Books

October is the time for the annual literary festival in the city.  I usually go to some of the daytime events or an evening event if it's a speaker that appeals and I went along to the Book Swap in the Winter Garden supported by Oxfam.  I took six books and swapped them with six others that happened to be there at that particular time and that I felt I might enjoy.  You never know what will be available and I would rather browse in a library or charity shop than buy new unless it's something that I really would like to read when newly published in hardback.  It's rather ironic that some of my interests, reading, the visual arts and blogging, depends on good eyesight when that's not the case.  I'm so grateful that my unstable condition hasn't got worse in the last year and new prescription glasses have made me feel more confident when out walking.

After a time in the Winter Garden I went to a meeting organised by a group that is campaigning for more of the the city's art collections and services to be more widely available to all, especially in connection with providing art appreciation events and educational support to young people, despite the economic cuts that have meant limited hours of opening or even threatened closure for some city venues.

Anyway, here are some more images from last Saturday in and around the Winter Garden and in the next week or two I shall probably be looking back at times in the last year that I haven't included on my blog, especially as I find it difficult to take satisfactory photos when the light is poor on dull days and I feel less inclined to do so.  Although this blog is supposed to be a record of recent events - and it's good to celebrate that - there are other experiences that I want to blog about and so I hope you will join me and enjoy some more aspects of my life, past and present.

 

Drumming up interest

As well as the Book Swap there was

a reading with drama for children and students

also read their own work.

What's this?

A new mobile made of thin steel with motifs and words.

I think the work depicts some of the industrial buildings

in the city.  

It was difficult to photograph. I've used an editing programme

 to get a better idea of some of the detail

 and will go back to find out more about this piece of art work.

Some of the detail on seating and street art in Tudor Square

Tudor Square on a sunny Autumn day 2012

A return to Castleton, Derbyshire

                                                                 Winnats Pass, Castleton

Since our weekend away at the end of September we've been staying closer to home.  We enjoyed the visit from our grandson and heard about his weekend in Cumbria with some friends.

                                    Photo taken of eldest grandson whilst walking in Cumbria.

The weather had turned mainly wet and windy, but this didn't deter us from going over to the High Peaks area again and since we're always going there I've added some photos from other times.

Before we went into Castleton we drove up through Winnats Pass to show our grandson and his girlfriend something of this amazing passage through the limestone rocks.  (Photos taken in summertime). Then we drove back down to the village

It was interesting to see the old photo on the information board on the green in the market place and compare it with today. I think it must have been taken before the Great War since the war memorial is not there.

     The War Memorial

Looking towards Win Hill and the Vale of Edale 

We walked up the lane towards Cave Dale and then back to the main street. 

Back on the main street we took a look at the small shops that sell items of jewelry made from the semi-precious blue john mineral produced in their workshops and mined in Castleton.

It's also possible to visit several show caverns.

                                    

The wealthy once commissioned large ornaments made from blue john 'stone' and these would grace their stately homes.  These items above can be seen in the grand dining room at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.