Sometimes when you’re driving you come across something unexpected which makes you pull over and get the camera out. This was one such occasion, last October, taking the scenic route across to Midlands towards the Cotswolds.
My husband and I had just had a ridiculous conversation at a junction:
Dougie: Is it right or left?
Me: It’s right….Aynho.
Dougie: So which way then?
Me: I’ve just told you! Right.
Dougie: But then you started dithering: ay…no. So is it left then?
Me: No, it’s right! I said ‘Aynho’
Dougie: There you go again, AY…NO
Me: NO….IT’S AYNHO. THE VILLAGE. ON THE SIGN. LOOK!
Thankfully the argument petered out when we spotted a huge sculpture of a pair of clasped hands in the grounds of the 17th century mansion, Aynhoe Park. We had no idea about the country house or the clasped hands and, as the building looked private, we drove on. Later we discovered the sculptured hands, called ‘The Kiss’, were part of a collection of work from artist Sophie Ryder and she was exhibiting at Aynhoe Park.
I’m glad I took the photograph but regret not having the confidence to drive through the imposing gates and ask to look around. A missed opportunity.
I chose this photograph for The Gallery this week: the theme is ‘Hands’.
Wonderful! I'm very glad that you stopped & snapped! Is it open to the public?
I didn't think it was at the time and still not sure if we could just have rolled up. The website tells me it is a country house retreat for private parties, weddings and conferences. I suspect if we'd asked to look around then we maybe they would have let us in. It would have been worth asking. I hadn't realised the hands were a temporary sculpture: just thought they were a permanent part of the grounds.
Wow! I would totally have stopped to take a photo too. It looks very impressive, and completely out of place in front of this traditional mansion, I think!
You're right: a huge 15 ft grey sculpture plonked in the drive of a traditional honey-coloured stone mansion. I think the exhibition was there for a year or so. Looking at the website now, the sculpture has gone.
THey are amazing!!!
Thank you!
The benefit of going to conferences: I sat at your table for one of the sessions so I knew instantly who you were when reading this comment!
Wonderful sculpture! You will just have to go back one day! 🙂
I could, Emma, but the collection isn't there any more 🙁
what a surprise – and a cracking sculpture. I wonder where they are now?!
I'm not sure they are on public view at the moment. I can see her work, including The Kiss, on an art gallery's website. Maybe I should buy it and stick it in the back garden?
Great statue and a great interpretation of the theme!
Thank you. I didn't think I had a suitable photo until last night when I suddenly remembered!
An amazing sculpture but I can't work out the kiss aspect.
Also, who ever puts their hands in that position? Try it, it's completely unnatural.
Now you're getting all technical on me. I held my hands in that position and it reminded me of how I would hold a bouquet, so I'm thinking wedding bouquet…love…kiss??
That is a very cool photograph, and the kind of argument my hubby and I would have. I am glad we are not the only ones!
I spend my life writing blog posts about arguments we have in the car. Usually begin five minutes after we leave the house.
And on their blog they lament the fact that they saw an award winning travel blogger stop for a moment to take a photo but they didn't have the confidence to approach such an esteemed person to ask them to stay and look around?
Hee hee! That's one of your best, Troy.
Just drive in, park up and if any one asks you ask them for brochures as you have a huge event to organise. Works for picnic places, toilet stops. My OH has no shame he will even go and ask for a carpark token to get out again if they are barriered. I just stand at the back wishing to disappear into a hole!
You know how you offered your services as my travel blogger companion? Well, you're fired and I've recruited your husband instead. Hope that's okay.
We've had similar conversations on this road, Ayno doesn't help.
Have you! Ah, we're not crazy after all…
LOL!!! Great snippet of your life, Trish. Something that I think we can all relate to, even if in a different form!! x
This is par for the course when we go anywhere. Expect more of the same when I report back on Sweden this summer.
This is just the sort of thing that would have had me jumping out of the car too…….if ever I am rich I will have sculptures in my very own woods and gardens….I am hoping to get to the Yorkshire sculpture park this year sometime…..and Sarah is, I think, mistaking the placement of the hands…right one is covering the left one and she is imagining the lump on the top of the right one to be a finger from the left one..but its not….pphhewww…did that make sense? ps am so jealous of your swedish trip!!
We went to the Yorkshire Sculpture park years ago when Rory ws little. The exhibits have probably changed now but it was fantastic.
You might be right about what Sarah thought. I got the impression she was more puzzled as to when people held their hands like this. Let's see if she comes back and can tell us!
By the way, Libby, I've just discovered there are works by Sophie Ryder at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
I'd love a similar sculpture for my place of work. Something with the middle finger raised…
Lol! Someone on The Gallery this week had a photo with just that pose.
Its the missed opp bit – I see something like that and think truly amazing then not DO anything about it. Time ticks on and I must grab all opportunities even if all I'll get is a moan from the boys in the back of the car saying its soooo boor ring! They'll thank me one day! Great to see you at the weekend and well done!
Now that I blog about our trips I do tend to, at least, take photos of odd things but, yes, it's forcing yourself and family to be a bit more spontaneous that's hard sometimes.
It was lovely to see you too! X
Woah! Those are big hands!
Do you fancy putting these on your walls, Jacq? 😉
Wow – what an amazing sculpture, and really emotive. You'll have to go back and find out the story behind it!
I think my best bet is to contact the sculptor and the gallery where her work is now. See what they say.
You know, Trish, I saw something similar to this sculpture on Jersey about 4 years ago. I took a pic but as sod's law would have it, that one and all my others are on my old hard drive which I have just been told is bucket material now and I cannot for the life of me find the bleedin' memory card with the pics on it. I'm having a bad day!
It's so scary worrying about how much of our memories are on our PCs. What I do now is regularly send the photo files off to an online printer so I have a proper copy I can keep in an album!
I wonder whether this is the same sculptor?
I have carried on a wonderful tradition in our family of being utterly useless with directions and it's constantly left! er right! Also congrats so much on the award, I knew you'd get it! You so deserve it, I love your Travels with Trish
Both boys laugh at me as I have a Geography degree but have no sense of direction. Even when I know I'm right, they don't believe me.
You are too kind, Jody. Will do my best to keep on entertaining you 🙂
Wow – aren't they fab? Hope I get to see them one day. There is a wonderful sculpture park in New York State at the HQ of Pepsi. Just saying as you're so into your travel. It's well worth a visit if you are ever over there…
Right, that's on my list now. it's a very long list.