A great flock of geese flew over our heads. They were making a noise just like the baying of hounds in a hunt, it seemed like a ghostly chase careering through the skies above us.
Chris

Grassy bank, watery sun, down she went: bruised her bum.
Simon

The Deer Shelter
Pale porcelain curves to a place so thin:
a launch-pad for the soul, where rain comes in
to wash a sacred shrine; a marble hall
where peace and calm and comfort coat the wall;
a canvas for Creation’s work to form
from random variations from the norm –
from chaos – from which emanates a whole
eternity to pacify the soul.
A place created here at YSP,
a place within a park, a place apart,
where quiet contemplation lets one see
that nature is the purest form of art.

Peter White

Many very special occasions of meeting a friend who lives in Dewsbury for lunch when I came from Leeds. Lots of intimate chat and laughter amongst the lovely Bothy cafe and grounds. Also great fun being stuck in the hollow tree in the adventure trail! Also many, many affectionate memories.
Hilary C

Building in the rain with my family of three children: endangered white rhino, nests and flying pigs. It always seemed to be raining but my family (now all grown up) remember the experience with great fondness and pride in what we all made together in the park.
Sheena Goodwin

I remember one special day about 10 years ago, when my son, his wife and myself first discovered Yorkshire Sculpture Park. They were visiting us from Australia, we hadn't lived in this area for very long and we didn't know many places to visit. The weather was lovely and we walked up to the Bothy cafe, we bought our food and found a table outside, then we saw the view, across to the other side of the park, all the different shades of green and different shapes of the trees, we fell in love with it that day. One day we saw Kingfishers playing near the waterfall, we often feed the big fish near the bridge. The bluebells are superb in April/ May. We love the huge outside sculptures and the Camellia House. I was thrilled last week when I saw the fabulous bird, an oriental pheasant I think, a lady told me it is often there. One of my best memories though is of the egg custard tart at the Bothy cafe: superb. Thank you to all at Yorkshire Sculpture Park for making it a wonderful place to visit.
Patricia Candelet

Vintage Bretton Folk
We pre-date YSP because we were students at Bretton in 1970. Chris and Diana, married in 1969, spent their first year as man and wife as postgraduate students at the college. Diana was part of the first intake of graduate Junior school teachers. Chris studied drama. We, ironically called ourselves 'Bretton folk' because there was a rather charming, slightly hippie village quality about the college especially in contrast to the, then new University of Lancaster where we'd met and studied. The setting, already enhanced by some sculptures, was quiet and peaceful despite the liveliness of the arty students. The grounds would be used for all sorts of happenings, parties of children from the teaching practice schools would frequently visit to explore and create magical artifacts in the Park and from raw materials they found there. This was years before the term 'recycling' had evolved or Andy Goldsworthy became well known. Whole tribes made from found objects would appear in little glades in the trees, the cries of delighted children would ring out around their artworks. So the seeds of future YSP activities and
experiences were being sown. More tranquil times were also spent all around the lake where we would walk our golden cocker spaniel. One evening I can remember hearing the magical sound of a nightingale at dusk.
We moved on, had our own family and brought them back to visit the newly opened Park and then returned some years later, for a special visit to join in with an outdoor 'Lord of the Rings' promenade production. This had us all moving between the sculptures and weaving in and out of the trees as the grounds became Middle Earth. This was long before the Peter Jackson trilogy. Now our children are grown with children of their own. We visit to see the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition. We are again inspired and enchanted.
Chris and Diana Corps