Yorkshire Game Fair 2012

As I have recently renewed my interest in gundogs and their training (due to starting some basics with my standard poodle, Lottie) I was keen to visit the Discover Gundogs part of the Yorkshire Game Fair near Wetherby. They are always a good day out with plenty to see, so I decided I would visit on the Sunday of the show. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, which at least meant the ground was dry, which is a rarity for game fairs and country shows.

As we got near the main arena, the gundog display was coming to an end and the next display was the Birds of Prey. I always love to see these displays and was excited to have the opportunity to practice my photo skills on the birds.

It's not every day you see a vulture flying around the Yorkshire countryside.

Just as well, really. They are rather imposing and seriously ugly birds.

The second vulture did a few more fly overs.

Poser

The third vulture was a bit nicer to look at, but was very naughty. He walked around a bit and refused to fly, so had to go back in the van.

Now that's more like it. The bald eagle was a lot more photogenic.

He was a sight to behold, soaring above the arena and show ground.

Throughout the display is was bugging me why I recognised Ben who was doing the display. As it finished it finally dawned on both myself and my husband that he was the bloke we had done a birds of prey day with a few years ago. We had actually seen all of the birds on this day and it was nice to see them flying free, as they had been in their enclosures when we met them previously.

We also got to witness our first ever polo match.

3-a-side polo with a mini football, due to the constraints of the arena and the health and safety issues.

Some fierce concentration was going on.

The horses were stunning. I have been wanting to photograph some horses for a while and this gave me a fantastic opportunity. Not entirely sure what the two blobs are that must have gotten on my lens for this photo, but now have a new technique to try out, to remove them and complete this photo.

We wandered around the entire fair and managed to spend a few pennies. We had the most delicious rare breed pork pies with a chutney topping. Of course we did not disapppoint and had to try an ice cream in the baking heat. I now have a good idea of which breed of 'proper' gundog I may want in the future, so need to do my homework and see if they would suit my training requirements and be able to put up with my mad pack of hounds.

We finished the day off with the hound display. Lovely to see so many beagles all milling around and the children were so excited to be invited into the arena to meet them all.

I am hoping to attend the Northumberland Show over the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend, depending on the weather. Don't want a soggy camera if the forecast is anything to go by so will just see on the day and decide.

Gibside Estate - National Trust

A week passed Sunday, we decided to enjoy a sunny day exploring the Gibside Estate at Rowlands Gill. It was lovely to get out and about and enjoy some rare sunshine, as it had been a rather pathetic start to the summer so far.

The chapel is by far the nicest view in the entire estate.

This is my personal favourite photo from the whole trip. The family in front of me were just enjoying a day out in the sun and enjoying one another's company. This one photo sums up what Gibside is all about - a relaxing day out with stunning views.

The Banquet House and Octagon Pond

The Column of Liberty. Glad I finally got to find out about this column. I regularly walk my dogs along the Derwent Walk and can see this column. I suspected it was part of the Gibside estate, but was never entirely sure what it was.

Liberty looking down on the entire estate, from the top of the Column.

The Orangery.

This is to be transformed into its former glory, so will have to return once it has been restored.

Red kite keeping an eye on things. So lovely to see so many of these birds of prey in this area.

My family posing on the balcony of the Chapel.

Gibside is a fantastic place to visit. We intend to go back at some point, as they have a farmer's market on regularly, as well as a fantastic cafe. Will probably have a dog or two in tow next time as it is a great place for walking and exploring (as long as your dogs are kept on leads).

The Angel of The North

I decided that as I live about 15 minutes drive from this sculpture, it was about time I got some photos of good old 'Rusty'. I must admit, I have never been all that bothered to visit it. However, once you are near the sculpture, you realise why it is so famous. The scale of it cannot be portrayed in words and you really need to visit to take it in.

I went along with my husband in the early evening last Sunday. It was a rather cloudy day and it was actually a good time to visit, as there were not that many visitors around. Even in the 15 minutes we were there, several families turned up, posed to have their photos taken and left again.

This photo shows the magnitude of this sculpture. The teenaged couple turned up as I was taking photos and didn't seem to mind being included in my photo.

The first photo was taken as a large jpeg and this one was taken as a raw image. First time I have ever shot in raw and I am impressed. The amount of detail you can edit into your photos means you find the details that are not visible in the original photo. Great for these low light conditions.

I am certainly glad I eventually went along and took in this sculpture. It is a symbol of the North and we should be proud of it, as it is here to stay and certainly attracts attention.