for the love of trees (and sculpture)

A visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park does wonders for the soul.  500 acres of stunning parkland, with internationally renowned sculptors' work dotted here and there.  You can picnic by a Henry Moore, hide behind a Barbara Hepworth or get lost in the forest near the David Nash stairway.  You can even take an outdoor class in bronze casting.  And it is free to get in!

My man and I had a lovely couple of hours strolling through the land, making up stories about what each piece really meant, and sheltering from the rain in the cosy shadow of the big trees.

These two made me feel a bit funny - all those holes (above) reminded me of cheese, and the shapes below made me think of a Playdoh MopTop Hair Shop. 

Not sure that was the look the sculptor was going for... 

This ancient yew tree was amazing, just perfect for climbing when no-one's looking...

And this ash installation had sensors built into the ground, so when you walked inside, sounds came from speakers hidden in the woods.  On one hand it was as if you had company, but on the other it was a bit scary, as if the sounds were part of some kind of ritual going on deep in the forest.

Not sure if this was a sculpture or just a cool tree that had decided to shape its trunk at 90 degrees!

There are four indoor galleries too.  These works by David Nash were complemented by giant charcoal on canvas drawings.  Quite imposing in the big white space.

I love trees, and everything that comes from them, especially paper.  These sculptures were warm and calming too, sitting happily amongst the living trees of the country park.

Have you read 'Wildwood - a journey through trees' by Roger Deakin?  If you love trees, you'll probably love this book too

Do What You Love interview: Tim Moss

(image courtesy of Tim Moss)

Do you love adventure like I do? How about skiing to the South Pole?  Tim Moss fancies a go at it, but unlike most people who just dream about it, he is actually going.  In January he will be accompanied on his 'Inspired by London 2012 South Pole Adventure' by an Olympian (Derek Redmond), a Paralympian (Marc Woods), and a Special Olympics athlete (Declan Kerry), as they ski to the bottom of the earth to wave the British flag in the name of participation, inclusivity and accessibility, and marking the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott reaching the Pole.

At university Tim decided on a whim to organise a mountaineering expedition to Kyrgyzstan, a country he'd never heard of. In his words, "It all went horribly wrong, I had a wonderful time and have been trying to have as many adventures as humanly possible ever since."

He now runs adventure consulting business The Next Challenge, helping others to live their adventures.  Tim is a guy who really does what he loves.

(image courtesy of David Tett)

1) What does 'adventure' mean to you? Adventure, to me, simply means trying something that's a bit different. Something you haven't done before, that maybe pushes or scares you a little bit and probably teaches you something about yourself.  I don't subscribe to the idea that adventure is synonymous with 'extreme' but rather think that it's available to anyone and that everyone could benefit from a little more of it in their lives,

2) What is the single most important thing for succeeding at the kind of challenges you take on? The single most important thing for succeeding at a challenge is starting. Start and the rest will follow.

3) Which has been your favourite so far? Why?  My favourite of recent times has been hitch-hiking around the UK on a budget of £100 (approx US$150). I caught myself thinking that I was too poor to go on an expedition when I got a cheque for Christmas that I cashed in for an adventure. I spent a lot of time freezing cold at the side of the road with my thumb out and sleeping in some pretty rough areas, but I also met some wonderfully generous people, made it as far as Dublin for a Guinness, swam in the sea off the Welsh coast and made it back with £30 change!

(image courtesy of David Tett)

4) And the toughest? What did you learn?  In Kyrgyzstan we found ourselves at the end of 5-day trek along a glacier, walking through snow in the dark with no food and the only sign of the base camp that was supposed to feed and shelter us, was a pile of ruined huts. We also slept bolt-upright on the tiny ledge of a 45-degree snow slope and two of us dangled from a rope attached only to our team-mate's waist on a vertical ice wall.

These were all self-inflicted problems from our total inexperience but they taught me that "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun" (Mark Twight) and, more importantly, it showed me that I was capable of a LOT more than I might previously have thought. I'm absolutely not special in any way but from being put into the great variety of situations that you find on an expedition, I drastically improved my self-belief.

5) What advice would you give to someone who would love to do something like this, but is telling themselves 'you don't have the time, money, connections, freedom from responsibilities etc etc'  I've tried to demonstrate through my own adventures that time, money and connections are not necessary - my £100 Adventure, Running the Tube challenge and London to Isle-ofWight triathlon all required very little of each.

If you really want to try something then there will be a way. It doesn't have to be cycling around the world or climbing Everest but you always fit a little bit of adventure in.  (And if it's really contacts that you're struggling with, maybe I can help?)

6) In your eyes, what is the ultimate challenge?
The ultimate challenge is the one that leaves you happy, sated and desperately wanting more.

***
Tim's South Pole challenge has been entered into British Airways' 'Great Briton' awards, and if he wins, the airline will provide free flights for the team's expedition.  You can help him on his way by voting for him here and follow his adventures here

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See here for other inspiring interviews with people doing what they love

On friendship

This week I was visited by a wonderful old friend.

She is exactly 12 years older than me which, 

being one full cycle of the Chinese horoscope,

is apparently very lucky

When I first moved to Tokyo,

a young stranger blinking in the bright lights of the big city,

she gave me a place to sleep, 

a fellow English girl in Japan

(Let's not talk about the fact I had only known her a week,

and ended up staying in her spare room for four months.

I was nicknamed 'the little squatter'..)

When I wanted to change jobs,

she gave me awesome career advice

over a bagel on a park bench

(and then introduced me to my next boss)

When I left the city for a round-the-world voyage

she let me leave all my junk at her place,

and lent me her beloved suitcase

When I returned from my adventures,

tanned and exhilarated but with nowhere to stay,

she opened a bottle of champagne,

threw me a party at the cutest little restaurant in town

and gave me her key (again!)

When she had her first baby girl,

she made me her godmother.

What a gift.

She has an amazing talent for making small things feel big and special

and is so generous with her energy and kindness.

I wish everyone had a friend like her.

Yesterday she came to visit.

We caught up, told stories and laughed until late.

My turn to pour the drinks and give her the spare bed.

I am not sure if she realises just how treasured she is.

Where would we be without friends?

Have you thought about yours lately,

about why they are so special to you?