Purpose and Form/Sheffield By The Seaside

Hello strangers

Sorry I haven’t been around these parts lately, I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks since my last post! If I’m honest not a great deal has happened during my short absence, I have been excitedly watching the final episodes of Breaking Bad, have started having a big clear out of my home ready for decorating, oh and I finally feel like a proper grown up as I have got myself my very first washing line (with the very kind aid of my grandparents) which I am strangely chuffed with.  

Right big announcement time, of sorts anyway, during my time away I have also been working on my new blog, Purpose and Form, which I will be running alongside afternibbin. (not instead of, this isn’t a goodbye post my dears).

Purpose and Form will be a space where I will be sharing the things that inspire me, whether that is art, design, interiors, architecture or fashion. I decided to start Purpose and Form and not just share the things that inspire me on here instead as it just doesn’t feel right on here, afternibbin. is my personal blog about my home and garden, where I share my own photos, I want to keep it personal, fun and a little bit rough around the edges. Purpose and Form will be going in a slightly different direction and I am so very excited about it.

Anyhoo, my very first post on Purpose and Form is up today if you fancy a nosey. Now I’ve got a bit of the legwork out of the way I will be back here more regularly I promise.

So now that's out of the way I thought I'd share with you a few photos I took in Sheffield when they had a Sheffield by the Seaside weekend a few weeks ago.

The day would have been a lot better had it not been freezing cold and drizzling all day. There weren't many people out braving it, a few hardy families were pottering about in the sandpit with their cagoules on but that was about it. Me and Allsy didn't mind though, we had a nice time wandering around with a bag full of freshly cooked doughnuts, pretending we were walking down Brighton Pier. It took a lot of pretending.

photography course

On Saturday I went to a photography course at a particularly beautiful spot in the Peak District. The course was a birthday present from my folks (my birthday's next week) and it was a truly great present indeed. 

The course was held at Magpie Mine, a place I will most definitely be visiting again. There was so much to photograph and unfortunately I didn't get chance to explore it much as we were mainly there to learn the techniques. It was a stunning place to explore though, there was so much history and the nearby village Sheldon was one of the prettiest villages I've ever been to. 

It was a brilliant but exhausting day, I learnt so much my brain started to implode but I feel like I'm finally starting to understand what all the settings and dials are on my camera now. Can't wait to get some more practice done.  

So, as I said before I was mainly at the site to learn the techniques and many of the tests we did we just photographed walls and the like. I did however manage to get a few snaps whilst I was there which aren't too bad. Hopefully it will give you a wee insight into the beauty of the place. Many of the wildflowers had been and gone but this particularl site is home to many rare beauties, am so happy that a site like this is protected and so remains so preserved.

If you are in the Peak District area and fancy going on the course, please do let me know and I'll give you the details. They're apparently not allowed to advertise the courses due to rules bound by various governing bodies so I don't want to advertise it here just in case but it was a truly great course, the teacher was very knowledgeable and patient and I learnt a hell of a lot in a short space of time. I couldn't recommend it highly enough, thanks to my lovely Ma and Pa for making it happen. 

allsy's birthday - yorkshire sculpture park

Yay it is finally the weekend, and I've finally gotten around to sorting out my photos from Monday's trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, double yay!

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of my absolute favourite places to go, if you've never been before then get thee sen down there. It's not only full of amazing sculptures and art but the surrounding landscape is just lovely, a grand spot for a walk. The architecture is also stunning and the gift shop has lots to take your fancy, less personalised pencils and more contemporary art, homeware and jewellery. What's not to love?!

Here follows but a mere few of the photos that I actually took of the day, didn't want to bore you all senseless... 

A lot of the sculptures around the site are permanent however they do change quite often and they regularly change their exhibitions so each time you go you're guaranteed to see something different. One of the current artists exhibiting is Yinka Shonibare MBE. Disappointingly we couldn't take photos in one of the rooms his work was displaying in but click here to see some of his other pieces. Shonibare works in a variety of different mediums but all his work is punctuated by incredible colours and patterns.

Hans Josephsohn was another artist whose work was exhibiting. I must admit I'd never seen any of his work before but I really loved it, seeing his sculptures was the highlight of my day. I have never seen brass sculptures like them, they had so much life to them, so raw and natural as if they were made of clay and you could see the marks of Josephon's hands engraved upon them, they really were beautiful.

The rest of the park is a wonderful mix of sculptures, wild flowers and nature set amongst a stunning landscape. Hopefully this will give you a bit of a taster...

Barbara Hepworth's sculptures are of course yet another highlight of the park.

I rather liked this little man by Victor Newsome.

Me and Allsy were thrilled to bits to see that some of Joan Miró's sculptures were still here too. When we first came to YSP last year Miró was the main exhibit and his work is just incredible, so fun and full of energy and humour.

And finally mine and Allsy's favouite little guy...

It really was a great day and I urge you all to go visit, go on, go on, go on...

conisbrough castle

Recently I've been trying to make an effort to get out and about more with Allsy, even if it's just to somewhere local. So on Saturday when we went to pick up an ebay purchase from Conisbrough, South Yorkshire (which isn't too far away from where we live) we went to visit the castle too.

From the outside the castle looks like a complete ruin.

But there is a part of the castle strangely still intact, which mainly consists of...

...winding staircases

...tiny windows with glimpses of the views 

 ...and dark and cavernous rooms. 

After climbing all those windy staircases and seeing tiny snippets of the view, finally, at the top of the tower, you get panoramic views over the whole area. Even with the day as grim and grey as it was it felt good to be out in the open, if not a little scary as it really was very high.

It made a nice change to go there for the afternoon. Me and Allsy had refrained from buying wooden swords from the gift shop and going round the castle re-enacting battles, so we just had a nice little wander round and a sit down in a few places instead.

Other than the view at the top (and the chocolate cornflake bun I had) my favourite part of the day was seeing how wildflowers had found their way into all the nooks and crannies of the ruin, even way up high at the top of the castle.

Allsy's favourite part was all the weird willy drawings at the top of the tower, he said it made the trip thoroughly worth it.

This one obviously didn't make the grade.