They describe themselves as the UKs leading open air gallery.

I describe them as a ground bursting with giant structures where every corner holds a hidden delight. A few more adjectives does the trick.

I entered the park on a crisp, unusually warm, autumnal afternoon, ready to wonder. We took a walk on the wild side, going ancestral as we didn't use a map. We opted for some blind discovery like a modern day Christopher Columbus.

Now we are not the arty types. And by that I mean we don't look at a sculpture and analyse the hidden meaning. We're much more superficial in that we discuss the aesthetics. Because as most ITV dating shows prove, anything deeper than that doesn't really matter... Although we of course might recall memories from looking at something or it might prompt an interesting conversation but that's about it. 

So in my layman's terms here are a few highlights.  

We passed a big shiny ball titled The Moon. It had craters and reflective surfaces for some more creative pics. And I guess the moon reflects light too, so there's some appropriate science too. 

I remember walking past some odd shaped oblong structures standing along a hill. Pictures through the holes looked snazzy. 

There was a giant Budha that glittered from afar pretty much beckoning us over with its karma or something. I felt like I had trekked in some Eastern humid forest as I was up a hill, wearing shorts and a backpack. My fella decided its belly looked like a Pokeball, so make what you will of that. Or better yet, see if you can spot it on your trip. 

Next was their biggest attraction both in size and media coverage. KAWs. These giant Mickey Mice (plural) came in different sizes, textures, colours and poses. I saw visitors of all ages responding to them as Disney transcends all generations. Kids might have seen them as cute but as an adult I kind of saw them lonely, scared and dead by the looks of their eyes. If I was going to get arty then I'd say this could represent the Disney foundation who many say is toxic... 

There was also a sexy rabbit split in two. And no it wasn't bugs bunny's girlfriend Lola. Or was it? I should have read the panel. Really I have nothing more to say on that so we should probably leave it there. 

YSP makes for a beautiful walk with intriguing sights and we didn't even catch them all. No wait, wrong post. We didn't see them all. 

We will be heading back in the winter as this place no doubt transforms over the seasons and I know we will find more treats along the way.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an Instagrammers Paradise. So charge your mobile phones, put on your comfiest shoes and snapchat, insta and tweet til you drop. 

               The sun 

                      Beaming 

                  Delicate 

                 Flowers are 

                 Budding 

                                      GC.

Kew Royal Botanical Gardens in South West London is a colourful and vast world of flowers, plants, fungi and insects. They hold the most diverse botanical collection in the world, no doubt due to being over 250 years old. With attractions such as the Palm House, pictured below, themed gardens, the Creeper and Climbers playhouse and Tree Top walk, it's no surprise this place is so popular. 

One of their newest attractions, that has gained a lot of media coverage, is The Hive.

The structure inspired by the Science of Bees, designed by UK based artist Wolfgang Buttress. Its size is impressive and its design is eye catching. I was immediately intrigued and wowed by this metal, glowing and humming installation. This sensory sensation is not just a gimmick either. 

It is alive.

The work of a colony of bees affect the light and sound output. So as you stand on the outside, inside and even under, you 'real time' experience these incredible creatures. 

The bone conductor columns underneath the artwork also allow you to hear sound through vibration, a nifty comparison to how bees communicate. 

Considering Bees are in crisis and 2014 saw the huge campaign 'The Great British Bee Count', The Hive is either a little off trend or trying to continue the efforts. I vote for the latter. 

For someone who doesn't like bees or wasps, this sculpture made me rethink the reasoning behind that. Bees are our friends. We need them to pollinate our fruit and vegetables, which in turn improves our environment and economy. I've BEEn converted. 

And as Kew Gardens continues to share and expand their knowledge, expertise and understanding of plant life, it makes complete sense that they started a Science Festival that grabs 'budding' (sorry I went there) scientists early. In the current STEM orientated climate, they are positioned perfectly to take full advantage. 

Their first ever festival was spread across the gardens, which made for a lot of walking. So comfortable shoes and lots of water was a must. From microscopes workshops and curatorial demonstrations to interactive trails, it was great to see so many people talking about what they were seeing. You can quite easily become passive in these places, but the festival managed to tackle that. 

The whole day made me realise that Kew has some impressive facilities, many inspiring scientists and absolutely incredible collections.

My visit was an eye opening reminder to the fact that we truly depend on plants, fungi and insects to survive, not as only humans but as a planet.*

*that was a bit of a dramatic ending wasn't it... the day was obviously a lot of fun too!

http://www.kew.org/

You must have heard of them? They've been around for a while, switching up the way we experience films. From a spectator to a partaker you are thrown into the middle of the action. 

 
What action is that? Well it depends on the film they are recreating. From 28 Days Later to Back to the Future, they change the genre as often as Taylor Swift changes boyfriends.

I believe with no access to technology you can truly immerse yourself in the moment. Drink in all of action. Interact with the characters. And feel like you are are part of something truly spectacular. Of course people can take photos, by using a disposable camera, which is even more authentic! Having them printed really brought back some memories. Those good old days when your pictures came back with the heads cut off or that big red 'image is f*cked' sticker.  

Now I visited the classic. DIRTY DANCING. A film my mum had on repeat when I was a child. Possibly the reason I took up dancing at a young age. And a true feel good movie with music that catapults you higher than Johnny and Baby's lift.

If you're not familiar with the story. Shame on you. But here's my super quick synopsis. 

A daddy's girl, called Baby to reinforce that, goes on summer holiday with her middle class family. Her older sister is a bit of a cow. Her dad, a Doctor which comes in pretty hand at one point, is overprotective.  And her mum definitely has a wild side buried deep within. Baby meets the bad boy of the camp and there ensues a rocky rumba inspired relationship, that ends in the famous 'nobody puts baby in a corner' scene.

At the event, I was greeted by a geeky porter who had his whole backstory worked out (he was saving up for college, bless him), took part in a dance class with Johnny, tried on different wigs, did the famous 'lover boy' scene, jived in the hotel, tried some craft activities and dirty danced in the hidden staff quarters. Phew! 

Once I had relived the film, I left it to the professionals to compliment and replicate the outdoor screening with live scenes. The audience even had the chance to join in at parts. I obliged. Obviously. 

My Top Tips 

My holiday at Kellerman's was everything I hoped it would be - other than the fact that my fella is a pretty poor dancer and I looked terrible in a brown permed wig...

That aside, I simply cannot wait for the next one!!

http://www.secretcinema.org/

When Slung Low Shorts popped up on my twitter feed, I was super excited. Six TV writers with six original short plays within six miles of my current location (that's a slight untruth but it works with the whole 'six' thing) As you can imagine, I booked the free tickets immediately.

To be completely transparent, I missed the first two plays because, well because I am an idiot. I'm normally very organised and plan everything to the final detail, but at this point in life I was overwhelmingly busy. So I sat in the kitsch waiting area, whispering and moaning about the early start. I then decided to re-read my countless, and what should have been very helpful, emails to only see in big bold writing... 7PM START. Doh!

So I've decided, as I am (slung low) short on time, to write four sentence reviews of the four plays.

My Mum The Racist
This play dealt with one of the more gritty topics of the night, in quite a sensitive short. A once loving mother has to choose between her manipulative racist white boyfriend and her typically teenage mixed race son. The leading lady thankfully added some much needed power to this performance of subdued conflict through monologues and freeze frames. Unfortunately, I felt it lacked pace and drama and soon became the short I forgot.

Waiting for Gaga
This proved an exciting part of the night, as we were instructed to wait in the bar area. The short was a really funny comparison of friendships, exploring the dramas of two middle aged women against a pair of snapchat obsessed teenage girls. I went gaga for the older characters as one woman braved a meat bikini, the other some monstrous metallic construction and not to forget the dad with the unexpected attitude. I loved that we became part of the play and ultimately part of the Lady Gaga concert in this down to earth, laugh out loud, super sassy number.

Toodle Pip
The leading lady was a highlight of this play as he energy and character lit up the stage. It was an eye opener to see how some humans struggle on a day to day basis. The play also highlighted just how unhelpful the 'system' is with supporting those who struggle. This performance packed a punch with a generous dose of humour to ease you through.  

When I say I Love You
Quick witted dialogue paired with actors who have excellent comedy timing made this the best play of the night. It followed a mans unrelentless quest to win over his female colleagues affection, which was quite obviously not reciprocated. You could see their relationship develop throughout the work party, with the memorable help of a well endowed blow up penis. A slightly heartbreaking comedy with a touch of love, just the 'friend zone' kind.

They have a 'pay what you decide' policy so I obviously put paper money in the jar. If you attended and didn't pay, shame on you! It was well worth charging for and a reet bargain night.

It is extremely refreshing to see original and unrestrained material, performed by a mixture of new and seasoned actors hosted in such a beautifully transformed venue.

It will have taken a lot of hard work to pull the night together in a very short time frame (I hope it was six weeks or months to keep with the theme) And I hear through the grapevine, or more accurately Google, that there will be another next year. Yipee!

Find out more about this inspiring company here http://www.slunglow.org/slung-low/