2014 Reunion

Report and photographs of Reunion held on 10th May by David Newland

 

 

We took the hallowed walk from YSP through the gardens and across to the old Media Centre, then around the barrier past Ezra Taylor and The Gym, to the National Arts Education Archive in the Lawrence Batley building (opened as the extension to the Library in 1989).  I had to take this shot of our beloved Stable Block…

Richard, Anna and Tony shared some of their knowledge and information, including the fabulous Country Life Magazine photos from the famous 1938 edition, but with some that have never been published.

Tony compared some stunning state room shots with Alan Parker’s 2007 images….

Then it was upstairs to some of the artefacts and records held by the NAEA, proudly shared by Anna and Allie.

Richard told us more about the contribution Bretton Hall has made to history, including the Bretton Woods estate in the USA (where that famous WWII treaty was signed) and the inspiration for one of Jane Austen’s characters.

Then I grabbed a quick visual survey of Stable Block lawn.  Imagine the thrill of seeing the Country Life
Magazine photo of the full quad earlier!

Onwards through campus down to the front of Mansion, where we chanced upon these younger Brettonians…

…and on to Dam Head, substantially restored since the dark days of the ’50 Year Flood’ fears of the late 1980s.

Richard took us into the recently renovated Pump House (all those years at Bretton and I never noticed it was there), which used to pull water out of the Dearne and send it all the way up to the Mansion and Stables.  YSP
would like to raise more funds to restore the ancient machinery inside the Pump House too.

 

Then we headed up through the Deer Park…

… to the Deer Shelter – another building I’d never been inside.  The original shelter had been renovated and transformed into a public work of art.  Wouldn’t it be fabulous to catch the dawn sun’s rays through the
huge roof opening…

 

 

Later in the evening, a two course dinner was served at YSP’s main restaurant as the daylight faded away.