As children go, my two are fairly low maintenance during school holidays, and thankfully most of the time they get along just fine together. Every so often there are little spats, and very occasionally the little spats become full blown fights.
You know the way that children have of taking a very simple dilemma and blowing it up out of all proportion until all hell breaks loose? Yesterday morning was just such an occasion. Firstly a game went wrong (cheating and suspected foul play), then a hideous row began over who gets to sit on the left had side of the sofa. Queue the mother of all tantrums (Little Lady) and a stubborn refusal to give way (Little Man, who's backside was occupying the coveted left-hand side of the sofa) and it was not very nice for a while in the Attic24 house yesterday.
I knew we needed to get out of the house because I absolutely hate myself shouting, and I could feel myself very close to it over the Sofa Situation. So I quickly checked train times and formulated a little after lunch diversion to get us out and about on what was a very dull, grey, uninspiring day.
I chose Saltaire :: a 20 minute train journey down the branch line to this quaint little place. We've been here once before, the Little People and I, co-incidentally exactly one year ago during the February half term holiday last year. Its one of those impossibly un-real sort of villages, with row upon row of cute little perfectly preserved purpose-built mill workers cottages. I am in love with little rows of houses as you know, and could quite happily have spent the whole afternoon walking these dinky little streets taking photographs of bright painted front doors, amazing stained glass windows, cute chimney pots and garden gates.
But the Little People, staring in disbelief as I run up and down streets taking these photos of other peoples houses would not let me get away with this activity all afternoon. No :: when in Saltaire there is another big attraction :: Salts Mill.
Salts Mill is a rarity these days in that it is free to get in. And it's an amazing building. Its the scale of it more than anything else which is so amazing. It's amazing to me, a full grown adult, so I can only imagine seeing it through the eyes of my children. Huge rooms with massive pillars holding up ginormous ceilings. Exceptionally tall windows with huge, deep windowsills. Fantastically oversized plant pots with great towering plants reaching up to the ceiling.
And stuff. So much stuff to look at!
This is not a particularly child-friendly place I might add. Its a combination of art gallery, museum, shop and restaurant. All aimed at cultural, artistic grown-up people. Everything is at child height though :: the books and art materials that are for sale are displayed beautifully laid out on old wooden tables. There are enticing and curiously designed sofas and ancient chairs with DO NOT SIT signs. Beautiful and ancient ceramics displayed worryingly at child level with DO NOT TOUCH signs.
As a parent bringing children here, you need to be particularly confident and trusting in your relationship with your offspring, and in their natural behaviour in such a place. I am undeniably proud of my two Little People. They love this place, and understand without me saying that it is a place where they need to Behave, and they do so. Impeccably.
They look at every single thing, they are excited. They exclaim, they call me over to see. We talk about colours, about how old things are, how much things cost :: there're some very expensive items for sale in this place, we ooooooooooh at a single book costing one hundred pounds, ahhhhhhh at a vase costing one thousand and twenty three pounds.
I really enjoy the artwork here, I love David Hockney's paintings of which there are many. The colours are awesome.
I need to tell you about the smell of this place too. Throughout these massive rooms there are huge glass vases of white lilies. Dozens and dozens of them, on tables and windowsills, amongst books and artworks. The scent of them is incredible. Can you imagine it?
We are on our way through the second gallery/book shop, making our way towards the Main Attraction as far as the Little People are concerned. I stop to admire the looooong line of coloured pendant lamps, I really, really like those.
The Main Attraction is Salts Diner. As with everything else in this place, it's huge. And colourful and Designer-ish. And I love it.
I love the multicoloured butterfly chairs, the intense blue of the table legs, the painted radiators, the colourful photos on the walls, the different colours of the fresh flowers on each table. We order from smartly dressed waitresses :: a pot of tea and carrot cake, fresh fruit juice and ice creams. We enjoy is enormously. The ice cream in particular is a delight. It's homemade, and is served in a big over sized glass dish with a wafer jauntily stuck in the top. I am so happy to sit and observe my two eat and enjoy, it is worth every penny.
After the diner, we are suddenly in need of fresh air and a release from all the controlled behaviour, so we come out of the mill and walk down the short hill to the canal and the small Roberts Park. We spend a while swinging and climbing and roundabouting, before taking a walk/run around the park itself. The Little People run, run, run like dogs. I love watching children in large open spaces, the way they rejoice in the freedom of all that space is just lovely to watch. It fills my heart with happiness.
Coming home on the train, tired and happy, and they tell me what a great afternoon they've had.
Me too kids, me too.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sounds like a perfect afternoon. I've been to Salts Mill a couple of times, when we've driven up through England and I love it!
Posted by: Nikki | February 19, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Never been to salts mills before but it looks like a good day out, I agree with you the colours in that painting are fantastic.
Janette
xx
Posted by: Janette | February 19, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Yes, I also love Saltaire And Salts Mill. Did you go and look at the almshouses up the hill and across the main road? they are lovely too.
There are quite afew of these workers "villages" in the north west all good to visit.
Lovely lovely photographs as ever Lucy.
Posted by: susan hall | February 19, 2009 at 11:07 AM
ahha, not only the children are having holiday, u are holiday-ing with them too. keep us posted with ur activities ya... enjoy ur holiday...
Posted by: jeane | February 19, 2009 at 11:16 AM
it's a favourite destination of ours too, all those art materials for sale (at great expense) and the books, oh the books! last time we went my two curled up on a big red sofa and read and read and read. and then there was cake!
Posted by: driftwood | February 19, 2009 at 11:38 AM
The Salt Mill looks great. I like the Art Nouveau looking Aspidistra stand with yellow flowers. Nothing so good to look at around here so I am off to B & Q with my son to look at plant pots!!! I don't think he will find that very inspiring (me neither). Thanks for another look into your daily life. The little people are very fortunate to have an interesting Mummy who takes them out on a journey by train.
Posted by: simone | February 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Lucy, your afternoon sounded fab! Our kids were off last week and I had to laugh because although mine are now 12 and 10 they had the SAME sofa fight. Even funnier is the fact that we have two sofas in the room, so technically there is no reason for the argument. I wonder have yours had the "he/shes looking at me" fight or is that still to come. Have a lovely day - jacquix
Posted by: JacquiMcR | February 19, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Hey, what a wonderful afternoon out, a little bit for you and a little bit for them, that's what life is all about.....
Posted by: Jude | February 19, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Dear Lucy:
I find it so cool that you can take the train to the many towns in your area. Over here in Canada people have to rely so much on a car to get to many places.My kids would think that part of the journey would be the best. Is it expensive to take the train there? I would love to visit Saltaire.What history!It sounds like a perfect day.
Posted by: Debbie | February 19, 2009 at 01:34 PM
looks like a good place to visit i shall add it to my list :-) i know the feeling re a row coming on - mine were close over some little miss books being out of order ........
Posted by: Lesley | February 19, 2009 at 02:07 PM
What a lovely day out. The Salt mill looks a great place to visit.
Posted by: Gina | February 19, 2009 at 02:59 PM
what lovely little houses, don,t you just want to go and peek in the windows!!! looks like you had a great day out. x
Posted by: noelle | February 19, 2009 at 03:51 PM
You had a great solution to that stormy sofa situation!
Before reading this post, I had never seen pictures of Saltaire, and know I would also have been clicking away with the camera.
Salt's Mill also seems pretty amazing, very different from anything we have around here.
Thanks for taking us along on your day out.
Posted by: frances | February 19, 2009 at 04:05 PM
I wish that I could pop through your photos and spend a day in Salts Mill. Thank you for sharing it! And I am very impressed with your little ones. I don't think any of my three would have been able to resist feeling the pretty things until they were at least 10. You must be a very good Mom. :)
Posted by: Shannon | February 19, 2009 at 04:46 PM
Well, first tell the Little People that we are so very proud that Mum can take them out anywhere and they behave properly and have a lovely day for it. Bravo little ones. Your Mum has brought you up right. :)
We have a few of those sofa conflicts from time to time. My peeps know that if I have to say "knock it off" more than once, Mom gets very upset. Not nice. And I give them the "EYE".
I would love to be able to pop on a train and go for a short trip for the day. Wow! That would be so awesome! And to go to a super duper neato place such a Salts Mill to boot. That would be grand. I would be like you Luce and walking up and down the streets looking at all the lovely old homes and soaking up all the history of the place. So jealous right now dear.
Thanks for the lovely pics and sharing your most wonderful outing with us all. Wish we could have been there with you. Oh the fun! :D
Toodles dear! xxxx
Posted by: Kar | February 19, 2009 at 05:45 PM
Looks like a great afternoon out :)
Posted by: Josie-Mary | February 19, 2009 at 07:00 PM
What a wonderful trip down memory lane for me - Mr Coffee and I spent hours and hours in Salts Mill before we moved from Yorkshire. It was one of our regular haunts. The books we bought! The carrot cake we ate! They used to do the most lovely Christmas shopping evenings in the village, with live music and all kinds of wonderment.
In fact it was a good job we did move away, because Salts Mill was in danger of bankrupting us!
Posted by: The Coffee Lady | February 19, 2009 at 08:30 PM
I am afraid that we used to have the 'I am holding the hand with the ring finger' fight. Tricky because I have two hands but only one ring finger.
There...now I am feeling all nostalgic...so take comfort...one day the left-hand-side-of-the-sofa-fight will be the stuff of your family legend.
Posted by: Alice C | February 19, 2009 at 08:45 PM
Hi Lucy
Great place, I would enjoy that too! I love your enthusiasm for everything oh and the chairs in the diner are fun! Love Sal x
I'm not keen on the smell of lillies!
Posted by: Sal | February 19, 2009 at 08:53 PM
We go to Salts once a month..sometimes more...we often cycle down the tow path...and I am going tomorrow...did you find the vintage shops? and the wonderful tea shop Vicars?? There is also a little train which you can go on near the park you went to...most of my salary goes in that mill...its one of my favourite places...I cant wait to go tomorrow now....
Posted by: Helen Lambert | February 19, 2009 at 08:53 PM
I have wanted to go there for ages and now I REALLY want to go after seeing your fab pictures. We spent the day today at Grizedale Forest and the sun came out and I put sunglasses on!!!
Posted by: Catherine | February 19, 2009 at 09:14 PM
This sounds and looks like heaven! Definitely on my to do list. Thanks for enlightening me!
Posted by: alisonb2 | February 19, 2009 at 10:05 PM
I was charmed by my visit with you to Salts Mill today. So fun to get to visit a new place via the web! Thanks for sharing. I'm convinced bright colors follow you around . . . begging to be photographed!
Posted by: Shelley in SC | February 20, 2009 at 04:55 AM
All I can say is...what lucky children to have you as a mum Lucy. What a happier bunch of kiddies we would have in this country if all could be occupied in this way from time to time. Sounds like I need to visit Salt Mills it looks wonderful. My mum was a Bradford lass and talked about it often though it didn't look like that in her day!!. I will add it to my 'must vitit in 09' list. Hope the sun starts shining before HT ends...Eli
Posted by: flutterbypatch | February 20, 2009 at 09:05 AM
Hi Lucy. Thanks for reminding me of another place I need to take my three year old - its getting to be a long list. I've only been to Salts Mill once (to see a play about clog dancing satyrs) and I'd love to go back. And since my daughter was given the Katie stories for her birthday, she loves art galleries and looking at pictures. We spent yesterday at the fair
Posted by: Emma | February 20, 2009 at 09:15 AM