Roche Court

Before I went into Roche Court NewArtCentre near East Winterslow I took a short walk to look at some of the sculptures beside the car park, outside of the main section. Some shared space with a small herd of Guernsey cattle, and I took some pictures, not just of the sculptures, but of the cattle, some autumn crocuses, conkers on a horse chestnut tree and some mushrooms.

When I walked up to the reception area, with a camera bag over my shoulder and two DSLRs hanging from my neck, I was politely told that photography was not allowed, and had to put my cameras away, in the bag with the wrapped Wiltshire Wallop baguette I was planning to eat there before I saw the No Picknicking sign. As you can imagine, the rest of the walk through the sculpture gardens, gallery and woods was a delicious frustration, rich with photo opportunities that I couldn't exploit, though my shutter-button finger was quivering.

This autumnal scene may be more redolent of spring but is a reminder that many birds and animals have a second season of births, but for copyright reasons you'll have to pretend you can't see the corten steel sculpture in the background, Millbank Steps (2004) by Anthony Caro.

P.S. I ate my baguette illicitly - no-one saw, and I took all the packaging away with me.