Yorkshire

Well, after 60 years, a weeks leave to recover is in order I think! I'm up in Yorkshire for a few days and today spent a glorious autumn morning in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at Bretton Hall in Wakefield. Magnificent and massive Moore and Hepworth sculptures that pepper a typically bucolic Yorkshire landscape. The Hound enjoyed a clandestine run around (you are supposed to have them on a lead but I object to such fascistic controls; mind you I did pop the lead on when I spotted the flock of sheep. No lamb lunch for Sparkles.

Good to see the " Tower Hamlets" Henry Moore. The Council is trying to sell "drapped seated figure" for a cool £20m. You can't blame them but it would be a shame to see it leave the Park. Its looks splendid as you can see.

Just up the road is the National Mining Museum, run by redoubtable Dr Margaret Faul, long standing ACEVO member, which makes a visit to Wakefield all the more enjoyable. Then back to Barnsley for lunch at the Coopers Art Gallery and some rather excellent Christmas craft shopping.

I also happened on a stall in the Market run by the Dog's Trust. The Dogs Trust is a great charity run by active ACEVO member Clarissa Baldwin. They were encouraging people to sponsor dogs and, with Hound pulling at her lead, I signed up. Important to support such charities; there has been a big increase in dogs being abandoned because families feel they can't afford to support them. A worthy cause and good to support Clarissa.

It's one of the great attibutes of ACEVO that we have such a diverse membership; not just the great traditional charities, or service delivery social enterprises but organisations like museums, arts and heritage and the wonderful animal charities. The diversity of our Chief Executive membership is one of its strengths.