JOHN and Elaine Parkinson have created a gallery and coffee shop, attracting visitors from all over the world, at the farm they bought 15 years ago. And, from this coming spring, the complex will include a new sculpture garden followed by a puppet theatre, reports KAREN MORLEY.

In addition, Upfront Gallery features in a new film being screened at the Keswick Film Festival, Theatre-by-the-Lake, Keswick, on Saturday. The film-makers were looking for a gallery space to film part of the movie Cloud Cuckoo Land and found the Eden venue perfect.

Elaine told The Messenger: "It was very exciting and interesting to have the film crew here and have Derek Jacobi as a guest."

The beautiful gallery spaces that captured the eye of the film makers is a long way from the old farm buildings John and Elaine bought to create their dream home and business. Unthank Farm, near Hutton-in-the-Forest, has been a labour of love for the couple.

Elaine said: "The most recent addition to the gallery has been the construction of a glazed extension, built from re-claimed slate, sandstone and large sections of locally-sourced green oak. A sculpture garden to the rear of the property will be opened in spring 2004. And we are working on creating a puppet theatre, which will be used several times a year during school holiday. John has always loved puppets and wanted a puppet theatre. The idea is we will use the space for exhibitions when the theatre is not in use. We are currently in touch with puppet theatre companies, and hope to have the first show open for the last two weeks of August this year."

The property now has a new life and as a tourist destination its qualities and period features can be visited and enjoyed by everyone.

The whole enterprise has been personally financed and no grant aid has been given to the property so far, though the couple are now applying for a grant to help finance the new theatre project and have already been granted funding by NorthWest Arts..

Planning permission has been applied for to develop the remaining open cart shed for use as a sculpture workshop. John, as well as a number of other Cumbrian artists will exhibit their work in the new sculpture garden, which will be open for the start of the tourist season.

Upfront Exhibitions was set up to fill a need for the design and construction of trade stands, exhibition, stage sets and props. The business was established initially to design and build stage sets and props for theatre and television, and exhibition stands for industry.

Elaine said: "The business was publicised by attracting media attention to any strange or unusual project. Initially this was a full size "pumpkin" coach, pulled by a sculpted unicorn. The business developed and contracts were gained to build parts of "The Whisky Heritage Centre" in Edinburgh and to stage a Viking Saga in York Minster for the Jorvick Viking Centre.

"In Cumbria, contracts were gained to design and build tourist information centres at Southwaite, Kirkby Stephen, Keswick, Appleby and Ulverston. A walk in badger sett and working models were constructed for Whinlatter Forest and the original Cumwest' exhibition was designed and constructed for Cockermouth. The shop was created for the Aquarium at Maryport and the Senhouse Roman Museum was redesigned - winning a tourist attraction of the year award in the shoestring category'.