Running wild

This is one of my favourite runs - its like being miles out in the country with fields and stiles and lots of boggy bits. 18 miles tomorrow. Danielle

Re-Order

I got a call from someone who had bought a couple of large photos at last years Open Studios, he wanted to buy 5 more. When this happens it is really gratifying. His favorite print was Pond Ice. So here it is.

I took some more portraits this week - young children, never easy, but they have come out pretty well I think.

The music I have on is from The Pillow Book, a film by Peter Greenaway - weird and fantastic

Metzi

As part of trying to help Rowan with her dog-fears we went a walk with our friends Helen and Roland. Rowan loved Metzi, their dog, and was very comfortable with her by the end of the walk. Here she is.

Foxy

On my ride yesterday the other day to Skipwith I came across this fox. Someone forgot to tell him to be scared of people - either that of he is in the vanguard of the Great Fox takeover. Either way he exhibited no interest at all in me being near him with a lens pointed at him.

Skipworth

I got a bike ride in yesterday - a windy circuit down to Selby then up through Skipworth Common [photo] which is a wild and strange place with Exmoor ponies roaming free.

Derwood rang me last night with some strange information. Babel, who used to sing with Derwood's and Mike's band in the 80s, had a permanently-attached girlfriend called Sarah. Turns out that Sarah is now prime minister Gordon Brown's wife.

Team Bath

Here are the team - they came 5th which is a pretty good effort in a National Championship.

Cross Country

Rowan took part in an inter-schools cross country race on Friday, and won! She was the only year 5 rep from Tregelles [there were two girls from year 6 ] so it was really impressive. Then this weekend we went down to Bath with two other Tregelles families for the National Biathlon championships. Tregelles [Rowan, Kiri and Gabby] had won the north east heat. The national proved really tough, it was done at the olympic training centre at Bath, and very exciting. All three did well but were up against the best in the country!
The photo is of Rowan outside the centre.

Quakers

I have been working for 6 months in Richmond in London now. It has gone well. I discovered this week that the main person I work with, Marian, is also a Quaker and we have friends in common. Only Quakers could take 6 months to mention the fact that they are Quakers - not exactly evangelical.
The photo is the last from the beach, this is of my sister Rosemary.

POTAP

The photo is another from the balmy days on Aldebrough beach.
POTAP is what I hear when I go to the doctor with anything these days - "well its part of the ageing process you know" I suppose we'd better get used to it.

Running Cold

Rowan went to Running Wild on Friday - her wildlife group which she has been doing for a couple of years now. Then last night it was freezing cold at her running group, but she seemed to enjoy it all the more. David, Robert and I sat in the cold feeling righteous for not hiding in warm cars.
The photo is another of the shell sculpture at Aldborough

Suffolk 3

We visited my nephew Tom and Catherine, Edward and Iona in Norwich. It was good to see them in their house for the first time. The photo is of Catherine and Iona.
I went for a short cycle ride one morning: the lanes around Great Glemham are so quiet and peaceful that it really does seem a perfect place to go for a ride.

Minsmere

We visited the RSPB reserve at Minsmere on a beautiful day. Granny sat in the cafe and shop whilst we walked round and saw a Marsh Harrier and some Gadwall amongst other things. The photo is of Sizewell nuclear reactor. It has changed from looking like a huge monolith, to being a ringer for a mosque: sign of the times.

Suffolk 2

Another photo of the shell scuplture, with Rowan and her Granny.

Suffolk 1

Rowan and I have just spent three very pleasant days in Suffolk with my sister's family and my mother. The weather was fantastic - clear sunny mildish days. We went to Aldborough and saw the Benjamin Britten memorial sculpture which was pretty impressive.

Link Group

I took the Link group [11-15] at Quaker meeting last week, and we came up with this Map of York: probably best not to use it for getting around.

7/7

The July bombing murders in London really got to me. Knowing that the murdered were such a cross section of the glory that is multi-cultural London. So when I saw this plaque amidst the magnificence of new St Pancras station I stopped and thought for a while.

Mild

Part of our birdwatching group near Bubwith. It felt like a spring day it was so mild and pleasant. Danielle has been in the States for the weekend to see baby Liam, her brother Ben and Kari's first child. Good to have her back.

Siskins

The Siskins have returned to the garden, chewing away on the Nyger seed. After meeting today Rowan and I went to a hide on the River Derwent with David & Anita and Mimi. A beautiful flooded landscape on a surprisingly warm day.

Curry Night

There was a curry night at school last week. We all went: Rowan was one of only a few children dragged along, but she and the other kids really enjoyed the cooking demo from the chef from the Bengal Brasserie in York. We used to go quite a lot, and it was good to catch up with the patron.
The photo is another from York.

Every Cloud

i
Monday morning I left Cathy and David and Jessie in Crouch End, I walk to get the train to Richmond. I arrive at Crouch Hill station at 7.50, just in time to see the 7.49 ease away from the platform on the North London line. I walk down the deserted platform to sit on the bench and wait the 20 minutes to the next train. The bench is wet. I am about to turn away when I notice the pattern the water has made on the painted steel of the bench. Bingo - I get a photo out of it which should make it to this year's Open Studios.

Tales from Ikea 1

On my way back from working in Huddersfield I often call into Ikea to get lunch and some frames. I am usually in a hurry and know where I want to get to: the rest of the customers are not and do not. So I try to patiently navigate around the slow moving browsers. Today an old couple were managing to take up the 5 metre wide aisle with ease. So rather than rudely say "excuse me" and make them move aside, I wait behind them until there is a gap to get through. After several hours [OK, 20 seconds] the old man moves in a bit, and I squeeze through. Mission accomplished I thought. "People seem to have forgotten how to say excuse me around here" gripes his wife. Can't win.
The photo is another from the party

10th Birthday Party

Rowan's 10th birthday party was at the

Kirklees Light Railway

which was a great venue. It was the first time they had ever had a girl only party there, they all had a good time and God laid on plenty of snow so they could play snowballs etc and the railway journey was through a winter wonderland.
Great. Over for another year.

10th Birthday Cake

Here is Danielle's cake creation for Rowan's birthday this year. As usual it is a work of art that took hours to make and seconds to deconstruct [courtesy of 8 hungry girls]

Katona Twins

We saw the Katona Twins http://www.katonatwins.com/ do a concert on Friday night. They are two classical guitarists. When they played Mozart, Bach etc they sounded a little tame, but when they let rip on Paco de Lucia, Villa Lobos and a Tango suite they were fantastic.
The photo is of Walmgate Bar, on the York city walls

Stubbs'

When we moved to York this building was a fantastic old fashioned ironmongers - Stubbs' - with blokes in brown overalls scurrying about in search of single bolts and jubilee clips. That is all gone, and the building is now a Loch Fyne fish restaurant. The street is Foss Gate which leads from the city over the River Foss on this bridge and through the city walls at Walmgate Bar.

Teeth

Rowan has been wearing a brace in her mouth for the last few months to bring back her front two teeth. It has worked out very well, and now she has to just wear a retainer for 6 months or so. The two moulds in the photo are before [at the bottom] and after [at the top].