12 String

Danielle gave me this 12 string guitar for Christmas. It is a lovely thing, and I have a lot of learning to do.

TDABD

En route home we all had lunch at nephew Tom's and family. Another good time, with Steve and Jane there as well. Here is great nephew Edward.

Boxing Day

Boxing day saw Markus, Will, Pete and I go to watch the local non-league derby between Leiston and Lowestoft. It was an uplifting experience. A crowd of 580, a really non-aggressive atmosphere, Adnams ale that could be drunk as you watched the game [see photo] and a good old rumble of a game, that unfortunately local team Leiston lost 1-0. Great stuff

Xmas 2

The star of the Christmas show was undoubtedly great-niece Rosalind, who charmed us all.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day we got a short walk in round the muddy lanes of Great Glemham. It was mild, the sun was out - lovely

Will's Wellie

Nine of the family were together on Xmas eve. Will cooked a vegetarian mushroom Wellington that was superb; a good start to the holiday.

Xmas

Appropriate Decoration

Friend Dave has produced this Christmas decoration based on a bike wheel. I am impressed.

Crib

Once again this year Milo has been trying to join the baby Jesus in the crib.

Ride

What with my flu, and my damaged shoulder I have not done as much exercise as I would have liked for the last few weeks. So today I took the mountain bike out and went a great ride in warmish [10 degrees] dry and sometimes sunny weather. I tried out the new Sustrans route over the Nidd viaduct at Ripley; it is a really great route.

I have supported Sustrans for 20 years or so and  it is money well spent - they have revolutionised the possibilities for ordinary people to cycle in safety.
By the end of the ride I was cattled but felt good for having got out at last.

Orchestra

Last week was Christmas meeting at school, with Rowan and friend Amelia again providing the enthusiastic horn section to the orchestra. Here they are making sure they are totally concentrated and in the zone before the performance.

The Calm Ouse

Went to the Railway Museum with Rowan, then I met Patrick for a coffee before going to the Physio for my shoulder [she was quite encouraging]. Rowan meantime did some Christmas shopping then came home. The River Ouse is full, calm and lovely at the moment.

Best Music of the Year

Here is a Spotify playlist of some of the best tracks new to me in the last year.
The 12 tracks range from early music to jazz to a Bruckner symphony, dance, world music, weird electronics, folk, rock, blues, country, oh everything really.

Joanna

I met up with University friend Joanna in Leeds - always good to catch up. We had lunch in the recently restored Tile Hall which is part of the magnificent Victorian Leeds Town Hall. Until recently it was boarded up and used as a storage room, now it is fully restored and splendid.

A Weekend In Sheffield

It might not sound the most romantic of assignments but Rowan has just spent Saturday and Sunday at two athletics meetings at the EIS indoor track in Sheffield. At the Northern Athletics meet on Saturday she jumped a new Personal Best [PB] of 1m66 - she was delighted with that. Then on Sunday the North Yorkshire indoor Pentathlon was for fun [shot put, hurdles, long jump, high jump, 800m]. Rowan won, I did a lot of sand pit raking.

Hob Moor Christmas

The lounge has the Christmas Tree in it [this year I have bought a small pot grown one that, hopefully, will survive in the garden for years to come] which has found small favour with the daughter. Milo has a minimalist plastic tree in his quarters. All seen in this photo

Pond at BG

The pond at Bryn Gwelyd, where Danielle's parents built their house, is a lovely serene place. Always good to spend time sat on the bench and thinking.

Great Grandmother

Aunt Sheila had found this photo of Danielle's great grandmother on her father's side.

Snow

Coming home, we took the train from Trenton to Penn Station in New York, then took the local train to Jamaica [the end station on the line is Babylon - how come I never knew that?] and the skytrain to JFK airport. After checking in we saw on the TV that snow was falling - check out this http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Snow-Bowl-Described-By-The-Players/e9c44e55-0cd0-4c11-8ed6-33856f9cad78 with Philadelphia being subjected to 15cm in half an hour. My heart sank at the thought of being stuck at the airport but luckily with de-icer being sprayed over the plane we got off just one hour late. A great flight with Aer Lingus [recommended]

You will see from the photo below that the big person has the small bag, the middle person has the middle bag and the child has the huge bag. Hmmm.

Birthday

It was a strange birthday. Still ill, in Pennsylvania, and, most bizarrely, we had a virtual Christmas meal at Aunt Maxine's in the evening. So there we all were, Ben & family, Aunt Joan & Uncle Randy, Aunt Sheila et al having the usual chaos and fun 18 days early. Strange how easy it is to adjust.

Liberty

I quite like this shot of the Statue of Liberty I took from Brooklyn Bridge last week. It is all wrong in terms of exposure, light, composition etc but I am happy with something about it - just not sure what.
We are back home now.

Because I'm Worth It

I am of the view that shampoo, conditioner, shower gell, detergent etc are all basically the same thing. So when I am in a hotel and there are those little bottles in the shower I just open one up and use it - not bothering to read any labels. This might have something to do with having more beard than hair, but it seems a good approach to me.
In our hotel in New York I opened the bottle and was surprised how thin the liquid was, it seemed to work ok though.
Next day Rowan says "Why is there an open bottle of dental rinse in the shower?"

The shot is of the magnificent Grand Central Station that I had not visited before.

Native New Yorker?

Rowan was delighted to be asked by someone for directions when she was walking the streets of New York. Here is her photo of the pre-Christmas bustle with the Empire State Building in the distance. We had been due to meet up with my friend Tony who has had a turbulent time since I saw him last, but I was so wiped out that we had to cancel.

Man Flu

So, last week I had my first Flu-Jab for 45 years or so [now that I tick a few vulnerable over 50 boxes] at the Doctors.

This week? I have the worst man-flu I have ever had - barely speak, painful throat, delirium ... Next year I think I'll decline the offer

Skyscape

The views off the top of the Wolds are subtle. Nothing jaw-dropping but still the big skies excite me.

The Court

Danielle is a member of York University Court http://www.york.ac.uk/about/organisation/governance/court/ which meant I was allowed along to a dinner hosted by Greg Dyke who is the chancellor of the university. Some great people on our table, had a real good time. The building is a great example of modern architecture with a touch of humour - exemplified by these comedy mirrors in the loo.

RIP

Friends Edward and Fay buried their still-born child yesterday. Danielle and I went to the funeral at York Cemetery which was very moving.

Frosty Moor

A frosty sunny morning last week gave me this shot. I waited for a cyclist to complete the picture.

Autumn

This autumn has kept the leaves on the trees longer than usual - no big winds for the last few weeks, so that leaves are falling straight off of the trees onto the ground. I passed this tree as I walked the dog today - Thanksgiving Day.

Earhtworks

Another shot from the walk, the earthwork on the left is typical of the unexplained dykes and mounds that abound.

Cot Nab

Saturday Rowan and I walked whilst Danielle rowed. Great to get in the Wolds with Rowan, the samosas we had for lunch persuaded her I think.

Retreat from the Retreat

After six years as a Governor of the Retreat mental hospital http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Retreat in York I have come to the end of my term. I don't feel I have had achieved as much as I should have really but it is in good hands [an excellent Chief Executive] and will continue to lead the way I am sure.

Not so good

And sometimes things just don't work out [see last post] - I suppose it all has to balance. Today I set off for a bike ride after seeing Rowan playing in her latest Netball Match [they won]. After 10k or so I had a puncture - rare but not the end of the world. I found a bus shelter and changed the tube. Not being able to find the cause of the puncture in the tyre was a worry but I guessed it had not caught in the rubber. So eventually I set off again. 1k later and it is flat once moor. Disaster as it means I am now on to my last tube, any more punctures and I will be walking home. I still cannot find the cause in the tyre. As I am taking the tyre off one of the tyre leavers flies off into the leaves and grass and debris where I am stopped. Luckily I track it with my eyes and retrieve it, being very thankful that further disaster did not arise. I take the lever again and once more it flies into the dirt [this is usually a very rare occurrence]. This time I cannot find it, so I have to get the tyre off with one lever [a bit like clapping with one hand]. I have a lateral think and remember that I have a screwdriver as part of my keyring, and it just about does the job.
So then I set off once more, worrying about the imminent deflation - luckily this time it does not come, but my ride is aborted as I head back home.

The photo is another from the day that things did go right, at Sledmere.

Tatton Sykes

Sometimes things just work out. After a long long day in Wales I promised myself a Wolds walk, only to be greeted by a miserable morning with heavy rain. I headed off anyway and by the time I got there the sun was in a cloudless cold sky - beautiful. I had a great walk up to the Tatton Sykes monument which is part of the Sledmere estate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledmere_House . When I got back to York the rain started again ...

D&R

Not sure I have put this photo up before, taken in the warm summer [remember that].

The Three Rowans

Just came across this shot in my files. It is of Kenmore in the Highlands, taken in 2007 when we were on a family cycling holiday there.
If you look closely you will see Rowan three times in the shot. Not quite sure how we did that - definitely no photoshop involved though.

North End

Quite rare these days that I mention Preston North End. They seem to have settled in to the third tier after the heady days of being one win away from the Premier League [twice]. But yesterday they managed to beat the League leaders, Orient, away; quite an achievement and the first team to do so this season. So it seemed a bit unfair that they actually ended up a place lower in the league at the end of the day [Brentford boosted their goal difference in their five nil win]. Going well though. Watch this space.

Henry Moore @ the Hepworth

Waugh

I think it unlikely that I would get around to reading an Evelyn Waugh novel, but I listened to the BBC's dramatisation of Sword of Honour last week. I knew nothing about it, but really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.

Back in Wakefield today, visited the Hepworth again. Found this shot on the new wing of the gallery - I think it counts as mixed messages.

Land of the Free

Wakefield Skyline

Last week we all had to go to Grosvenor Square to the US Embassy to get Rowan's passport renewed. Amidst levels of security that are truly paranoid - [no phones, no car keys, nothing electrical] we made our way into the compound. Then it emerged I still had my car keys with me, so I had to leave the compound, go a nearby chemist who would look after them for me [at a cost] then go back in. I leave the compound realising, as the steel door clunks shut, that my wallet is with Danielle. I have no money to pay the chemist. I see Danielle and Rowan being escorted in, I shout through the fence "Give me a tenner!". Armed guards turn their attention to us. Passing money through the fence is very very suspect. After consultation amongst the security folk the tenner is passed through the bars and life goes on.
Next renewal time Rowan will be 20. She can get own then.

Is that an Australian Cattle Dog?

You may remember that Milo the dog is 1/4 Alsatian, 1/4 Labrador, 1/4 mixed unknown, 1/4 Australian Cattle Dog. We had never heard of an Australian Cattle Dog so were a bit bemused.

Yesterday on the Moor a bloke came up to me and said in a Northern Irish accent, "Is he an Australian Cattle Dog?" I was truly amazed. He said they have a lot of them where he grew up, and he recognised the breed in Milo by his allertness.

I now speak to the dog in an Australian accent - works a treat.

Photo is another from Knaresborough the other day.

Dorking

The head office of Danielle's parent organisation [Friends Life] is in Dorking, so she has to go there quite often. Last visit she spotted this sculpture in the town.

Ice and Wine

Saturday night was a rowing club wine tasting event. I went with Danielle. It was a bit too much wine and not enough tasting really but fairly fun.
Sunday Rowan had a netball match [they won, 2 out of 2 so far this season] and I went a ride with Dave. It was the first icy day of the year and we both fell off at some stage; but it was a beautiful day.
This photo is of the railway viaduct at Knaresborough where we had lunch

Metal Machine

Another tree shot from the Bishop Wood.
Lou Reed died this week.
I first heard of him when Cousin Gill had a copy of Transformer; it was all too grown up / camp / fussy for me. Then a while later I heard Rock & Roll Animal and listened over and over again - I was convinced. So much so that I went down to Cobweb records in Cleveleys and bought a double Velvet Underground compilation. I put it on with anticipation - and hated the grotty sound and weird noises. I took it back. Then someone gave me a copy of the first Velvet's album and I listened again and got into it. Next was the third, grey, album and that did it for me, my bedsit album in my final year at school. I was a convert. So much so that I even bought Metal Machine Music [if anyone wants a once played copy, do get in touch]. I saw him once at a pretty poor Velvet Underground gig at Wembley in 1993 [John Cale and Mo were there but it was like listening to the albums really] and gave up on his later recordings, but it is still a bit of a moment now he has died.

I've Never Seen Star Wars

Another shot from Bishop Wood.

I am very proud of not having ever seen Star Wars, so I had to keep my back turned to the TV today when Rowan had it on. I managed it.

Bishop Wood

After a busy week involving South Wales, the US Embassy and lots of bits of work yesterday there was time for a walk in the beautiful Bishop Wood near Cawood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cawood_Castle

The Mount

A lovely autumn light lit up The Mount here in York last week. Always good to have a bike in a shot as well.

Needs Must

I am not that keen on "comedy" in photography [or in music come to that, apart from Bill Oddie's deep soul version of Ilkley Moor Ba t'hat] but when I saw this fence in Wakefield it made me smile.

Needs Must

The Trials Of Time

The Hepworth Gallery from outside.

When I lived in London a friend, Brian Sharpe, told me about the evening 10 mile time trials held on the Eastway Circuit [RIP] in Hackney East London. For a couple of years I competed and loved it.
I have just joined as a member of a new 1km cycle circuit built in York. It is a great resource and run by someone I know. At a very low cost I can use it plenty of times a week if I want. So I went and tried out a 10 mile time-trial a couple of times.

Guess what, I am not as quick as I was 20 years ago. I should not be surprised but I am disappointed. On my second go I shaved off 2 minutes from my best time, so I have a target to aim at.

The Hepworth

I was reading about how Yorkshire is the third best place to visit in the world [after places in India and Australia] http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/oct/29/yorkshire-third-best-region-in-the-world-2014-lonely-planet and thinking that not only have I never been to the Hepworth Gallery http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13447180 but that is just a mile away from where Rowan high jumps. So this week I walked over and had a look around. It is a truly impressive building, with a great vibe, good exhibits: all in all is a great place to go.
It did strike me that this lottery funded type of place [common since the Millennium in the UK] is a new type of civic philanthropy; only problem it is funded by lottery players who tend [I think] to not be the people who take advantage of the free gallery...

In The Hepworth

The Three Of Us

We usually manage one picture of the three of us a year. I found this one taken by Angelika in Koln on our summer cycle trip.
We watched the Mercury music prize this week. Some good bands - Rowan is now a confirmed Arctic Monkeys fan, and Rudimental were amazing, so it was a good show.

Hearing

There is plenty of deafness in our family. My Granny had hearing aids, and my Mother, Sister, Niece, Cousin all use them too. I got mine changed at the audiology department at York Hospital and the new Phonak ones [all on the NHS] seem really good at first listen. I can buy a bluetooth gadget that should let me listen to my phone through the hearing aids – not sure if I need that, so I might leave it for now.
The photo is another of Helperthorpe Slack

Wolds Again

Rowan was with Danielle sorting out her work-experience placement for next year. So I took off to the Wolds with the dog. I went to a remote valley, Helperthorpe Slack, that has been just about ploughed out of existence. But, as you can see from this picture, the grass bank on the valley edge is still hanging on.