Tyre Trouble

Back from Brum I got a ride in today. A lovely sunny day, so warm that I took my gloves off before the end of my ride. This time last year I was falling off on the ice and damaging my shoulder rotator cuff for a year.
Having battled the headwind all morning I was looking forward for a nice tailwind run home when my tyre exploded. That was bad enough, but I had just overtaken a cyclist on a hill. I would have forgiven him some schadenfreude but he instead checked I had what I needed which was kind of him. Of course I waved him on "It's OK I'm fine". It was only later that I realised I had not just had a puncture but that my rear tyre was worn right through. So now I had to work out how to get home. If I just put in a new inner tube chances are it would blow again and then I would be stuck. So I cut out some bits of the old tube and used them to protect the new one in the tyre. Somewhat surprisingly it worked so I cycled slowly to the nearest station to catch a train back to York. I had 12k to go so I took it very slowly and carefully. I stopped to check the train times on my phone and realised that I would miss the next one but only have an hour is the sun to wait; that seemed fine.
As I neared the station 10 minutes after the train was due I noticed that the level crossing gates were shut; could the train be late enough for me to catch? I wondered. Yes, there it was. I gave it a bit of jip and arrived on the platform [like an extra in a Thomas the Tank Engine story] just as the train did likewise. The bicycle storage sign on the coach aligned itself exactly where I was stood and I got the train home. All's well that ends well.
Before all this I had been to Myton on Swale the site of a grim battle 700 years ago where this sign stands

Brum

Danielle had a trustees meeting at Woodbrooke, the Quaker study centre in Birmingham. So, in this new child-free world, I came with her. Met a lot of interesting people yesterday evening, then today whilst she trusteed I walked along the Sustran tracks and canals of Brum. A really good walk. I saw a discarded balloon nestled amongst the leaves on the canal - it led to this photo [would be a good album cover for that easy third album I think]

Autumn

It was a dank and damp typical autumnal morning. I nearly decided to skip my planned couple of hours on the bike, but in the end made the effort. I am glad I did. After a busy week it felt great to gently push the gear around and venture forth. I stopped deep in the farmland to the west of York and looked across the fields to misty woods, realising that I could see nothing that was modern, just hedges and fields and trees. If felt timeless. Later on I could see a steam train in the far distance at speed on the main line heading south and leaving a trail of steam in its wake; a really impressive sight adding to the strange feeling of the morning. I think this was the type of engine I saw. The photo was taken in the summer, and as you can probably work out from Rowan, a good few years ago.

Goodis

Tonight in Book Group we shall be discussing my choice Nightfall by David Goodis. I imagine that no one else will like it quite like I do. Writing in the pulp fiction form of the 40s the ambience of the book reminds me of Camus L'Etranger in its existential ennui.
The cover that I have, [from a series of roman noir that I bought in London in the 80s] is one of may all time favourites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noir_fiction

Work

I am really enjoying my work at the moment. Reviewing learning disability services across a local authority and health area. Best project I have had for a while.

I am trawling through my photo library and just occasionally I revisit a shot. This is not a classic by any means but it is OK; ironic juxtaposition etc

Social Times

Friday night Rob & Kath came to stay en route to seeing Lily who is a student at York University. The four of us had a great evening and a morning waffle-fest; just so good to catch up and chat. A lot.

Saturday Danielle and I drove up to Crook in County Durham for dinner with Paul and Hilary and two of their friends from Roker. Paul produced a great meal and great wine [Cotes Du Rhone wines from 2000]. So after brunch we headed home.

In these dank November days I do tend to scan photos from warmer times in warmer climes. This is the view from the hotel we stayed in in Istanbul in 2008.

Badminton News

I played Edward's son Toby at badminton. The days of letting him win [if they ever actually existed] are long gone. He is now a 24 year old young man who beats us both with ease. I still had a really good game with him though. Toby is off to Japan tomorrow to teach skiing, before going on to Italy to teach English; not a bad way to earn your living.

It is a bit cold and dank outside so here is a photo of me cycling across the plateau to Ladak in 1992.

Holidays

Rowan is off to Ben and Kari's for her Thanksgiving break today. She catches the train from Trenton direct to DC, so hopefully she'll be alright.
Her school put up this video as their Holiday Message, it gives a fair idea of the ethos of the place I think.

The Game's Afoot

Rowan fractured her foot a few weeks ago in a cross country race. After several weeks of crutches an MRI scan meant she has to have this thing on. For another whole month!
It is hard to be so far away when this happens, but she seems to be coping OK.

Change

I was sat in town with Danielle having lunch in Prets. A mother and her toddler son came in and sat nearby. The happiness they were sharing reminded me of countless similar days with Rowan when she was young; discovering stuff together. Then I thought that actually I still share those times with her, in New York last month it was like that. Things are different now that she is 16 but we still enjoy those times of discovery. Not loss just change. Felt good.

Albania

I visited communist Albania in 1989 when the ghost of Enver Hoxha still ran the country. I managed to get away from the sanctioned tourist trails a number of times. This shot of the beach shows the international language of football still being spoken.

Leeds Film Festival

We were determined to see a film from the Leeds Film Festival this year. So today we went to see Songs From The Second Floor http://www.leedsfilm.com/films/songs-floor/ which was exactly what film festivals are for. A brilliant Scandinavian film, which would never in several months of Sundays get a theatre release, watched by a cinema full of people who like film. We both really enjoyed it, very funny and surreal to say the least.
The photo shows Danielle sat in the corner of the Everyman Cinema in Leeds, awaiting the movie.

Alexandra Dariescu

Last night we saw the pianist Alexandra Dariescu  http://www.alexandradariescu.com/ at the BMS concert at the university. She is an amazing player. We were sat behind her so could view the technique which was, in a word, jaw-dropping.

The photo is of the sculptures on the outside of the chapel on the plot at Scotch Corner above Oldstead.

NYM

I walked up amidst the North York Moors at Oldstead last week. The damp misty conditions gave an air of mystery to the place. Milo chased plenty of deer in celebration.

Suffolk

Taken on Monday morning as I walked Milo before the drive back from Suffolk. I love this view across the subtle undulations of the farmland.

Bear Aware

This was a serious email Rowan received at school. Bear alerts were less frequent in York I think. Not sure if there was a real concern over Bear Selfies. Probably.

Verbing

One of my favourite quotes is;

"They're ain't a noun yet that can't be verbed"

So I was particularly glad this morning when the bloke in Costa Coffee said in response to my

"Medium black Americano to take away please"

"Do you want that doublecupping?"

The answer was of course "Yes please", it can get hot as you carry it to the office.

The photo is of an old gate-post up on the Haworth moors.

Suffolk

Danielle and I have just spent the long weekend in Suffolk with Mother while Ro and Pete went to Kent. All went well.
In a land where there are no hills, let alone mountains, you have to make the most of what there is; so a stack of straw bales like these in the post storm light, can just about remind of a crag on the moors if you squint enough.

Halloween

Rowan dressed up as a leopard for Halloween [no, we know not why either], here she is with her friend Marvi [dressed as something to do with a prison tv series]. The main thing is it looks fun!

More Art

Not sure where Danielle got this print, but it lives in our bathroom, and has become a definite part of the furniture.

James Aitken

This painting is a family one which I like and put up in the gazebo at home. Rowan and Danielle do not share my enthusiasm. It is by James Aitken
"Born in Newburgh, Fifeshire, Scotland. Travelled throughout U.K. and Europe. Best known as an Isle of Man artist. Exhibited at R.A., and provincial galleries including many at The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. "

City Screen

When we were at the City Screen cinema for the Live From the Met relay of Macbeth we had some food in the bar. This shot, with the low sun throwing the bold shadows caught my eye, and I quite like it.

Back to the Art

Here is a link to reasons for living in York http://www.buzzfeed.com/jobarrow/york-is-the-best?bffb&utm_term=4ldqphz#4ldqphz not the ones I would have chosen but still quite fun.

Carrying on with the round up of the art we have on our walls, this is a large piece that Danielle chose when leaving a job as a leaving present. It is a collage, I immediately thought the three circles near the top represented a chainwheel, a rear sprocket and a front wheel, in other words a virtual bike. Not what the artist had in mind [planets I think] but it is cemented as a bike in my mind, with mountains and travelling down the bottom of the work. All in all I like it.

Bath Time

Day One at the new consultancy assignment went well; good people to work with.

Danielle gave Milo a bath yesterday. I think "weary resignation" best sums us his feelings about it.

Mild

Photo is of Danielle on our walk yesterday.
It is still so warm. Friend Robert suggested a bike ride the other afternoon, a quick spin round Bolton Percy, warm enough for shorts in November!

Red Admiral? November?

Today we walked by the river, had a coffee at the organic nursery [plants not children] lost the lead and are about to get out in the garden. I saw a Red Admiral butterfly this morning, bit late isn't it?
Last night we walked over the Knavesmire to see flamenco guitarist Eduardo Niebla playing with two choirs [various friends were part of the choirs]. It was a great gig.

The photo is of another stone on the Moors, this one is a prehistoric one, the Cammon Stone http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/2800/cammon_stone.html altogether more mysterious.