Rowin Rowan

We drove down to Nottingham to deliver a chest of drawers to Sarah & Markus, then watch Rowan who was rowing for Warwick on the Trent. We then took her for a meal then she caught the train back to Lem. A good day. This shot is from the suspension bridge over the river looking down on Rowan in her coxed four, she is second nearest the camera.

Elmet

Saw Michaela, a work contact, on Friday; always good to keep connections going when you are freelance. Saturday went for lunch with Bev & Steve at the Rattle Owl - company better than the food.
I am reading Elmet by Fiona Mozley, a young York writer who was Booker shortlisted this year for the book. It is set in what I call the badlands between York and Doncaster. It is an area that has fascinated me anyway [the Sustrans cycle route runs right through it] and the writer has really caught the vibe of the place. Not uplifting by the way; but really really good, and amazing for a first novel.

The photo is of Danielle looking out of her office window in York. Can you spot her?

Creative Writing

Danielle and I went to a creative writing session at Quaker Meeting house which was a bit odd but strangely inspirational. As we are both aspiring writers this could be the push we need: breath should not be held.

There are some impressive buildings going up in Wuppertal.

Busy

Monday was the opening of the new Paul Nash exhibition at York Art Gallery. It was a packed event, and the curating was a bit loose but still good to see some of his great paintings.
Tuesday was the second part of Patrick and my tour of the 12 best pubs in York as declared by CAMRA. We took in the Blue Bell [too small for me, but very cute for tourists] and the Maltings which was good. The beer is pretty great in all these sorts of pubs nowadays.
Then Wednesday a group of 15 of us went to see Knee High Theatres production of The Tin Drum at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. A really great production, recommended.

So here's another shot of Wuppertal

Interaction of different transport modes often leads to a good shot.

Back to Wuppertal

Well that rest from the monorail didn't last long. I don't think I got any absolute killer  shots, but I like this one with the curve.

Home

Back from Germany [left Wuppertal at 11, back home by 7pm] Friday we collected the dog from his foster family [thanks Shirley] and headed to the Wolds for a walk. Gloomy and magnificent as ever.

Last Monorail ... for a while

I will try not to post too many photos of monorails, but Wuppertal did leave an impression. This is in a cafe where the surreal sight of trains passing the window high up and without wheels made less than zero impression on the locals. I was agog.

Schiller

Schiller is a pretty massive electronic music band in Germany. I had never heard of them, until we found they were playing a gig in Wuppertal at the Historische Stadthalle. So we went. It was really great, a beautiful old hall, an attentive and dedicated crowd, good music and light show, no words to worry about. We both really enjoyed it.

Another shot of the Schwebebahn [it took ages to stick that heron on top of the track]

Another Day in Wuppertal

We got the Schwebebahn to the end of the line at Oberbarmen, got some stocks of apple strudel then set off walking on an old railway line high above the town contouring the valley side. It is a great trail to follow, with plenty of cyclists, walkers and runners using it too.

Schwebebahn

I was full of anticipation to see the Schwebebahn monorail system in Wuppertal; it was why we had come. It totally lived up to expectations. It is, technologically amazing, socially essential [used every day by thousands of local people], artistically peerless, beautiful, unbelievable, easy to use, perfect ...
I could go on, but don't want to overdo it - it really should be a UNESCO World Heritage sight.
Anyway this is the first shot of many that I am posting.

En route to Wuppertal

One of the first film makers I really got was Wim Wenders. When I saw Mike Gregovic in Hackney last week he introduced me to people he knew in the area "This is Simon, who dragged me down to Dalston the first time when he brought me to watch a Wim Wenders film at the Rio" I had just about forgotten doing this, but it was a good way to remember. I don't Wenders films too often these days but his imagery and ambiance and real understanding of modern life influences me hugely. In Alice In The Cities he sets the film in Wuppertal in the Rhur and uses the 1900's monorail as a key image and motif. It then featured casually and [too me] amusingly in the background of his film Piva of a few years ago. So for 40 years I have always wanted to see this amazing looking train. Now seemed the perfect chance.

We changed onto the slow train to Wuppertal at Koln, waiting by the Currywurst stall. My sense of anticipation was high.

Being [nearly] Sixty

I might be the youngest in the band, but I am still about to end my sixtieth year. As part of the celebrations, Danielle and I went to Germany. We took the train to Kings Cross, hopped over the road to St Pancras, caught the Eurostar to Brussels where we took this shot of our ICE train about to leave for Koln. All will be explained later.

Café Culture

When we moved to York, nearly 20 years ago, it was hard to find a place to get a decent cup of coffee. Now it is hard not to trip up over another new place opening. We found one opposite Banks Music Shop, and around the corner from Danielle's office; it also serves this perfect haloumi, humus platter thing. Great for vegetarians like us.

Old Photos

Danielle is more of a Facebook person than I am. She gets stuff posted from her old school and college; including this photo of when she was at university in Grinnell in Iowa long long ago.

Opera North

Band practice today, going well, first gig in December.
Last night we went to Opera North in Leeds as guests of Robert and Helen [who is the CFO there]. Good night out - two short operas Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana. We had not seen them before but really enjoyed them. Good singing and direction.

Anticipating the Opera

Not always

Sometimes a photo just fails to live up to what it promised when taken on the camera. On the canal last week I saw this reflection of the water against the stone of an old bridge over the canal. It looked amazing, but once frozen in time the magic disappeared and this is what was left. Oh well ...

Canal Walk

Many of the canal that we walk by were derelict and even concreted over as recently as the 70s. The fact that they are now such a joy and a national network of paths is a real achievement.

Along the Calder navigation.

Canal Buildings

The old mills and warehouses that line the canals can be beautiful in their austerity; this one is at Brighouse, a town on the Calder I had never visited before.

Canal Walk

Sunday we completed another part of our canal walk; this time from Huddersfield to Halifax on the Calder & Hebble navigation. As usual it was really interesting and a good work out for the three of us.
Saturday I delivered the first batch of photos that have been chosen by a client for the Artillery project. Then in the evening we went to see the new Blade Runner movie; it was OK but too long and too violent. Still some great images and ideas but could do with a real good edit.
Friday Fay & Edward and Sue & Eddy came round for a meal - a really good evening.

Helicopter Rescue

I was walking across the Moor when I saw this helicopter hovering close to the Minster; a bit strange so I took a snap.

I got home and found that it was involved in the rescue of someone taken ill on the Minster roof.

And more

Next stop was to see Maria who I had not seen for a good ten years or so; lives in Hackney, a professor of psychotherapy and full of life. Andros her son was there who I last saw when he was 17 and I cycled with him and his brother all the way to Southend from Tottenham; that was 27 years ago. He still remembered my soup and wanted the recipe, which was an extremely surprising but welcome request.
So I got the tube to Leicester Square [so far on this trip I had walked everywhere] and checked into an AirBnB place in Soho. It was a council flat built as a street in the sky on top of shops running up Charing Cross Road. It was perfect for Danielle and I. We walked over the road to the ENO in St Martins Lane and saw Aida with the brilliant Texan soprano Latonia Moore. Not the greatest production but good singing and good company with the other folk in the cheap seats up high.
Next day I walked some more around Regents Park and Camden and got home in time to take my photography class at the school.

The view from our Soho street in the sky.

People people people

I have had a pretty intense few days. Sunday evening a pint with a friend who has split with his wife; after many years, two kids just left school. He looked well.

Monday I caught up with Mike in Dalston. Life is hard for him, but he is in good emotional shape and well integrated in the community; hard not to feel a deep sadness though. Then it was on to a tapas bar in Crouch End to see John for the first time since his wife Anne died earlier this year. He seemed well, and I hope he gets up to York soon; a great white rioja we had too. Next step was to stay with Paul and Coral in Muswell Hill. It was great to see the whole family [two daughters, one choosing universities, one in year 5] looking well. 

Tuesday I nipped round the corner to Rob & Kath for a coffee; very happy empty nesters. It is always good to see them. Next stop was to see Mark, a publisher friend who works off Pentonville Road in Islington. Another friend whom I had not seen for a good few years, and another friend who it seemed I had seen only yesterday. We had a coffee and a chat, he gave me a couple of books from his own company and off I went. 

Atop the citadel in Buda

Selfie

Soho 2017

Rowing

Rowan sent us this video of her rowing last week as part of a pre-term training camp for Warwick University rowers.

Beer Festival

Danielle and Patrick enjoying the beer at the festival.
This weekend there was a hot air balloon festival, next weekend it is the York Marathon. Always something going on.