Cotton Grass

One last shot from Humberhead this time. Cotton grass.

Bootham

I have not shown this photograph for a number of years, so it was good to get a call from the blue ordering a copy. It is of Bootham early one Sunday morning when Rowan was doing swimming training at a nearby pool; very rare to get a shot of this street virtually car-free.

Bees

It has been another good weekend. Saturday was garden time, Sunday we went a bike ride to a cafe at Millington in the Wolds, then today was more garden time, then Dave & Emma came round for a barbeque.
I discovered a nest of red-tailed bumble bees in one of the bird nesting boxes. Neither me nor they was happy about the encounter. Danielle used her bee-keeping suit to relocate the box to a place far away from the back door.
The photo is from Thorne Moor last week

The Stones

Up on the old track across the North York Moors, there are plenty of old marker stones. This one is from 1888 and marks the drovers road across the top.

AA signs

I got a ride in from Yarm to York over the North York Moors last week, off road and uplifting. I saw this old AA signpost just before the climb onto to moors; I really love them.

Cotton Grass

The Cotton Grass on Thorne Moor last week was something to behold, with only me beholding it as well.

Covers

The first project that I have supported on Kickstarter came to fruition earlier this year. A book of British Reggae Album covers and their locations revisited. Sounds odd, but is a brilliant concept; here is the link http://www.alexbartsch.com/covers/  I have a copy of that Carol Thompson album in the garage.
It does feel good to support things like this [and get a copy of the book]

Leeds

Water reflecting onto the inner arch of a bridge over the canal in Leeds. I have tried to capture this effect before without success. I am happier with this effort.

Retirement

Saturday Robert and Helen had a retirement party [blimey, what is the world coming to] which was good fun despite the rain putting an end to the garden party element.
This photo from my ride south is of a tunnel near Retford, taken from a bridleway through lonely countryside.

What A Day

The Dog and The Crane

I walked on Thorne Moor, part of the Humberhead Peatlands, on Friday. It was a beautiful day and I walked for 5 hours seeing just one person; an ex-chippy owner from Goole who was now, at 76, photographing insects on the Moor. He told me that the myriad of dragonflies I had been seeing all morning were called Four Spotted Chasers which has to be the best insect name going [apart from Dung Beetle maybe].
Anyway, as Milo and I were deep in the Moor I saw a huge bird take flight right in front of me. Quick calculations made me realise it was not a Heron or Swan or anything like that, and that is was a Crane. I had no idea they were found in this country now, let alone in Yorkshire on my doorstep. It was a truly beautiful and spiritual sight. Once I had calmed down I rang the National Nature Reserve office who confirmed that there were probably four Cranes in the area. Soon after that I saw a number of Hobbies [which I have never seen before, and which used to be confined to the south] including one catching a dragonfly in mid-air, and finally a pair of Marsh Harriers playing in the sky.
It was a great great day.
Cranes are special to me. The first time I saw them was high in the mountains in Eastern Turkey. I had cycled up to a grass plateau and sat down to wait and see what I could see. After half an hour or so a group of 30 or so Cranes gathered below me, a good 100 metres or more away, but exhilarating.
Then two years ago when Danielle and I were in New Mexico in the Bandelier National Monument migrating Cranes en route to Canada passed above us when we were deep in a gorge; it was another beautiful moment.

Peat

An abandoned peat works from the ride south.

Goole

The Motorway crosses the Ouse

Monday I got on the mountain bike and headed south, crossing the Ouse at Goole then crossing Humberhead peatlands and the Isle of Axholme to pick up the Trent, then back on bridleways to Retford where I got the train back. A great day.

Gas

The gas towers at St Pancras were always an impressive sight back in the day when Kings Cross was the seediest bit of north London [saying something.] Luckily they have been saved from demolition and two of them used to encircle new blocks of flats with a third [to the left in this picture] left empty.

Crick

In London last week I discovered a new foot-route from Kings Cross to Euston; using this path past the new Crick Institute building. It's where I found these bars, shadows and patterns.

Reflection

Tessa Jowell who died of cancer at the weekend was the first national politician I worked with, when I was in Islington. We got on really well and worked closely on Community Care developments in the borough at the time. She was very supportive to me, and got me a gig doing an opening speech at a NHS conference in Harrogate when she had to pull out. I don't think I persuaded the audience that I was a good substitute but I appreciated being given the opportunity.

Same day I got a call from one of my oldest friends who has inoperable lung cancer, and who does not sound to have long to live.

Hough Hough

A bit of mild trespass at the Hough took me to this lovely bluebell-bedecked woodland path.

The Hough

Hambelton Hough [pronounced not How, not Huff, but Hoff] is a sandstone hill to the west of Selby. It has recently been stripped of its conifer forest pending native wood replacement. This is good for weird dramatic shots. [it helps to have a portable Wolf on hand]

The Worlds are Coming

After the joy and the triumph of the Tour de Yorkshire, there is no time to draw breath before the announcement of the logo for the Cycling Road World Championships which are in Yorkshire in 2019. Just 500 days to go.

Back on Track

We did our first Canal Walk for a while on a lovely bank holiday monday. Took the train to Keadby on the Trent just before it joins the Humber then walked on the canal to Thorne [north of Doncaster]. The bridge in this photo of the Trent used to tilt and lift to the sky, which must have been an amazing sight; the counterbalance weighed over 2000 tons. Alas it is all sealed up now.

Last week we saw Gary Young [the best journalist alive] at the University speaking on gun crime in the US and knife crime in the UK. Excellent.

Bank Holiday Weekend

Friday night we went to the University Court dinner and had a great time. I was next to the woman who founded the National Centre for Early Music here in York, and his husband who was an Archaeologist who knew a lot about the Wolds. Danielle was next to the Chancellor and a judge.
Then Sunday we went for a tea at the Grand hotel [Danielle won the ticket in a raffle] which was fun but filling.

Here is Danielle eyeing up the cakes

Yapham Church

Robert and I fitted in a couple of churches when we rode to the Tour, including the beautiful surprise at Yapham.

I have just read a political thriller by someone who bought some of my photos at Open Studios, it was fun but it just showed how hard it is to write well I think. I also read The Secret Agent by Conrad which is brilliant, timeless and relevant. Recommended.

TdY 2

Another shot from the TdY, this is Mark Cavendish [orange shoes] the greatest sprinter there has ever been. If this was a newspaper the caption would be "Mark Cavendish sharing a joke with a former Sky team mate". In reality the Sky rider could just have something in his teeth.

Tour de Yorkshire 2018

I cycled out with Robert to meet up with Dave for stage one of this year's Tour de Yorkshire (the fourth edition). It is the best sport event of the year easily; bringing whole communities out across the county. Impossible for me to describe what a great achievement this is. When I was a cycling fan in the 80s if the one man had a dog with him it felt like a crowd - now it could not be more different.

This is the sprint for the King of the Mountains points; these five riders stayed out in the break all day to contest for the stage win in Doncaster.

YOS

This is a shot from Open Studios this year; I was at the Mount school in their gallery area. That is Rowan in the centre.

The Return of the Cattle

It is always a great day each spring when the cattle return to the Moor. There is the usual period of frisky cattle and suspicious dogs before we all settle down and enjoy having guests for the summer.

Sanquhar

Storm at Sanquhar

I delivered an extra large framed print of this shot to someone today; first time it has been purchased that size, and I think it suits.