Easter Monday 2

It was the first time we had properly met Adam's girlfriend Catherine, so it was nice to get to know her. Milo gave her his seal of approval.

Easter Monday 1

On Easter Monday we drove down to collect Rowan from Leam, then went on to see the country cousins. We got in a walk along the Oxford canal, which was great as usual. We stayed with Gill and family, and got to see Auntie Alison, Richard and James, so there were eleven of us for a great dinner which Gill produced. We all enjoyed catching up with family.

Good Friday 4

The route then worked its way back to Aberford on footpaths including this one across the fields. It was a great way to spend the day.

Good Friday 3

The path of the track went under the M1 twice, providing this shot which has a great Elmet feel to it.

Good Friday 2

Our walk on Good Friday took us on the route of the old railway line that connected the colliery at Garforth with the big house at Parlington Hall. The (probably apocryphal) story goes that part of the line was covered with a tunnel so that lady of the house would not have to see the dirty colliers making their way with the coal. The bluebells were showing well in the woods.

Good Friday

Good Friday we went a walk at Aberford, an old coaching village on the Great North Road. Quiet now, with the church contrasting with the end-of-season daffodils.

Attack of the Giant Strat

So with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame being in Cleveland they have these variously painted giant strats all over town. Better than cows (Munich) or elephants (I remember not where). This is what tourists do, they stand next to the guitar. I would like one in the front room to be honest.

Busy

No real excuse for the tardy blogging, apart from the lovely weather which I have used to get veg planted out, lawn mown, rose-bed weeded etc. Feels a real relief to have it ready to go after the long off-season.
Caught up with a few people in the week too, Patrick for a drink, Robert for a ride, Dave for a coffee. Got a good walk in near Barnsley too. Photos to follow.

Family

Rowan met up with her cousin Adam and his girlfriend Katherine in Leam today. It is always good to see bits of the family meeting up.
Decided to sit down with a beer and watch City v Spurs tonight; a good decision, one of the all-time great games, made more fun by our northern folks WhatsApp group (Mark, Me, Rob, Steve).

Super Sunday

After the slow Saturday I had a great Sunday afternoon with plenty of sales. When someone comes in saying "Hello, we bought three of you a few years ago and want some more..." you know it is going to be a good day.
This shot of Hook Moor, part of the Elmet series is proving really popular, it could be a new banker.

Slow Saturday

Second and final weekend of Open Studios, and a disappointing Saturday. Just hope Sunday picks up, the reality is you never know.
Meantime here is a shot of Cleveland and Lake Erie, taken from our hotel room. We both have a bit of a soft spot for the old place now.

Band News

Band practice today, with two gigs coming up. One is a friends ruby wedding, at the Folk Hall in New Earswick. I checked out the stage this week, and it is really impressive: shall have to practice my duck walk to make full use of it. The other, in June, is in Rowntree Park in York, part of a summer series of free gigs.
We now have another singer to join me and Greg, Karla who is great and will add a lot to the sound. It is great to play with people, (especially when they say things like "you should play the solo a bit longer").

Here is a picture that Rowan sent us from her weekend in Grenada. Her angelic appearance is rather counterpointed by her beer can just peeping in at the bottom of the shot.

Fleabag

I needed to get out. Train to Scarborough, rode back through Dalby Forest on the North York Moors then across the suspension footbridge at Huttons Ambo and a skirt with the Wolds until Kirkham Priory then home. I was knackered if truth be told, but it was great.

We are watching Fleabag (with most everyone else I think) and love it. The episode we watched last had a scene in the Westminster Quaker Meeting house where we met, and were married. It was beautiful to see our room up there on the screen, and strangely moving.

This shot was new last year and has sold both years, so it qualifies as a success. It is going to be in the next book.

Open Studios - Weekend One

First Open Studios weekend done and dusted. I was exhibiting at home on my own, so footfall was down on last year (at the Mount and with Jo the Jeweller). But sales so far are up, so that is really gratifying. The book launch on Friday night went well, with Danielle being the MC and short speeches by she and me, jazz by Adrian and bass-player Christian. Good turnout, good sales. Happy.
As usual with Open Studios, I met lots of interesting people, new to me. We might have got a keyboard player for the band as well.
I took this shot in Cleveland 10 days ago. I liked it, ordered a copy while I was still in the US. It arrived in time for the show, and someone bought it. So I hope it might become a big seller. By printing it in this sepia tint it makes Lake Erie look like the desert, which adds to the oddness of the image.

Do you want English Pea with that?

We were in a fantastic fish restaurant in Cleveland - The Blue Point - the waitress was telling us the specials
"Then we have a risotto of oysters and english pea"
we nod and smile, then I ask
"what is an english pea"
The reply
"Oh nothing, we just made that up because oyster and pea sounds unappetising"

Here is my hire bike on the cycle path with a great old trestle bridge behind. The bikes have rod-drive instead of a chain-drive: reliable, low maintenance, very heavy.

Brief Visit

Rowan has been with us for a few days before going off to Spain with some friends from high school. Great to see her.

Cleveland 7

The flight back from Cleveland, via Newark New Jersey, was fine. Here we are on Lake Erie.

Cleveland 7

On our last afternoon in Cleveland we were able to see a film as part of the Cleveland International Film Festival. It was a Chilean film called Los Reyes https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/los-reyes-reviews-1203031710/ which was brilliant, recommended if you ever have the chance to see it. It was great to see the festival so well supported too. After that we went round for some wine at Ted's flat overlooking Public Square.

https://youtu.be/qbUsF1DbSbo

At times Cleveland felt like a bridge museum, there are countless structures 

crossing the Cuyahoga River.

Cleveland 6

In the summer Lake Erie provides Cleveland residents with leisure and the odd beach. This is one I came across on another bike ride I took, west along the lake side. The bike tracks are good and newly created.

Cleveland 5

The Green City on a Blue Lake

"Forty-eight years ago, on an ordinary Sunday in June, the city of Cleveland’s environmental reputation went up in flames — literally. The Cuyahoga River, which runs through Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie, caught fire due to its immensely polluted water. This event set the stage for how Cleveland would be perceived for decades to come: as a symbol of environmental degradation.

In 2009, Mayor Frank Jackson decided to alter this negative image of Cleveland by launching the Sustainable Cleveland initiative, a 10-year plan to transform the “Mistake on the Lake” into the “Green City on a Blue Lake.” The goal was, and remains, to see the City of Cleveland recognized as a thriving, environmentally friendly community by 2019—the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire."

Wednesday I cycled down the Cuyahoga River on a cycle track; a fascinating journey on new cycle tracks through stockyards and industrial remnants. There are still active heavy industry plants here, which is a very rare sight in the west these days. A beautiful day too.

In the evening I joined Danielle for a conference dinner, met a lot of interesting people.