25 Years - 1996

By 1996 we had got married at the Quaker Meeting House in St Martins Lane London. We walked with guests from there to our club Peg's (sadly no more) in Covent Garden. This shot is from that walk.

25 Years - 1995

I met Danielle 25 years ago on Easter Saturday, so here are photos from each of those years. Worry not, they shall not all be of us. This shot was taken in my house in Tottenham just after we met. By September of the same year we had sold our properties and bought a house together in Wood Green; needless to say this was against the better judgement of all our friends.

Layla

Rowan is the designated Layla photographer. This is in the gazebo.

Lockdown York 2

This was the station car park on Monday afternoon. Normally would be full.

Lockdown York

Before the lockdown York was already displaying impeccable social distance queuing for Boots.

R&R

After a long hard day of gardening, the manual workers get to rest.

Office World

The office now has three of us in it - cosy most of the time.

Elmet

Another shot that was going to be part of Open Studios. This is in Elmet in all its subtle beauty.

Virtual Quakers

This shot is going to be part of the virtual exhibition. Taken in York at Christmas you need to zoom in to get the ghostly figure walking towards you.
Danielle Rowan and I (and the dog) all participated in a virtual Quaker Meeting today on Zoom. Actual meetings are outlawed, the virtual version (we were in the gazebo) was great and worked really well.

Visits.

I rode on a road new to me on my ride from Scarborough, pas this lake which was a real surprise.
Today we saw Rowan's flatmate who is also back home in Yorkshire, then in the afternoon some friends back from Latin America popped in for tea and cake. But apart from that we are pretty isolated.

Ride

It could be last ride for a while, but I hope not. I got the train to Scarborough then caught the north easterly wind back home. A lovely ride on quiet back roads. This is the River Derwent which I crossed on the suspension footbridge at Huttons Ambo, a beautiful quiet car free spot.

Foreman Layla

So here is Layla supervising the garden work this week. This is my sixth week of Puppy-Quarantine, at least we can get out walking now.

Hooked

Patrick and I went out for a lust hurrah drink last night. Very quiet, probably the last such outing for quite a while. Having a puppy is a bit like being in quarantine anyway so I am well practiced.

At last I can take Layla walking; first trip was to Hook Moor and the magnificent windmills.

Windmill

Emerging from bland suburban streets full of semis, the Holgate windmill is a thing of wonder. Wonder at its engineering, its construction, and its renovation thanks to the dedication of a local group.

New Shot

Here is a new shot, that might make it to Open Studios this year. It is one that I need to get feedback to know if it is going to work. So Open Studios is always the best place to find out.

Bird Life

Not seen Redpolls, Siskins or Bramblings for a number of years. Goldfinches still here though.

FT Comment

Danielle's organisation hosted this event in London last week. It went well, and got this article in the Financial Times written about it. And there she is top right on the panel of experts.

The Study

Danielle is studying for an MA at the moment (to use up all the hours of free time she doesn't have). Here she is looking studious in the gazebo.

Freedom

I have been trapped at home with the dog for the past 4 weeks. So I was pleased to get out on the bike in the sun yesterday. This is by the Ouse on the Trans Pennine Trail with Drax power station in the background.

Flooded Still

The Ouse is still right across its flood plain. This is taken from the cycle track that crosses the river on the old East Coast Mainline railway bridge.

Farming Folk

Rowan is making the most of London life; she was at a City Farm last weekend with a couple of friends, one of whom took this shot.

Tasty Dish

It is rare that I follow a recipe rather than just improvise. But I did it with this Ottolenghi recipe for sweet potato, feta, tomato roast thing. It was tasty. (I do realise that my food photography is not my strong point)

Let's Socialise

Edward, Faye, Toby the Dog and Nell the child came round for a cup of tea and to help socialise Layla in terms of children and other dogs. Fair to say it went better with Nell than Toby.

Life Still

The light falling onto the table in the lounge gives endless still life possibilities. The daffs are from the garden, as are the Cardoon heads from last year. The vase from Ikea.

London Chat

I saw Victor in St Barnabas club in Soho for a drink and a chat, then met up with friend John in Islington for more of the same. So my trip to the smoke was not all bad.

The Regents Canal is now a major walking and cycling thoroughfare; very different from when I moved to Islington 40 years ago.

Three Lenins in a Boat

I was down in London to take down and bring my exhibition back home. Driving back from London is a tedious experience, the whole time I ask myself "why did I not take the train?" the answer is obviously apparent all around me in the crammed car. Anyway, whilst I was down there I walked past this sight: blue plaques for Jerome K Jerome (author of Three Men In A Boat, that we have just read for book group) and Lenin, just a couple of doors away from each other. Hard to think of a more unlikely pair; Hendrix and Handel were both brilliant musicians after all.