New York #1 

Back Home

Got back to a house, kindly cared for by two lots of local friends. Flying with Continental Airlines is never going to be a stress-free trip, but it went pretty well. Here is the first of a few photos from the US. Taking any shot off of the Empire State Building is never going to be easy to be original...

GBH

Rowan had her hair done at a salon run by some family friends. It is called GBH International [there are no connections with harm in the US]. I walk along the Dellaware River at Bristol, and have a good walk. Royce and I then go for a coffee at a cafe that seems to operate a "smokers only" policy. Now we are off to endure Neward airport...

VIrginia

Just back from Virginia. Flew down yesterday to Roanoke http://visitroanokeva.com/ then stayed at Randy and Joans [Danielle's aunt and uncle on her mothers side] and saw Wanda [cousin of danielle] and her three kids including a 2 year old Natalia who Rowan loved. Saw Great Grandma who is 90 and is in a nearby nursing home. Presented Rowan with a giant teddy bear decked out as a southern belle. Rowan loves it. I am reminded of a phrase of my late father: phenomenal...but ghastly.

Snow

We awoke to a perfect cloudless sky and three inches of powdery snow - everywhere looked beautiful. Everywhere except the Ben Franklin museum in Philadelphia which was crammed with what seemed like the entire population of the state. We cut our losses and headed out instead to Tyler State Park http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/tyler.aspx which was empty and perfect. Had a great walk in the snow.

Christmas Contrasts

Christmas breakfast was prepared by Aunt Sheila. Around the table were Royce [father of Danielle], Aunt Sheila, Aleish [daughter of Sheila], Christian [son of Aliesh], Ben [Danielle’s brother] Kari [wife of Ben] Danielle Rowan and Simon. We held off presents until 10.00.
Xmas Dinner saw all 9 of us go over to Maxine’s [Danielle’s Great Aunt] where we joined Ralph [husband of Maxine], Marna [daughter of Maxine] Sheldon [boyfriend of Marna] and his 90+ father.

So, after all that family activity it was a real contrast for Danielle and I to walk to the Quaker meeting house http://quakersbucks.org/soton.htm across the way for meeting for worship this morning. [Rowan stayed home watching Harry Potter with Kari] Total number of people at meeting – 6! Not exactly like Friargate in York, but very peaceful. The meeting house has a huge picture window into the forest, so that you can really have a good think.

From the sublime to Philadelphia

After the magnificence of Manhattan in beautiful sunshine yesterday, today Danielle and I went into Philadelphia. Rowan had a day with Royce. The contrast could not have been greater, rain and wind [including one bizarre hurricane blast for 15 seconds that blew us off the sidewalk] and the downbeat mediocrity of Philadelphia. We went to Danielle’s old trendy haunts on South Street – amazingly some are still there, but most are not – and had a good time wandering around.
Ben and Kari are en route from Washington tonight; when they arrive we will have a full house of nine, all ready for Xmas.

New York New York

Royce dropped us off at Trenton station this moring and Rowan, Danielle and I took the train to New York City. The train was a bit like being on British Rail ten years ago - not exactly customer focused - but it got us there. A beautiful day. Empire State building, a lot of quequing but worth it for the view of Manhattan which is a fantastic sight. The ferris wheel inside the living hell that is Christmas in the Time Square Toys R Us shop - Rowan loved it. We had lunch with Randall, a college friend of Danielles who lives in an appartment two blocks away from Time Square. He took us to a converted church pizza place which was fantastic. New York really is something to behold in its total urban-ness. A good day. All tired. S

Lost wallet and plastic priviledge

I had my wallet stolen last week. Pretty weird experience, especially as I didn't notice until hours later. I had lunch in a cafe in London, leaving my bag for a nanosecond to get a spoon. I walked on to a meeting in East London about helping young homeless people to look after their money better.

I then used my Oyster Card to travel across London to Embankment to the Commonwealth Club where I planned to have a coffee and relax for an hour or two before catching the train back to York. At the door of the Club, the very pleasant receptionist asked me for my membership card. I couldn't find my wallet. I said I couldn't find it, could she just look me up on her system? She did and I went downstairs in the warm and comfortable Club to search my bag for the missing wallet. It wasn't there. I then used my mobile to check where I had been to see if it had been found - no luck. I cancelled all my credit cards and then caught the tube back to Kings Cross to return home. I had no money, no ID, no nothing. However, I had my ticket home and found I also had a voucher for a 3 course meal on the train, so I used it and cycled home from York Station.

This is how we live. The relatively affluent can move around the earth- over 200 miles- in warmth and comfort, using stored assets of accumulated wealth - vouchers, tickets and other bits of plastic priviledge, stating who we are and expecting to be given what is due us. And we are given it with no proof other than steady eye contact and a confident tone. Danielle

Bryn Gweled

Danielle's Dad lives in Bryn Gweled www.bryngweled.org a quaker community [of sorts] in Pensylavania. We woke this morning to a dusting of snow. Rowan and Danielle were asleep so I went for a run through the woods. It is a beautiful place with modern buildings spread through the woods. A lot of frank lloyd wright influence. Very peaceful, not one car passed me on my run [yes I know it was a short run, but that is still pretty good]. Various other bits of the family arrive over the next few days. Everything fine. [Even the Philadelphia Eagles won at football yesterday...this is very rare I believe]

Hurry Up and Wait

Arrived safely in the US today. Rowan was great on the flight and it all went pretty well. Royce, Danielle's father, described the culture of air travel as being similar to the military - that is a culture of "Hurry Up and Wait". And that seems true. You rush to the check-out to make sure you are there 2 hours ahead of departure....then you wait. You rush to the departure gate....and wait. And so on.

Great to see everyone here, Rowan is asleep, I nearly am. S

Go

En route to the US, we are staying at the hotel at Manchester airport, which is great. Means we can have a relaxed check in tomorrow morning [in theory...but we are flying with Continental who make British Airways look really good] Rowan and Danielle are swimming in the pool.

On the way over I was reading about Go, the Chinese game, http://www.well.com/user/mmcadams/gointro.html in the Economist. It reminded me how much I like the game, and how little I play it. I have an internet game in progress with my friend Victor, but the last exchange of moves was two years ago, so it is going to take some time to complete. I will try and find a downloadable computer version to practice on.

Trip to the US

Tomorrow we set off for Christmas in the US at Danielle's fathers in Philadelphia. We are hoping to include trips to see Danielle's grandmother in Virginia, and to New York City to show Rowan the sights. And we are having some sort of party on Boxing Day to catch up with Danielle's old friends - many not seen for years. So it going to be hectic, but should be fun. Rowan finished school today, went to a party of a German classmate, where they all made German cookies for Xmas. Well we had to eat ours today didn't we? Would have been a shame to leave them here until the New Year.

What's That Sound?

I subscribe to Songlines, a world music magazine http://www.songlines.co.uk/ that is pretty good. Each month it includes a free CD with ten top tracks from the month’s new releases. This is a good way of learning about various musics from around the world. There are sometimes some fairly bizarre sounds on the CD – all part of the fun.

Anyway, this month I stuck the CD on in the kitchen and carried on with cooking dinner, listening to some good old wailing in the background. One track though sounded just plain out of tune, and with a horrible weedy electronic sound. Even I thought this was a bit much. Then it carried on into the next track…..

I investigated and found that Rowan had switched on the “signing birthday cake candles”. These charming products produce a terrible version of happy birthday to you, over and over again. Problem solved. But it could be the start of a new fusion movement – tacky sounds and roots music..

Classic Photo #12

The Building and the Plane - London. I always thought this was a bit cliched, but it is still in the "classic" folder so here it is. It was a beutiful crisp day and the plane obliged by flying into frame just in time.

The building and the plane - London 

The Digital Ear

Got my NHS digital hearing aid on Saturday. It is a big improvement on the old analog one. I will try and use it more.......... It is best when there is an induction loop available, but still difficult to get used to in other situations. They cost two grand a shot if you buy them privately, or nothing if you get them on the NHS. I think there is probably a middle ground to be found there.

My hearing still provides amusement from time to time. I was listening to a Radio program that was about Osama Bin Laden and was bemused that the presenter was so worried about him getting hold of a saxaphone [cue images of Bin Laden playing sax in a cave to his followers]. Then I realised they were talking about a "sat-phone" which is short for a satellite phone. Oh well. S

Classic Photo #11

Men - Albania. This is from a trip in 1989, just before the collapse of all things communst in Eastern Europe. I liked Albania. In Tirana, the capital, I saw soldiers holding hands, which seemed a pretty good state of affairs to me. This shot has the domes of a mosque and of anti tank emplacements in it, which seemed to contrast nicely.

Men - Albania 

Magic Lunch

Had some neighbour friends, Gwen and David, round for lunch today. Great relaxed meal of home made soup and fresh bread courtesy of Mr Panasonic. This was all eclipsed however by Gwen's two card tricks, one of which she managed to teach to Rowan who then performed it on us. To see Rowan's look of wonderment as Gwen performed the tricks made me realise that this is a skill well worth having [I haven't got it]. When I was cycling in Turkey with Paul, he managed to enthrall the kids of a whole village with his card tricks. [Strangely his recital of Annie's Song on his flute failed to have the same effect]. So maybe Rowan will teach me some Magic.

Classic Photo #10

Tunnel - Colyhurst - Manchester.
Charlie was driving me around Manchester when we spotted this tunnel in the middle of the wasteland. The three boys were walking through it at just the right time. I was back in the area earlier this year for a bit of work, expecting it to be regenerated / yuppified / supermarketed. In fact it is just the same.

Tunnel - Colyhurst - Manchester 

Computer Spaghetti

Spent all day yesterday sorting out my mother’s new PC [she is an experienced silver surfer of five years standing]. Then spent today refitting three computers in the office at home…have seen enough cables and USBs to last a lifetime. But it all seems to work.

In between the two bowls of spaghetti I was driving back late last night on an “A” road east of Doncaster when I noticed I was all alone. This was strange; I had spent the previous 3 hours of the journey with thousands of fellow travellers for company. Then without warning the road was blocked. Not at a junction, but in the middle of nowhere with a massive barrier across the road. No diversion signs, no explanation, nothing to laugh at at all. Just there deep in the heart of the Doncaster badlands – not a building or a person to be seen. It was so strange; I got out to savour the quiet night. Turning round, it was six miles before I got to the roundabout that should have had a sign on it saying “Road Blocked. Diversion”. There was no sign [due to rural vandals or government cuts, fill in with your own prejudice]. I was soon back with the rest of the world.

Classic Photo #9

Girl at Covent Garden. This has been one of my most popular photos, with a good few copies sold. There seems to be something about the girls face that is almost primeval. Always men who buy it....
It was taken at a performance by some Burundi drummers at a packed Covent Garden piazza.

Girl - Covent Garden - London 

Life as a Consultant

A good day today. The home-office is finally getting decorated, so we will be able to move the desks back in there after a few months of nomadic existence around the house. And this week I have firmed up two bits of work for the new year. The first deal was agreed in Starbucks on Leeds Station over a decaf latte. The second in the beautiful Georgian squares[honestly] of Wakefield. This is great news, meaning that things are set up for the rest of the fiscal year. I can relax a bit now. And it is my birthday too!

Preston 2

On the River Ribble we saw a pair of Goosanders http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/goosander/index.asp with the male doing some pretty spectacular diving in the fast moving water. Later on Rowan spotted a tree-creeper http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/t/treecreeper/index.asp in Avenham Park http://www.gardenvisit.com/g/aven.htm doing just what it should do [creeping up a tree]. We also visited the Lancashire Museum http://www.imagined.org.uk/public_html/Lancashire/museum.html which had an unexploded bomb which Rowan was delighted with. Luckily Danielle did not include watching North End in the weekend [they lost 5-0].

Avenham Park - Preston 

Preston

Have just spent my birthday weekend in Preston as a treat from Danielle and Rowan [Don't laugh, we took Danielle to Hull last year]. It was fantastic. Memories both vague and vivid flooded back from the place of my childhood. http://www.visitpreston.com/ It has certainly changed. Highlights were the national football museum at Deepdale http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/ a great meal at a restraunt we found out later is run by a famous chef [we had never heard of] http://www.heathcotes.co.uk/simply/locations.php?location_id=2&restaurant_id=2 which was very Rowan friendly, and a coffee at Brucianni's [the Italian cafe that is still going 40 years on].

Trees - Interlaken - Switzerland 

Classic Photo #8

Trees - Interlaken - Switzerland. This was taken one March afternoon. I had hitched into a cold and pretty desolate Interlaken, found a cheap hotel and was wondering what to do with myself, when I spotted these trees looking suitably weird in the snow. The people arrived as if on cue, and the picture was made.

After Pegs

Pegs was a club that Danielle and I were both members of when we lived in London. It was where we had our wedding reception, my 40th Birthday party, and an exhibition of my photos. So we were very sad [and a little bewildered] when it went bust about 5 years ago. So it was good to discover another club that meets our needs [somewhere to be based when we are in London]. I could join the Royal Commonwealth Club just off Trafalgar Square http://www.rcsint.org/club/ for a really low rate because of my OU MBA. Danielle could then join as a spouse on another good rate. So we are really pleased with it.