Sunday Sunday

Had a good meal last night at Helen and Roland's house in a village north of York. George was babysitting for Rowan. He is one of her favourites [son of David and Emma who live just up the road] so she was very happy "When are you going?" she kept asking of Danielle and I.

Then today Hilary and Paul called in for lunch on their way down from Durham [where Hilary is an MP] to London. John and Katie came too with Eleanor their daughter, so that Rowan had a friend to play with whilst we did boring grown up stuff.

Then Rowan was off to a party at a ghastly whacky warehouse place which she really enjoyed.

Busy weekend

Weaving through the snow

Rowan and I had a good time yesterday evening [Danielle was on her way back from London] having tea at some friends from Quaker meeting. Rowan went off to play with Ella [one year older] and put up with Tom [two years younger], whilst I had a good chat with Beverly [freelance trainer] and Steve [social worker]. It was a pleasant early evening. Got back, and finished constructing Danielle's Loom http://www.foxglovefiber.com/foxglove/images/Tbleloom.jpg

This morning I drove Rowan and Danielle and the loom up to Levisham deep in the North York Moors [they were cut off until yesterday with the snow]. I left them with Betty who is teaching them how to weave. I then cycled back via Pickering http://www.yorkshire-tour.co.uk/yt/pick.htm and Castle Howard. It was a bit wet and slushy but I had a good ride with the wind mainly behind me. Just time to get ready for tomorrow [we have people for lunch] then Danielle and I are off for a meal with friends this evening.

Portrait #5

This is of Achille who died at the back end of last year. He was the first disabled person that I worked with and a really good friend. Amongst other things he was an artist [I have two his paintings on my walls] and published poet. This photo was taken in the 80s.

Achille 

Snow on Hob Moor

The snow seems to come each night, get melted, then try again the next day. This view of the moor is pretty much the same view as the shot of the daffodils a few days ago... it looks very different now.

Snow on Hob Moor 

Woodpecker

The snow has meant that the birds are finding it hard to get food. We had a Greater Spotted Woodpecker on the nuts today. http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/g-s-woodpecker.htm It is a really dramatic bird to have outside your kitchen window.

Snow

Had a fall of snow last night. This morning I walked Rowan to school, then attempted to cycle into town. Had to lock the bike up and walk as a blizzard took hold of York. Soon brightened up and started to melt. I took a portrait for the next issue of QuakeVine - the York quaker monthly that I do the cover shot of each month - then walked back across the snow covered Knavesmire. Rowan was playing after school at her friend Douglas' house. Looks like more snow on the way.

Hob Moor Drive 

Glasgow 2

Back from Glasgow: we really had a good time and loved the city. This morning there was a perfect crisp blue sky as we walked around the Merchant City with some great old buildings. I find it hard to understand just how prosperous the city must have been in Victorian times.

Glasgow Opera House 

Glasgow

Using Danielle's free first class tickets the three of us headed up to Glasgow for the weekend. We cycled to the station after waffles, and caught the 9.00 train. It was a beautiful morning and I had forgotten how spectacular the route is. Durham cathedral, the Newcastle bridges, the Northumberland coast, Berwick viaduct then Edinburgh. We checked into our hotel then walked along the Clyde bank to the Science centre http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/. This is a standard Millennium project, the usual dramatic architecture, a new bridge over the Clyde. The difference with this museum is that it is not too cramped [unlike Eureka in Halifax] it is really light with amazing views up to the hills, and all the punters seemed really polite too. Managed to do our Asda shopping on the train ride this morning courtesy of the GNER wireless network on their trains ...... modern life. Rowan and Danielle are in the swimming pool as I type. By the way, Preston were robbed by Ipswich last night, it was good fun watching in the pub: we were the only three watching the soccer, with about 30 people watching the Rugby League.

Daffodils in the garden

The daffodils have been out for a few weeks now. Today the winter sun was cathching them beautifully. It has felt like spring. I am off to watch Preston v Ipswich on Sky in the pub with a couple of friends tonight [both Ipswich fans...] if we can find a pub that is not showing the Rugby League that is... watch this space

Daffodils in the garden 

Simon & Danielle by Rowan 

Photo by Rowan

Rowan has started taking digital photos. Here is her first picture of her parents. Not bad - despite the ageing subject matter.

Books

My sister Ro gave us a copy of The American Boy by Andrew Taylor http://www.andrew-taylor.co.uk/ for Christmas. I had never heard of him. Turns out that Andrew Taylor went to school with Peter [Ro’s husband]. When Ro told me it had “been selected for the Richard and Judy bookclub” [American readers; this is a sub-Oprah chat show]] my expectations sank. But, guess what? it was really good. Nice to be surprised by something new.

Portrait # 4

Another band shot. It's from the 80's [pretty obviously when you look at the clothes]. I don't remember their name, but one band member is Wayne Hemingway who has gone on to be a pretty ubiquitous fashion / design talker.

Portrait # 4

Being Spoilt

By a quirk of timing we got invited out for two meals this weekend. Last night we had a lovely time at Ellen and David’s with other guests Sue and Maggie. Rowan was road-testing a new baby sitter [Bridie from up the road] which seemed to go OK.

Then today we went after meeting to Edward and JZ’s for lunch in St Pauls Square [the one Victorian Square in York]. Very relaxed, including a game of Head Body and Tail which we all really liked. Rowans classmate Alex has just moved into the Square as well, and we saw him playing football in the street. We went on the tandem and Danielle’s bike, after the dramatic crash last week, it seems back to normal stability. I think the crash might have been caused by diesel on the road.

Marmalade

Saw the Vogler Quartet http://www.voglerquartet.com/en/quartett_eng.html last night at our regular BMS gig. They were really good, a very classy sound. They played pieces by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Hartmann. Today is marmalade making day, The organic Seville oranges are ready to go, Mother's recipe is at hand, the experts [the other two, not me] are ready to go….watch out kitchen

Book Group

We had the first meeting of our new book group this week. The membership consist mainly of people who have never been in a book group before [like me] and people who are already in one, but need one that is slightly less taxing / needy than their existing groups [which they will continue to be members of] [like Danielle]. For these reasons Danielle and I call the group the Refugees and Virgins Book Group. In the first meeting we worked out how we would choose books, what sort of books we liked, what we liked to drink with our discussion etc. First book is The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099284588/qid=1108147486/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-4504163-1872649#product-details which we are looking forward to discussing in March.

Tasting Room

Wendy’s do at Canada House was really good fun. Met some old friends, and some interesting new people. Stayed at David and Cathy’s, whose daughter Jessie, aged 5, woke me with a song this morning. Walked with the family to school where I bumped into Coral who was dropping off her daughter Amy. So it felt like being in a village.

Got the 10.00 train home where I met Danielle who was having the day off. Rowan is round playing at Lilly’s all day so we had time to have lunch together at The Tasting Rooms http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/greedypig/food/reviews/restaurants/tasting_room.shtml This is a new restaurant in York run by Nigel who is a virtual member of the Bike Group [i.e. he gets the e-mails but hasn’t made it onto a ride yet]. The food was great but the service was slow.

In Tandem

Rowan and I went a ride on the tandem today. We went as far as Saturn [on the planets bike ride] then had a coffee at SlideShops [aka Mcarthur Glen outlet www.shoppingvillages.com/McArthurGlenYork/MGYork.htm ] before returning via Holgate Hill where I managed to crash on the corner / Going too fast / Scraped knees / no damage. Rowan was very businesslike about the crash, enquiring “Daddy are you alright?” before we got back on and cycled home. I will be more careful on those type of corners [as Danielle said, I am used to having more weight on the back of the tandem.]

I am now setting off to London for my friend Wendy’s CBE investiture party at Canada House. Should be fun. I am using one of the free GNER tickets Danielle got last month.

Scarborough fair

Rowan and I rode our bikes to the station, then took the train to Scarborough http://www.yorkshirecoast.co.uk/scarb/. It was a beautiful day, sunny, not too cold. Rowan did some major sand experiments on the beach, where we saw some Sanderlings http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/s/sanderling/index.asp running about. We even had a picnic in the sun.

Pocklington Canal

Rowan and I went a walk along the Pocklington Canal today. It is really peaceful and a surprise to find a canal in such a rural location. http://www.waterscape.com/waterwaysguide/waterways/Pocklington_Canal/Pocklington_Canal.html It was pretty dank and misty today, but still good to walk along side.

Pocklington Canal 

Cliffords Tower

We walk past this part of York Castle, when we go to quaker meeting at Friargate in central York. It was very busy today, we brought back Lily, a friend of Rowan's - they then spent hours on the trampoline and watching Harry Potter.

Cliffords Tower 

Fountains Abbey 

Fountains Abbey

Ted and I cycled to Fountains Abbey today, http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/ It is a great route that goes past the Devils Arrows at Boroughbridge http://www.eagle.co.uk/vale-of-york/devils-arrows.html which are amazing megalithic monuments. Danielle and Rowan met us and we all drove back after lunch in the cafe. They had earlier cycled to get the Seville oranges to make this year's marmalade - looking forward to it.

A bit of fresh air

Having been couped up training all week, I went for a quick cycle ride this morning after dropping Rowan off at school. I headed south and came past the old windmill near Colton. It is quite eerie, blackened by soot as a result of its proximity to the main railway line. You can go inside and look up at the ruined interior - dangerous but interesting.

Colton Windmill 

Cas

I have been working in Castleford this week. It is one of “the five towns” of Wakefield. Needless to say there was no agreement about what made up the five towns, in the end we got a definitive list from the Five Town Resource centre. http://www.5townscf.org.uk/html/five_towns_.html Pontefract, Castleford, Featherstone, Normanton, Knottingley. They were famous for coal and rugby league. Just the Rugby league now. It is an old Roman town [although all the remains have been covered over once excavated – don’t ask!] http://www.arch.wyjs.org.uk/AdvSrv/RomanWeb/Castleford.htm My route to the town goes cross-country via the site of the battle of Towton which is suitably bleak and chilling

Portrait #3

This is a shot I did for Empire in 1983. The band included my friends Derwood and Mike. I will hopefully be seeing Derwood in the California Desert in Aprl, and Mike in the wastelands of Hackney sometime this year.

Portait #3 Empire