Top Ten Books

The top ten books that have influenced me [in no particular order]

1 Zen & the art of motorcycle maintainance - Robert Pirsig
General meaning of life stuff. Good at making you take things one step at a time

2 Organic vegetable gardening - Laurence Hills
Ancient but inspiring

3 The Sound of the City - Charlie Gillett
Puts music into perspective

4 Pre-grouping Railway Atlas
Makes sense of all those disused railway lines

5 The Outsider - Colin Wilson
A guide to existentialism that you can actually understand

6 On the Road - Jack Kerouac
Inspired me to hitch-hike

7 Richard's bicycle book - Richard Ballantine
Inspired me to get cycling again

8 Quaker Faith & Practice
Quaker thoughts on most things

9 Film Noir - Silver & Ward
The perfect guide to the great art form

10 The Hamlyn Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe - Bruun & Singer
This was my father's bird book, it is my favourite.

Redwing

Rowan went to play at her friend Clara's house today; they run an Italian Restaraunt so she always gets a good lunch! When we got back we saw a Redwing in the hedge by the kitchen http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/r/redwing/index.asp Danielle is staying in Dorking, the HQ of Friends Provident where she has some meeting today and tomorrow.

Yorkshire Treasures #3

Here is a shot of Beningborough Hall which we went to at the weekend. It is a great place to go, especially as it is on a Sustrans bike route.

Rowan and I had a good ride today to the Police station to pick up a package, then along the riverside path to the National Railway Museum for a trip to our old stomping ground. Great time. Rowan rode really well. Danielle is busy being Quakerly at the wedding of two people from meeting whom she "overseas".

Beningborough Hall 

Bye Bye Mia 

Fairburn

Took Wendy and Mia to the station after a waffle breakfast. Then went to Fairburn, our local RSPB reserve. http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/f/fairburnings/index.asp It is a really pleasant place to go, reclaimed from the south yorkshire coalfield, we saw Teal [we think] amongst other things.

Rowan Corner 2004 

Easter Day

Rowan and I cycled to Rowan corner first thing. This is a bench surrounded by Rowan trees on a nearby cycle track. The photo was taken last year, this year the buds still have a long way to go yet.

Next Wendy, Mia and the three of us went over to Ted, Chris, Lilly and Oscars [2 grown ups , 2 kids] to embark on an egg hunt in Hogg Wood that Oscar [10] had laid earlier in the day. He provided us all with hand drawn maps. Went very well, despite the mud and the rain. Then had a lovely meal at Ted and Chris' of dal, rice, nan etc. Gloomy weather but happy day.

Beningborough

Wendy and her daughter Mia arrived at lunchtime for the Easter weekend, great to see them. We went to Beningborough for the first time this year http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hbcache/property329.htm . It is our local National Trust house and gardern, and a great child-friendly place to visit.

Wendy, Mia, Rowan & Danielle 

Good Friday

It is a beautiful day here in York. Rowan and I planted out our seed potatoes this morning - apparantly this is the traditional day to do it [it was the only time people had to spend on their allotments]. She was a great help - weeding and transporting the seed potatoes to the beds. This photo is of our favourtie vegetable, Cavallo Nero is Black Kale and delicious. I can't understand why it is not more common as it is very hardy and easy to grow.

Danielle and I are still recovering from our flu - main symptom being exhausted all the time. Rowan is fully recovered and out playing with her new friend from up the street; Megan.

Cavallo Nero 

Camp and Camera

Rowan finished at Kings Camp today. She got on really well, and we were really impressed with the staff who put the camp together. After I lost my camera two months ago [a sorry tale involving a café in Boroughbridge, Ted and some grumpy staff] I have finally got around to replacing it with one that will do for my professional portrait work as well as home use – so that’s a lot of manual to read over the next few weeks, to work out how it works. Off to David and Emma’s now to see David’s photos of his trip to China last year.

Full Pelt at Kings Camp 

Our Pheasant 

Spring is here

I saw the first Peacock butterfly of the spring today http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/404.shtml so it feels like summer is on the way. Rowan and I saw a cock pheasant in the garden again looking bemused and incongruous. Hopefully the pair will choose to nest somewhere else like they did last year. Still ill.

Hull Harbour 

Kings Camp

Rowan is at a Kings Camp this week http://www.kingssportscamps.com/. It is based at her school and involves lots of sports / swimming things run by hyper-enthusiastic young people dressed in track suits. When we arrived for day one Rowan was very anxious "I won't know anyone! I don't want to play rugby!" but as we entrered the Sports Hall she saw two of her best friends from school and one of her oldest friends from nursery - and they were in her group. She loved it, and has gone off very happily today in odd-socks for odd-socks day. That's the good news, on the down side Danielle has now caught the relay-flu [Rowan>Me>Danielle] In the meantime this photo is of Hull, the centre of which is an unexpected treasure of Yorkshire.

A Pile Of Palmours

I have been totally laid low by flu all weekend, with not much improvement today. On Saturday we all fell asleep piled up on the sofa whilst watching the cycling [Milan - San Remo, first classic of the season]. I managed to extricate myself and take this photo.

A Pile of Palmours 

Frog Time

It's that time of year. You go out to the garden and there is a guilty flopping around in the pond as the rampant frogs pretend that they are doing nothing out of the ordinary. The huge dollops of frog spawn, that are now emerging in the pond, tell the tale. This is the first real sign of spring to me.
Have seen a lot of long tailed tits in the last week, flitting around http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/l/longtailedtit/index.asp
Rowan is getting better, I have now caught her bug off her...

River Ouse

This is the River Ouse at Poppleton, just outside York. Taken last week when it was cold and sunny. Right now it is dull and mild - not as good for photos.

River Ouse 

Portrait #6

This shot is of a young woman and her grandfather, taken in 1984 in Montenegro. They lived beneath the plannina [plateau] where her husband was tending sheep on the summer pasture for a week at a time, staying in a mountain hut, high above his family.

He was due back the afternoon that I took this photo, and he was in for a shock. The woman had had her hair cut short [a radical move] whilst her husband was away, and was unsure of his likely reaction - hence the headscarf.

Woman & Grandfather - Montenegro 

And the bad

Remember I was saying how great the internet was, when I shopped on-line from the train to Glasgow? Well, the downside arrived today. My e-mail account terminated itself for no reason [NTL's comment "I'd use another ISP if you want reliable e-mail] I was told it would take "a couple of days" to sort. Imagine the panic, work contacts not getting through, reputation plummeting, aaargh!

"I'd start a hotmail account if I were you", said the NTL man. So I did, and told people to use the new address. And then this afternoon, my original account seemed to be working again. The whole debacle took about 3 hours out of my day. And I'm still not convinced all is well.

Think I might see about changing ISP.

Day off School

I remember someone telling me that, when your child is ill, you have to treat it as a real time to treasure. “For once, she is going to want to sit and cuddle on the sofa all day, sleeping, reading, listening to stories etc. Make the most of it, enjoy it.” And that is what we have done today. Rowan has been off school, and luckily I have just finished a big bit of work that has been taking up a lot of time. So I have needed little excuse to look after Rowan all day in our nice warm house. This is her first day off for two years, so her health is not doing too bad. Oops, must go, time to watch Blue Peter…

Rowan & Cecilia

Rowan and Cecilia got on really well this weekend, despite Rowan being quite poorly with a cold and fever. We walked out to the Bear of Hob Moor this morning - here they are.

Rowan & Cecilia 

The Minster Today 

Science

Last night Rowan and I went to see Adam Hart Davis give a child friendly lecture on Science and Photography. It was great, he used a lot of photos from a competition http://www.connected.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/10/06/ecr106.xml&sSheet=/connected/2004/10/06/ixconnrite.html
and also plenty of his own http://www.adam-hart-davis.org/.

Today friends Carl and Jill came up to stay for the weekend with their daughter Cecilia who is Rowans age. They played all day really well together. Everyone except me went to the Jorvik viking museum http://www.vikingjorvik.com/ and then we rounded off the day with a Chinese meal at Maxi's restraunt. Busy day.

Science

Last night Rowan and I went to see Adam Hart Davis give a child friendly lecture on Science and Photography. It was great, he used a lot of photos from a competition http://www.connected.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/10/06/ecr106.xml&sSheet=/connected/2004/10/06/ixconnrite.html
and also plenty of his own http://www.adam-hart-davis.org/.

Today friends Carl and Jill came up to stay for the weekend with their daughter Cecilia who is Rowans age. They played all day really well together. Everyone except me went to the Jorvik viking museum http://www.vikingjorvik.com/ and then we rounded off the day with a Chinese meal at Maxi's restraunt. Busy day.

Science

Last night Rowan and I went to see Adam Hart Davis give a child friendly lecture on Science and Photography. It was great, he used a lot of photos from a competition http://www.connected.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2004/10/06/ecr106.xml&sSheet=/connected/2004/10/06/ixconnrite.html
and also plenty of his own http://www.adam-hart-davis.org/.

Today friends Carl and Jill came up to stay for the weekend with their daughter Cecilia who is Rowans age. They played all day really well together. Everyone except me went to the Jorvik viking museum http://www.vikingjorvik.com/ and then we rounded off the day with a Chinese meal at Maxi's restraunt. Busy day.

A good day

A perfect office environment on the train down to London, got a lot of work done, chatted to a woman who worked for Bettys [legendary cafe chain in North Yorkshire http://www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk/ ] Then had a good meeting to do with my work with Frances who I have worked with on and off for 25 years. Then I had a cup of tea with Mark at Penguin Books [a ridiculously grand building on the Strand, where he works], did some more work then met up with Rob at the Commonwealth Club for a pre-Vegas chat. Finally did some more work on the train then got home. Busy but good

Duck Alert

The pair of Mallard http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/m/mallard/index.asp decided to move into our pond today. As you can see from the picture it is a little cramped for them. I saw them today swimming round and round in circles and seeming surprised when they kept meeting each other at every turn they made. They do look a bit out of place in such a small pond. Last year they moved on after a week and nested in the beck below our garden. This year: who knows

Ducks on the pond 

Active Citizen

Danielle had her bike stolen on Saturday from outside the Mount while she was at the committee. We were both fed up about it, the cable lock had been cut clean and the bike was persumed lost for ever. Imagine our surprise when the Police rang us yesterday saying they had found it. Someone at a supermarket had heard some boys bragging about the bikes they had stolen. So he followed them in his car, confronted them and they ran away, leaving two bikes in the road. He then took the bikes to the Police station in Fulford. Now that's what I call active citizenship! I took him a jar of Danielle's home-made marmalade [this was a reward not a punishment by the way], he was not in but his son was, and he told me the story.

Harewood Hall [pronounced Harwood] last night was great. We drove up the drive to park right in front of the house, then ate in the actual dining room in the house. All the JRF trustees and directors [past and present] were there, and it was good to catch up with them. Really good meal.

I'm off this evening to catch up with Andy, an old friend from University at Liverpool, who I have not seen for 8 years. He lives in Salisbury but is up in York for work. We are going for an Indian, it'll be just like old times.

Harewood House

We are off for a Jospeh Rowntree dinner tonight at Harewood House http://www.harewood.org/tour.shtml tonight. The current chair is standing down and so they have a big do. They very kindly invited Danielle [even though it is five months since she left] and even more amazingly allowed her to bring her husband.
Rowan is happy because the "girls up the road" Bridie and Rachel are babysitting, and Rowan really likes them [last time they babysat, an elaborate den was built involvoing most of our furniture by the sounds of it]

Yorkshire Treasures #2

Barnitts is a hardware shop in York. It is an institution. Over the years it has spread to occupy acres of space, but in such a haphazard way that if you enter by one door, it is virtually impossible to exit the same way. It is a maze, that has everything in there somewhere. The opposite of B&Q, and well worth supporting. Rowan and I were in there on Saturday [whilst Danielle was at the Mount School http://www.mount.n-yorks.sch.uk/ where she is a member of the committee] "where are the reading glasses?" I asked, knowing that they had some somewhere ["hardware" is loosely interpreted in Barnitts]. "At the front of the shop" came the reply, "Where is that ?" I needed help, it is like saying "on the side of the pentagon": the shop has no front as far as I can work out after 7 years of trying. Anyway we found them in the end.

Constantine + 1 

Emperor Constantine

Constantine the Great 274 – 337 AD was proclaimed Roman Emperor at York in 306AD. His recognition of the civil liberties of his Christian subjects , and his own conversion to the Faith, established the religious foundations of Western Christendom. Don't know who that with the Red Nose is though?

New bird in the garden

I saw a fieldfare http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/f/fieldfare/index.asp today by the beck at the bottom of the garden. This is the first time we have seen one here at Hobmoor.

Finding a Voice

Danielle and I are off this evening to the first meeting of "Finding a Voice" a project about incomers to York, and their stories. The idea is that people from all over the world [and Lancashire] tell their stories, and somehow it all comes together as a performance or book or film or something.... JZ, our friend who is putting it together is a broadcaster / writer , so she will no doubt explain it all. I think that all we have to do, is talk about ourselves, so that should be no problem...

Yorkshire Treasures #1

Byland Abbey is about 20 miles north of York. http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/abbeys/byland%20abbey.htm One of a number of abbeys in the county. Very atmospheric, not to say precarious. It is on a cycle route to the North York Moors, with a secret water tap behind a wall, for the thirsty cyclist.

The whole abbey was relocated here after the monks at Old Byland could not agree with the monks at nearby Riveaux how to accommodate two sets of bell ringing in the same locality. Pathetic but true.

Bylands Abbey 

Garden Railway 2 

Garden Railway 1 

The Garden Railway

Rowan and I [honest] built our garden railway last year. It runs round the rockery and over the pond on a bridge. About this time of year, we are both wondering when we can get it started again. It will need a lot of clearing of the track, charging of batteries etc, but we will have it going by Easter.