Tour Of Britain

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Rowan and I went to Harrogate today to see a sprint on the Tour Of Britain cycle race

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/

It was good fun. Last year we saw them on a climb at Ilkley, so it was good to have the contrast of a high speed sprint for the line.
The photo is at Riddlesden Hall, William and Rowan

The Slope

William and the three of us met up with Ted and cycled to Beningborough again on Sunday. It is good length of ride for Rowan at the moment. When we get there the tea-room meets our needs, and the legendary grass slope [photo] meets Rowan's. In her own words, "it's traditional" that she roll down it.

Honey Honey

The honey harvest is here again. Messy but fun. We reckon there is about 14 kilos this year, and the taste is devine

3-2

Friday evening William and I went to watch York City play Burton Albion. Last year I saw the same game with Roland and it was a dire one-nil defeat for York. This year it could not have been more different. York went one up, were pegged back, went 2-1 up, then it was 2-2. In the last minute of injury time York got a free kick on the edge of the box, and scored. Great game.

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/display.var.895813.0..php

The photo is of the tree house at Alnwick

Big Boy Cousin

Nephew William is here to stay for a few days. 15 and idealised by Rowan, it is proving a very successful stay. Yesterday we all cycled to the Chinese restaurant for tea and had a good meal. Then today William and Rowan walked into town, Rowan showing William around, having lunch, and returning with their booty [cookery book for Rowan, Razorlight CD for William].
The photo is another from Alnwick: reminds me of the park in Blow Up.

Orgella

At dinner last friday talk got on to the important topics of the day: why is it that hairdressers, gas-fire shops, and chip shops all feel the need to have punning names. The usual discussion of "The Better Hearth", "The Grate Place", and "Fishey Storeys" [I don't get it either] took place. But Roland and Helen had one to trump us all. In Easingwold there is a hairdressers called
"Orgella". Why?. Well the owners favorite car was an Austin Allegro [which is pretty amazing in itself] and so she spelt it backwards for the name of her shop. A good choice? You decide. http://www.thelocalweb.net/ListingByID.asp?id=%20725127

The photo is of the dovecote at Alnwick

Batty about Bats

The other night there was a York Council run event in Acomb Wood: Batty About Bats. A group of about 30 or so gathered in the darkening evening and wondered around with Bat Detectors and torches. Amazingly we found some. Rowan and the other children seemed to get as much joy from playing with the torches as from the bats, but it was a good event. The bat was a pipistrelle

http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factsheets/animal_facts/pipistrelle_bat.html

The photo is of Rowan's secret-tree-place at Alnwick

Product News

The brambles are just getting ripe in the garden. The plums have yielded one Plum Fool [a food not a descriptor] and hopefully a few crumbles to come. Danielle and Rowan made some Lavender Buns this evening, using a recipe Rowan got from Meeting. The French Beans are doing well, the courgettes are disappointing. Shame we don't eat Cabbage White catepillars: we have plenty of them

Alnwick Gardens

Rowan and I took the train to Alnmouth, then a bus to Alnwick to visit Alnwick Gardens.

http://www.alnwickgarden.com/

it is a fantastic place, Rowan was particularly enthralled with the Poison Garden, which is full of posionous plants. The guide gave us many tales of dire consequences that went down well with all the kids. There is a water garden bit where this photo of me was taken by Rowan.
A great day out

Beningborough

We rode to the National Trust place at Beningborough again. This time we went with a friend of Rowan's from school - Douglas - and his sister and parents. It was a great ride with a good cup of tea for some and a rhubard-crumble ice cream for others at Beningborough.
The photo is Rowan on her body-baord from the beach at Aberdovey - seems a while ago now.

The Light

Rowan was off to a sleepover with two friends last night, so we were set free. Had a drink in a bar [a real novelty these days] then met up with friends Justin, Em, Roland and Helen for a meal at Vanilla Black. It was a great meal as usual; definitely my favorite restaurant.
The photo is in Thirsk Quaker Meeting House. I have grown to really like it.

Fulford

Rowan is at an EAC activity camp at the Mount all week, she has been doing archery amongst other activities [the mind boggles]. She is quite enjoying it, but it is not her favorite camp.

Danielle and I had a day off today, and walked to SlideShops by way of a great route. First we crossed Hob Moor, then the Knavesmire, before crossing the Ouse on the Millenium Bridge. Then we followed a path along Fulford Ings: this is the marshy area in the Ouse floodplane. A beautiful place with lots of bog and flowers [photo] which are all a mystery to me. There was a battle of Fulford in 1066 http://www.battleoffulford.org.uk/ . We had a good lunch at Prets then walked back. Great to walk together.

Freak Zone

The photo is from my walk up to Stoodley Pike last month - back when it was summer, and hot.

Digital radio is something I like a lot. I rarely listen in real time, but use the listen again facility on the laptop. BBC 7 is great for plays and stories, without any news and chat interuptions, and nothing like as gauche and pompous as Radio 4.
6Music is good at some times, there is a great Funk program at weekends and my current favorite is The Freak Zone with Stuart Maconie which is on sunday evenings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone/?focuswin

This is a great 3 hours of weird and intersting music, ranges from Magma and the Groundhogs to dub to psychedilic folk to modern classical etc - well worth checking out. The best track I have heard so far was a piece by Stockhausen for string quartet and four helicopters - the credits at the end of the piece included the string players and the helicopter pilots. Check it out

Salts Mill

After taking Rowan to her cycling in Bradford [she loves it] at which I got roped in as an impromptu tutor, we all went to Salts Mill in Satlaire

http://www.saltsmill.org.uk/

It is a fantastic place, a huge spacious old mill with art, food, shops and a great vibe. And free.

Seasonal

Sunday was a lovely autumn day, not too cold [about 12 degrees], the wind blowing hard, perfect for a recuperative bike ride. I went on the brideleways behind Heslington, which soon take you to some interesting corners, including this wood and wheat field.
Hang on though, it's mid August.

The Hours

We watched The Hours last night, which is a pretty good movie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/01/23/the_hours_2002_review.shtml

and ties in with our reading of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe.
Rowan was off to friend Hazuki's birthday party today, this involved Pizza Express and a ghost walk [pretty much top dollar for Rowan].
Last week I had a look at the National Trust gardens at Goddards, an arts and crafts house in York built for the Terry [chocolate] family. Those Quakers knew how to put up a pile of house alright [photo]. The gardens are only open in the summer but worth a look.
Terry's factory shut last year. With the British Sugar plant shutting this year as well, and with the Thrall rail wagon plant shutting two years ago, manufacturing in York is clearly in decline. The big question, is how long until Rowntrees go the same way.

The Wall

Whilst Rowan was at her Running Wild event at Moorlands, I took my usual walk across the fields. Two weeks ago this was a barren desert of dried up grass. Two weeks of rain and it all looks back to normal: a lot greener. I saw loads of Wall butterflies in the verges.

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/species/bdata/wall.html

Bee Surprised

When we got back from holiday we were surprised to find a parcel waiting for Rowan. We were even more surprised to find that she had won a prize from one of Danielle's bee-keeping magazine competitions. The prize was a national Geographic beach exploring kit with nets and magnifying glass etc - much welcome, if a little ill-timed. The photo is of the beach at Aberdovey with the hotel in the background that we will no doubt explore with the kit next year.

Wales Cycleway

Rowan, Danielle and I rode for two days at the end of our stay in Wales on the Sustrans Wales Cycleway

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1128951683546

it is a great route, that climbed up to over 400 metres above sea level. We stayed at a B&B for one night then went on to Barmouth. Rowan took to it like a duck to water, and wanted to go on further: my back dictated otherwise. In the photo you can see Rowan and Danielle cycling beneath Cadair Idris mountain.

Back again

The photo is of friend Cathy who stayed with us before we went to Wales. Rowan is looking forward to staying with her in London in a few years time [without us of course].
Remember the joy of my discovery of Arnica as a remedy for my back? well it is back to normal now, with Arnica having no effect on my latest back episode. I have gone to a Chiropractor who seems pretty good ... the saga continues.

The links below are for various sites with friend Derwood's music and video on

http://myspace.com/officialmoondogg

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=bowleg

http://www.moondogg.com/

http://home.earthlink.net/~rubbercheese1/

http://myspace.com/expensivesound

Tallylyn

The Tallylyn Railway was the inspiration for a lot of the Rev W Awdrey's tales, and is our favorite line. It is run by volunteers on an very informal and friendly basis [last year we had to wait whilst the driver and fireman moved some sheep off of the line]. The driver was very happy for Rowan to pose in the cab of Dolgoch with his hat.

http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/locos/no_2.html

Now with added steam

The Treffedyan Hotel was up to its usual standard, now with the added bonus of a twice daily steam service on the main line that runs past our window ... keeps getting better.
On the sand dunes we saw a Clouded Yellow butterfly, the first time I have knowingly seen one

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/species/bdata/clouded_yellow.html
There is an article by Simon Barnes about Clouded Yellow years

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1066-2299480,00.html

Tarrenhendre

Wednesday we took the Tallylyn railway

http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/

to Dolgoch Falls then walked up to Tarrenhendre mountain (634 metres). It was a great walk, we met not a soul all day and the hills were beautiful. Red Kites

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/r/redkite/index.asp

flew above with Wheatears on the ground. Rowan has inherited the "charging off in front gene" from me, so we had time to take this photo of Carl, Jill, Cecilia and Danielle coming up the track.

ABERDOVEY

Today was our last day in Aberdovey. We have been staying at our normal hotel with friends Carl and Jill and their daughter Cecelia who is Rowan's age. It has worked really well. We have had a great time with the grown-ups and the girls have got on great. Today we spent body-boarding in the sea [warm] , playing cricket on the beach, making sandcastles [Danielles project which she forced the children to join in] playing tennis, and I cycled up to Towyn for a break. A great day topped off with a great meal and some good wine.

Pattern Recognition

Book Group last week discussed William Gibson's Pattern Recognition. Amazingly it was the first book that pretty much everyone enjoyed, which is strange considering it is the most "modern" book we have tackled and that Edward [iits sponsor] was anxious that no one would like it. Some of us are going to read some of his other books, so it was a bit of an eye opener for everyone. Next stop Virginia Woolfe and Mrs Dalloway - an unlikely first for me