Train Talk

Met friend Johnny on the train today. There is usually someone I know waiting for the train down to London: we all seem to have developed an unwritten protocol, whereby you have a chat, then get down to work on the train, bit more chat around Grantham, then on into London in time to gawp at the amazing Emirates stadium and the disappearing Highbury.

Last week I met Nick and we had time to get a pizza before boarding the interminably delayed 20.00 train back to York. On the train I sat opposite a guy who is writing a book on Schumpeter [an economist who coined the concept of a “gale of creative destruction”]. I rather undermined by MBA credentials by asking if Schumpeter was “that bloke who wrote about wind”.

The photo is of Bunhill Fields in London, the non-conformist graveyard.

Brownies

Rowan is really enjoying going to Brownies. Two of her friends from school persuaded her to join and she loves it. They have gone through an impressive re-branding exercise which has seen the quasi-military uniforms being replaced by sweat pants and T shirts

http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/brownies/

and the whole thing seems modernised. I was never a cub or a scout, I think the conformity put me off, but Rowan seems very happy to conform with this lot.

The photo is of Brimham Rocks in the Dales

NRM

After swimming on sunday, Rowan and I went to the National Railway Museum and had the usual lovely time. We even managed to make the do-it-yourself bridge to stay up for once. The proof is in the photo.

Cycling in the Wolds

Whilst Danielle recuperates, Rowan and I went cycling in the Yorkshire Wolds. Not entirely successful [I forgot the lunch] it was nevertheless a beautiful day and we got up some good hills. The photo is at the top of one of them, Rowan drinking deserved water.

Philly Soul

The task of trawling old albums for tracks to transfer to the PC goes on. I have just been through the Philly Soul boxset. How good it sounds. For Danielle the music is too old [the sort of thing her parent's liked] and too close to home [Philadelphia] for her to like it like I do. It is strange how musical taste is so bound up with personal circumstance. It can work to your advantage:- I always steered well clear of Cliff Richard on account of him being my sister's favourite.

The photo is another Finding A Voice one

Nothing Natural

Book group this week we discussed "Nothing Natural" by Jenny Diski

http://www.virago.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=1860499422&TAG=&CID=virago

It split the group like nothing so far. Half hated it, half liked it a lot. I was in the latter. Having someone write about suicidal tendencies in a matter of fact way was pretty impressive to me. I took another group of Finding A Voice photos this week. This is one of them. JZ has collected some very interesting people here in York for her project, and , as you can see, they're pretty photogenic too.

Editorial note: break a leg

Just a note - the previous account of my accident sounds a bit more pathetic than I like, so I offer my version as an update:

Background: My marathon training schedule requires some speed training each week. You may recall from my previous update that this was awful last time, so I was not looking forward to it.I needed to do 4x800m runs with a mile job on either end.

Prologue: I went on to the moor, stashed my water bottle on Little Hob Moor and went on to the cycle path to do my intervals. A man with a large black dog (I have decided it was a labrador but I really wasn't looking) was walking on the path - the dog was running along on the grass doing doggy things, pleased to be off the lead.

The Action: It happened in a flash - I ran by the man at top speed (well my top speed anyway) with the Velvet Underground on loud on my Shuffle ("I'm waiting for my man...$26 in my hand..."); the man was shouting at the dog - I ignored it; the dog ran across the path directly under my feet; I went flying. The end.

Epilogue: Man with dog was very solicitous but I was too mad and bruised to let him help me. I then realised I couldn't walk on my right leg so had to hop and limp home, assisted by a nice woman with a funny kind of little dog that has to have its hair pulled out every year (was I hallucinating or is this true?). Gwen drove me to the hospital and looked after me. So here I am. More news later.

Break A Leg

on
Danielle broke her leg [fibula] today. Running on the moor, someone's dog was not under control, she tripped over it - and the damage was done. All sorts of implications - work - the marathon - looking after Rowan when I am away -. We'll have to sort it all out. Luckily friend Gwen was here today [I was working in Huddersfield] and she took Danielle to the hospital. A cast [or a pot as it is known in Yorkshire] is on, the healing begins.

The photo is of Rowan performing in the Quaker play "Quakerama" that was put on by meeting children last week. It was great, and they all seemed to enjoy doing it.

Cake

Here is this year's birthday cake that Danielle made. It went down well.
Our first few snow flakes of the year are making an appearance as I type.

When Gerald Met Rosie

The latest photo of the extension shows that they are onto to flooring insulation. That big hole is a window looking onto the moor, and the sheeting to the right is the big picture-window looking south.

Gerald the goldfish has been joined by Rosie. Rowan and I chose her on Saturday and introduced her into the tank. Rosie seems very assertive and as Gerald has self-esteem issues [he hides under the bridge, and depends he is part of a plant] we were a little worried. But they seem to be getting on fine.

Mad Science

Rowan had her ninth birthday party yesterday. It was at home and we had someone from Mad Science doing science stuff for them As one of the girls, Frances, said "It wasn't good ... it was brilliant"

http://www.madscience.org/locations/yorkshire/

We survived intact, even though Rowan took all nine girls up to the third floor of the scaffolding round the extension. But, no one fell off so we can't complain.

Train Home

So I got to the meeting OK. Then the trains were all cancelled. So I had to find a snow home, Paul and Coral and Amy obliged so I had a nice evening catching up, then a couple of pints in a Crouch End pub. The train trip back was the opposite of the one on the way down - I was one of the dispossessed, standing all the way to Grantham, not able to get the laptop out etc. But I got home n time for lunch, so all was well in the end.
The photo is looking across the stone pavements to an iron age hill fort on the Aran Islands.

Travel Travails

This was written Thursday morning.

"I am sat upon a GNER “express” to London. Only it isn’t expressing. “Severe Weather Restrictions” have been imposed from 10am so that the train, having left York 50 minutes late, is now crawling along at 80kmh. It is so slow it is almost as bad as by road. I have an important workshop to chair at 1pm this afternoon, and it is beginning to look in jeopardy. So it doesn’t sound too good does it? And yet, and yet. I feel most content. There is nothing I can do about it all, so I have to accept my fate. The coach is warm, I have my laptop plugged in so that I can work [very productively as it happens], I can listen to Carlos Santana to my heart’s content and just treat it as another experience. Additionally there is the drama of social mores being twisted by the situation. I am in the ‘quiet coach’ which is meant to be mobile phone free. But with the train totally packed, with people standing throughout its length, one assumes there is some latitude with this rule. Other passengers are not so sure, and there is a charming exchange about it all. Then there is the resentment people standing feel when the privileged [“the seated”] deign to get up and go to the loo, causing much disruption to the disposed “the standing”. "

The photo is of Dieppe taken whilst hitching long long ago

Marathon Update

Its Week 3 in my Marathon preparation. I am following the Runner's World programme for preparation - this week looks like this:

Week Three
Mon Rest (I like this one!)
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M (or 9 mins) fast, with 400m (3-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog (this was AWFUL! I started to question my sanity).
Wed (In London - so rest)
Thurs 4M (approx 45 mins) slow (ran this in the gale, but ahead of the pace time suggested)
Fri 3M (approx 30 mins) steady
Sat Rest
Sun 8M (85-90 mins) slow

I bought some new running shoes as my other ones were worn and smelly. The man in the running shop is doing the London Marathon (4th time) and is going for 2 hrs 45 minutes. I will be happy with twice that. Fundraising is going well - thanks to everyone that has contributed.

Nine

Rowan was nine yesterday. Her present from us was a goldfish in a tank. He is called Gerald and has a very idiosyncratic nature. We will go and get his partner later in the week [you can only introduce one fish at a time - it is all very technical; makes you wonder how fairground fish in a bag ever survive]

Spring Has Sprung

The first daffodil flowered in the garden on January 14th. This is a little early. The photo is another from the Finding A Voice series. They are going to be exhibited at St Johns University next month as part of a Finding A Voice presentation.

Rowing

The flooding has been pretty spectacular, even by York standards. I saw this bloke [in the centre of the photo between the trees] rowing through the trees on Clifton Ings on Sunday.
]To see any photo larger, just double click on it[

Sloe GIn

We christened the sloe gin last week, when Carl and Jill were here. It tastes great, a real liqueur - although I always feel that a recipe that includes the words "take one bottle of gin" is a bit of a cheat. But the still will have to wait.
I have the weather for York, London, Philadelphia and Yucca Valley California on my desktop just to see how friends and family are getting on. The first snow of the year fell in........ California, which is pretty amazing, but I have the video from Derwood to prove it.
The photo is another Finding A Voice portrait

Freddy Kempf

We all three went to see Freddy Kempf

http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=186&c=2

a pianist at the regular BMS concert. He was fantastic, really impressive. Rowan enjoyed it too.
The extension has moved along this week and we now have boards on the roof and two walls.
The winds have been really high here in York so I was glad to see that nothing had blown down last night.

Finding A Voice 2

JZ has asked me to photograph the participants in Finding A Voice which is taking place again this year. I did the first batch this week, and they went well. Here is one of the shots. More to follow.

Gallows

Started a new round of running my e-training package for social workers yesterday. I really love meeting a new group of committed and gritty folk. Of the 12 in the group only two had come through the conventional college route. The rest came courtesy of fascinating tales of discovering adult education, access courses and eventually degrees. Very uplifting.
The photo is of the gallows on Inkpen Downs in Berkshire. I remember knowing that Thatcher's days were numbered when I saw a dummy hanging from the gallows with a rant against the poll tax scrawled upon it - I thought "if deepest tory berkshire is getting angry, then she's had it" Not been there recently but there may be another effigy by now I think.

Stork's Nest

Mother gave us a pick-up-sticks type of game for Xmas, Stork's Nest

http://www.jesters.com/acatalog/childrens_boxed_games.html

which is great fun and pleasantly easy to explain - "don't knock the sticks over, but make it so that everyone else does". After the jig-saw at Christmas, this is a nice antidote.

The photo is another from Foutains Abbey

Marathon

The photo is from Fountains Abbey at the weekend. Rowan and Cecilia were following the quiz-trail through the grounds. Yesterday was the last day of the holidays, so Rowan and I had a traditional visit to the National Railway Museum which was lovely.
Danielle is running in the London Marathon this year. She is running for Emmaus a homeless charity that neice Sarah works for - you can sponsor her on-line at http://www.justgiving.com/danielle-emmaus
She is training hard.

Fountains

The first photo was taken in Lisbon in 2003, in front of a fountain at the Expo site. The second photo was taken in front of the fountain in Sheffield last week. As you can see the lift is getting harder.

Guests

Friends Carl and Jill came up to stay this weekend with daughter Cecilia. We went on holiday with them last year, so it was good to catch up. We went to Fountains Abbey and Vanilla Black yesterday so it was a tour of the usual high spots.
The photo is another from Sheffield. I think it is a pretty good mix of reflection and cobbles - what do you think?

Fountain

The new fountain [lottery / European funding] at Sheffield is now operating, a fantastic 100 metres of water cascading down stainless steel. I feel that it will prove an irresistible pissoir on a Saturday night for many, but it is impressive. I got asked about it by some media students who were filming interviews with the public: geared up for a long discussion of the post-modern use of stainless steel for a regeneration of Sheffield I was asked, "Do you like it?" "Yes" I replied. "Thankyou" they said.

Decathlon

Part of my Christmas present to Danielle was a running kit from Decathlon

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/index.html

in Sheffield. So today the three of us went by train to get her kitted out. It was a good day out, we went on the route via Pontefract, which has a great old branch line feel to it.
The photo is of Rowan with an electic engine that John assures us is used to sweep the ice off of the power lines on frosty mornings, so that the passenger trains are not delayed.

Back Home

Spent the last two days down at Mother's with Rowan. We saw Peter who had brought her back from Suffolk, so that Christmas presents could be exchanged and news caught up on. Work is starting to kick in for the new year, with e-mails following me around the country. Here we go.

The photo is of "one man and two dogs" in France long ago

Games

We had a fantastic new years celebration last night. John and Heather invited us and some other friends for an evening of games, food and drink. The quizes, treasure hunts and musical games went down really well with everyone [especially us on the winning team].