BG

This is a shot of the creek at Bryn Gwelyd, the Quaker homestead where Danielle's father lives. It is an idyllic and incongruous place amidst the endless malls and roads of the burbs, where the deer run free and the cardinals fly.

H&S

America gets a bad press in the UK for being the root of the health and safety / litigation nightmare-quagmire into which we have sunk. It is not as simple as that. There are plenty of situations in the US where there is a refreshing laissez-faire approach to it all. Two examples: there are no fences alongside railroad tracks, even in urban areas. You can just walk right onto the tracks if you want - that could never happen in the UK. Second example: bin men ride on the back of the bin truck routinely - far too dangerous for the UK.

The photo is of Marna and Natalia, who accompanied Rowan to see a movie earlier in the week.

Eagles

Danielle's family are all Philadelphia Eagles fans. Supporting the Eagles is a bit like supporting Newcastle - their fans think they are a really big team, they always do quite well and never win anything ... ever. So as we all sat down [including baby Liam in a replica Eagles shirt] to see if the Eagles could pull off the most unlikely win over the Dallas Cowboys and so progress to the playoffs, expectations were not high. But they did it, amazingl, and it was a walkover too. 

The photo is of Liam, unsure what to make of it all.

Christmas Morning

This is the classic Christmas Morning 6.01am scene I think. Hyper-happy child, parent trying to believe it is still the night.

A Fine Balance

Christmas is a good time to catch up on reading for me. I have read the book I got as a leaving gift, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fine_Balance 

which really is a great book. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Next I read the Chris Hoy book which Ro gave me for my birthday http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heroes-Villains-Velodromes-Britains-Revolution/dp/000726531X

which is also a great read, and very uplifting [for cyclists especially].

The photo is of Rowan and her cousin Natalia, bonding via a Nintendo DX.

Christmas Day

Happy Christmas. We managed to hold off present opening till 10am which was pretty impressive. Danielle and I went for a run, then we all went over to Aunt Maxine's for dinner [15 people in all including Uncle Randy and Aunt Joan and Wanda]

Liam

Ben and Kari arrived with Baby Liam, the first time Rowan and I have met him. There is no doubt about it he is a lovely baby.

New York New York

Monday the three of us went to New York City on the train from Trenton New Jersey. US trains are bizarrely old fashioned, so much so that I think they could be marketed as "a trip from yesteryear". On arrival in the city I can honestly and accurately state that I have never experienced such cold before - way way below freezing with a dry icy wind. My teeth ached as we walked up 7th Avenue.

We met up with Vicky, who we had last seen in Brussels last year, and had a great Italian meal for lunch near her office in Park Avenue. 

 

Service

We all went to Aunt Sheila's church on Sunday. The service was 1 1/2 hours long but ... really good. Some great singing by the choir, candle lighting etc. Royce was in charge of the audio-visual display and that went to plan as well. 

Obama

Danielle's cousin Aliesh is a make-up artist http://www.alieshpierce.com/ who has famously [in my eyes] worked with the Isley Brothers. But even that has been eclipsed by her assignment this year, doing the whole Obama family - now that's a good name-check.

The photo is of Danielle with Aunt Sheila at her church.

Mount Fuji

First night we went to Mount Fuji, a Japanese restaurant that Rowan loved when she was last here with Danielle. The food is cooked by acrobatic chefs in front of you on the hot plate. It is fantastic simple food and great fun. You can see Rowan is excited, Royce is anxious [the chefs do tend to throw titbits of veg to you to catch in your mouth]. A great place

US Airways

So I was thinking that flying from Manchester to Philadelphia would be a quiet flight - there can't be that many people wanting to make that journey? The dread word is Hub. Philly is a hub for US Airways flights to Florida. So the plane was packed, totally packed, with people going to Florida. Not great. Anyway they managed to mess up on the vegetarian meals [par for the course] but they did get me a legroom seat, which was a real relief. 

The flight went well, we watched the Sex in the City movie, which was great, and Royce was there to meet us. The weather in Philly is exactly like Manchester, cold wet and grey, so maybe that is why they hooked the two cities up.

The Press

The trouble with not getting the local paper is never knowing when you're in it. Then again it might have been better to remain oblivious to this appearance. I think it unlikely that this will be a big seller on the York Press photosales sight...

Back on Court

Edward and I played badminton yesterday for the first time in a while. We have both had man-flu so were short on puff, but it was great to get back to playing. The great thing about badminton is that you can have a real good competitive workout without needing to high a skill level. This compares with tennis where, unless you are pretty good, the work-out is considerably less with the ball flying all over the place [but not in the court]

The photo is to remind us all of spring; a Comma butterfly taken in the garden.

Dog News

Rowan and I took Murphy the retriever for a walk today. He is a puppy who belongs to Alison a friend of Danielle's. It is lovely to see Rowan so happy with a dog after her years of being so scared of them.

Hysteria

I met up with friend David for a drink in London last week. He runs the Whittington Hospital. His staff had some contact with Baby P, and did everything right which means they have escaped the sick hysteria that the media have launched at just about everyone involved [except the killers of course].

The photo is of Rowan and cousin Sarah 5 years ago. Rowan has always been at her most relaxed with Sarah!

Book Group

Book Group Christmas Party last week. Always great fun. John brings the fizz, we all play ex-libris [including Rowan] and I do a quiz on all the books we have read in the previous year. As we age, as the memories drift, the average score on the quiz plummets .... oh well.

I am not sure if I have posted this photo before. Me at 19 or 20 I think.

Article

A photographer came to take some shots of the house today. They are trying to get an article about the house into the national press or specialist magazines. It would be linked in to York Open Studios next year. All potentially pretty exciting.

Still getting over the illness - not up to full speed yet.

The photo was taken 23 years ago. Ribblehead Viaduct in the days when the trains had engines and coaches.

Last Day

Today was my last day working in Richmond London. I could not understand why the normally empty train was full of people with college scarves and strange complexions. Then I worked out that it must be the Varsity Rugby match at Twickenham.

At this afternoon's meeting I was amazed to be presented with a leaving present - usually consultants are not considered worthy of such warmth. I was really touched. I was given the book "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry - it's good so far.

The Tyne

After the photo of the Ouse, which people like, I have this one of the Tyne. There could be a series starting here.

Back to normal

The man-flu is subsiding, I was back at work today but still feeling a bit weak. The photo is of the meal on Saturday.

Birthday Gig

Today is my birthday. Last night we went out with a group of friends to Loch Fyne for an early meal, then to see a great gig at the early music centre http://www.ncem.co.uk/cgi/events/events.cgi?t=template.htm&a=1086 Abram Wilson playing a blues/jazz set. We all really enjoyed, there were about 14 of us all together. Rowan appreciated it as a fellow horn player!

St Pancras

Last time I was in London I was in St Pancras again. It is one of those buildings that is as impressive every time I visit; truly magnificent. This is not a shot of its grandeur but I do like the interesting perspectives you can get from the different levels.

Slug on the Tyne

Last photo from Newcastle. It is hard to resist shots of the Tyne Bridge and the Sage Gallery, it is a spectacular landscape. The train journey north from York, passing Durham with its Cathedral and Castle and then crossing the Tyne is definitely one of the best there is.

Goldcrest

I saw a Goldcrest http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldcrest/index.asp in the garden the other day, first time for a good while.

The photo is of Newcastle.

Newcastle Trip

This sculpture is in Gateshead. Pretty impressive for your average high street

Not a Great Weekend

Danielle is in the states for her grandmother's funeral. Rowan has been off of school for two days and still has flu/cough/etc and I now have it too. Both John and Edward came and did a bit of impromptu babysitting for me on Friday. I have been laid really low for the whole weekend. Rowan is being good and watching a lot of ski-ing [thank heavens for eurosport]. 

Tyne

I used my last free train ticket last week to travel to Newcastle, walk around and get some photos. I was surprised to find these heavy cranes still in use. On the train up I saw friend Kim who was on her way to a work meeting in Newcastle too. The train was delayed by what the guard described as "a technical problem with a passenger" the mind boggled, he later corrected it to "a technical problem with a pantograph"

Wheel Me Out

One of the new ubiquities of tube travel in London, is the wheeled suitcase. People emerge from trains, assemble their wheels behind them, then trundle off together resembling Duracell bunnies pulling their batteries behind them as though they are an essential part of forward motion. 

Which is fine.

Except people pulling the things do not realise that they do not pull them directly behind themselves, but off to one side. This makes the total package two people wide, only the puller does not realise this. Clattered ankles [usually belonging to non case pulling folk] result.

Great Grandma RIP

Danielle's Great Grandma died yesterday. She was in her 90s, in a nursing home, but it was still a shock. We had the feeling she would go on forever.

The photo is from happier times - four generations of women. BJ [Danielle's mother who died 6 years ago] Rowan [7 months old in the photo - now a little taller] Great Grandma Lavinia Grayson, Royce [Danielle's dad and token man in this shot] and Danielle.

Routine

Here is my Saturday mornings these days.

6am the alarm goes, get up, kettle on, splash water, wake Rowan, cup of Barleycup, out the house by 6.25. 

6.45 Rowan starts swimming at the pool, I go for a 4 mile run around the River Foss.

8.15 Back at home for pancakes that Danielle has cooked whilst we are out.

9am Start the day.

Photo is of Rowan having recieved her prize at the Biathlon on Sunday

More Biathlon

This photo is after the first 100 metres. It was a great stadium. It is where Hunslet Rugby League team play. with a tall grandstand that I was able to climb up [when no one was looking] to get this shot.

Biathlon

Today was the regional heat of the National Schools Biathlon held at Leeds. Rowan was part of the school team seen here being coached by their excellent games teacher. Rowan won the run [1k in 3minutes 28 seconds] and the overall. Her classmate Kiri won the swimming, so everyone was happy.

This means that Rowan and the team of three from school qualify for the national finals again at Bath in the new year. 

Tornado

Last photo from the weekend - this is Cliffords Tower.

We saw the Tornado steam engine http://www.a1steam.com/ blast past school this week. It is a mainline engine built from scratch at Darlington. We saw it a few years ago when it looked a long long way from completion. It is a great achievement.

More York

Another shot from the weekend walking about York. This is from the snicket that connects the station and railway museum with our side of town

Travel

I still get a thrill when I hear the hiss of the steel wheels on the curve of the track as the London express comes into the station at York. This after 10 years of using it to get down to work in the capital. I get a table for four to myself, connect the laptop to the free wi-fi, have a swig of my decaf coffee served by charming Polish girls on the station, then get down to work. It is a very civilized start to the day. The cost is  - unbelieveably - no more than when I started those 10 years ago.

The photo is of the lantern on All Saints church in High Ousegate in York, easily noticed due to its striking octagonal 15th century lantern tower. In the medieval period a lantern was hung from the tower to act as a beacon for travellers in the Forest of Galtres to the north. The church, first mentioned in the Domesday Book, is the burial place of 39 Lord Mayors. Look for the 12th century door knocker depicting the Mouth of Hell. 

Minster

We all walked round on the city walls on Sunday - always a good one for visitors. The light on the Minster was at its autumn best.

West Yorks

And here is another shot of the group on the station. 

On Saturday Rowan ran for the first time in the West Yorkshire cross country league - this is reckoned to be a bit tougher than the softies in North Yorkshire, and it was. She still won though. http://fm.torsion.co.uk/revamp/2004/xcountry/v2/index2.html

Guests

We had Alison, Mike, Sylvia and Gabriel as house guest this weekend. They have come down from Glasgow for a visit. Great to see them: we did the usual York things. Yesterday Zan and Edie also came to see us so we had a busy weekend.

Award Time

We went to the York City Athletics Club awards do last night. Rowan won the U11 girl athlete of the year: it was presented by Greg Rutherford [the tall one] who is a Team GB long jumper who was in the Beijing Olympic final http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6855 .

Bleak

I got head-hunted by an interim recruitment company who get consultants for organisational clients. I met with them in Leeds today and it went well. It should be complementary to how I get work anyway and is good news.

The photo is from the top of the moors above Haworth, not far from Top Withens where Wuthering Heights was set. One of the things I like about the South Pennine moors is that there is no pretension to beauty - it is bleak but I like it.

Obama Time

We got a lot of e-mails of delight following Obama's election triumph. It was definitely one of those special moments. I found this poster at the Stepfather of Soul blog http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/ and liked it. So here it is.

Over the Moors

Today I got a bike ride in. I took the train to Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley, then rode back over the tops to Keighley and the Aire Valley, back over the tops to Otley and the River Wharfe and back along to York. It was great to be on the grim dour moors again, but the wind was a bit dicey on the descents. I stopped at a pub for lunch, expecting deep frozen lasagne or such-like: what I got was wild mushroom risotto with rocket and parmesan - in Yorkshire. Sign of the times - it was great by the way.

Headline News

There are not a lot of laughs in social care, so when I saw this headline on the Community Care website it made me think that's either a very big room or really cramped conditions. 

• Help the Aged: 4.5m pensioners stay in one room to keep warm

Of course, it's not really a funny issue but it made me smile.

At the weekend Rowan had a sleepover for two of her friends. We shoved them upstairs and hoped for the best. It seemed to work, although they definitely went to sleep after we did. On the Sunday the parents of one of our guests [Paul and Hilary] took pity on us and invited us to a post-sleepover Sunday lunch. Paul had cooked a fantastic curry with cheesecake for pudding. Almost made the sleepover worthwhile.

MP

I took the local MP, Hugh Bayley onto the moor this morning. He wanted to know more about the Friends of Hob Moor so I was happy to oblige.

Then it was off to Tadcaster Grammer School where the latest round of the cross country league took place. This is Rowan with her friend, they came 1st and 3rd.

Camera Club

I was invited to talk at the York Camera Club last night. It was a strange experience, I have never been to a photographic club in my life and will probably never go again. The talk went well and there were some good people there. The thing with York is that inevitably people there knew people I knew so it was good networking. The theme of my talk was "never mind the equipment" which went down very well with people not too bothered about f stops and apertures, and hopefully didn't offend anyone else. 

Responses ranged from "reminds me of Cartier-Bresson" [ultimate compliment] to "why don't you just use colour" [no comment]

Friend Sue has set up a garden/home goods website http://www.thomasandlucia.com/ so I am spreading the word.

Kings Cross What Shall We Do

I must have walked up these stairs from the tube at Kings X a thousand times - on Sunday there was something about the light that caught my eye. Camera came out, and I'm glad I got the shot.

Hallelujah!

Danielle cast her vote for Obama long ago, like many we were involved in an anxious wait over the last few months - "will he do it?"

I had fallen asleep when Danielle whispered to me "he's got Pensylvania"; trouble was in my dreams this became "he's got Florida" so I awoke thinking it was in the bag. There followed an anxious wait for the news this morning - we needn't have worried. It was with relief that we heard the great news. Suddenly America doesn't seem so bad after all.

The photo is from the new Battlebridge Arts centre at Kings Cross, a great series of galleries, cafes etc. A friend, Kelly, used to have a flat here: shame she sold it as it must now be one of the best places to live in London.

A Londres

At the weekend Teba came round to look after Rowan whilst Danielle and I went down to London. We had a great time, meeting up with Joyce and Kwami and going for a good meal at an Italian Fish restaurant in Soho Zilli Fish http://www.toptable.co.uk/venues/restaurants/?id=1152&refid=ggl05&gclid=CLeT_6ip3JYCFQaB1QodMDLf2Q

Open Studios 2009

Saturday I was at the Open Studios meeting for the 2009 show. This will be my third year of exhibiting and I am looking forward to it already. The dates are

Friday March 27th 2009

Saturday March 28th 2009

Sunday March 29th 2009

So get those dates in your diaries and plan a trip [it's not that far from the US, and the dollar is getting stronger]

The photo is my top-seller from the previous shows

Netball

Ro and Pete came up to take Mother back home on Friday. Great to see them: Ro sporting a broken wrist from their trek in the Peak District. Rowan was off at a netball day at Leeds Carnegie University. She went with two friends and they loved it - the coach was an England coach so they were definitely going to the next level. 

Ebor Lecture

I took Mother to an Ebor Lecture at the Minster by Tim Gorringe http://www.yorkminster.org/learning/lectures-courses/the-ebor-lectures/ I think it is fair to say that the topic "The Book of Revelation and Climate Change" would not ordinarily have attracted my attention but it was actually very good. He was a very good speaker and covered a lot of interesting ground.

The photo is another of Beverley Minster

Haunted Hob Moor

Rowan and I joined over 30 other people on a "Haunted Hob Moor" walk last night. It was done by a professional story teller [this scary looking bloke] and aimed at kids: just for fun but it went down well with the target audience.

Beverley

Mother has come to stay with us for the half term week. This means lots of treats. We all went for brunch at Bettys www.bettys.co.uk after Rowan had been swimming on Saturday morning.

Sunday we went to a swimming gala in Beverley where Rowan got a second place and a "speeding ticket" which delighted her.

Definition of hell #1: Driving to a swimming gala on a quad-bike with a sat-nav listening to Quote Unquote.

Photo is the beautiful Beverley Minster

Windmill

Monday was the Friends of Hob Moor, Annual General Meeting. I was in the chair. It was actually quite enjoyable, we had a talk from the Holgate Windmill society http://www.holgatewindmill.org/  That's it for another year.

Sometimes you see a shot and think "That'll be great" only it isn't. This is one of those. Luckily it also works the other way round sometimes.

Wighill

This is Wighill [the h is silent] Church which is on the cycle route to the tea rooms in Bolton Percy. Danielle and I rode the route last week as part of our week off together. The tea room shuts down for the winter now, and the exhausted patrone looked well ready for the rest.

Harvest Time

Last week Rowan was in a performance at school - Harvest Rock and Roll which was a lot better than it sounds. Although it promises awful "swinging vicar" fare it was actually good fun, even when parents were instructed to dance as well. Danielle won a best parent dancer award. I did not.

The photo is another from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park; this is the building itself not a sculpture.

YSP

Saturday Ted, Dave and I did the Knaresborough bike ride. Ted told me about a good Noguchi exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park http://www.ysp.co.uk/view.aspx?id=3 . So Sunday Danielle, Rowan and I went to take a look. It is a great place to run around, good for hide and seek, and the art is not bad either.