Tenpin

The photo is from a recording studio where Mike Gregovic was working. I think the hat belonged to Sally from the band.

Rowan went to a friend's birthday party at the tenpin bowling alley at the weekend. She loved it, I bolted for the door as soon as possible and escaped to get a good walk in alongside the River Foss.

New photo

The process of getting a new photo that is good enough to exhibit usually starts with me printing one out and leaving it lying around the house for a while to get a feel for it. You probably need to click on this to see it properly - the idea is the contrast between the sharp trees and blurred stairway. Time will tell

Big Garden Birdwatch

We took part in the RSPB's annual

Big Garden Birdwatch

this weekend. It involves counting birds in the garden for one hour, the number for each species is the greatest number you see together at one time. For the record this year our score was:
Blackbird 3
Blue Tit 3
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 2
Goldfinch 5
Great Tit 2
Greenfinch 3
House Sparrow 4
Robin 1
Song Thrush 1
Woodpigeon 4

The photo is of the Sage centre in Newcastle

Cul de Sac Cocktails

The photo is from the water gardens at Alnwick which we visited in the summer. That's me and Rowan in the photo.

Friday night Ken and Sarah, our neighbours, hosted Cul de Sac Cocktails [I suggested Dead End Drinks, but they went for the more prosaic title]. It was actually drinks and a meal with people from the five houses in this bit of the street. Really good fun, and I am very grateful for them making the effort.

Ex Beatles

I only have two Paul McCartney solo tracks and about 10 from John Lennon. But nevertheless I found the book

Together Alone

fascinating. It is a run through of all their solo work, and illustrates just how much quality control went out the window once the Beatles split up. It explains how so much dross came out, but also highlights the pearls. A bit of a car-crash read, but enjoyable.
The photo is of Hungerford Bridge in London.

Local History

I went to a talk on the local history of Holgate [the area of York that we live in]. It was very interesting, but another event where I undoubtedly plummeted the average age by walking into the room. The photo is another from the City.

Clogs

Here are the Westmoreland Clogs from the dancing lady at the party.

The article in the Yorkshire Post about the house has created quite a bit of interest. Someone asked if we were selling [no] and a journalist wants to do a story for the Independent - time will tell.

Play

Rowan took part in the annual children's play at Friargate - this year it was about the Wall in Palestine and Israel. It was really good, and the kids obviously enjoyed it a lot. After the play there were various musical treats from members of the meeting - the highlight being some Westmoreland clog dancing....
The photo shows Rowan during her drum solo

Garden News

Rowan's winning run at Ripon in the

Jolly Holly Jog

was in the local paper - we only found it today when googling.
In the garden the blackcurrant bushes are budding up nicely, and the Goldfinches are sitting eating Nyger seed all day [photo]

Book Group

The photo is from the City, nothing special.
In book group we discussed

Surely you're joking Mr Feynman

by Richard Feynman. This is a series of anecdotes by a very clever man. Half of us hated it and found it unreadable, half loved it. Which makes it an ideal book to discuss in the group really.

mp3 Blogs

There was an article in the Guardian the other week on mp3 blogs, a couple were really good and well worth looking at.

The Stepfather Of Soul

is all about old soul records, and

Prewar Blues

is what is says on the tin. Good stuff done by true fans.

The photo is of cousin Sarah.

Ten

Rowan was ten yesterday. We had a happy day. She was very pleased with her presents which included pen-knife, label maker and the York City hat and shirt featured in the photo.

Sherrybaby

Sarah and Markus chose a movie to watch on Saturday night -

Sherrybaby

a gruelling but really great film.
The photo is of the Japanese Bullet Train from the NRM

Macbeth

Saturday, whilst Danielle was at the Mount committee meeting, Rowan, Sarah, Markus and I went to the National Railway Museum. They went up the big-wheel [The Yorkshire Aye] I sat that out. Then in the evening Danielle and I had tickets for another live Met link up for Verdi's Macbeth. It was fantastic, with the Russian soprano

Maria Guleghina

really belting it out.
It really is better than being there in my opinion [or though as someone pointed out at half-time it costs more than a seat at the met does - minus the airfares]
The photo is of the Stephenson's Rocket replica at the NRM

Cello

My neice Sarah and Markus have been up for the weekend. Friday we took Sarah to the BMS concert with

Victoria Simonsen

on cello which was great, she really played well.

The photo is on London Wall in the city: it reminds me of waiting for godot.

Article

Well the Yorkshire Post

article and video

is out today. Let me know what you think. I had to get cousin Sarah to read it first to check it was not too excruciating, but it seems OK - might drum up some business.
The photo is of Sir Charles, from my trip yesterday.

Sir Charles

I was working down in London today. I nipped into the headquarters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the City to have a look at the portrait there of my dead great uncle Sir Charles Palmour [he of the show girl marriage]. And very impressive he looks. The staff were very helpful there, letting me go up on a dangerous balcony to get this photo - they seemed chuffed to have someone showing an interest.

Yorkshire Post

I was interviewed by the Yorkshire Post today, for a video feature that will run alongside an article about the extesnion that is in the magazine on Saturday. All quite strange but a very pleasant guy did the filming, asking me about the work-space etc. One of the previous people to have the mic under his shirt had been Pele when he was visiting Sheffield last month - can't be bad. The link will follow when it is on their web-site.
The photo is of the Minster.

Lens

I have had a lot of portrait work over the last few months. I do enjoy it, it is great trying to capture someone on film. So I have invested in a new lens for the camera. This shot is a try-out on my favorite model.

Hoop Dreams

Rowan enjoys Netball, so putting up a hoop seemed a reasonable thing to do. Just hope the architect doesn't see it - those minimalist lines are so spoilt.

Garden Micro Climate

There is something strange going on in our garden. The first daffodil is out [photo] and the blue tits are busy building a nest in the nesting box - neither of these things is supposed to happen this early in the year.

Movie

We both watched theFlying Scotsman movie about Graeme Obree the great Scottish cyclist: it was great, a really good film that happens to be about cycling.

Garden Watch1
I am going to attempt this year to keep some sort of record of life in the garden. So far this year we have had snow [yesterday], a blue tit occupying a nest box [one day after I put it up] and goldfinches loving the nyger seed in the feeder outside the kitchen.

Eric's

I was sorting through some things in the office, when I found this flyer for Eric's [click on it to enlarge it]. This club was my spiritual home during my years in Liverpool. Just about everyone played there in those days as this flyer shows. It was a great place with a non-threatening vibe where pretty much any type of music, and anything in general, went.

Opera

We all went to see the live Met link up at City Screen of the opera

Hansel & Gretel. which was brilliantly done. It really is like being there - only better- as you have a front row seat [without the spit] and subtitles [so you know what is going on] Rowan enjoyed it, even the most gruesome bits: and that was truly gruesome.

As the production focussed on food as a theme through the Opera it seemed appropriate to have a photo of Danielle's magnificent nut-loaf Wellington from Xmas day.

Dinosaurs

We all cycled to Knaresborough yesterday. Good ride, but Rowan needed the cafe at the end to cheer her up. The cafe is best described as "old school".

Me "Can we have one turkey dinosaurs please"
She "Sorry love, we've run out"
Me "They've become extinct?"
She "There was no delivery last week because of Christmas"
Me "She'll have the pizza"

Danielle and Rowan got the train back, I rode back into the wind.
The photo is of Rowan in full stride on her run