Wine Tasting

We went to a wine tasting with a load of people last night. It was at St William's college opposite the Minster. After the wine we went to an Italian for a meal - made for a real good Monday night out. 

As we were unlocking the bikes [not that easy after tasting 15 wines or so] I saw the moon rising over the Minster - here it is.

Post Match Analysis

Rebecca, Jo and I all agreed that the collaboration for Open Studios had been a success, and that we may work together again next year. It has been a very good partnership. 

One of the other photos that has gone well has been Lake Fence; people like the texture of the water and the ambiguity of the fence in the lake.

Open Studios

Open Studios is over. Exhausted. Very successful. Having 3 artists led to much higher footfall and good sales. Same stories over and over again. Lovely day. Time to rest now. 

This photo of the River Tyne was a surprise hit - two large versions sold. I nearly did not show it; I thought it would be too abstract. It just goes to show it is worth checking out opinion. 

The Press

There was a piece in the paper about the Biathlon triumph today - here it is. Meantime Rowan and Danielle were at the final part of their women's cycle repair course and I was engulfed in Open Studios. Full report later.

Open Studios

Final preparations are going ahead for Open Studios. Jo and Rebecca have set up their stands, and we are ready for the show.

This evening we are having wine / nibbles for people who come [a sort of informal preview]. We're looking forward to it - here's hoping it goes well.

The Palace

I think this photo must be of when my Gran went to collect her CBE at Buckingham Palace. She is flanked by my father and grandfather [you can probably work out which is which]

Ride

Dave and I managed to get a ride in at the weekend. 20 miles to Boroughbridge into a heavy head wind was rewarded with 24 miles of tail-wind on the way back. This is definitely the way to do it; the hard work in the first half pays off and the return is a delight. 

Did you see Mark Cavendish win the Milan-San Remo? http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/mar09/msr09/?id=results an amazing ride from the young British rider; he seems like a real champion.

Meal

Saturday night we went out for our annual meal with David & Anita and Katie & John at la Tasca the Spanish restaurant that Rowan told us about.

Dan babysat for Rowan when she returned from her ghost walk / pizza party for her friend Helen's birthday. Everyone happy.

The photo is another of the happy York folk on Saturday.

Rowan's First Pitch Invasion

Rowan, Patrick and I went to watch York in the second leg of the FA Trophy semi-final against Telford. 2-0 up after the first leg York went into a 2-0 lead on the day to finally win 4-1 on aggregate. Wembley beckons in May. It was a great day, sunshine, goals, victory and to cap it all a pitch invasion at the end in celebration. Rowan duly vaulted the barrier to join in - you can spot her looking a little apprehensive in the photo - I stayed in the stands. Great day.

Netball

Rowan was asked to play for the Mount year 7s in a Netball match [she is year 6] this morning. She did really well and the Mount won, so it was a happy morning. In this shot she is going for goal.

Illusion

I was cycling up the hill on Little Hob Moor, where Rowan and I have a morning race on the way to school, when I saw a granny on a bike 30 metres in front of me. I put in a bit of a dig to catch her and overtake her ... and got no closer to her. This seemed odd. I put in more effort and got a little bit closer this time; close enough to see the motor on her motorised bike.

Like when I was walking in Canonbury once and heard someone running behind me. I waited for them to overtake me. The running continued but the person got no closer. Eventually I looked round; there was the camp bloke from the hairdressers mincing along at a run that was slower than my walk.

The photo is the last from Bath

Lena Z

Book group met to discuss Personality by Andrew O'Hagan  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Personality-Andrew-OHagan/dp/0571217753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237487193&sr=8-1 which got a "so so" rating from the group. It is based on the story of Lena Zavaroni [truly terrible child star, tragic death from anorexia] and some of us liked it more than others.

Photo is of the proud biathlete.

Bath 3

Here is another shot of the team in Bath. It is a great resource - with different sports going on all around. In case you are wondering, Rowan is holding the lucky catepilar

Compost

At last it is dry and warm enough to get out in the garden and start preparing for the spring. I opened up the compost bin and found some fantastic compost in there: made from kitchen waste [veg, fruit, tea-bags etc] is is now a rich worm-fest to delight the eye. This is one of the wonders of the world.

Bath 2

Rowan got her trophy for third place from Sam Weale who came 10th in the Beijing Olympics, which made it an even better day.

Biathlon

We have been down at the National Schools Biathlon [swimming and running] finals in Bath. Rowan and her school qualified at the Yorkshire regional event.

Last year the nationals were a bit of a shock [Rowan came 17th]. This year they were better prepared and the team [in the photo] came second in the Girls Year 6 event, with Rowan coming 3rd overall. We were all pleased, proud etc.

Horns and Kites

Went round to have a beer with friend Paul in the week. His daughter Lou is also playing French Horn, like Rowan, which is a bit of a coincidence as it is one of the least popular instruments for children to play [which is probably why Rowan chose it].

Saw a Red Kite on a bike ride this week, they are getting closer and closer to York - one day I hope to see one hunting over Hob Moor.

I have decided this photo is a bit macabre to exhibit this time - maybe next year.

Marriage

I was in London yesterday. Saw Mark, Rob and Charlie - Mark is getting married; this is a bit of a shock, but very welcome. So we will all be off to Guernsey in October. 

The photo I took in Hyde Park

Musical Carrot

I don't know if there is a "be different" gene, but if there is then Rowan has inherited it from one of us; you be the judge of which one that is.

Yesterday Rowan went to a musical vegetable event that was being run at the National Centre for Early Music as part of Science Week. Ten people were happy to play musical carrots or squash. One person chose the musical broccoli; it sounded great too.

Cricket

Preston Guild takes place every 20 years, http://www.preston.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/guild-2012/guild-history/once-every-preston-guild/ the next one is due in 2012. 

Whilst digging through the family box I found this program from a cricket match held at the Guild in 1972. I remember going and enjoying a fantastic match as Lancashire beat Yorkshire. It was the classic Lancashire side of the early 70s with Clive Lloyd, Frouk Engineer, David Lloyd etc. The amazing thing was that they were all there in the team that day for what was basically an exhibition match. To top it all Geoff Boycott was out for 1.

Ingrams Cross Country League

It was the final race in the Ingrams Cross Country League run by York Athletics Club. Rowan won her race and the overall - for which she got a trophy and a very nice tracksuit ... which was miles too small!

Cycle Day

Rowan and Danielle went to a women's cycling maintenance course today. They both really enjoyed it and came back knowing more than me, and with a bag full of goodies [pumps, repair kits etc]. It is all part of Cycling City York http://www.cyclingcityyork.org.uk/ which is government funded.

Meantime Dave and I did the 50 mile Knaresborough route and had a good ride.

The photo is another of my Gran, front right, which I found on-line. She is the Mayor of Preston and other worthies in her guise as WRVS supremo

Gran

This is my Gran, known as Skip Palmour. She was a CBE, on Preston Council, did a lot of WRVS work in the war http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRVS  and was generally a pretty impressive woman. I used to play chess with her when I was young - if she was loosing she would just knock the pieces over and end the game.

Flags

I have decided to show this shot at Open Studios. Wasn't sure of it - a bit populist - but have been persuaded. We will see.

I heard on the radio today "You know you are old when you keep a stick for stirring paint..." and I do.

The Watch

Further rummaging in the family box led to this watch. I believe it belonged to my father's Uncle Peter who was in the army. A bit of research has shown it to probably be from 1907 which is pretty amazing. It works perfectly.

Sir Charles

My niece Sarah, sent me more information about Sir Charles Palmour today.

"Palmour joined in 1901 the firm of Whinney, Smith & Whinney with which he remained throughout his life, being its senior partner from 1927 until his death in 1948... In 1938 he led the British delegation to the International Congress of Accountants in Berlin at the time of the Munich crisis, and though he behaved with dignity and decorum in public, his colleagues were frightened behind the scenes that he would bring on war a year earlier than happened. It was said of him that he belonged to an age when the British Government was able to send a gunboat to enforce payment of debt or bonds that fell into arrear... He was a forceful and picturesque character, with a manner as blunt as his heart was kind. He was a very prominent freemason, holding the rank of Past Grand Warden of England. He was knighted in 1946."

Sounds a pretty interesting man. Amazingly I knew none of this, he is famous in the family only for "marrying a showgirl" which, although colourful, undersells him a bit I think.

Final photo from Roseberry Topping.

Family History

Here is Rowan standing proud on top of Roseberry Topping.

I have been doing a bit more family-history digging and found out that Sir Charles Palmour was senior partner in the accountancy firm of Whinney Smith Whinney which was a founding part of Ernst & Young, one of the biggest firms in the world today. A bit of a surprise really.