Aberdovey 3

Another shot from the beach, this one on a slightly damper day. The dog spent the time charging from one member of the pack to another, hence this shot; Rowan is photographing a jellyfish, I am photographing her and Milo is relaying.

Aberdovey 3

Each year we have to visit the Talyllyn Railway, it has a place in all our hearts. This year we walked along the beach to Towyn then took the train up to Abergnolwin and back. This was the engine that took us "Tom Rolt" named after the first engineer on the revived railway.

Aberdovey 2

I really need a 100m exclusion to enjoy a beach. And that is what we get at Aberdovey. In this photo you can see Rowan [with her new hair style - all her own hair, no straightening] Danielle's knee and Milo the dog.

Aberdovey 1

Just back from our annual [9th] visit to Aberdovey in Wales. We all love it, and this shot of the beach on the day we arrived with Danielle, Rowan and the dog striding out to the sea on the deserted beach shows why.

Courgette

They are not hard to grow, and they never taste as good as they look, but nevertheless here is a nice courgette grown at home. Best either grilled or put in soup I reckon.

Myton

I was alerted to a new species - the mamil http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608

can't think why?

The photo is of Myton on Swale where there was a big battle between the Scots and English in 1319. It is peaceful now but still has an unreal air about it. This was heightened by my having a chat with a farmer on a bike [not a common sentence] about the area. He told me how the river freezes over occasionally and how he had seen a bullock walk across last time it had. He followed the bullock just to say he had walked across the river, and got very worried half way over - but he made it.

The Fringe

Last week the three of us went up to Edinburgh for the day [free rail tickets] and saw a show on the fringe "Just Macbeth" which was an antipodean comedy version of the play. We all enjoyed it and one bit of naked slapstick had Danielle in stitches for a long time [she's just about over it now]. The photo shows Rowan outside of one of the many stalls that spring up at fringe time.

York Station

One of these photos of Rowan on York Station was taken 7 years ago, one 7 days ago. Can you guess which is which? It has always been a happy place for us, when Rowan was 4 months old she was fascinated by the roof, then the trains.
I took this photo of Rowan last week. Yo

Beans

The French Beans have done pretty well this year. Here is a part of the crop in my trusty trug.

Victoria and Leeds

There are not many poems that have made an impression on me, but one of them is Ozymandias by Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away

I thought of it when I found this arch hidden, neglected and graffitied in the woods near Leeds Carnegie campus where Rowan was running. It was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's visit to Leeds, later moved to its present location, then forgotten.

Work

A photo from the walk from Goathland to Grosmont. Last time we did it Rowan was just out of her pram ...

Working in the public sector [massive cuts upcoming] as a consultant [pinpointed as the source of most of the country's evils by the Tories] did not necessarily seem to be the best career choice in the current environment. So it was good to secure a chunk of work starting in September for two days a week. This is perfect for me at the moment. Feel fortunate.

It is hard not to smile just a little at the news that the Audit Commission is to be scrapped by the government. In 12 years of working freelance, the one client I had who gave me grief was the collection of pompous folks at the Audit Commission. After years of giving pressed local authorities a hard time from a privileged position of immunity I am sure there are a lot of smirks across the country at this news.

Whitby

The amazing thing at Whitby was that

A} we found a cafe that was happy to have dogs

and

B} Milo behaved perfectly.

Here is the steep path from the tourist hell to the Abbey atop the hill

The Inglorious 12th

August 11th Rowan, Milo and I went a walk on the North York Moors above Farndale on the course of the old iron ore railway. A four by four monster approaches us, "Put you dog on't lead" grunts the charming farmer. "I never let him off near sheep" I reply. "Not sheep I'm worried about" he replies. It dawns on me that it is the grouse for tomorrow's slaughter that he is concerned about. I apologise and put Milo on the lead. Bit bizarre though isn't it? He is worried that the dog will upset the birds because tomorrow they are going to be shot.

Boltby

I went a 125k ride up to Boltby Bank on the North York Moors, this is another steep hill which makes it into the 100 greatest cycling climbs book just published http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Greatest-Cycling-Climbs-Cyclists/dp/0711231206 It proved a hard one, but it was conquered. On the way back I got caught up with cyclists on the York 100 ride which I had decided not to do.

Meantime Rowan and Danielle went round to see Lily Chris and Ted after meeting, with Rowan and Lily playing tennis in the park.

Spout

This is the Malyan Spout waterfall at Goathland. We had a meal at the hotel of the same name. The last time I had been there was 36 years ago when I stayed for 2 nights with my father on a touring holiday we had together. I remembered the dining room and the location of the hotel quite clearly.

Hills

This is what I like to see, some good steep hills to ride up. I got a couple of rides in whilst in Goathland including a couple of 25% hills. The North York Moors really are great for cycling. Plenty of tiny roads with hills and fords and open moors. Have to watch out for the sheep though.

Whitby

One day from Goathland we went to Whitby, a place that makes York seem light on the tourists. Danielle got some Jet earrings, I tried to get some gothic shots of grave stones and the abbey; not that successfully.

Goathland 2

This line was just 75metres from the hotel, so we had plenty of chances to see the engines struggling up the hill from Grosmont.

Goathland 1

My Mother kindly took the four of us [3 humans] to a hotel in Goathland on the North York Moors for a few days. It was going very well until she fell at night and broke her rib. Despite a trip in the ambulance to Scarborough A&E and a lot of discomfort it seems to be on the mend now that she is back in Suffolk. The first day Rowan and I walked down to Grosmont where we met Danielle and Mother who had taken the steam train. Danielle and I then swapped places for the return.

Walk the Line

The photo is of Danielle's paternal grandfather from Sioux City - another gem found in the house.

York Central Library has been refurbished and is now called Explore … I was looking at the Walking books section [tales of long distance walks, climbing guides etc] and spotted Johnny Cash – Walk The Line. I checked the numbering, yes it was in the right place. Nice to know that librarians make errors too.

Barn Owl

I cycled last week to Selby and Skipwith Common on the mountain bike. Saw a Barn Owl on the Ings at Fulford; a ghostly pale presence.

The photo is of Stratton Audley church, which has been renovated inside with a shiny glass floor panel to reflect the window in.

Sport

Rowan, Danielle and Milo did a 10k run last month. Meantime Dave and I did out next Sportive; the 100k Grimpeurs de Wolds. It was really well organised and a very friendly event, definitely one of the best [I did have another puncture though...]

The photo is of some of Robert's cattle at the farm in Oxfordshire. Cute burgers in waiting.

Cycle City York

City centre cycle racing came to York a couple of weeks ago. Good course, right past the Minster, with a sprinkling of rain to make it dicey on the cobbles. The speed with which the pros hurtled round the corners was truly awe inspiring.

Sarah Dean

Danielle, mother and I went to see Sarah Dean http://www.myspace.com/sarahdeanpluckybutterfly play her harp at the Sutton Bank national park centre in the North York Moors. She was really good again.

Photo is another from the Trolley Bus museum - but it is not a trolley bus.

Trolley Bus

Bringing Mother back from Oxfordshire to York we stopped off at Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum which was a really good place to visit. We were all surprised how good it was.

More Photos

More shots from the vaults. These are of Danielle in the 80s [never would have guessed] long before I knew her.