Open Studios

I have started to frame up for Open Studios in April. I framed this last night, it will be interesting to see how it goes. If you look carefully you will see both dog and daughter in there somewhere. It is of a dale in the Wolds.

Daffodil Time

The first daffodil emerged from the mud on Saturday. Here is the list of dates for the past few years

First Daffodil

2006 Feb 5th
2007 Jan 14th
2008 Jan 6th
2009 Jan 24th
2010 March 20th
2011 Feb 26th

The photo is called Sheffields Most Wanted [graffiti on the wall] and I am going to exhibit it at Open Studios this year, see how it goes.

More Hull

Another shot from Hull, in the transport bit of the museum.

They really should have a statue of Mick Ronson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Ronson if they are going to have one of Philip Larkin.

Hull

Half term we went to Hull. You might not believe this but Hull is reinventing itself. There is now a Museums Quarter which Rowan wanted to visit. It was well worth it, with the Wilberforce Museum looking at the abolition of the slave trade [12 million slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas - 12 million...] and the Street Museum having a bicycle gallery with plenty of old and new bikes. There was a Moser race bike there that was the type I used to crave when I lived in Oxford 30 years ago; it now looks like a museum piece, which indeed it is.

The photo is of the Philip Larkin statue at the station [he is equally famous for being a librarian at Hull University and being a poet]. We are trying hard not to do to Rowan what Larkin claimed we would do - only time will tell.

Tidy Your Room

Rowan is clearing out her room, she found her old paints so got seriously delayed as she attempted to use them up before saying goodbye. This is an example of her work; I like it. Look out for a post in 2012 for when the tidy-up is completed.

Skipwith

Rowan Milo and I went to the beautiful Skipwith Common, http://friendsofskipwithcommon.org.uk/ a national nature reserve, a disused airfield and a magical place. We found this wooden shelter.

World Cup

Had Edward, Faye, Helen and Simon round for dinner on Saturday evening. Went really well; Betty's recipes delivering again [without the finger-tip garnish].

Then Sunday Rowan and I went to the World Cup Cycling at Manchester. The highlight was the British team pursuit ride, a real blast with Bradley Wiggins stirring the crowd http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/default.stm

This shot is the US team sprint

Ride It

If all has gone right, you should be able to re-live my 75 mile bike ride I did on Friday. The weather stayed dry, the temperature was a balmy 5 degrees, and despite the closed restaurant at the top of White Horse Bank it was a good ride.

Sign

Spotted in Donny yesterday.

Netball News

Rowan played netball for the school on Saturday and they won both their games. Then Sunday she played for York and they got beat by Sheffield, so it was an all round experience of sport.

This photo is one I have decided has made it to the show; it will be interesting to see how it goes.

Yoga

Danielle has organised a yoga session each week for local friends. It is led by Hilary a yoga teacher from Quaker meeting, and takes place in the extension here at home. The first session went well. I have little experience of yoga, and so far it seems compatible with my back. Edward, me, Danielle, Rowan, Heather, Emma and Sarah all took part.

I have decided to show this photo at Open Studios this year - very simple but I like it

Nixon In China

We all went to the CityScreen to see the modern opera Nixon in China http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/production.aspx?id=11015 on a live HD link from the Met in New York. It is always a good experience. The opera was great for the first two Acts but a let down in the final Act. The minimalist-style music worked well.

The photo is from the NRM a few years ago at a special gala.

The First Cut

Chop chop chop, making some dal for dinner, marvelling at my Bettys cooking skills, chop chop chop, thinking how good it is to use the 20cm chef's knife, chop chop chop, the garlic and chilli is going to be just right, chop chop Ow! Rowan got the plasters, Danielle did the looking and the bandaging, Milo administered comfort. Luckily I hadn't sliced my finger off at all, just a nasty cut that will heal on its own. Luckily the chilli had not got into the cut - now that would have been bad.

The photo is of me at the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway long ago

Garsdale

This is Garsdale station from our trip to Wensleydale last month. It is on the Settle Carlisle line and extremely exposed; so much so that in the days of steam it had a barricade of vertical sleepers around its turntable to stop engines being spun around like tops by the wind. http://www.countrysidemodels.co.uk/gallery_tupdale/tlgphoto11_1.htm

Reggae #1

Watched Reggae Brittania http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/seasons/reggaebritannia/ last night which was really good and brought back plenty of memories. So here is Reggae Memory number 1.

Friend Adrian and I had just left school, and got tickets to see Bob Marley at Manchester Hard Rock in 1975 http://www.thirdfield.com/new/tours.html. It was the big breakthrough tour, on which No Woman No Cry was recorded. The place was packed, a real event for the West Indian community; with two white public school boys in the middle of it all. It felt just like a gig should feel, but so often doesn't; something really special.

The photo is another from Sheffield.

More From Sheffield

The last photo from last week's Sheffield Trip. A bit cliched.

Robert and I went a bike ride to Knaresborough today. The weather just about held out and it was good to turn those legs.

Helicopter

On the way back from Sheffield the whole motorway was shut so that the Yorkshire Air Ambulance could land and take some crash victims to hospital. We were very lucky, missed the queues and Rowan took this picture of the helicopter.

Where The Smokers Go

Rowan was back at Sheffield for her regional Netball academy on Sunday. I got a good walk in, into town by the River Don, then back along the canal. I passed the back doors of many factories, where the arrangements for smokers were varied and intriguing. Here is one on the Don.

Bananagrams

Rowan got Bananagrams for her birthday from Ro & Pete. Big success. Here is Rowan's winning hand when she beat me ... [quern is a grinding-stone by the way]

Redpolls

Meet the Hob Moor Redpolls. Not the most exciting of birds but still good to have them in the garden.

Never too late

At exhibitions I often spend a long time talking to people about my photos, all looks good for a sale, then they go without buying. It can be frustrating but you just have to accept it as part of the gig. So it was really good today to hear from someone who had seen my work at Bedern Hall before Christmas, had said he would come back the next day to buy, and then had not shown up. The snow had kept him away then, but now he wanted a copy of this shot, of Bala lake in Wales, to take back to the US where he is from.

Helmsley

I found this photo of Helmsley Castle, taken pre-digital when Rowan was pre-school. We used to go around many a castle and abbey in those early days.

Correction

It wasn't a Linnet last week it was a Redpoll. As you can see they are not a million miles apart.