Masterchef

As a family we all used to enjoy watching Masterchef. Then we got fed up with the formulaic hyped up nature of it all and stopped watching a few series ago. Which was a shame because I discovered yesterday morning that someone we knew was in the final http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8996363.York_nurse_Sara_s_MasterChef_bid_fails/ We have met Sara and family at David and Anita's a few times, and she came to my Open Studios show earlier this month. She and her husband are also keen cyclists. So we managed to watch her nearly win yesterday. Won't watch the next series though.

The photo is of the cattle at Beningborough on the other side of the haha.

Poly Styrene RIP

Poly Styrene has died http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13193968

The X-Ray Spex gig I saw at Eric's in 1977 was one of the best punk gigs - a fantastic band with a great vibe. She was still making good music last year, I downloaded a track Black Christmas that sounds great.

Honey

The rape fields are in full bloom. Good for honey bees. This field is on the old airfield at Acaster Malbis.

Danielle's bees were very prolific last year, but unfortunately the colony was wiped out in the winter. Friend David came up with another colony for us, which we drove over in the car last week. They seem happy enough in their new home; Danielle has been watching the bees doing their dance to show the other bees where the flower crops are.

When Danielle was dismantling the hives of the deceased bees, she found they had left us one last gift of a kilo of honey; tastes good too.

Relegation

Preston are relegated - it has been coming all season, now the waiting is over.

Mother went back to Suffolk today after a very successful stay. We had a tea and cake party on Saturday afternoon which was fun. The weather has been fantastic this Easter - just perfect.

Wedding of the Year

My niece Sarah is getting married to Markus in the summer; everyone is looking forward to the family gathering. This has prompted us to do some more family-tree exploration, this time on my paternal grandmother's side. Her Grandmother was German [as is Markus], coming over with her father who was part of Prince Albert's posse when he married Victoria. This unflattering portrait is of her; Fanny Mary Gotlieb Falcke. We think the top picture might be of her too [Rosemary has it in Suffolk].
Fanny Mary married a Fitzmaurice [descendants of the Lord of Kerry] then had Ada who was my Gran's mother.

Northern Soul

I have always liked Northern Soul, in the blood from being a teenager in Furness really. Danielle and I went to see Soul Boy http://www.soulboythefilm.com/ at the City Screen last week and really enjoyed it. The 70s is so long ago now, that the film comes over not as nostalgic, but rather as a period costume drama. Great stuff.

The photo is another from the Moor [with Milo interloping]

Balloons

Now that spring is here, and the weather good, the balloon season is going full blast. They launch from the Knavesmire just across the moor from our house. The early morning or evening whoosh noise of the burners is usually the first thing that makes you look up and see the otherwise silent travellers above. There seem to be three balloons in operation this year; this one was taking off last week above the trees on the far side of the moor.

Fedding Time

On the Tuesday morning at the farm we watched Robert and Emma feed the calves with this ingenious mass feeding device - it worked a treat.

MPs

Danielle has managed to swing it so that Rowan can shadow Kate Green MP http://www.kategreen.org/ one day in the summer. So yesterday they went to Manchester to meet her. Discussions included "should we have AV?" and it all went well.

We had taken mother to Harlow Carr http://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr gardens where she treated us to lunch at Betty's which was as good as ever.

The photo is from our stay and Gill & Robert's farm

Seychelles or Doncaster?

My sister Ro and Pete and Will are in the Seychelles visiting Pete's brother Steve and wife Jane. Meantime I have visited Doncaster Minster http://www.doncasterminster.org/ which I have seen many times from the train. Considering it is a Victorian church [architect the same one who did St Pancras station] it is strangely old looking. Nowadays it has a tiny congregation, cut off from all housing by a throtling ring road system, marooned on a concrete hill.

The JBs

In book group we discussed my choice, the plays of JB Priestley. It was the usual good discussion with most of us liking the plays more than we thought we would. An Inpsector Calls was the most popular, with Time & The Conways being less loved.

The photo is another from Styal, one of the cotton machines

Ride

Dave and I went on a great off-road route I worked out last year. Weather was warm, sunny and dry - perfect. The route incorporated road, old railway line, tracks, fields, forest track, bridleways, stately home - perfect.

Coming the other way were many people on an organised ride - quite a strange feeling. Dave used his first-aid skills to good effect when we came across two young lads who had tried to ride over a stream without the use of a bridge - much blood but not too broken.

Here is the route

Mother

Went down to collect Mother from Stratton Audley, so she is back up with us for Easter. She is a lot better health than last time she was here, so that is good.

The photo is of Rowan at Bradford last week for triathlon training.

Julie Cowans RIP

Danielle and I went to the funeral for Julie Cowans who has died of cancer aged 45, leaving David and three children. Danielle used to manage Julie at the Rowntree Foundation, and Rowan used to play a lot with Melissa, Julie's daughter, when she was younger. The church was packed, we stood at the back. It was very emotional.

In Styal 2

This is inside the apprentices house, which is where children from the workhouse aged 9 and up were "bound" to the mill owner until they were 18. Conditions were not great, but there was no corporal punishment [which is better than my boarding school].This room would have contained 60 girls, two to a bed.

In Styal

First week of the Easter holidays Rowan and I were off on the train to Wilmslow via Manchester, then walked the couple of miles to the National Trust Quarry Bank Mill at Styal http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-quarrybankmillandstyalestate which is really well done and very interesting. A number of shots to follow; this is cotton on one of the machines.

End of YOS

Open Studios is over. On reflection it went very well. I had a late flurry of sales to make the overall picture pretty good. I had a lot of good conversation with various visitors which was inspiring and uplifting; an amazingly positive vibe surrounds the event.

Trying to get all the orders sorted out now.

The photo is of the cattle on the moor in the morning mist at the weekend

The Press

I discovered that Rowan's School Netball triumph made it into the local paper; here is the link

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/parklife/sports/8949473.Outstanding_Mount_School_netballers_take_title/

YOS 5

Open Studios is back in swing this weekend. Still a bit slow sales-wise for all of us, but lots of good feedback. Last day tomorrow.

I showed this one really to gauge opinion, just to see if people liked it as a style; is it so different to my normal high-key approach. Some really did not like it, but a lot really did, making some useful suggestions on how best to frame it; it will work best with no mounting board between it and the frame.

Bradford 4

So, further walking into the City Centre, and the amazing St George's Hall stands rock-steady across from the Italian style town hall. Amazing place

Bradford 3

A bit further on from the mosque you come to this estate of semis that are mostly boarded up and heading for oblivion. This is still within 15mins of the city centre.

More Bradford

Walking on from Horton I came across this massive garish mosque which appeared to be both in construction and derelict, but seemed on track 10 months ago http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8245593.VIDEO__Hague_praises__impressive__mosque_site/ It is certainly a city of contrasts.

The same evening I came to the Bradford section of JB Priestley's English Journey http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5787980/English-Journey-by-J-B-Priestley-review.html which I am reading. Although it was written in the 30s it has an amazingly current feel when describing a city that is totally transformed but still essentially the same.

Great Horton

While Rowan was playing Netball in Bradford I went for another stroll and found, within 15minutes walk of the city centre this area of 18th century buildings; unheralded, but well loved by the owners, an amazing little area with fields and horses too.

YOS 3

Rowan was playing netball for York again yesterday, whilst I was at Open Studios, and this time they won! Very pleased.

I was wary about showing this photo, not sure anyone would like it, but it got a lot of good response. Can you see Rowan and Milo in it?

YOS too

Another day at the show, much better today. More sales, more contacts, more positive. We all five felt it had been a better day I think. A week off now before it all starts again next Friday evening. I was really pleased to sell the first copy of this photo - Sheffields Most Wanted, it is the kind of shot I really like but am never sure anyone else will, so it is particularly gratifying when someone gets it and wants it.

Open Studios

Day 2 of Open Studios has come and gone. Absolutely knackered. Heavy footfall, sales down, lots of good feedback, slightly disappointing, four more days to go. Time for a bath.

This photo, Silent Running is the best seller so far.