Taming of the High Jump

Last night all three of us went to Ripley Castle to watch an outdoor promenade version of The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare. Reading the synopsis on the way over it sounded terrible, but the production was so good, so dynamic, that we all really enjoyed it.
Then today I drove Rowan to Wigan [I thought it would be all downhill after Barnsley - I was wrong] where she was representing Yorkshire [note the vest] for the first time in High Jump in a match against all the other Northern Counties. She won the high jump [against U17s] which was a great achievement. I never thought that I would be cheering on Yorkshire against Lancashire - but there you go. We won the whole event too.

Writing Britain

When I was in London I saw the Writing Britain exhibition at the British Library http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/writingbritain/about/ it was pretty good. I liked the maps a lot, and the original manuscripts a lot less. Recommended though.
The photo is from the Railfest here at the NRM this month.

The Pit by the Sea

I was down in London for work the next day. Saw Paul Corrigan for our customary wine at a bar near Kings Cross - as always plenty to talk about and not enough time. Then I stayed with  friend Wendy in Hackney whose has seen her house value plummet [the riots] and soar [opening of a new overground station at Haggerston] all in the same year. The train trip to Essex was going very smoothly [against the commuter flow] until a suicide stopped all trains. I found myself in somewhere called Pitsea [very apt] which was, apparently, the bad side of Basildon [and that is saying something] - it looked unbelievably bleak with pylons, Canvey Island and non-stop traffic. Luckily my client came and picked me up and rescued me.
The photo is from a misty February day in the Wolds.

Secret Lake

When I take Rowan to the running track in York I usually have time to wander around the sub-urban wastelands of Monks Cross with the dog. I discovered this lake hiding between the Park and Ride and a travellers site. It is beautiful little spot which affords Milo the chance of a bit of swimming when it is warm enough.

Geometry

I like the geometric aspect of this valley in the Wolds. It is part of an estate owned by a bad landlord who is attempting to a] keep all walkers off of his land [even where legally we have the right of way] and b] establish a world record for shooting the most pheasant in a day. Say no more.

Impromptu

Friends Paul and Kelly were up in York staying with friends Robert and Helen and family, who also had Robert's sister staying. So they invited us over for an impromptu meal - it was great fun, a really nice ending to the weekend.

Road Race

Ted and I cycled out to Ampleforth to see the British Road Race Championships. Had a good ride out, saw the final lap of the women's race, then watched the men for 3 laps - this is the start of the break that became the race-winning move with Sky's Alex Dowsett at the front.

We watched at Crayke where we had a long chat with someone who turned out to be Phil Griffiths [legendary ex-pro and manager] - interesting.

Torch 2

Here is Rowan holding the Olympic Torch at York last week.
This afternoon she jumped 1metre 60cm at a track meeting for the first time. This is the qualifying standard for English Schools finals. She might not be chosen as she can only make one of the days of the meeting, but she is still delighted to have made the mark. Measure it on the wall and imagine jumping over it ...

Tomato Crop

We had our first honey crop of the year this week. 10 kilos of joy. It is mostly rape honey, pale in colour and sweet. The vegetable garden continues to be a bit of a disaster with the weather and pests not under control. However the indoor plants are going very well. These are the first tomatoes of the year - fantastic big juicy Mediterranean style ones - they would never make it into Sainsburys but they are just what you get in France and think "why don't we have tomatoes like these in England"

Milo Swims

That lovely lake below was too much for Milo to resist, so he went for a leisure swim, a couple of lengths.

Olympic Torch

Preston Guild happens every 20 years. So this year is my third, with probably one more left. 1972 I managed to cycle the parade route down Fishergate when it was shut off to traffic and lined with expectant crowds. 1992 passed me by, but this year we are definitely going over at some stage.

The cycling experience crossed my mind today as I cycled down the road in Wetherby, then Harrogate and finally Knaresborough. All these places were awaiting the Olympic Torch. The same expectant crowds, the same cyclist, just a little older. The people of Knaresborough were treated to the surreal sight of a dead, upside down sheep floating down the Nidd; the Torch had a lot to live up to there.

Later we all four walked over the moor to Tadcaster Road to see the torch arrive in York. It was a magical evening; the moor was covered with a steady stream of local people walking to see the torch – it seemed like just about everyone in York was going to watch. Hard to explain why, but it was really moving. Rowan and I then went to the event at the end of the relay where Katie B played a few songs and Harvey Smith [I know, I thought he was dead too] rode up through a vast crowd on a horse and lit the big torch for the end of the day. A great couple of hours.

Springs

Rowan was running for York in Middlesbrough so Danielle and I went a walk in the Wolds. This is White Keld Dale which is very unusual in that it has springs and a beck down it with small lakes on the way. Usually the porous chalk leads to only dry valleys but this one is different.

Peace

Rowan has finished her exams, so we treated her to a meal at Old Siam Thai restaurant on Friday. Saturday we saw friend Helen playing lute and singing at a concert in the oldest church in York. It was the first time we had seen her and we enjoyed it a lot.
The photo is of the Peace Garden in Islington. When I lived there this was new and a beautifully peaceful place to spend a while. I remember taking a disabled Arabic man, Khalil there, "What is the English word for the sound of water over the waterfall?" he asked. I couldn't think of one.
Anyway the Peace Garden has lost one of its statues and is now locked and guarded with signs telling you what you cannot do. Dommage.

Office Greening

http://www.yorkmix.com/culture-leisure/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-hob-moor/ Here is a link to an article I wrote on Hob Moor for a local on line paper.

When I was in London a few weeks ago I saw this office block that appeared to have been greened by vegetation. I liked it.

Street Party 2

Neighbour Ken took this photo of me and neighbour Robert at the Street Party. Would you accept a cup of tea from this man?

Lumen Show November / December 2012

This is the flyer for my November / December London show. Also on line at http://palmourlumen.blogspot.co.uk/
Please pass the news around.

High Jump News

Rowan has been high jumping whenever she can this year. She has got a good coach at York who she likes. She is representing Yorkshire in an inter-county event in a couple of weeks, and is aiming for the qualifying height for the English Schools Championships in Gateshead. She has jumped it in training but not in competition yet, so it is certainly a target. 1metre 57. This is her jumping in the summer league in York last week

JCC

Watched a documentary on John Cooper Clarke http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jcdbc . He is a genius. I saw a few times at punk gigs in the early days, and then, bizarrely at the Oxford Union in 1980. It was good to be reminded of how good he is. Rowan and Danielle both liked it too.

The photo is from our London trip.

Best of the Wolds

I just felt like doing a long ride yesterday. The weather did not look great [68% chance of showers] but I wanted to do it. So I set off on my usual Wolds route - the first five miles or so are on a cycle track so a good traffic-free warm up. Quiet roads then took me across the River Derwent to climb the Wolds at Millington. I wanted a route that included all my favorite bits of the Wolds, so after the dry valley network of Millington the route plunged down to Thixendale and Bruderdale before reaching the cafe http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seaways-Cafe-Fridaythorpe/105088536224469 at Fridaythorpe for an early lunch.
Next came Sledmere and on into the Gypsey Race http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsey_Race which is a valley right through the Wolds that actually has a stream it intermittently [this is rare in the Wolds]. I wanted to get to Fordon which is at the heart of a dry valley system and incredibly remote. After that I headed to another great cafe at Burton Fleming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_Fleming where I chatted to some other cyclists. Amazingly I kept out of the rain for all of the nine and a half hours I was, save for an hour of drizzle. They had not been so lucky and were drying out.

Next stop was Rudston, with the tallest standing stone in the country http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudston. I took a road that was new to me up to Cottam, one of the best places in the Wolds, then twisted through the minor roads to Wharram Percy and Thixendale again, where the tea-shop shut half an hour previously. I went in anyway and the lady kindly gave me tea and a cake, "I'm sure I recognise you...". The final stretch back to York was going fine until I saw a sign reading "Road Closed". As a cyclist I always ignore these signs as there is not usually anything that can stop you getting through. This time I was confronted with this tree which had fallen in the storms the day before. It was enormous. I did manage to lift the bike over and continue, but it was close.
I got home, washed the bike and worked out how far I had gone. 112 miles, the longest route for a long while, and I felt good! Tired today though.
Here is the route  http://soc.li/KlmFrNL

The Globe

Being Half Term last week we had a family day in London. We went round the Globe Theatre at Southwark http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/ which was fun - the photo shows two aspiring actors.

2012 Manchester Tandem.avi

It might only be 17 seconds long but here are Danielle and I finishing the Manchester Bike Ride on the tandem.

Railfest

On Wednesday Rowan and I went to the Railfest at the National Railway Museum  http://www.nrm.org.uk/railfest2012 which meant we could revisit the playground climbing frame that Rowan used to love when very small. So here are before and after photos.

Cake

This is the cake that Rowan made for the street party. It all went ...

Sitting In The Streets

Danielle arranged a street party yesterday. Totally impromptu and on the hoof. We are blessed with a great street-full of neighbours and everyone pitched in with drink / food / comedy clothing / music and children. The rain held off and it all went well.

Creation Fine Arts

This is the gallery in Beverley where five of my works are showing. Don't know if I have any sales yet. It is a really good space right in the heart of the town. We combined seeing the gallery with walking the dog on Westwood which is a large stray to the west of the town.

Manchester Bike Ride

I have been on a lot of organised bike rides over the years. London to Brighton in the 80s [until a child riding the wrong way up the finishing straight did for both my enthusiasm for the event and my teeth / tongue and finger in 1986]. The first sportives in the UK [Brassknocker hill in 1992], the tandem race that Danielle and I did in 1996 [when we got held up by someone inconsiderately falling off  - "get out of the way!" one of us shouted.], then a load of sportives in recent  years. I have got weary of the macho element of sportives and am just doing one this year.
Today all three of us [Danielle and I on the tandem, Rowan on her road-bike] went to Manchester to ride the closed road route http://www.greatcycle.org/ . It was fantastic, the best organised ride I have done for ages. No traffic at all, a route from Man City stadium, right through town on the Mancunian Way motorway, past Old Trafford and then through the new Media City and Lowry Museum in Salford. We did two laps [26 miles] which was perfect. Out of a field of 2000 Danielle was the 24th woman, Rowan 31st, and I was 24th in my age group [old folk] - 17 mph. Great fun and a great day.

Book Group

Book Group this week we discussed A Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes. Good points – really well written, really short. Down side – it was as quick to forget as to read. The same evening friend Rob [temporarily homeless] stayed over, so it was a busy time.

I have left a bit of the lawn unmown this spring. It is amazing what is there if you let it grow. All sorts of wild flowers.

Newby Bridge

Rowan is safely back from her school camping trip at Newby Bridge. She had a great time, with kayaking, orienteering, rope walking, rock climbing etc. This is photo taken by one of her friends [hence the obligatory facebook type pose...]

Freelance pt2

Had a great evening with Carl, Jill and Cecilia at their flat off Baker Street – an amazing [if cramped] place to live. Then a quick walk to Paddington to get a train to south Wales where I was presenting a report to a client with two colleagues. We had every reason to fear that this would be a very difficult presentation. In fact it went really well, and everyone left happy. So you winsome you loose some.

The photo is of a meadow in Hyde Park.