NYM

It was a lonely misty day on top of the North York Moors. A great day for a walk, not a soul around. This stone dates from 1711, it is a guide stone for the track from Kirkbymoorside to Stokesley over the moors. I love these stones, so evocative. The writing on this one is so easy to read after 300 years, does make me wonder how come gravestones wear out after 20 years in a sheltered Oxfordshire churchyard.

Book News

Here is another shot of the woods at Bryn Gweled in the States.

We got a couple of books at the Tenement Museum when were in New York. One was a history of New York in maps, which looks really interesting; Rowan and I will look at that together at Christmas. The other was Loves Goes To Buildings On Fire by Will Hermes which is a look at music in New York City in the late 70s, http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IB2N4IE?btkr=1 It is a great read.

1 WTC

One World Trade Center is being built in New York to replace the Twin Towers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center . Rather than just take a photo of it I caught it reflected in another tower. Here it is.

The Moors

A lonely stone, of unknown purpose, in the middle of a forlorn bog on top of the world, no one else in sight; epitomises the South Pennine Moors for me.

Top Withins

We watched a Tony Robinson walking programme about Bronte country here in Yorkshire. It was good, and made me think that I had never walked around Top Withins, the farmhouse that inspired Wuthering Heights. So, making use of what is likely to be a rare work-free day, I drove over to Haworth and walked high on the moors, off piste and bog-free, before dropping down to the Pennine Way, Top Withins, and back to Haworth. It was an inspiring walk, plenty of gusty wind and dramatic clouds with sunbursts but no rain. I had Wuthering Heights radio adaptation on the ipod as well, so all was set. Pretty sheep free for most of the way as well, so I could let Milo off the lead.

Weekend News

Last night was a party at Edward and Fay's that was fun. Then today was a walk in the Wolds with Dave and Emma then lunch at Seaways Cafe. A pretty good weekend. We have been watching The Code, and Australian sub-Killing thriller, that has just about been worth the time we invested in it. Last episode later on today hopefully.

This time last week I was with Rowan eating Greek yogurt in Chelsea.

North End News

I went a ride whilst Danielle went to see a play with friend Sue - Antigone. When I got back Preston were 2-0 down at home to local rivals Fleetwood. By the time I got out of the bath they were 3-2 up and held on to win. Up to second in the table now.

Walking down the Hudson River park is a great experience. A good few piers [that's commercial piers not like Blackpool] are now long gone, only the decaying wooden pillars that once held them up stand testimony to their existence. In the background is New Jersey doing a pretty good impersonation of a mini New York.

New York Selfie

Rowan took charge of selfie production, and insisted that "you have to look silly". I am not sure why, but here is one that I think shows we were both happy to be in New York together.

BG1

Bryn Gweled http://www.bryngweled.org/, the Quaker community where Aunt Sheila lives in Danielle's old home, is certainly a strong contrast to New York City. Quiet, calm, peaceful; it makes a great antidote.
I walked through the woods in the autumn sunshine.

In the evening I went to meet Rowan's teachers and get the lowdown on how she is doing. A very positive group of interviews.

NYC 4

Our last day in New York saw us walk down through Greenwich Village to the financial district. I had never been in Wall St and Broad St before, so that was interesting. We found a suitably hip salad bar for lunch then worked our way back up to Penn Station to catch the train to Trenton. Here Aunt Sheila met us and dropped Rowan back off at school. I felt very sad to be saying goodbye again.

There is a tendency to just take lots of shots of buildings in New York. The skyscrapers are a source of unending wonder. So when a chance to catch them in a different light presents itself it is good to have a go. I think this reflection of buildings in the mirrored walls of a building across the street offers potential. I'll see what it looks like blown up a bit when I get home.

NYC 3

Here is a photo of Tony and I on his terrace with Manhattan behind us.
Sunday Rowan and I walked down the High Line to Chelsea then had a coffee in a hipster cycling shop/hub in the West Village with live cyclo-cross from Holland on the TV. Next we walked through Washington Square Gardens and on to the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side. This is a really great museum focused on the lives of successive waves of immigrant communities living in this one building over the years; recommended to anyone.
Then we walked up the Bowery and on to Central Park and finally back to our hotel in Hell's Kitchen. Another great walking day, rounded off with a face-time call to Danielle back home and a Thai meal on 9th Avenue.

NYC 2

Despite protestations Rowan still lets me photograph her [sometimes] here we are by the Rockefeller Centre yesterday. We had a great day: morning we took the subway to Brooklyn where we saw friend Tony [I last saw him here in New York 19 years ago] who has a great flat and kindly brought us brunch at a suitably hipster eaterie. Then we saw Motown The Musical [this was a meeting half way for me - Rowan loves musicals [I don't] but as it was about Motown I thought it would be something I could bear. And it was, great fun, packed out, bit of a laugh.
Then we ate out in an Italian bar on 9th Avenue which was a lot better than it should have been - Rowan had thyme infused honey drink. Exhausting day but a great one.

NYC 1

I met Rowan at Trenton station at 6 yesterday evening. It is lovely to see her and she looks so well and happy. I had spent the day walking round New York. Firstly on the High Line, a brilliantly converted old freight line high above the city that is now a footpath, then all around Manhattan from Chelsea round the tip and back up to Manhattan Bridge where I took a route up through the Bowery and the Lower East Side to Broadway and back the hotel on 36th Street West. It was a great walk [20km or so] that made me very happy; perfect weather, much to wonder at.

This is a shot from the High Line back towards the centre of Manhattan

Rowan

Rowan sent us this picture of her and friend Mavi. She seems to be having a good time. If all goes to plan I should be seeing her later today at that most glamorous of locations - Trenton station New Jersey.

Fishing

Auntie Alison sent me this photo of Uncle Geoff at one of his old fishing haunts. Good photo I think.

Trent

En route to Sarah's in Nottingham we stopped off at the River Trent to go a short walk; what a lovely big river it is.

Boro

I got a ride in last week. Heading up through York to Sheriff Hutton [medieval castle] and some short steep hills to Kirkdale Minster [tiny church in the moors] then up to the high North York Moors via the horribly steep Blakey Bank where this lonely cross greets you. I love it up here, lonely, evocative and a great descent to Castelton where I get lunch in a perfect little cafe. Then over some more of the moors before a descent into a contrast. Gone are the pretty little North Yorkshire villages to be replaced by north east pit villages all looking a bit bedraggled and short of inspiration. I pick up an old railway line Sustrans route that takes me through really interesting country to the edge of Middlesborough. I cycle into the town centre [first time I have been there amazingly enough] and am quite glad to get the train back home. Only 105k but a great ride nonetheless.

Macbeth

We saw Verdi's Macbeth on the Live from the Met HD link to the City Screen here in York on Saturday. It was a great production and Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth was fantastic - a real star.

The photo is from our weekend in Grasmere in the Lakes; although come to think of it, it would make a good setting for the three weird sisters from Macbeth.

BMS

Last week we went to our first BMS concert for a good few years http://www.bms-york.org.uk/ . It was a clarinetist [Emma Johnson] together with a string quartet and bass, horn and bassoon players. They played Brahms and Schubert and we enjoyed it a lot. Saw people there who we had not caught up with for a long time. Packed out as well.

The photo is the last from Nottingham for a while, the square near the theatre.

Nottingham 2

Outside the Theatre in Nottingham there is a vast concave mirror created by Anish Kapoor [who also designed the Orbit at the Olympic Park that featured on the blog last month] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Mirror . This is a shot of the mirror with the theatre reflected in it and the clouds above.

Existentialism and Nottingham

On Monday I was interviewed by an academic at York St Johns University about my early travel experiences abroad. I really enjoyed it and he seemed to be pleased too. A bit like travel therapy, we delved into my existential approach to travel and the desire to encounter and experience [all his words I should add]. That made me realise that when I was in Nottingham last week waiting for Danielle, I treated the whole hour or so as a chance to explore. It was a really rewarding explore with this tunnel beneath the city centre being particularly exciting.

Posing

I saw a Grey Wagtail in the garden last week. The last time I saw one was 11 years ago, so it was a very welcome surprise.

I also saw this Red Admiral on the Moor, it was obviously making a bid to be included as the "butterfly" next time we re-do the notice boards.

Flowers

This is shot in the Meeting House at George School - it was on their website this week. Not sure what the flower ritual is but you can see that Rowan looks pretty happy with things

Picture #5

This etching is by artist Hilary Daltry who became a friend. It is called Etruscan Woman and is drawn from an Etruscan head, earrings from Camden Lock and some material. The first copy was taken by Marie when we split up. I liked it so much I went back and bought another of the limited run. Well worth it.

We had a dinner party Saturday night. Rob, Julia, Gwen and new to York Peter and Siobhan. Went really well, I did the main course Danielle the starter and pudding.

Nottingham

Thursday Danielle had a meeting in Nottingham, so I drove her down and we popped in to see niece Sarah, who is with child, Markus and Rosalind who was two the day before. Great to catch up.

Ten Years After

The Blog is Ten Years Old Today

Hard to believe

It has been worth it

Thank you for reading

Thank you for the feedback

York Open Studios 2015

I have been selected for York Open Studios 2015, which is good. So now I am planning my show. This shot, taken on the walkway down from the Orbit last week, is one of my new favourites. As always I have no idea how it will go down; for me the ghostly figure obscured by mesh and the monochrome nature of the colour shot add up to a great image. For others it could be nothing special. The important thing is to have confidence in what you produce; you can't control public reaction to your work so don't worry about it.

Orbit 2

This is the view from the Orbit, with the Olympic Stadium being converted to be home of West Ham [how is the mighty fallen].

Visually Impaired Running Group

Danielle is involved in this group which featured in the local paper this week.