Training

Back from the US, training for the 100 mile sponsored ride has started. Thanks for everyone for helping me reach my target. You can still sponsor me at Donating to my JustGiving page is easy - just follow this link and click Donate:

http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Simon-Palmour

JustGiving sends your donation straight to PROSTATE CANCER UK so it’s a quick and safe way to donate.

Today I was out on the bike and stopped to consult my map in the lovely village of Saxton. I lent the bike against someone's cottage-pretty wall and had a look. A bloke came into the garden, "Need any help?", he helped me with the route then saw the Prostate Cancer UK cycle top I was wearing in anticipation for the ride in August. "I'm doing that ride as well, for Prostate Cancer". So we had a good chat about that, didn't even bother commenting on the coincidence; some things just happen.

More Family

After the cabin we drove across to Ben & Kari, Liam and KC who live in Alexandria Virginia. A busy happy evening then the next day we drove the final leg of our trip to Philly where we got the plane back home. Driving in the US is never my favourite activity but it went pretty well and the hire car service was incredibly convenient and efficient.

GSF

There were Hummingbirds at the cabin in Virginia, and we saw this Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly.

Humpback Rocks

There was bear-trouble up on the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I walked up to Humpback Rocks alone, early in the morning. It was a lovely walk with great views from the top.

In The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

We drove from Uncle Randy's in Blacksberg to the Blue Ridge Mountains via the parkway. A lovely drive and a great cabin in the woods for a short stay.

Aristotle

Joan and Randy now have a dog, a Boston Terrier. Derwood had a couple of these dogs so it was good to see another one; very affectionate, a bit daft, standard stuff. And yes, he really is called Aristotle.

Family

Uncle Randy and Aunt Joan drove over from Blacksberg Virgina to watch Rowan in the relay. Great to see them; they then piloted us back to Blacksberg  via Mount Airy on a scenic route, where we stayed the night and caught up with Cousin Wanda and daughter Natalia. Here they are with Rowan and Danielle.

Relay Video

Here is the video of Rowan and her mates in the relay race. Stick with it and you will see the 100metre, 100metre and 200metre legs before Rowan runs the anchor 400metre leg to the finish for George School in Lane 6. The main thing was that they all felt they had run to their ability level.

http://www.nbnationalsout.com/eprofile.php?event_id=3689&do=videos&video_id=149702

The photo is of the B&B Danielle and I stayed at in Greensboro NC. On reflection I think it is the best B&B I have stayed at: really nice patrons, didn't mind staying up to past midnight to let us in. Great food, wifi, lots of plugs, great guests [we met newly-weds, one of whom was from Blackpool, he recognised my accent, and a vet from Charlotte who was full of interesting info] and in walking distance of a great Asian vegetarian restaurant on a suitably boho street nearby. Almost worth making the trip to Greensboro for on its own merit.

Nationals

This is a photo of the girls in Rowan's team I took at the National Track Championships at Greensboro. After a difficult first couple of days it all came right in the sprint relay this morning when Rowan and her three team-mates ran brilliantly to get third in their heat; all four girls ran really strongly so it was a great morale boost for the team in their last event of the weekend.

Greensboro

Rowan was training for a few days ahead of our meeting up with her and the rest of the track team in Greensboro North Carolina. Our flight over via Philly was challenging. The photo is of Danielle at Philly airport [just before we learnt of our 4 hour delay].

North Carolina was part of the South; inter-racial marriage [like ours] was still illegal 50 years ago. Greensboro has a  key place in the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, with the sit- ins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_sit-ins  protesting the segregated lunch counter at Woolworths being a brave and important early battle. On top of that this week there has been a racist mass-murder in a black church in South Carolina, and a shooting of an unarmed African American by a white police officer in North Carolina.
So there is plenty of history here to get to grips with.

Mother & Milo

When we visited Mother last week, Milo made it very clear that he wanted to be close to her.

Iron Gate

I do like old iron gates; this one in the woods in Essex caught my eye.

Holiday pt 1

A selfie from the first part of Rowan's holiday. She is now back in the US ahead of competing at Greensboro in North Carolina at the US National Athletics championships.

Festival of Ideas

York Festival of Ideas, http://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2015/  is a brilliant event put on, for free, each year by the University. Lots of lectures and associated activity. This year we shall miss most of it but I got in a couple yesterday. First-up was a hands-on look at Geological Maps, which although not brilliantly led was still very interesting. Next was a talk and live band illustrations of the music of Blue Note records, the jazz label, which was great.

Photo is of the Harpers and the Palmours from the weekend.

Brentwood

Here are the lovely woods of Brentwood. Essex is a really good county for bridleway cycling, lots of old field patterns and rights of way. This wood reminded me of how much I liked the area.

Going Up The Country

After Essex we stayed with Cousin Gill & Robert at the farm on the hill. They have a shepherd's hut which they let out for "getting it together in the country for the weekend London evacuees". It looks really nice. In this photo some of the locals watch on as Rowan discreetly stands in front of the hut.
In the evening Auntie Alison, Uncle Geoff, Adam and Emma were all there for a meal, and I picked up Danielle from the train from Brum. So a happy time.

Exam pt2

Another weekend another exam. This time Rowan had to be in Brentwood Essex, so she and I stayed at Ro's in Suffolk the night. It was great to see Ro and Pete and my Mother who seemed in good form; here she is.

Railway Pond

The Railway Pond, our nearest pond, is an old brick-pond close to where the railway sidings used to be. A local group has cleared it out, oxygenated the water and generally given it a new lease of health. It is a pleasure to walk around it now.

Wolds Walk

When Rowan is back we always try and to get a walk in the Wolds in. This week we went to Goodmanham and then had our traditional lunch stop at a local garden centre [under 60s allowed in on Tuesdays].

Milo Attacked

Not so great to have on the Moor was the Horrible Husky that badly bit Milo in an unprovoked attack whilst Danielle was walking him. She had to carry him home, then neighbour Robert took them to the vet who shaved the area and patched him up. Here he is feeling justifiably a bit sorry for himself.

The Cattle Return

It is great to have the cattle back on the Moor - there are about 90 this year, a lot younger than previous years.

Tyneside

As soon as Rowan was back I had to take her up to Newcastle to take an American exam [SATs, no relation]. Whilst she spent four hours with various hopeful British schoolkids trying to get to US colleges, I walked on various Sustrans paths down to the Tyne. As always an interesting walk; this is a new park area with sculptures inspired by groynes on the Tyne; the structure is way taller than me, to give you an idea on scale.

Home Again

Rowan is home, lovely to have her back. Here she is in the corridor; unable to enter her room on account of the unbelievable mess of unpacking ...

Lifeguard

Kings Cross is changing, that is for sure, from seedy run down hole to shiny new pleasant place to hang out. What struck me about this shot was not just the sky and the building perspectives, but the bizarre placing of the life guard centre left - use your imagination.

Gig

Derwood was playing a lap steel with a pickup and a simple beat box - worked really well: audience were captivated.

Derwood Plays!

So I walked down from Rob's through Highgate and Kentish Town to the Blues Kitchen in Camden Town, to see old old friend Derwood [not seen for 10 years] play his first gig in London for 20 years [he lives in the California Desert]. It was a great gig, with lots of good people there, caught up with Elizabeth [singer in Westworld] who I have not seen for 20 years [she looked the same]. Pretty emotional event really.

Here we are.

and 

Here we were

London Trip

Down on the train, stay at Rob's. Kath in Budapest, but son Joe was there to show off his fixie skills on his stainless steel Bianchi - in the kitchen.

Kate Peters

Danielle and I went to see Kate Peters, a brilliant jazz singer, at the Phoenix with Adrian and Cathy, http://www.kate-peters.com/biography on a cold wet June day [Rowan meantime has 26C in the US]

Rainbow over Hob Moor, with the buttercups in full swing

Villa

These are the Villa fans in full voice before the kick-off. All went a bit flat once the game started.