Geopolitics

Just finished reading Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. This is an overview of current geopolitics based on 10 maps. A brilliant read, recommended unreservedly.
Saw friend Joanna for lunch, just the 40 years since we met at Liverpool.

Rowan and Milo by the Pocklington Canal.

Aves Ditch

I walked along a bit of Aves Ditch, north of Kirtlington. This is a pre-Saxon ditch and bank structure.

Kirtlington

I called in at Kirtlington Churchyard to see how we can add Mother's name to Father's stone. It is virtually unreadable [after only 23 years] so we might need a new one.

Family Visit

I drove Danielle down to Oxford for a two day seminar at the University. It meant we could catch up with the relations; here are Richard, Sarah and George in the impressive farm shop.

Post mortem

Still trying to come to terms with it all; all feeling pretty low. Might have implications for Rowan going to the US or not. Not good.

The map shows Yorkshire being a sea of blue [leave] as a result of an unholy alliance of deprived suspicious areas [like Doncaster and Hull] and affluent farmer Tory shires [North Yorkshire etc]. The only bits of Yorkshire that voted remain are Leeds, Harrogate and York [know as the golden triangle by estate agents]. These three areas all look outward [finance, students, hi-tech industry and tourism] and I am glad we live there.

The Two Tests

By a quirk of fate our two countries have separate sense tests this year.Yesterday the UK failed its test.

In November the US has its test: let us hope that it does better than us and that Trump does not triumph.

My first vote was in the General Election of 1979. I voted Labour, Thatcher won and the rest is a sad history.

Rowan's first vote was in the Referendum yesterday. We all chose Remain, and the rest is likely to be a sad story too.

Finding a comfort-crumb is not easy, but at least we live in York, one of the very few places nationally to vote to remain by a majority of over 15%. If ever there was scant consolation that is it.

The Undertaking

I am very pleased that Rowan still wants to come walking in the Wolds with Milo and I. We walked up Philips Slack this week on a lovely summer's day.

Book group last night we discussed The Undertaking by Thomas Lynch - non fiction, all about death and undertakers. Everyone else liked it.

Father's Day

Rowan baked me a cake, gave me a book on geopolitics and maps, and came a walk in the rain on the Moor with the dog. Not bad for Father's Day.

York Station

Here is York Station from the Museum entrance. There can be poetry in the most man made and unattractive environment.

I have started running one-to-one sessions helping people with their photography: last week it involved talking through using Adobe Lightroom. Very rewarding.

Home

Here is our bedroom

Saturday we all three went to Quaker friends Ben's gay wedding to Stephen. It coincided with York Pride, an annual LGBT event. It was a really positive event after the horrors of the last week - Orlando and the shooting of Jo Cox.

Woodpecker

The woodpeckers in the Catskills were far tamer than the ones back home; that is why I could get this close for a photo.

Rowan had her first evening working in a bar in York yesterday - seemed to go OK.

Leaning Tower

A church in Windham in the Catskills. Not quite in the same league as Chesterfield or Pisa, but still quite a lean.

Last night the three of us went to Helmsley with Dave & Emma for an Indian meal then to see Kieran Hodgson in a brilliant one man play about cycling, Yorkshire and growing up. Can't praise him enough - a great show http://www.helmsleyarts.co.uk/whats-on/kieran-hodgson-lance

NYM via MTB

Up on top of the North York Moors on the mountain bike, following the white track across the heather felt pretty much like heaven.

Went to another York Festival of Ideas talk last night. By Dave Haslam [dj] it was about the role of clubs in the cultural fabric of British towns and cities.  Really good, so good we bought the book.

http://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2016/talks/after-dark-britains-music-venues/ 

My my hay hay

I came across this hay meadow in the North York Moors last week. A beautiful thing to behold for sure.

Punk Rock - British Library

https://www.bl.uk/events/punk-1976-78

Went to see the Punk exhibition at the British Library. It is worth going to, a bit too London-centric but plenty on Eric's. Hard to credit that the gigs I went to 40 years ago would be given their own display at the national library 40 years later. Bonkers really.

This is a shot of a wall full of punk singles [a lot looked very familiar]. Friend Derwood features.

60

The 60th Birthday parties are rolling in. It was Bill's last week, a great party with acapella singing from Bill, and solo jazz sax from a guest, and then some full on dancing for everyone. Then we cycled home on the tandem.

Danielle on Thames

Three Kites and a Cyclist

"Enough of all this talk of trips to the US and the same old Wolds" I hear you say "What about the compost heap?"

Glad you asked. Rat problems [their teeth are too sharp] meant that the rotating compost bin is no more, and now there is a polystyrene one which might keep them at bay. The great thing about it is the thermometer built into the lid. Yesterday it reached 54 degrees! Very exciting.

I saw 7 Red Kites and a Peregrine in the air at once in the Wolds last week. By the time I got the camera out it was down to 3, but with a cyclist as an added bonus. The Kites are always a magnificent sight, no matter how common they become.

Advice and Queeries

We have a lot to think about for Rowan's further education. Here she is talking with Uncle Randy [who was a University Professor in micro-biology in Virginia] about the choices, on Aunt Maxine's deck in the heat.

Charity Awards

It was the Annual Charity Awards at the Mermaid Theatre in the City. Danielle is a judge http://www.charityawards.co.uk/2016-judges/, so we go along to the dinner together. It was the usual good fun. We stayed in an appartment in the City down the road. All good.

The Family

It is rare to get the three of us in one photo. This trip we got two - the new one on the Blog heading, and this one.

Last Sight of the Prom

Just one last Prom picture from the States. The girl in the centre is a friend of Rowan's whose family invited us to a graduation party at their home; this was great news to us as finally we got some good Indian food after two weeks of American fare.
The York Festival of Ideas is on again: ten days of great free lectures and events. Danielle and I went to a great talk on Jane Bown the Observer photographer who died two years ago, was a great photographer and an exact contemporary of my Mother.

Signs

On a walk in the Wolds I came across this welcome bench. World Peace and Fresh Farm Eggs - what more could you want?

... and Sunday Morning

Siobhan has bought a couple of my photos, including one of my favourites of Whay Dale in the Wolds. So Danielle and I offered to walk with Siobhan and Peter to see where the shot was taken. It was a beautiful day and the walk went well.

When the Hawthorne bushes are in blossom like this, the whole ambiance of the dale changes from slight menace to cotton wool comfort. I prefer the winter version.

The Meursault Investigation

Book group we discussed Danielle's choice, as illustrated. No one liked it; including Danielle. Luckily John found a red wine also named Meursault - and we all had a great discussion.

Saturday night ...

Saturday morning; Danielle runs 12 miles with her running friend Jackie [who is planning a 50 mile run later this year - no comment]. I get sorting the garden out - plenty of hedge chopping and grunting.
Afternoon we walk into town with the dog, and call in at the Black Swan folk festival. See a good band, catch up with Roz who has just played a set and see Justin with Cecily. And we have a nice pint too.
Evening we cycle into town to see a great production of The Machine Stops by EM Forster at the Theatre Royal in the studio. Written in 1906 it is amazingly prescient, the production was really brilliant as well. Music was by John Foxx, the same John Foxx who I first saw 40 odd years ago fronting Ultravox at the Marquee. Great stuff.

Photo is of Rowan with her Great Aunt Sheila last week.

RWAV

Just in case I give the impression that everywhere we went in the States was beautiful landscape, this is the view from our hotel in Bensalem PA. Nice staff though.

Friends

I think this photo shows that Rowan really felt at home at George School for the last 2 years.

Sleepy Hollow

Washington Irving set his tales of ghosts and horror [The Headless Horseman, The Mystery of Sleepy Hollow] in the Catskills, so this graveyard at Windham seemed to fit the mood. We listened to the stories as we drove away down the Hudson valley.

Spring

It was great to walk in the forest, which was just waking up from the long cold winter. Leaves were unfolding in the sun and becks like this one caught the sunlight through the branches. I think it could be a keeper.