Hotel

Here is the hotel we stayed at in Fuerteventura. It was perfect for us - small, right in the centre of town and really friendly staff.

Life After Dark

Just finished reading Dave Haslam's book on a history of British clubs and music venues - Life After Dark. We saw him reading from the book in York and got a copy. It is way better than I thought it would be; a run through the familiar history of popular music in this country but not from the perspective of the bands but from the consumer and the venues they go to. I would really recommend it.

One of the bizarre effects of the housing and tourist development collapse in Spain has been areas that are now officially "abandoned development" where infrastructure [in this case street lighting] has been left waiting for the apartments and shops and people that never came. Bit of a God send to photographers though ...

Birds on a Beach

Birds on a beach at Fuerteventura

FV7

Back to Leeds-Bradford, it has been a good trip - even Ryan Air was OK. This is at our hotel on the last night - great vegetarian paella and Lanzarote Rosé.

FV6

Whilst Danielle and Rowan visited a beach on the wild west side of the island I climbed this mountain and got a view down to their beach. The wind (which gives the island its name) keeps things from getting too hot, late September it is a very pleasant place to be. I saw plenty of Hoopoes in the desert too.

FV5

The island of Fuerteventura consists entirely of volcanic rock. We walked up one volcano, including this section of lava path, and looked down into the crater, which was a first for me. All very low key, just a few people around.

FV4

We walked to where the desert meets the sea and had as much beach to ourselves as we used to get in Aberdovey. In the evening we found a great band playing in the street outside our restaurant [jazz-funk with their own material and a harmonica player]. Photo is of Danielle and Rowan enjoying the beach.

FV 3

I hired a mountain bike and went on a pretty amazing ride; right around the northern coast, across a desert then back through the interior with a blazing head-wind. A real challenge of a day but one that will last long in the memory. The first part of the ride was across a lava plain where dry-lava walls had been built to make boundaries, and clear the land of the endless stone [just like in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes]. It is a very primal landscape which it felt great to be in but I have to admit that I would have liked a bit of grass, or soil even, by the end of the day.

FV 2

We had a decompression day, wondering around the town, walking out to the desert dunes (which come right up to the edge of the town) and relaxing. The place is not too crowded anyway, and once into the desert it is as empty as it looks.

Fuerteventura

With Rowan not being able to go to UPenn because of Brexit we found ourselves with a longer summer than we thought we would have. So we went to Fuerteventura for a family holiday. Surviving day one - train to Manchester, low cost flight, being in the same space as lots of British tourists, finding the hire car, parking the car, finding the hotel in the dark - was surprisingly easy. The hotel which Rowan had found via Trip Advisor was fantastic: right in the centre of Carralejo, small and perfect for us all. This was the view we had when we got to our rooms - the moon casting a beautiful light across the bay.

Cattle Caution

It was a hot and sunny day in the Wolds last week. The cattle around the water hole were a bit uppity and managed to scare Milo quite a bit; they look benign enough from up here on the valley side.

AirBnb

Airbnb continues to go well. This is a shot of the deck outside the extension to go on the website; as you can see Milo was determined to be in the photo too. Hope he doesn't put people off ...

Balloons and books

Balloons over York are a common sight. And a common noise - you get used to the gentle hiss of the burner as the pilot lifts the balloon over the Moor and our house. These two were over the Ouse last week.

In book group we discussed The Glass Room by Simon Mawer which was OK, nothing too special though.

Brandsby

Got a nice ride in at the weekend, went past this church at Brandsby which is an interesting 1770 design.

The American Office

The highest row of four windows in the centre of the photo - that is Danielle's office. Good exercise getting up and down a few times a day. York has been car-free in the city centre for 30 years of so and it is the saving grace for the place; without such a forward looking policy it could have been like Oxford - still a mess after all these years.

Sky Ride

Danielle and I walked into Quaker meeting yesterday. Cycling on SkyRide day
 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/thousands-take-to-streets-for-sky-ride-york-1-8118944

is best left for those taking part; it is fantastic to see so many families trundling round on bikes on closed roads. This is the Millennium bridge across the Ouse which has a steady stream of cyclists all day. It was opened in 2001 and has become an essential link for walkers and cyclists, a beautiful and lasting addition to the transport infrastructure of the city.

Geese

These geese were in formation on the Ouse last week, contrasting nicely with the texture of the water.

Walking

Rowan, Milo and I went a walk in the Wolds at Fordon. A good day out together.

Life

So 20 years ago Danielle and I were getting married.
30 years ago I was buying my first house in Tottenham
40 years ago I was starting University at Liverpool
50 years ago I was starting my second term at boarding school

Life seems quite simple when looked at in snap shots.

Fridaythorpe

This photo of the small Norman church at Fridaythorpe, high on the Wolds, has made the cut and is going to be in my book on the Wolds. The book is moving forward, slow but sure ...

Last Carnival

I am enjoying listening to Melvyn Bragg's radio series about The North. Since moving back north 18 years ago I have really appreciated its strengths and history. When I was living in London I forgot I was a northerner really, I became a Londoner like so many other people who end up there. The radio programs cover the cultural and historical context really well - JB Priestley would have approved.

One last shot from the Carnival; putting everyone on stilts is a pretty impressive way of getting attention.

New Office 2

The view the other way is also interesting with this view of Bettys and various church towers. The only downside is that the office is next to McDonalds.

New Office

Danielle has moved her organisation to a new office in the centre of York. It is a great location with this surprising view of the Minster out of her window.

Garden News

The tomatoes have done pretty well in the greenhouse; as usual by this time of year the careful husbandry gives way to trying to stop them falling into each other and just getting the fruit off before it is too late. This week I got this 600 gram monster which might not look pretty but made a mean Gazpacho.

Coracle

Brother in Law Pete has built a coracle [from scratch] with his grandson Edward. Here it is afloat and on the move. I am very impressed.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today

Twenty years ago Danielle and I got married at the Quaker Meeting House in St Martin's Lane. It was a great day. I like the photo below as my Mother is visible behind us, we had all walked from the Meeting House to Pegs, our club in Covent Garden.