Monday Joke

Rowan is a great source of internet memes. This made me laugh

Food

Friday we all went for a [very] impromptu meal at Robert and Helen's; the young folk shying away from the camera, the old folk enjoying the food and company. And the Macedonian wine.

Then Saturday we went out for an Indian with Danielle's running mates. Today was half marathon training for Danielle and Rowan.

For Fox Sake

I stayed with Mark and Mandy in London, in Wimbledon. One of the big issues that the troubled residents of the leafy glades have to deal with is "what to do with the foxes in the garden?" Peeing on the grass does not work, the post modernist sculpture of a dog does not work, lion poo is not readily available ... what to do?
Here is the ridiculously cute cub; best enjoy I should think.

Meteorite

Down in London for a work meeting at Friends House, then walked over to the Natural History Museum to finally get to see the Wold Newton Meteorite, which fell in the Wolds in the 19th Century. As it was observed landing, it helped prove that meteorites originated not from volcanoes as had been thought but from space. This in turn enabled the whole understanding of how the universe was formed to begin.

Leeds

By the time we reached Leeds on the Aire the mills are getting bigger, the skyline more dramatic.

Thwaite Mills

This is Thwaite Mills Watermill, one of the last remaining water powered mills in the country. We passed it on the Aire Navigation on our walk; a perfect looking scene.

Canal Walk

The next stage of our Canal Walk project took place on Saturday. Rowan joined us this time. We took the train to Castleford then walked by the River Aire and its Navigation to Leeds. It was a great walk passing through a reclaimed coalfield that has been converted into this beautiful nature reserve. We have now completed the first two legs of our walk. Marsden to Castleford via Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Wakefield. Then Castleford to Skipton via Leeds, Shipley and Silsden. It has been a great experience so far with plenty more to come.

Guest

Both of Danielle's parents were mid-westerners from Iowa. When she and her brother Ben were young they would be packed off to their maternal grandparents in Albia, Iowa [pop 3678]. This is the epitome of small town America. One of Danielle's playmates was Kimberly who lived across the railroad tracks from her Grandparents house. From age 6 they have been friends and they still are now; it is 19 years since we saw Kim but she is on a coach tour of the UK and called in at York en route. It was great to catch up with Kim, who still lives and teaches in Albia.

Salford

My final two Workshops took place in Salford last week. 13th floor, great view across Old Trafford and Media City.

County Hall

Here are the County Offices in Preston where I ran the workshop last week, and where my Mother worked 70 years ago. The fact that Preston was the county town for then-mighty Lancashire was a source of great pride back in the day.

University

Rowan and I walked across to the University on Sunday. This is part of the newish Heslington East site; well worth a walk across town to.

Veg News

The courgette plants are going well in the raised bed at the front of the house. Milo on sentry duty.

It was Helen Cadbury's funeral on Saturday; Danielle was in charge of it all and did a grand job.

Don Valley & The Broken Promises

Well, the band is now four strong. Robert on drums, Peter on bass, Greg on guitar, me on guitar and harp. Played for the first time this week; went great.

Proud Preston

After Warrington came Preston. I cycled from the station to the Tickled Trout at Salmsbury where I stayed ahead of the first session in the morning at County Offices by Preston Station. In these very offices my Mother worked 70 years ago; it was a very strange feeling as I walked into the impressive Victorian interiors of the old Lancashire County Offices. This was from when Lancashire included Furness, Manchester, Liverpool and the rest of the county. Today Lancashire is a tiny forgotten remnant stretched between Merseyside, Great Manchester and Cumbria.

The second session was in Leyland, so I cycled down the old tramway to the town. The once mighty motor works are reduced to a tiny plant producing some trucks. My meeting was in one of the recycled buildings from the old British Leyland works.

Cycling through Avenham Park is always a joy.

Warrington

I was running workshops in Warrington yesterday; I am really enjoying revisiting the North West. Preston and Leyland are next on the dream itinerary.

I have always loved a signpost on a footpath, especially a distressed old wooden one like this.

Scale

Just to give you an idea of the scale of these windmills, you can see a family [people, not ants] at the bottom of this one.

Walk

A beautiful day, a family walk amidst the wind turbines of Aberford; can you spot the dog?

The Docks

The old warehouses and docks are now converted to flats and bars. An impressive urban landscape that is so very different from when the docks were in use, then it was impossible to get anywhere near them as a member of the public.

Back in Liverpool

I was working in Bootle so stayed in Liverpool overnight ahead of the workshops I was running. Good to be back in Liverpool, it feels so different to Manchester. Great to walk the impressive Victorian streets again. My hotel was by the old docks, so Birkenhead looked good across the water [best place for it to be maybe].

Guide Dogs

Some Quaker neighbours who train guide dogs had a need for an emergency trainee-sitter. Rowan was happy to oblige.

Muriel

A large mural at the Science Museum in Manchester.

If you click on Flipcard on the blog menu you get a good alternative view of the past posts. 

Busy Bees

I was very happy to take Rowan to Manchester for the day, to show her what a great city it is. We popped into the Science Museum then wandered around. The way the industrial heritage has been integrated into modern city life, as illustrated here, is very impressive.

Situational Art

At Liverpool I built a tower of bricks in my room in hall: an art installation inspired by the Tate's famous bricks but costing slightly less. Later there was a 6 pint milk carton, shaped like a pint one, hanging from the ceiling. So you can see that art installations are something I have history with.

This one, involving a table verdigrised to distressing effect by Danielle, two cracked tea cups and some glue, is called Tea For Who? I am quite proud of it. Danielle is not.

More Death

Another month, another death of a good friend. Helen Cadbury [from the Quaker chocolate family] had died of cancer. She was our age, and a successful crime writer [three novels] and poet. She always helped me with my photography by pushing work my way if she could -  and using one of my photos on the cover of her book of poetry. We knew she had cancer but it is still a shock - a real shock. This photo of her with sons and husband was taken in 2004.

Weekend News

Had four new friends round for dinner, Peter, Shin-Sook, Mark and Stena. Went really well.

Then today I had a gentle cafe-ride with Dave to Tadcaster. Good day.

Another shot from Manchester - this is in the Science Museum.