Family Snaps

Auntie Alison showed me some photographs that are from my Granny's family. Not sure who took this photo of my great-grandfather, my Granny (Emily) and her brothers, but it is a great shot for 1907 with a good eye for composition.

Oxford 3

Sunday we went up to the farm to see Auntie Alison and bits of the extended family. Great to catch up with everything. Not sure what they are looking at here.

Oxford 2

Saturday Rowan got the train to Oxford so we could all have lunch and catch up in Oxford. Great to see her. Sunday she was off to see Arsenal v Palace at the Emirates which she looks like she is enjoying (the beer not the score)

Oxford 1

Danielle was at Oxford University for two days for meetings with an economics project she in involved with. I came down for the last day. I had met some of the people involved 3 years ago in Santa Fe, so it was great to catch up with people.
It rained most of the time but on the Saturday I found Hollywell Cemetery which I had never discovered before. Atmospheric and well hidden.

Barwick

I visited Barwick in Elmet and visited the old Norman castle which is within the Iron Age hill fort that now has the whole village inside of it. Not the most dramatic of locations but still worth a visit.

Walk in the Wolds

Ro, Danielle and I went a walk in the Wolds after collecting some books from my Pocklington Art Centre exhibition.

Rattle Owl

Ro and Pete (my sister and brother in law) are staying with us for a few days. We went out to eat at The Rattle Owl, a restaurant in walking distance from us on Mickelgate. They have an idnetical  couple of my photographs (of a cistern in Siena) on the wall. This was the first time I have seen them in place.

More Elmet

Went on a ride with Robert through Elmet; a really beautiful day. As ever we met several interesting people on our way including a Church commissioner barrister who was explaining the difficulty of dealing with parents who have lost a child, and want to make the gravestone into a shrine complete with toys and windmills etc. Not an easy situation to address.

Hawksmoor

The Hawksmoor church in Spitalfields, built in 1729, is something to behold. Hard not to be impressed every time I see it.

Christ in Gold

We walked into town and called in at the Yorkshire Museum where they have recently re-purchased this 13th Century gold Christ figure. It belonged to St Marys Abbey in York and was somehow saved from Henry VIII's destructive dissolution, to emerge in 1823 when the Yorkshire Museum was being built in the old grounds of the Abbey. It then disappeared to collectors in Germany until the recent purchase. A lot of back story for a really beautiful and moving piece. Worth a visit up here to see.

London Life

Rowan seems to be loving London life, and getting into it; including using these green e-bikes which are for hire (via an app) all over the City.

Don Pasquale

Our first date was at the Opera, so Danielle and I have always enjoyed going when we get the chance. We saw the opening night of Don Pasquale by Donizetti at Covent Garden. Bryn Terfel was in the title role but the show was stolen by Olga Peretyatko, the soprano who played Norina. We did not know the Opera but it was brilliantly staged and (amazingly for a comedy opera) really funny. We sat in the cheap seats right high up; I definitely prefer being here, always someone interesting to meet, you can see the orchestra, and no pretention.

The view from the back

London 1

Down to London with Danielle. I did a bit of research for my next book at the British Museum. Always good for a photo or two of the magnificent Great Hall.

Becca 2

The old bridleways around Becca mean you can get a real feel for the land. It is where the Vale of York just starts to crinkle into the beginnings of the Pennine uplands. There are old quarries here, producing the limestone that was used in York Minster amongst other buildings.

Becca Banks

I was out exploring for my book on Elmet last week. A mild trespass brought me to this Dark Age bank, Becca Banks,  that was built in around 600AD to defend Barwick in Elmet (the capital). Getting on for 1,500 years old and it is still solid and substantial.

Harvest

Parsnips should be like carrots. Because of the clay soil here mine always look like props from a horror movie. Taste good though.

After Sour Dough comes Kombucha

Danielle's living food project carries on. This liquid with the strange jellyfish-like prescence in it is Kombucha. I think it is brilliant she is making it; I don't drink it.

Coincidence 2

Friend Victor had posted a link on Twitter to a Guardian article on Black History Month. It was interesting, I read it all. Including a bit on Roman Emperor Septimius Severus who was the first Emperor of colour, coming from present day Libya.
I moved on to reading a book as part of my research for my next book on Elmet, the ancient Kingdom south of York. In the index I noticed a section on Hob Moor, where we live. Seem Septimius died in York in 211 AD, and one account has his two sons spreading his ashes over Hob Moor. Small world.

 Another shot from Strensall, mud and rain can make magic.

Coincidence 1

I was walking round the pond and met Andy and Finn. Chatting to Andy about recording music, and mentioning that I had no idea what mastering meant. Andy knew more than I did, but not a lot more. When I got home I found a podcast in my inbox on "The difference between Mastering and Re-mixing". There you go. 

Another shot from Strensall Common. The post is to fly the Red Flag of danger when the Army are shooting.

Shoplifters

Friday evening Dave & Emma came round to eat, and we watched Shoplifters a Japanese film that won the Palme D'Or at Cannes in 2018. It is a fantastic film, totally recommended. Just see it.
Robert the Drummer called round earlier, talking about various possible projects: always good to see him. Robert the Neighbour and I are trying to sort out a collapsing boundary wall together; going well so far.

I was on Strensall Common last week, an army firing range so you have to tread carefully. But worth it.

Harrogate

Harrogate really got behind the World Championships. Even this church.

Parakeet Alert

Ring necked parakeets are on the spread in the UK. Prolific in London there are a few colonies in Yorkshire, and they seem to be thinking about York. Friend Dave had a pair in his garden and one was in our street last week. The starlings did not seem immpressed.

Worlds 4

For the rain-sodden Mens Elite race on Sunday we were in the pavilion on the finish line. It was worth every penny to see an epic race won by Mads Pederson from Denmark. A great day.

Worlds 3

Saturday Danielle and I went over to watch the Elite Women's road race. Brilliant weather, crowd, race. After that we went to Joanna's party in Leeds to celebrate her getting German citizenship (Brexit fuelled, her father had been a Jewish refugee from Nazism).

Elisa Longo Borghini powers up the climb - look at the gear she is in!

Worlds 2

Heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday meant that I watched it on the TV. Thursday there was still rain, but Robert and I went on the train to watch Quinn Simmons the American win the Junior Men road race. It was a fantastic atmosphere and a great race to watch.
Friday I cycled to Wighill which is 10 miles out of York, and has a bench by the church where we have sat for a rest on many a ride. Only this day there was bunch of world class cyclists passing through. A surreal experience as the Junior Women blasted past.