NYOS

 

Three weeks until my second Open Studios of the year, this one is for North Yorkshire. York and North Yorkshire got a Labour Mayor last week, so it is a happy place.

Perfect Day

The last days of our long weekend and we headed to the North York Moors for a walk through Langdale forest. Just great to be up there again with spring making its way forward towards summer. This gem of a valley is just near Blakey Topping. 

We got home in time to watch the third stage of the Giro drinking the first wine from the annual Giro case of wines made on the route of this years race. Then to finish a perfect day we watched Perfect Days, a brilliant Wim Wenders film set in Japan. 

Bank Holiday

We had a band practice last week, went well, a hot day though. This weekend Danielle and I have had a great time at home - doing the garden, visiting the soon to be community woodland on the outskirts of York (renamed the New Forest by me), sharing a pint or too with a friend who supports Ipswich (promoted to the Premier League) and having a barbecue in the nearly-spring weather.
 

Wetlands

Everywhere is sodden. This is normally the Pocklington canal on the right, a ditch in the centre and a field on the left. This year the water is everywhere, a few 100 metres on from here the three bodies of water were joined, and my wellies were just about tall enough. Discretion won and we cut the walk short. I did see a short eared owl though, so that was some recompense.

Trundle pt2 b

The bad news was I had a front tyre flat, at speed that led to me very nearly crashing; one of those situations where time really does slow down. The following thought process took place within a second or two. "oh, what was that? my front wheel is sliding away from me, I am going to crash badly, I have managed to stay upright. I have bellowed very loudly, I am ok"

The good news was that there was a mini park of benches and a water fountain, meaning I could have lunch, fix my wheel, wash my hands and move on.

Trundle pt2

 The second part of my cycling Trundle was from Doncaster to York, on the sustrans route that I first used when we moved to York from London 26 years ago. It has always been a favourite route with sections on old railway lines, canal towpaths, old pits etc. It inspired me to write my Elmet book. 

This was the first time I had been on it for a good few years, and it was great to find that a lot of it had been resurfaced and resigned. The whole area is sodden at the moment, this is the river Went, which is normally a stream you hardly notice beneath a stone bridge. Not this year.

Cover Art

 

And here is Rowan in Milan with two friends, going for the EP cover. What could it be called?

Milano

Rowan went to Milan to some design event with some friends. Here she is posing in a chair

The Stroll Part5 three

 

Layla is a bit of a pathfinder, which can be very helpful for me. In this case there really was no room for doubt as our path took us alongside Doncaster Jail and right into the centre of the town.

The Stroll pt5 two

The route also ran by the river Dearne, which used to be surrounded by pits of the Barnsley coalfield. These days it looks positively bucolic.

The Stroll pt 5

Stage five of The Stroll took place on Friday (my last day before two days stuck indoors for Open Studios). I took the train to Bolton upon Dearne which is a typical (ex)pit village near Barnsley, and walked on the Sustrans route back to Doncaster. It was a good day and a great walk, passing the Earth Centre (failed Millennium project, now by the look of it a hotel), Connisbrough castle and many amazing railway viaducts and bridges. 

The first part of the walk was through wetlands of the Don Valley, made wetter by mining subsidence that allows water to collect. Saw the first swallows of the year, as well as egrets.

YOS is over

York Open Studios has been and gone. The usual mix of lots of interest, lots of chat, sales, future sales etc. This year the Elmet book outsold the Wolds one for the first time, which I was pleased about; a lot of people returning for Elmet, having enjoyed the Wolds book. For the first time I was showing with Gail Fox, a collage artist, and it we worked really well together. This shot is of Gail's display at the window end of the studio.

 

The Stroll pt4

Knaresbrough is one of the more picturesque towns in Yorkshire. It reminds me of a French town, with its river (the Nidd) and steep streets and snickets leading up from the gorge to the market square and castle. The boats were looking smart for the new season. From Knaresbrough I got the train back to York.

The Stroll Stage Four - Viaduct

 The muddy tracks took us to this beautiful viaduct on the current Leeds to Harrogate line.

The Stroll Stage 4

This weeks part of The Stroll was from Pannal (to the south west of Harrogate) to Knaresbrough. It was a windy day, with promised rain unable to show up, which lead to a great walk via Harrogate on bridleways and old railway tracks. 

This shot is of Crimple Beck as it flows (pretty abundantly) through Pannal.

End of Part One

The first weekend of Open Studios is over. It went well, steady flow of people, good sales, lots of chat. 

This photo is not one I showed, I took it last week when meeting Danielle at her office.

YOS starts

 Apologies for the long break, I have been rushed getting ready for Open Studios. Friday evening was the preview that went well, and today was the first real day. The usual mix of great feedback, interesting chat and a good few sales. More tomorrow I hope, by which time I shall have some shots of the studio.

Meantime here is a shot from a very flooded Bolton Percy last week. The water keeps on keeping on.

Visitors

Friends Katie and David came for lunch at the weekend. Great to catch up. It is a mere 48 years since I first met Katie. 

It was the York Open Studios taster exhibition at the Hospitium in Museum Gardens over the weekend where each artist has one work on show. With a hundred artists that makes for a pretty impressive show. I did a stint of stewarding on Saturday; there was a flow of many many people all weekend. Someone bought a copy of the work I had on show (below), she was keen to have number 1 (of 25) so that was a real good outcome.

Gash - taken on Hatfield Moors

    

Music Book Group

We have started a second book group. This one focuses on books that feature music, either fiction or non fiction. There are six of us, all who have an interest in music. The first book was Dirt Road by James Kelman which Danielle and I chose. Great discussion, we had the whole range of responses to it from 5/5 (me, one of my favorite books) to someone who gave it 1/5 and who found the stream of consciousness all too much. 

This is Doncaster parish church, designed by George Gilbert Scot who also built St Pancras station in London.

The Stroll Stage 3

Friend Robert joined me on today's third stage of The Stroll. Picking up where I left off last time, at Kirk Sandall (birthplace of John Mclaughlin) we walked on un-public paths all the way into Doncaster, not passing a soul until we met some youths who pointed us to the exit to Doncaster College. A really great walk and we were rewarded with sunshine as well. This photo is of a pipe bridge across the canal and the river Don, at Kirk Sandall. The bridge connected two parts of the now demolished Pilkington Glass factory. Not surprisingly the bridge is not available for public use.

Farewell Daughter

 Full family turnout to see Rowan get her train back to London: and she got a seat on the train.

Compost

Danielle was busy in the garden potting some plants and clearing a bed. Meantime I harvested the lovely smelly compost. Getting the veg bed ready for planting out.

Easter Guest

 We are all pleased to have Rowan home for the long weekend.

Pub

Rowan is back for Easter. We had a pint in the Crooked Tap with Layla on best-ish behaviour. Good to catch up on Rowan's news.

Community Wood

There is a brand new community wood being planted west of York, which we can walk to. It looks like it will be really impressive when established: an exciting development. True to form the community has decided to start walking around it ahead of being allowed. All very civilized.

Canal Bridge

The impressive bridge over the canal at Barnby Dun from the stroll. I met a bloke from the Canal authority who was a consultant who walked the canals to locate leaks and places where the banks were giving way etc. Very interesting, he answered plenty of questions I had for him.

The Stroll Stage 2

I came to an early realisation that The Stroll is going to need a pragmatic approach to ensure the best of the weather. There is also the on going mess of rail strikes that have to be taken into account. So this week I took the train to Thorne (north of Doncaster) and walked south on the South Yorkshire Navigations  towards Donny as far as Kirk Sandall where I could get the train back. There were very few people around, and the dog was off the lead most of the way, the rain held off, I saw grebes and goosanders, heard chiffchaffs and had a a great walk. 

Wood

I cycled through Temple Newsham park in east Leeds, then on  tracks to Aberford and back to York. Not a long ride but very enjoyable and almost traffic free. I appreciate it. 

Deer

I was able to cycle right through Leeds along the newly developed waterfront, where I got a coffee and croissant - very pleasant. In a swathe of  post industrial waste, where the Sustrans track takes you towards York, I saw a couple of roe deer, less than two miles from the city centre.

Ark

From Shipley right into Leeds I followed the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. It is a beautiful route along the Aire valley, contouring the southern slopes. When I saw this sight, I thought it must be Noah's ark, but then saw there were more than two sheep, so it can't be.

The Trundle 1

As well as The Stroll, I have embarked upon The Trundle, which is going to be a series of interconnecting bike rides. I kicked off with Bradford to York, nearly all the route was off road, including this Cycle Superhighway from Bradford to Shipley. I am full of admiration for Bradford Council finding the means and energy to build this at a time of real pressure on local authorities. 

Nataliia Departs

Nataliia moved out last week, it was all a bit of a rush and we did not have a proper farewell. So she came round and ate with us a few days later, and kindly gave me this print to me (as you can see by the subject, she worked me out) and a lovely notebook to Danielle. Very kind of her, in difficult circumstances. We have really enjoyed having such a considerate guest. 

Nataliia is now with a new family in Cambridge and all is going well.

Tod

 Todmorden, squeezed into the Calder valley.

The Stroll Stage 1

On April 2nd 1984 I set off with Marie on The Walk across Europe from Greece to Spain. I hope to go back to a couple of locations from that walk sometime this year.

I have also decided to lower my sight considerably for another long walk. This is The Stroll and the aim is to walk from place to place on routes across Yorkshire, where I now live. The start and finish have to be on the rail network, so that the route can be done without a car. I hope some stages will be with Danielle, and friends. The dog will be on most of the stages. I have no idea if I will keep it going, but that is the plan.

So yesterday was Stage One of The Stroll.

 

Taking the train across the county of local trains reminded me that the Tory government had messed up not just the economy, the health service and pretty much everything, but also the rail network. So I had to deal with a couple of "cancelled" trains. The staff on the trains were universally pleasant and helpful (having a big friendly dog helps) and God chipped in with a beautiful sunny day to start. 

I took the train via a change at Leeds to Littleborough, on the Rochdale canal just to the west of the Pennine watershed as it is crossed by the highest broad canal in the country. I have never seen a canal so full of water, with many of the many locks appearing as if waterfalls. Once over the summit we began in geographical Yorkshire down the wondrous Calder Valley. It is a valley with a unique landscape for the Pennines, the deepest narrowest most dramatic of the routes through the moors. The canal, railway and road are all squeezed into the bottom of the valley, with the brooding bleak moors up above. The industrial architecture from the railway, the canal and the mills, is incredible and awe inspiring. 

We walked to Todmorden (which I last visited when Rowan was performing in a Triathlon here) then got the train back to York. Hope to be back for stage two next week.

The Stroll

Walked across the Pennine watershed alongside the Rochdale Canal today. Beautiful. I shall explain why in a more detail soon.

Canal 3

One last shot from the canal walk. This is looking across the aqueduct to the river Don below. That skimpy rail is all that is between the canal and the waters below.

A World Gone Mad

A bridge keepers cottage on the canal from last week. Such a still day, with perfect reflections and not a breath.

It was book group this week, we had read A World Gone Mad by Astrid Lindgren, which was the writer's diary of her experiences of living in neutral Sweden during the second world war. The history was interesting, exposing how ignorant we were of the war in the north, but the rest of the memoir lacked interest.

Spring is sprung.

 Spring is arriving, the pond is showing life, the dog is in position, all is well. 

New Junction Canal

Built in 1905 the New Junction Canal, very wide and totally straight, cuts right across Humberhead and was built to carry coal to the port of Goole. There is still a tiny amount of freight traffic, and very little leisure users. It has one aqueduct over the river Went and this dramatic one over the river Don, with floodgates at either end. Unfortunately the mesh walkway proved to disturbing to the dog so I had to explore it alone.

Manchester Collective

Thursday I met up with friend Paul in Leeds to see another great gig from the Manchester Collective, this time it was The Unfurrowed Field performed by a jazz trio and a string quartet playing together. Great stuff.

This is Philip Slack, my favourite dry valley in the Wolds, taken at the weekend. Still looking good.

Farewell

Nataliia is leaving us to move to Cambridge next week, so we took her for a walk in the Wolds at Cottam (the deserted village is behind in them in this shot). Always good to show people the wonders of the Wolds.
 

Well elmetic

 A classic elmetic landscape near Askern last week. To the right an old bridleway heads east, to the left what will feel like a natural cathedral in the summer when the trees are in leaf.

Sutton Common

As part of my continuing in the history of  Elmet, I recently found out that near Askern (north of Doncaster) an iron age collection of earthworks had been discovered that was "very important". It is rare to find iron age sites on low level marshy flatlands. I was expecting to be impressed, picturing ramparts akin to the hill top forts on the downs in the south. It was not to be. Having to trespass to get access there was not a sign of explanation to be seen, and I struggled to find the earthworks. But here they are in the photo.

Not a lot of whelm involved, but nevertheless it still felt good to stand alone in this place with a rich past and a very minimal present.

Peace

Chilli plant to the left, Strat to the right, chilled dog in the middle, sun shining bright.

Wood

Cutting up firewood takes a lot of time, but is strangely satisfying. The bench is safe for now (just about).

Nesting Season

Thorne and Hatfield Moors are now off limits for dogs off the lead until August 1st, on account of ground nesting birds. So this was our last visit for a while. 

Danielle and I saw a version of Bluebeard at the York Theatre Royal this week, a fantastic production - fast paced, powerful, funny, short - all the things I look for in a play.

New Work 2

Bog Oak on the rise.

New

2024 Fragile - Hatfield Moors

There comes a time before an exhibition when you have to decide what you are going to show and concentrate on that. Trouble is I keep taking shots that I really like - and want to show.  This was taken on Hatfield Moors (again) and I hope it will be loved. You never know.

 

Wolds Return

I was back walking in the Wolds last week. The first time for a long while. A lovely day, and good to be back. This is Elvin Lear, a mysteriously named dry valley near Cottam.