Dog, Wife, Daughter

 Thursday night we went to see This Is The Kit at the Crescent club down the road. The band were good, but it was a sell out and too stuffy for me. So we sat in the lobby and listened where we came across friend Fay who was doing the same thing.

Rowan has been up for the week, working from home. Lovely to have her.

Portrait

Danielle on the deck.

Park 2

The park was built on land that had previously been a Quaker owned plant nursery. Some of the impressive variety of trees started life at the nursery. Not sure about this one, but its seen a bit of life.

The Park 1

Despite the dry summer our local park, West Bank Park, still provides a pleasant cool alternative to the heat of the streets. This is a shot up the colonnade.

Stroll 34

Bringing the Stroll up to date, this is en route from Saltmarshe to Goole. The M62 above, the Ouse as it becomes the Humber to the left, and the sheep enjoying their summer grazing. Not the beauty of yesterday's post, but still a great place to walk.

Stroll 33

Stroll 33, took me from Gargrave to Skipton along the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Beautiful walk, lovely light.

Stroll 32

Stroll 32 took me from Retford to Gainsborough on the river Trent. Plenty of good paths and tracks, past the soon to be demolished coal power station at West Burton.

 

World Cup

 

I looked out of the window upstairs this morning. There were some very imposing looking players on the far pitch of the Railway Institute playing fields that are next to our house. A bit of research and I have found out that this is where the New Zealand team for the Women's Rugby World Cup are training ahead of their matches at the York Community Stadium over the next month. A very unexpected privilege, we shall definitely try to get to one of the matches.

Le Weekend

Had a busy weekend. Heather and John invited us for dinner on the Friday night. John's quorn thermador was really good. Saturday we walked with friends Terry and Madeline on the Pocklington canal. Sunday Gwen came round for lunch. 

Ready for harvest, close to the Chesterfield Canal.

Sandra

 

We had not seen our friend Sandra for a while. So it was a delight to see her in her new job as a train dispatcher working for LNER on York Station. She has had an amazing life, born in Bosnia, raised in Sweden, now lives here in York with her family and dogs (that last is how me met her)

Stroll 31

 I walked the final part of the canal into Chesterfield. Another lovely day, and very satisfying to see the twisted spire at the end of the walk.

I also liked this shot across the tracks at Chesterfield station, two blokes, a Brompton and a hoodie.

Wedding 2

 While we were at a wedding near Leeds, Rowan was at one in Sweden which she got to via Copenhagen. Here she is with another guest, had a great time, including swimming in the sea.

Rhianna gets Married.

 Friday our neighbour's daughter, who is one year older than Rowan, and who we have known for 23 years, got married. We put up the bridesmaids using our upstairs to get made-up, haired etc. All went smoothly. Then we turned up for the post-wedding drink/dance event at Hazlewood Castle which was great. Here is the official photo of  Rhianna and Dom, and Robert and Jackie our neighbours.

And here is Rowan and Rhianna 21 years ago.

Pear News

Our pear tree produced its first real harvest this year. So far, several pears that are ready to eat and very pleasant.

 

Return to the Moors

It is always a great day when we can return to Thorne and Hatfield Moors after the 5 month summer recess to allow the ground nesting birds to have a dog-free breeding season. This year Danielle, me and the dog, set off early to have our ritual fresh croissants and coffee on the picnic table at Hatfield Moors. We had the whole place to ourselves. The peat areas of the Moor had dried out completely, which is not what the reserve management want to achieve. The deeper lakes were still fine, such as Ten Acre Lake where Layla had a cool-down wallow after a deer chase, and where these Greylag geese were making a right racket.

Stroll 30 #2

 

Darlington has a lot of new industry by the look of it, plenty of logistics warehouses. But as well as that there is many a reminder of the decline of traditional industry. The station is not in a great state, and this old fire station building, with the Darlington slogan Floreat Industria, is not long for this world.

Stroll 30

Stroll 30 took me from Dinsdale to Darlington; a shorter route than normal, it completed the section from Saltburn to Darlington. New pylons going up, a common gull on watch.

Stroll 29 #2

The canal really is a conduit of charm, everyone you meet on it seems just a little bit happier than they otherwise might.

Stroll 29

I had a rail rover ticket for the week, so got three Strolls in. Stroll 29 took me from Worksop to Kiveton on the Chesterfield Canal. Another great route. There are many locks on the route, including the triple set.

 

Stroll 28 #2

The beautiful Chesterfield canal.