Stroll 54c

 

I got the train back from Prudhoe, by which time the Tyne had turned from industrial artery into a most beautiful rural river.

Stroll 54b

 

This is one of the always-welcome Sustrans marker signposts on the cycle network. It is a fantastic achievement, to create an alternative way of getting around, all over the country.

Stroll 54a

 I arrived at Newcastle expecting to get the train to complete the Middlesbrough to Sunderland route. The train was cancelled. So a quick ponder, and I decided to head east along the Tyne. It is a great path, a Sustrans cycle route right by the river for the most part. The weather was beautiful and all was well. The path drops down steeply from the station to the Tyne gorge, where the path goes under a couple of the Tyne bridges.

Stroll 53 pt3

The path reached Horden, which was in the paper the other week as an example of a village that was built for its pit, but the pit is long gone, and the people are not. Walking to the station was a pretty grim experience. So different from Seaham where I started. Both used to depend on coal, one has moved on to be a desirable place to live, one has not.

 

Stroll 53 pt2

 

The path followed the cliff top, until it was interrupted by a series of deep steep valleys. The railway line, built to ship the coal to the world ran near the coast the whole way. An amazing construction achievement which a local told me was completed in 1905, which is late, and probably a reflection on the need to get the coal to market as cheaply as possible.

Stroll 53 pt1

 The next day I headed south on the Durham coast from Seaham to Horden. It was a beautiful day, with the port at Seaham looking mill pond flat. 

Stroll 52 pt2

 The Durham coastline is surprisingly dramatic, and eroding away fast. The path I followed is part of the King Charles Coast Path, which has a grand name but very little in the way of signposting IRL. A good thing though. I finished off the day at Seaham.

Stroll 52

 The weather was set fair for the week, so I got a rail rover ticket (4 days in 8) and set off to Sunderland to walk the north sea coast to Hartlepool. First day took me past the town hall and through a very pleasant park. Good start.

Danielle and Jasmin

Tom took this picture of Danielle with Jasmin last weekend.

 

Memories

 

A picture of Mark, Rob and me watching the football. Looks like England are losing to me. I think it was taken in about 1982. Here is a link to lots of people's thoughts on Rob (including from me and Mark).

https://reddwarf.co.uk/news/2026/03/06/rob-grant/ 

Week End

 Friday we saw the Phoenix Dance Company perform Interplay at the Theatre Royal. They are a Leeds based contemporary dance company. It was fantastic, really enjoyed it. Then Saturday we went over to Glossop to see nephew Will and Alex and Jasmin their baby, with the bonus of nephew Tom also being there. We met up in Glossop Market which is a great venue in the done-up old market hall. A good place to meet, drink and eat. We were in an unofficial "big dog corner" and all was well.

Stroll 51e

 

And so to Boro, where the transporter bridge is sadly shut to all traffic including pedestrians. It is such a great structure.

Stroll 51d

 

Where once pollution had totally degraded the coast, there are now nature reserves and a flourishing harbour seal colony. I was glad that Layla could not get near the seals to say hi.

Farewell Rob

It is fifty years since I met Rob on my first day at Liverpool University. This week he died; it was a real shock. Rob & Kath stayed with us for a weekend last summer, and it is good to have such rich memories. Rob gave the speech at Danielle's and my wedding, thirty years ago. This photo is of us heading off to the Quaker Meeting house ahead of the wedding all those years ago. I shall miss him.

 

Stroll 51c

 

Heading towards the Tees, I am not sure what the scrap in the foreground is, but the white towers behind are part of the flourishing wind turbine manufacturing in the area.

Stroll 51b

 

Next I walked through Seaton Carew, where the obligatory information board told of how it had developed as a 19th century seaside resort for wealthy Quakers. Not so much now. A lot of effort has gone into making it an attractive place to spend time. These beach huts were all in use, and looking all the better for it.

Stroll 51 Hartlepool to Middlesborough

 

Walking from Hartlepool to Middlesborough is probably to visit the most industrialised bit of the whole coastline. From the now derelict (pits, iron works etc) to the more recent (chemicals, chemicals) to the just about hanging on (shipping, nuclear power station) to the future (wind turbine manufacture) there is a lot of stuff being made and going on.

First off I followed the coast south where coal dust still appears on the beaches, with offshore turbines adding drama.

Cliffords Tower

I nipped into York on the bike to get a few things yesterday. Walking past Cliffords Tower, in full daffodil bloom I just had to stop, look, photograph and admire. It is a good place to live.

 

York Open Studios 2026

                                                         YORK OPEN STUDIOS APRIL 2026

Friday April 17th 18.00 to 21.00

Saturday April 18th 10.00 - 17.00

Sunday April 19th 10.00 - 17.00

Saturday April 25th 10.00 - 17.00

Sunday April 26th 10.00 - 17.00

I am exhibiting at York Open Studios (yorkopenstudios.co.uk) in April 2026 

in my studio at 60 Hob Moor Drive York, YO24 4JZ. 

Please join me to see my new work, my best work and details of my third photo essay. Cards and books for sale. A Prize Competition. A Sale rack.

I am pleased this year to welcome Shona Leslie, who will be showing her unique, handmade, nature inspired silver jewellery with me in my studio. See her work at www.mckinleyandmoth.com 

You are invited to the preview evening (Friday April 17th) from 6pm to 9pm where there will be wine and nibbles and a first chance to see our show.

I shall be putting new photos on my website (www.palmour.eu) Facebook (simon.palmour), Blue Sky (@palmour.bsky.social) and Instagram (lenoirlenoir) through March to give you a taster of the show.

Plan a Visit - Spread the Word

A rare visitor. Mr Sun

Saturday was the first beautiful day for a long long time. We made the most of it and took Alfie (friend Emilie's dog who we are fostering for a few days) and Layla (who you can see in the far distance) to Escrick for a good walk. 

In the evening we watched Laura, a 1944 film noir directed by Otto Preminger, which I had not seen for nine years or so. Never my favourite I had it down as 3 stars, which I would confirm after this latest viewing. Danielle had heard about it on Radio 3 so we decided to watch it. I generally have splurges of interest in film noir every few years, and then enjoy them all over again.
 

Stroll 50 g

The train back was packed: standing room only. Except that is for the exhausted dog. No way was she standing up. Very understanding humans.

Stroll 50 f

And this tunnel under a road bridge, adjacent to a flight of locks at Marple is another example. 

I found out on Marple station that Agatha Christie (whose sister had moved to the area) named Miss Marple after the town. 

 

Stroll 50 d

Started the walk at Macclesfield in Cheshire, where I was glad to get this shot. The lights in the foreground were just there, seemingly projected from above. No idea why of how, but I liked them. To keep the lights in I could not have it in black and white which I otherwise would have chosen.

 

Stroll 50 e

Walking along canals built in the 18th Century at times feels like being on a linear sculpture park. This snake bridge, designed to allow towing-horses to cross the canal without unhitching their tow rope, is a beautiful example. 
 

Stroll 50 c

Next up in our space, was Fes Batista, who was a very interesting and friendly professional boxer and anti-bullying activist on his way to Manchester. A pleasure to have his company.

 

Stroll 50 b

Layla welcomes others to our space, here she is being spoiled by a typically besotted fellow traveller, on her way to Huddersfield.

 

Stroll 50 a

The 50th day of my Stroll was this week. I took the Trans Pennine Express train across to Manchester. Layla loves the train, and as we set off she has a special smile for the occasion. There is a secret section, known only to those who value the space, beyond the First Class part of the train.

 

Guest

Bit of a delay between posts. Busy time. Rowan came up for the weekend, always a pleasure. We all took the dog to Escrick where we can let her run free. Much running, chasing deer, rolling around: pure joy.

I believe Rowan was quite pleased to see Layla as well as us.

Another New Shot

And here is another shot that I am thinking of showing this year at York Open Studios. Not so sure about it.

 

New Shots

More cold mist meant I got another trip to Thorne Moors in, ahead of the spring curfew for dogs that begins on March 1st.

No sunshine, but the light was good. This shot I think I may show at York Open Studios. I shall get it, and others printed as small prints, then look at them all together and decide on which to go with. It is an exciting time of the year for me.

 

Surveying her Kingdom

Taken last week at the new forest, on a damp and misty day here in York.

After the Flood

A lot of rain these last few weeks; here is the resulting flood of the river Ouse as it runs through York. That is the medieval Hosptium building on the other side of the resultant lake.

 

Stroll 49 again

The Thurgoland tunnels on the old line to Penistone have been looked after by Barnsley Council and the one is use by the cycle track has got these great lights all the way through. It does mean that the whole thing has the feeling of being a portal to another dimension; I came out unscathed and in the same time zone. One end of the tunnel has LNER on it, (the pre British Rail company) and the other end has British Rail inscribed. 

 

Stroll 49 Chapeltown to Penistone

 After a break of over a month, on account of Christmas, bad weather and dodgy trains the Stroll started again this week. A walk from Chapeltown north of Sheffield through a large forest for most of the 20km of the path, before following the old railway line into Penistone. Good to be back.

A great path through the forest.

House Guest

 A college friend of Danielle's who she had not seen for close on 40 years came to stay with us for the weekend. It was great to have her. She is from Chicago, lives in Atlanta and works in Arizona as a Doctor on a reservation. So an interesting life. We took her to Fountains Abbey on a uniquely dry January day. 

Here are Layla, Danielle and Kim outside Fountains Hall, an Elizabethan House in the grounds of the Abbey, built in part with stone plundered from the ransacked monastry.

Cambridge 2

 

We met up with Nataliia in Cambridge at a cafe near the station. The whole area between the station and the city has been transformed; a big improvement I think.

Cambridge 1

Danielle is a visiting professor for UCL and she gave a talk at Cambridge University last Friday. I went with her and we stayed over the night at the Hotel du Vin where our room had a glass covered 3 metre deep well in the corner. Whilst Danielle spoke, I walked around the city on the paths by the river Cam, and on old railway lines. An enjoyable morning.

Hatfield 2

The pathway across the moors opens up before me.

 

Hatfield - one last time.

Back to Hatfield moors this week. Did plenty of exploring on narrow paths between the waters. It was another great day of discovery - new paths and new vistas. If you look right in the middle of this shot you will see Layla the dog far away. I hope it gives you some idea of the vast and lonely magnificence of the area.

 

Weekend

Friend Adrian came round on Sunday to record some piano onto one of my new songs. It went pretty well, I now have to mix before putting guitar down. All good fun.

Emilie had kindly given us two tickets for our local Everyman cinema. We decided to see Hamnet, mainly because Danielle had read the book and liked it. The first half was pretty good, and it built to an incredible denouement set at the Globe theatre. I have never cried as much as I did at the end; I was not expecting that at all. Not bad.

Saturday morning we walked down the Pocklington canal, which was full of reeds and weeds, but a good place for a walk on a cold day.

One Frosty Morning.

Taken this week on a frosty sunny morning, as I walked to collect the Tandem from the bike shop Cycle Heaven (so called because it took over premises from Motorists' Mecca). I love to shoot into the sun like this, the key is to find something to hide the sun behind. In this case it was the tree in the foreground. Without the tree the image would be bleached out by the sun and not work at all.

The Millennium Bridge was built in 2000 to provide a cycle and walking route over the river Ouse from west York to east. It is now an essential part of getting around for the many many people use their feet or their bikes. Cycle heaven indeed.

Birthday Girl

Our lodger Pat, who we see rarely, found out it was Danielle's birthday and very kindly gave her this hat and scarf combo. Looks great I think.

Hatfield Moors

 

One happy dog on Hatfield Moors. 

Thorne Moors

 The dodgy weather, train unreliability and the short days mean I have had a few weeks off from The Stroll. The last two weeks I have been back to first Thorne Moors then Hatfield Moors. As magical as ever. 

Frozen scrape on Thorne Moors

Party of the Imagination

We had such a good time last night at a bar for Danielle's birthday with 8 guests, that I neglected to take a photograph, so just imagine. Meantime here is a shot of some borsht that Danielle made to Nataliia's recipe at Christmas.

 

Up the Swanee

A serene swan and a lively Layla. Another shot from the Pocklington canal at Hagg bridge.

 

Books

Lots of lovely books have come my way, what with a birthday and a Christmas and a friend who passes on books on music that he has read.

• I Wanna Be Yours - John Cooper Clarke. Autobiography that was way better than I thought it might be, from my favourite poet.
• Everything We Do is Music - Elizabeth Alker. A great overview of the links between 20th Century modern classical and popular music. The writer is a Radio 3 DJ. Got me listening to Stockhausen amongst others.
• Whatever Will be, Will be - Felix White. Slightly disappointing tale of someone going to all the rounds of the FA Cup in 2024/5.
• The Girl on the 88 Bus - Freya Sampson. Written by the wife of one of Rowan's work colleagues, and a very successful writer as well. An uplifting tale of London life. Enjoyed it a lot.

Taken at Hagg bridge on a Christmas walk.

 

Birthday

 It was Danielle's birthday today. I cooked her favourite tomato risotto for tea.

Trivet

Rowan bought us this trivet set for Christmas. Hand crafted from wood, it is four trivets cut from the one piece of wood. We both absolutely love it, and it looks great on the redwood table.