Lunch

This is a view of Frank, Danielle, Chris and I having lunch last week. 

 

Bee news

 We went to collect a new Queen and her colony from a beekeeper near Scarbrough. They all stayed inside the hive on our was back. On our way there we had a walk in the Wolds, a first for a long time.

Wayrham Dale in the Wolds

Zen

One of the gardens we all liked at Chelsea, and one that we could actually get to look at, was this Japanese zen garden. Nothing unusual or ground-breaking but it exudes peace, which was in short supply.

 

London 2

 Danielle is a visiting professor at City University in London, and was giving a lecture to Masters students on Saturday morning. They put her up at a hotel in Finsbury Square, which was great. I met up with Rowan and had a cup of tea with her at her flat. We then walked down to meet Danielle once she was finished. Finally we met up with Chris and Frank again at Kings Cross for lunch, then got the train home.

You were allowed to enter and touch the exhibits in the Saatchi garden at Chelsea, which was a rarity. These sculptures could be spun around. Look forward to seeing them at B&Q soon.

London 1

 Danielle had a high school friend visiting from Germany with her husband; Chris and Frank. Chris is into gardening, so we met them at the Museum of Gardening at Lambeth Palace, got the river boat to Chelsea, went to the Chelsea Flower Show, then met up with Rowan for a tapas in the evening. Quite a day, all done in 30 degrees heat.

Mango

 We got news last week that Layla's mother, Mango had died aged 8 or thereabouts. Sad for the couple who took Mango as a rescue dog, then helped her raise five unexpected puppies; Layla was one of them.

Stroll 64 pt3

 

And here is the beautiful viaduct, stepping out across Batty Moss. Perfect fit of landscape and industry.

Stroll 64 pt2

Inglebrough is a great mountain. An iron age hill fort used to be atop it, and it now dominates the landscape around Ribblehead viaduct. I arrived at Ribblehead station with over an hour till my train was due. Not a bad place to wait, made even better by the excellent cafe that was there to serve walkers and rail travellers. Perfect.
 

Stroll 64 pt1

 I took the train to Garsdale, high in the Yorkshire Dales. From there I walked south to Ribblehead. It was a high level route with views like this one down to Dentdale. Jet fighters trained by flying beneath us down the valleys very fast. Layla, who is terrified of hot air balloons was totally fine with the supersonic weapons of mass destruction that swept past us.

Sheffield 2

 Walking on, I crossed the upper reaches of the river Don. It was the kind of fast flowing rocky river that is tailor made for dippers and grey wagtails. Sure enough both popped up, as soon as I looked over the bridge.

Sheffield 1

 I took the car in for its service in Sheffield. Whilst it was being done I took a walk through the past history of this great city. Walking through woods and old industrial sites, there was plenty of interest. I was listening to The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and as the plot the got more creepy and gothic, so did my route, until I found myself in a totally abandoned cemetery, which has been left to the elements. No one even trying to look after it. A real Victorian curiosity, much like the novel.

Stroll 63 iii

The path I took, took me away from the fairly numerous groups of walkers. This lot were on the summit ridge looking purposeful.

 

Stroll 63 ii

 

Atop the moor is a Neolithic stone circle (known totally inappropriately as The Twelve Apostles). It is an impressive site with views all around. In this shot Drax powerstation, which is 56km to the east, can be seen clearly on the horizon.

Stroll 63. Ilkley to Saltaire.

I walked from Ilkley, over the moor, to Saltaire in the Aire Valley. The moor starts straight out of mundane Ilkley, and for a while it has a whiff of municipal park about it. This shot is quite a way up towards the top of the moor, but the benches of remembrance belie the links to the town below.

 

High School Reunion

 Rowan went back to her high school for the 10 year reunion of her class graduating. She made some very good friends there, and they all seem to keep in touch too.

This is a shot of some of them at the event.

I'm Back!

 Big long gap. Combination of being knackered after Open Studios, and having a busy bank holiday weekend. Anyway, normal service should be resumed hereafter. Friday Danielle had her cocktail club, me and the dog carry out a collection service at the end of the session. Saturday we went to Goole with Peter and Shin-Sook to see the Goole 200 exhibition (it was shut, despite being advertised as open) and then had a good lunch in a vibrant small town called Howden, just down the road. Sunday we met up with John and Katy in the Wolds for a rained-of walk and a pub lunch. All good.

 

Goole - the place to go for a good bench.