Murphy

Howling gales this weekend. So Ted and I decided on a round York bike ride rather than a longer route. Good job too, it was first gear into a headwind on the way back - good ride though.
A friend of Danielle's brought her dog, Murphy, over for a walk. Rowan got on very well with him - a big success.

Oscar Night

Rowan was in "A Night At The Oscars" last week, a performance at school. It was very good, and her bit - doing Food Glorious Food from Oliver - was the best [of course]. Rowan is really getting into this performance business: it must be a gene that has skipped both her parents.

Running wild

This is one of my favourite runs - its like being miles out in the country with fields and stiles and lots of boggy bits. 18 miles tomorrow. Danielle

Re-Order

I got a call from someone who had bought a couple of large photos at last years Open Studios, he wanted to buy 5 more. When this happens it is really gratifying. His favorite print was Pond Ice. So here it is.

I took some more portraits this week - young children, never easy, but they have come out pretty well I think.

The music I have on is from The Pillow Book, a film by Peter Greenaway - weird and fantastic

Metzi

As part of trying to help Rowan with her dog-fears we went a walk with our friends Helen and Roland. Rowan loved Metzi, their dog, and was very comfortable with her by the end of the walk. Here she is.

Foxy

On my ride yesterday the other day to Skipwith I came across this fox. Someone forgot to tell him to be scared of people - either that of he is in the vanguard of the Great Fox takeover. Either way he exhibited no interest at all in me being near him with a lens pointed at him.

Skipworth

I got a bike ride in yesterday - a windy circuit down to Selby then up through Skipworth Common [photo] which is a wild and strange place with Exmoor ponies roaming free.

Derwood rang me last night with some strange information. Babel, who used to sing with Derwood's and Mike's band in the 80s, had a permanently-attached girlfriend called Sarah. Turns out that Sarah is now prime minister Gordon Brown's wife.

Team Bath

Here are the team - they came 5th which is a pretty good effort in a National Championship.

Cross Country

Rowan took part in an inter-schools cross country race on Friday, and won! She was the only year 5 rep from Tregelles [there were two girls from year 6 ] so it was really impressive. Then this weekend we went down to Bath with two other Tregelles families for the National Biathlon championships. Tregelles [Rowan, Kiri and Gabby] had won the north east heat. The national proved really tough, it was done at the olympic training centre at Bath, and very exciting. All three did well but were up against the best in the country!
The photo is of Rowan outside the centre.

Quakers

I have been working for 6 months in Richmond in London now. It has gone well. I discovered this week that the main person I work with, Marian, is also a Quaker and we have friends in common. Only Quakers could take 6 months to mention the fact that they are Quakers - not exactly evangelical.
The photo is the last from the beach, this is of my sister Rosemary.

POTAP

The photo is another from the balmy days on Aldebrough beach.
POTAP is what I hear when I go to the doctor with anything these days - "well its part of the ageing process you know" I suppose we'd better get used to it.

Running Cold

Rowan went to Running Wild on Friday - her wildlife group which she has been doing for a couple of years now. Then last night it was freezing cold at her running group, but she seemed to enjoy it all the more. David, Robert and I sat in the cold feeling righteous for not hiding in warm cars.
The photo is another of the shell sculpture at Aldborough

Suffolk 3

We visited my nephew Tom and Catherine, Edward and Iona in Norwich. It was good to see them in their house for the first time. The photo is of Catherine and Iona.
I went for a short cycle ride one morning: the lanes around Great Glemham are so quiet and peaceful that it really does seem a perfect place to go for a ride.

Minsmere

We visited the RSPB reserve at Minsmere on a beautiful day. Granny sat in the cafe and shop whilst we walked round and saw a Marsh Harrier and some Gadwall amongst other things. The photo is of Sizewell nuclear reactor. It has changed from looking like a huge monolith, to being a ringer for a mosque: sign of the times.

Suffolk 2

Another photo of the shell scuplture, with Rowan and her Granny.

Suffolk 1

Rowan and I have just spent three very pleasant days in Suffolk with my sister's family and my mother. The weather was fantastic - clear sunny mildish days. We went to Aldborough and saw the Benjamin Britten memorial sculpture which was pretty impressive.

Link Group

I took the Link group [11-15] at Quaker meeting last week, and we came up with this Map of York: probably best not to use it for getting around.

7/7

The July bombing murders in London really got to me. Knowing that the murdered were such a cross section of the glory that is multi-cultural London. So when I saw this plaque amidst the magnificence of new St Pancras station I stopped and thought for a while.

Mild

Part of our birdwatching group near Bubwith. It felt like a spring day it was so mild and pleasant. Danielle has been in the States for the weekend to see baby Liam, her brother Ben and Kari's first child. Good to have her back.

Siskins

The Siskins have returned to the garden, chewing away on the Nyger seed. After meeting today Rowan and I went to a hide on the River Derwent with David & Anita and Mimi. A beautiful flooded landscape on a surprisingly warm day.

Curry Night

There was a curry night at school last week. We all went: Rowan was one of only a few children dragged along, but she and the other kids really enjoyed the cooking demo from the chef from the Bengal Brasserie in York. We used to go quite a lot, and it was good to catch up with the patron.
The photo is another from York.

Every Cloud

i
Monday morning I left Cathy and David and Jessie in Crouch End, I walk to get the train to Richmond. I arrive at Crouch Hill station at 7.50, just in time to see the 7.49 ease away from the platform on the North London line. I walk down the deserted platform to sit on the bench and wait the 20 minutes to the next train. The bench is wet. I am about to turn away when I notice the pattern the water has made on the painted steel of the bench. Bingo - I get a photo out of it which should make it to this year's Open Studios.

Tales from Ikea 1

On my way back from working in Huddersfield I often call into Ikea to get lunch and some frames. I am usually in a hurry and know where I want to get to: the rest of the customers are not and do not. So I try to patiently navigate around the slow moving browsers. Today an old couple were managing to take up the 5 metre wide aisle with ease. So rather than rudely say "excuse me" and make them move aside, I wait behind them until there is a gap to get through. After several hours [OK, 20 seconds] the old man moves in a bit, and I squeeze through. Mission accomplished I thought. "People seem to have forgotten how to say excuse me around here" gripes his wife. Can't win.
The photo is another from the party

10th Birthday Party

Rowan's 10th birthday party was at the

Kirklees Light Railway

which was a great venue. It was the first time they had ever had a girl only party there, they all had a good time and God laid on plenty of snow so they could play snowballs etc and the railway journey was through a winter wonderland.
Great. Over for another year.

10th Birthday Cake

Here is Danielle's cake creation for Rowan's birthday this year. As usual it is a work of art that took hours to make and seconds to deconstruct [courtesy of 8 hungry girls]

Katona Twins

We saw the Katona Twins http://www.katonatwins.com/ do a concert on Friday night. They are two classical guitarists. When they played Mozart, Bach etc they sounded a little tame, but when they let rip on Paco de Lucia, Villa Lobos and a Tango suite they were fantastic.
The photo is of Walmgate Bar, on the York city walls

Stubbs'

When we moved to York this building was a fantastic old fashioned ironmongers - Stubbs' - with blokes in brown overalls scurrying about in search of single bolts and jubilee clips. That is all gone, and the building is now a Loch Fyne fish restaurant. The street is Foss Gate which leads from the city over the River Foss on this bridge and through the city walls at Walmgate Bar.

Teeth

Rowan has been wearing a brace in her mouth for the last few months to bring back her front two teeth. It has worked out very well, and now she has to just wear a retainer for 6 months or so. The two moulds in the photo are before [at the bottom] and after [at the top].

Tenpin

The photo is from a recording studio where Mike Gregovic was working. I think the hat belonged to Sally from the band.

Rowan went to a friend's birthday party at the tenpin bowling alley at the weekend. She loved it, I bolted for the door as soon as possible and escaped to get a good walk in alongside the River Foss.

New photo

The process of getting a new photo that is good enough to exhibit usually starts with me printing one out and leaving it lying around the house for a while to get a feel for it. You probably need to click on this to see it properly - the idea is the contrast between the sharp trees and blurred stairway. Time will tell

Big Garden Birdwatch

We took part in the RSPB's annual

Big Garden Birdwatch

this weekend. It involves counting birds in the garden for one hour, the number for each species is the greatest number you see together at one time. For the record this year our score was:
Blackbird 3
Blue Tit 3
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 2
Goldfinch 5
Great Tit 2
Greenfinch 3
House Sparrow 4
Robin 1
Song Thrush 1
Woodpigeon 4

The photo is of the Sage centre in Newcastle

Cul de Sac Cocktails

The photo is from the water gardens at Alnwick which we visited in the summer. That's me and Rowan in the photo.

Friday night Ken and Sarah, our neighbours, hosted Cul de Sac Cocktails [I suggested Dead End Drinks, but they went for the more prosaic title]. It was actually drinks and a meal with people from the five houses in this bit of the street. Really good fun, and I am very grateful for them making the effort.

Ex Beatles

I only have two Paul McCartney solo tracks and about 10 from John Lennon. But nevertheless I found the book

Together Alone

fascinating. It is a run through of all their solo work, and illustrates just how much quality control went out the window once the Beatles split up. It explains how so much dross came out, but also highlights the pearls. A bit of a car-crash read, but enjoyable.
The photo is of Hungerford Bridge in London.

Local History

I went to a talk on the local history of Holgate [the area of York that we live in]. It was very interesting, but another event where I undoubtedly plummeted the average age by walking into the room. The photo is another from the City.

Clogs

Here are the Westmoreland Clogs from the dancing lady at the party.

The article in the Yorkshire Post about the house has created quite a bit of interest. Someone asked if we were selling [no] and a journalist wants to do a story for the Independent - time will tell.

Play

Rowan took part in the annual children's play at Friargate - this year it was about the Wall in Palestine and Israel. It was really good, and the kids obviously enjoyed it a lot. After the play there were various musical treats from members of the meeting - the highlight being some Westmoreland clog dancing....
The photo shows Rowan during her drum solo

Garden News

Rowan's winning run at Ripon in the

Jolly Holly Jog

was in the local paper - we only found it today when googling.
In the garden the blackcurrant bushes are budding up nicely, and the Goldfinches are sitting eating Nyger seed all day [photo]

Book Group

The photo is from the City, nothing special.
In book group we discussed

Surely you're joking Mr Feynman

by Richard Feynman. This is a series of anecdotes by a very clever man. Half of us hated it and found it unreadable, half loved it. Which makes it an ideal book to discuss in the group really.

mp3 Blogs

There was an article in the Guardian the other week on mp3 blogs, a couple were really good and well worth looking at.

The Stepfather Of Soul

is all about old soul records, and

Prewar Blues

is what is says on the tin. Good stuff done by true fans.

The photo is of cousin Sarah.

Ten

Rowan was ten yesterday. We had a happy day. She was very pleased with her presents which included pen-knife, label maker and the York City hat and shirt featured in the photo.

Sherrybaby

Sarah and Markus chose a movie to watch on Saturday night -

Sherrybaby

a gruelling but really great film.
The photo is of the Japanese Bullet Train from the NRM

Macbeth

Saturday, whilst Danielle was at the Mount committee meeting, Rowan, Sarah, Markus and I went to the National Railway Museum. They went up the big-wheel [The Yorkshire Aye] I sat that out. Then in the evening Danielle and I had tickets for another live Met link up for Verdi's Macbeth. It was fantastic, with the Russian soprano

Maria Guleghina

really belting it out.
It really is better than being there in my opinion [or though as someone pointed out at half-time it costs more than a seat at the met does - minus the airfares]
The photo is of the Stephenson's Rocket replica at the NRM

Cello

My neice Sarah and Markus have been up for the weekend. Friday we took Sarah to the BMS concert with

Victoria Simonsen

on cello which was great, she really played well.

The photo is on London Wall in the city: it reminds me of waiting for godot.

Article

Well the Yorkshire Post

article and video

is out today. Let me know what you think. I had to get cousin Sarah to read it first to check it was not too excruciating, but it seems OK - might drum up some business.
The photo is of Sir Charles, from my trip yesterday.

Sir Charles

I was working down in London today. I nipped into the headquarters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the City to have a look at the portrait there of my dead great uncle Sir Charles Palmour [he of the show girl marriage]. And very impressive he looks. The staff were very helpful there, letting me go up on a dangerous balcony to get this photo - they seemed chuffed to have someone showing an interest.

Yorkshire Post

I was interviewed by the Yorkshire Post today, for a video feature that will run alongside an article about the extesnion that is in the magazine on Saturday. All quite strange but a very pleasant guy did the filming, asking me about the work-space etc. One of the previous people to have the mic under his shirt had been Pele when he was visiting Sheffield last month - can't be bad. The link will follow when it is on their web-site.
The photo is of the Minster.

Lens

I have had a lot of portrait work over the last few months. I do enjoy it, it is great trying to capture someone on film. So I have invested in a new lens for the camera. This shot is a try-out on my favorite model.

Hoop Dreams

Rowan enjoys Netball, so putting up a hoop seemed a reasonable thing to do. Just hope the architect doesn't see it - those minimalist lines are so spoilt.

Garden Micro Climate

There is something strange going on in our garden. The first daffodil is out [photo] and the blue tits are busy building a nest in the nesting box - neither of these things is supposed to happen this early in the year.

Movie

We both watched theFlying Scotsman movie about Graeme Obree the great Scottish cyclist: it was great, a really good film that happens to be about cycling.

Garden Watch1
I am going to attempt this year to keep some sort of record of life in the garden. So far this year we have had snow [yesterday], a blue tit occupying a nest box [one day after I put it up] and goldfinches loving the nyger seed in the feeder outside the kitchen.

Eric's

I was sorting through some things in the office, when I found this flyer for Eric's [click on it to enlarge it]. This club was my spiritual home during my years in Liverpool. Just about everyone played there in those days as this flyer shows. It was a great place with a non-threatening vibe where pretty much any type of music, and anything in general, went.

Opera

We all went to see the live Met link up at City Screen of the opera

Hansel & Gretel. which was brilliantly done. It really is like being there - only better- as you have a front row seat [without the spit] and subtitles [so you know what is going on] Rowan enjoyed it, even the most gruesome bits: and that was truly gruesome.

As the production focussed on food as a theme through the Opera it seemed appropriate to have a photo of Danielle's magnificent nut-loaf Wellington from Xmas day.

Dinosaurs

We all cycled to Knaresborough yesterday. Good ride, but Rowan needed the cafe at the end to cheer her up. The cafe is best described as "old school".

Me "Can we have one turkey dinosaurs please"
She "Sorry love, we've run out"
Me "They've become extinct?"
She "There was no delivery last week because of Christmas"
Me "She'll have the pizza"

Danielle and Rowan got the train back, I rode back into the wind.
The photo is of Rowan in full stride on her run