FV5

The island of Fuerteventura consists entirely of volcanic rock. We walked up one volcano, including this section of lava path, and looked down into the crater, which was a first for me. All very low key, just a few people around.

FV4

We walked to where the desert meets the sea and had as much beach to ourselves as we used to get in Aberdovey. In the evening we found a great band playing in the street outside our restaurant [jazz-funk with their own material and a harmonica player]. Photo is of Danielle and Rowan enjoying the beach.

FV 3

I hired a mountain bike and went on a pretty amazing ride; right around the northern coast, across a desert then back through the interior with a blazing head-wind. A real challenge of a day but one that will last long in the memory. The first part of the ride was across a lava plain where dry-lava walls had been built to make boundaries, and clear the land of the endless stone [just like in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes]. It is a very primal landscape which it felt great to be in but I have to admit that I would have liked a bit of grass, or soil even, by the end of the day.

FV 2

We had a decompression day, wondering around the town, walking out to the desert dunes (which come right up to the edge of the town) and relaxing. The place is not too crowded anyway, and once into the desert it is as empty as it looks.

Fuerteventura

With Rowan not being able to go to UPenn because of Brexit we found ourselves with a longer summer than we thought we would have. So we went to Fuerteventura for a family holiday. Surviving day one - train to Manchester, low cost flight, being in the same space as lots of British tourists, finding the hire car, parking the car, finding the hotel in the dark - was surprisingly easy. The hotel which Rowan had found via Trip Advisor was fantastic: right in the centre of Carralejo, small and perfect for us all. This was the view we had when we got to our rooms - the moon casting a beautiful light across the bay.

Cattle Caution

It was a hot and sunny day in the Wolds last week. The cattle around the water hole were a bit uppity and managed to scare Milo quite a bit; they look benign enough from up here on the valley side.

AirBnb

Airbnb continues to go well. This is a shot of the deck outside the extension to go on the website; as you can see Milo was determined to be in the photo too. Hope he doesn't put people off ...

Balloons and books

Balloons over York are a common sight. And a common noise - you get used to the gentle hiss of the burner as the pilot lifts the balloon over the Moor and our house. These two were over the Ouse last week.

In book group we discussed The Glass Room by Simon Mawer which was OK, nothing too special though.

Brandsby

Got a nice ride in at the weekend, went past this church at Brandsby which is an interesting 1770 design.

The American Office

The highest row of four windows in the centre of the photo - that is Danielle's office. Good exercise getting up and down a few times a day. York has been car-free in the city centre for 30 years of so and it is the saving grace for the place; without such a forward looking policy it could have been like Oxford - still a mess after all these years.

Sky Ride

Danielle and I walked into Quaker meeting yesterday. Cycling on SkyRide day
 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/thousands-take-to-streets-for-sky-ride-york-1-8118944

is best left for those taking part; it is fantastic to see so many families trundling round on bikes on closed roads. This is the Millennium bridge across the Ouse which has a steady stream of cyclists all day. It was opened in 2001 and has become an essential link for walkers and cyclists, a beautiful and lasting addition to the transport infrastructure of the city.

Geese

These geese were in formation on the Ouse last week, contrasting nicely with the texture of the water.

Walking

Rowan, Milo and I went a walk in the Wolds at Fordon. A good day out together.

Life

So 20 years ago Danielle and I were getting married.
30 years ago I was buying my first house in Tottenham
40 years ago I was starting University at Liverpool
50 years ago I was starting my second term at boarding school

Life seems quite simple when looked at in snap shots.

Fridaythorpe

This photo of the small Norman church at Fridaythorpe, high on the Wolds, has made the cut and is going to be in my book on the Wolds. The book is moving forward, slow but sure ...

Last Carnival

I am enjoying listening to Melvyn Bragg's radio series about The North. Since moving back north 18 years ago I have really appreciated its strengths and history. When I was living in London I forgot I was a northerner really, I became a Londoner like so many other people who end up there. The radio programs cover the cultural and historical context really well - JB Priestley would have approved.

One last shot from the Carnival; putting everyone on stilts is a pretty impressive way of getting attention.

New Office 2

The view the other way is also interesting with this view of Bettys and various church towers. The only downside is that the office is next to McDonalds.

New Office

Danielle has moved her organisation to a new office in the centre of York. It is a great location with this surprising view of the Minster out of her window.

Garden News

The tomatoes have done pretty well in the greenhouse; as usual by this time of year the careful husbandry gives way to trying to stop them falling into each other and just getting the fruit off before it is too late. This week I got this 600 gram monster which might not look pretty but made a mean Gazpacho.

Coracle

Brother in Law Pete has built a coracle [from scratch] with his grandson Edward. Here it is afloat and on the move. I am very impressed.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today

Twenty years ago Danielle and I got married at the Quaker Meeting House in St Martin's Lane. It was a great day. I like the photo below as my Mother is visible behind us, we had all walked from the Meeting House to Pegs, our club in Covent Garden.

 

Carnival 3

When cars are off the streets perspectives get changed, so that a rise in Notting Hill can appear like a wall.

Carnival 2

Rowan was very happy to be at the carnival with the sun, music, and obligatory face glitter.

Notting Hill Carnival

Neither Danielle nor I had been to the Notting Hill Carnival since the 80s, so when Rowan said she wanted to go we all decided to go for the day. Train down, check out some floats, sound systems, street food, Red Stripe. Good stuff.

Fantastic Drummers at Carnival

Jazz Man

Robert and Julia came over for lunch from Ilkley, with Greg and Maxine joining us. Then Greg and I jammed with Robert who is a jazz drummer who had brought his kit over with him - it was great!

Erosion

Another shot from the North Pennine walk; it really was like a living geography lesson, the stream here had cut down through the layers of rock to dramatic effect.

High Cup Nick

I had always wanted to walk to High Cup Nick in the North Pennines but had never been. Yesterday I made it. A perfect day for walking, warm, sunny, light breeze. Walking across from the bleak moorland plateau to be confronted with this view is something to behold. Right up there with Monument Valley.

Reflections 2

And here is a second shot from Fen Drayton.

Reflections

I took a couple of shots at the Fen that I think could be keepers. Here is the first, in two versions. I am really not sure which works best at this stage. Any views would be welcome.

It was interesting yesterday to have a conversation with Fiona Shaw [a novelist  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiona-Shaw/e/B001K7ZCT6 who lives in York and works as a creative writing lecturer for the University] about a possible project concerning reflections in art, between different types of artist. So, for example, I could interpret her work in photos, she could put words to mine. Anyway there may be some funding for some work on it, further down the line.


Getting feedback on my new work, either from exhibitions, sales figures, or blog feedback, are all types of reflection. And a lot of my work is built around actual reflection and the resulting ambiguity it can produce.

You What?

There are not that many jokes in going deaf, but it brings the odd amusement. My top two at the moment [from over the long years] are:
1 Listening to an investigative program on the radio and wondering why Osama Bin Laden would be so desperate to get a Saxophone.
2 Listening to the Bronze medalist in the Women's Triathlon at last week's Olympics saying,
"We got a lot of benefit from training with the Brownies" and wondering how the junior arm of the Girl Guides could possibly help in elite triathlon training [brilliant though the Brownies are for 10 year olds]
Answers, were Bin Laden wanted a Sat Phone, and the Triathlete had been training with the Brownlees [winners of Gold and Silver in the Men's Triathlon].

Last week I stopped off on the way down to Suffolk at Fen Drayton west of Cambridge. A beautiful piece of fen landscape.

House Guests

Here are our guests from last week. Milo was delighted to have a little boy to play football with.

On The Beach

There were some lovely summer days last week; Rowan and I walked with the dog at Beningbrough on the River Ouse. Nice sandy beach as well.

Olympics

Three years ago when Rowan came fourth at the UK School Games in Sheffield http://palmour.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/success.html the event was won by Morgan Lake. Morgan is now in Rio and has just qualified for Saturdays Olympic High Jump Final http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/37120885 which is quite an achievement.

As at London four years ago, we are loving the Olympics, it really is a great two weeks of positive life-affirming stuff going on. Shame it has to end ...

Chess

Friend Gwen came up to stay with her son James. A very pleasant visit. Here you see James and I playing chess. It looked like he had the beating of me until Rowan put on the Olympics, he lost concentration and I got his Queen. Underhand tactics? All is fair when you are playing a ten year old. As you can see Milo enjoyed James' company too.

Corner Cupboard

I drove down to Suffolk to collect several of Mother's things. Sister Ro and I have managed to divide them up between us. This is the corner cupboard that now sits in our cloakroom. It is good to have things to remind.

Muntjac

You may remember the fox in our garden last month; well my sister has gone one better with this Muntjac deer in her garden in Suffolk. News on the wild boar coming soon.

Liverpool 8

This used to be the Caribbean Centre in Liverpool 8 where I jammed with a couple of people in a band a few times. It was a bit of a shock to see it now as abandoned, derelict and unloved. Then again it is 38 years ago ...

Wood Craft

High winds brought down a whole limb of this tree on the Moor; you can see where it has been torn off from the base of the tree. The local ranger has decided to chop it up and leave as a woodpile for wildlife reasons. I think it a great bit of sculpture.

Milo and the Beer

When I was out last week, a box of German beer arrived. Milo was very unsure about this strange monolith arriving in the house.

Georgian Liverpool

I had forgotten how beautiful the Gerogian Squares of Liverpool were. This is Falkner Square, between where I lived and the University.

Family Walk

Sunday the four of us went for a walk at Aberford, a lovely old coaching town on the Great North Road [long by-passed by the A1]. It is great having Rowan at home for the summer so that we can all share such times once more.

Liverpool 8

I showed Rowan where Charlie, Joanna and I used to live in Liverpool 8. All much more salubrious now than then. The Somalian drinking dens are long gone, but it still is an area with a bit of a political edge. We saw this graffiti as we walked up to Princes Drive.

Liverpool 4

For the first [and probably last] time I visited the Beatles Story in Liverpool. It was OK; we had fun anyway.

Airbnb

We have started doing Airbnb and have had our first two bookings. Gone very well and the people have loved the room. So far so good ...

Liverpool 3

The altar at the Catholic Cathedral is in the centre of the circular building, directly beneath the stained glass tower; a nicely egalitarian approach.

Liverpool 2

We visited the Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool, I am not sure I went even once when I was a student there. It is a fantastic building, I was completely floored by what beautiful functional architecture it is. 50 years old but totally timeless. I really loved it. Meantime the Anglican Cathedral down the road, which was still being completed when I lived in Liverpool, looks increasingly out of place and out of time.

Liverpool 1

Rowan and I went to Liverpool for the day. The idea was to walk around the city, visit a few of the famous landmarks; they don't come much more famous than the site of the former Probe Records shop. It was in here that I bought a white label Skip James album and a few Pistols singles on the day of release. The whole Matthew Street area has been tarted up a lot but still manages to feel suitably down at heel.

Book Group

In book group we discussed Closely Observed Trains by the Czech writer  Bohumil Hrabal . Half of us [including Danielle and I] really liked it, half were less keen. We also listened to a radio play version [excellent] and a Oscar winning film adaptation from the 60s [terrible]. As usual a really good discussion, and wine.

It is a long way from the Czechslovakia but here is a photo from Albania in 1989 when it was still very much a communist dictatorship. Old men playing chess in the park.

Pig Huts

Not sure what the collective noun for a load of abandoned pig huts is ...