Trans Pennine Express

Trans Pennine Express has a load of new trains on the various routes they operate through York. This type runs on the Newcastle - Manchester Airport route. A big upgrade.

Halifax 2

First daffodil day this year was 24th January, which is about average.

The urban landscape of Halifax is endlessly impressive; never flat, often built of stone.

Rover 4

The final day I took a train to Halifax and walked some of the Gentleman Jack footpath that takes you through the haunts of Anne Lister. The cobbles and steep steep slopes of Halifax and well worth the effort.

Looking back down to Halifax from atop the moors

Rover 3

Day three I took the train to Newcastle, then across the Tyne Valley line to Carlisle. Next train took me to Oxenholme, and from there I walked to Kendal my sister Ro and Pete have just moved from Suffolk. A great house up a steep hill, good to have them back up north.
I then got a train back from Lancaster to Leeds on a real old fashioned branch line.

Rover 2

On the second day of rovering I took the Trans Pennine Express to Redcar (a new destination for the service) then walked on the English Coastal Footpath to Middlesborough. It was a fascinating journey through industrial Britain past and present.

Rover 1

Two weeks till the puppy arrives, after which she and I will be housebound for a while. So I got a Rail Rover ticket for 4 days travel across the north, to be taken in 8 days. It is incredible value and great fun, get off one place, walk to the next, get another train. Free and easy travel.
Day 1 I took the train to Beverley in the East Riding then walked up the Hull river to get a train back from Arram. The whole area used to be wetland, so in this wet winter it was a squishy experience. This shot seemed to sum up the whole experience.

Askern 2

Some of the wetlands of South Yorkshire have been caught and tamed and transformed into a bizarre municipal park in Askern. It is a lovely park, just seems totally out of place.

Askern 1

I did some research for my Elmet book last week, visiting Askern north of Doncaster. The pit has gone, the Spa has gone (medicinal waters, not budget supermarket) but there was still plenty to see. Had a good walk around the old pit, where I found this water tower which used to be part of the set up. It is pretty much all that now remains.

Burns Night

Eddie and Sue invited us to a great Burns Night celebration. 11 people, we all had bits of Burns to recite, perform or sing. We got Ae Fond Kiss, which was written as a song. I couldn't imagine us singing the traditional version, so I set it to something I had written. Danielle and I sang it to a backing tape I had made. Much better than the original imho. Vegan haggis, plenty of whisky, good chat, a quiz. Back home by 2am.

This is the loosing quiz team.

Amy

Two weeks today, if all goes to plan, we should be picking up Amy from her foster home in the Dales. She will be 8 weeks old then. She is the puppy of a rescue dog, and is Labrador-ish crossed with unknown. Do we know what we are letting ourselves in for? No. Looking forward to it though.

Blog to Print

Every two years I get the blog produced in a book form. It means we have a record of the past 16 years for when the great cloud in the sky melts. This is the latest volume.

On The Tops

I walked up on the tops above Wensleydale last weekend. Always to get up there.

Sunday we went to friend John Gilham's launch of his new poetry book which was packed, with friend Andy's band Slack Habits playing as well. Great to be able to walk to things like this, no need for the car at all.

Birthday Party

Rowan had her birthday party in London at the weekend. 50 people in a pub, theme was Northern Night Out: the mind boggles. The days of us having to organise things (roller-blading, wall-climbing, scuba diving etc) are long gone. A relief to all of us.

Rowan and her flatmate Orla

DC6

Monday we walked to the Metro, caught it to DC, then walked to the newish Museum of African American History. It is a fine fine museum - really well done and with a great vibe. It was pretty empty compared with how it is at weekends so we had a good relaxed visit.

DC5

Sunday we caught the Amtrak back from Philadelphia to Alexandria where Ben lives. The central station at Philly is amazing architecturally.

DC4

Saturday Ben drove us up to Pennsylvania to see Danielle's Great Aunt Maxine who is 91, going strong, and still driving. Definitely worth the effort to see her, cooked a meal, lot of chat. Found out that her late husband, Uncle Ralph, worked in rocket development for the military. One of his patents was for a rocket powered ejector seat for helicopter pilots. Just think about that for a little while: tricky job. Quite a family.

DC3

This building (probably falling into the Phenomenal - but Ghastly category) emerged from the Woods in Rock River Creek.

DC 2

I explored whilst Danielle was in her seminar. I walked up Rock Creek, came back down to the centre through Columbia Heights then visited the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery. It was fantastic, great art, hardly anyone there, really enjoyed it.

They have roofed the inner courtyard in the style of the British Museum, not quite as impressive but still a great space.

DC 1

Danielle had a work thing in Washington DC, so we decided to combine it with some family visits as well. We flew from Heathrow and stayed in the Eaton Hotel which was really great. Our room had a deck and four choice albums for us to play: Miles Davis, Earl Bostic etc. Great idea!

Birthday 3

They brought Danielle a mini cake for her birthday which was a good surprise.

Birthday 2

After the drink we met Rowan at Vanilla Black round the corner and had a great meal. Vanilla Black is a vegetarian restaurant that opened in York where we were enthusiastic customers, before it suddenly shut, then reopened in Holborn in London. It is now one of the best vegetarian places in the capital. So, it was a bit of a treat.

Birthday 1

For Danielle's birthday we met up with friend Clem and had a drink at the Law Society in Chancery Lane (where Danielle used to work last century). Always good to see her.

Pond Life

A quick bike ride on Sunday took me to Askham Bryan and this lovely pond. Always good to have a rest on the bench.

Strensall 2

Another part of Strensall Common. These pools come and go with the wetness of the land: it is pretty wet right now.

Strensall

Walked on the beautiful Strensall Common at the weekend. It looks like the savanna to me.
Danielle is holed up doing her MA assignment.

More Wolds

Rowan and Danielle walking past a sinister corner of the Wolds: Ash trees that look like they might grab you, and a dodgy caravan.

Return to The Wolds

When Rowan was here we went for a walk in the Wolds. Inevitably we talked about Milo. A lot. It was a great misty morning.

New Years Day we met up in the pub with David, Anita, John, Katy et al. Good to catch up.

NYE

New Years Eve we went to Robert and Helen's annual party. Always a good evening. I look up, see the atrium windows and take a photo; an elaborate selfie.

York

This was last week when we walked into town with the family

The Blue Bridge at eventide.

End of the Decade

Rowan is back at work; this is the view from her office. Not bad to have St Pauls to look at. I used to love working on the dead days between Christmas and New Year; time to get everything sorted.
This is the last post of the decade, see you in the Twenties.

Meal

So here is the photo from the meal out.
Rowan went back to London yesterday evening, so all is quiet after a hectic Christmas.

Guests leave

Ben and the kids headed home on Friday, it was good to see them all. Yesterday some friends took Danielle and Rowan to the York Panto, they know us well, so did not expect me to go too. Then we all met up for a meal at the Ivy. Very pleasant evening.
The photo is of the desert in Cap Verde, it is a little warmer there than here.

The Bear

In time-honoured fashion nephew Liam and I visited the bear, who had been seasonally decorated.

Party

We had a Boxing Day drinks party this afternoon. Great to catch up with lots of people. The Mulled Brandy (with wine) went down very well.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas to all.
We walked into Christmas Eve Quaker Meeting, having gone for pizza at the Angel on the Green beforehand. I came across this paved footpath, lined up the shot, and the strange figure appeared.

Xmas Visit

The traditional walk round the city walls took place yesterday. Ben, Rowan, Liam, KC and Danielle.

York Station

We both went to the station to meet Ben and the two children, KC and Liam. The train was a little late, but that gave me the chance to photograph the magnificent place that is York Station.

Rowan

Rowan has arrived back for Xmas. Here she is at the Tower of London skating with her mates.

Best Music of The Year 5 - Our Native Daughters

Rhiannon Giddens is just fantastic (various friends have seen her live, not us yet though).

Best Music of The Year 4 - The Specials & Saffiyah Kahn

Rowan played me this, and it was love at first listen. Just brilliant. Great that the Specials are still doing it right.

Best Music Of The Year 3 - Your Smith

I heard this on NPR and really liked it. Then, when we were in Cleveland Ohio in March, it soundtracked our visit to the diner for breakfast one morning and it sounded even better.

Best Music of the Year 2 - Kirk Fletcher

Finding a really good current blues player that doesn't just churn out 12bar stodge is a pleasure. And this guy is great, good song, good voice and great guitar. Pretty much perfect.

Best Music of the Year 1 - Martha

Martha are a firm family favourite - from Pity Me in County Durham (aka Brexit Hell Central) who make fantastic punk-pop. Just love it. And they're vegan.

Birthday 3

In the evening we saw the Early Music band Fretwork at the National Centre for Early Music in York. A really good performance of Byrd, Tallis etc.
Meantime here is a photo of the eBikes Rowan and I hired in Cap Verde.

Birthday 2

After the museum we had lunch in a pub that Danielle had found: Vege sausage, yorkshire pud, peas and mash and gravy. Cuisine Nouveau? je pense not. In case you think it is just me, Danielle had haloumi and chips. Class.

Birthday Blues

Well the election was just about as bad as it could be. Turkeys voting for Christmas, reminded me of 1979, my first election. Grim.
On the good side York returned our Labour MP Rachel Maskell who is really good. A small speck of red in a sea of blue. And Preston stayed Labour too. The fact that these seem like triumphs says it all really.

Ok. Moving on up.

I was away on my birthday, so Danielle gave me a day out yesterday instead. It was well up to scratch. Train to Burley Road then we walked to the Armley Industrial Museum which was really interesting.

Danielle is here modelling a Scooter Car, the Leeds version of the bubble car from long ago.

Cap Verde 4

It is real desert, the purest dunes I have ever seen. A cooling breeze as well

Cap Verde 3

This is the beach we ended up at on the bikes, the shipwreck is from the 1970s, it was en route to Brazil with four bells for a cathedral. They are now somewhere down in the sea - make up your own tale of how they can be heard ringing on dark nights.

Cap Verde 2

The high winds and sandy tracks everywhere meant hiring e-bikes was a good option - it was also the only option, so that was fine. Rowan had ridden one before, I had not and it took me a while to get used to it, but they were good for the conditions. There is a mix of immaculate new roads with few cars on, and incredibly rough tracks with quite a few jeeps taking people to the coast. It was adventurous cycling.

This is Rowan negotiating the sand and moonscape on the track down to the beach.

Cap Verde 1

I joined Rowan for four days in Cap Verde (in the mid Atlantic, off Senegal), and what an amazing place it was. A group of islands, part of Africa with one of the most stable democracies on the continent, ex Portuguese colony, so that is the language, with the Euro as the de-facto currency.
I arrived at the hotel and Rowan took me a walk on the massive, deserted beach where we saw Ospreys and Boobies.

Hob Moor Frost

Hob Moor in the frost is always special. I manoeuvred the sun behind the tree for this shot.

1981

Taken in 1981. Mother and Granny came to visit with my Father when I lived in Cannonbury Square with Mark.

1980

I always liked this photo of Granny, Sheba and Me. We all look pretty pleased to be where we are.

Skipwith

Danielle got a walk in together at Skipworth Common last week. Another of my favourite places, and one that will be featured in my Elmet book. Pretty primal.

Vauxhall Bridge

When I moved to London in 1980, I was glad to hook up with friend Mike (RIP); one mid week day that we both had off we went to make a cine film on Vauxhall Bridge. Mike had discovered the figures on the piers of the bridge. I never saw the result but I always look over at the figures when I visit. I have now delved just a little to find out more.

"Attached to the bridge’s piers are eight colossal (they’re twice life size) statues of allegorical figures. Designed by two artists F.W. Pomeroy and Alfred Drury, they took four each with Pomeroy completing the ones up stream (Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering and Pottery) and Drury down stream (Education, Fine Arts, Science and – weirdly – Local Government, well it was supported by the LCC)."