Rail works

The last two weekends have seen York Station effectively shut apart from the dreaded Bus Replacement Service. This photo shows why, the track into the station from the south is being completely overhauled, look in the lower left and you can see sparks flying as rail is aligned.

Weekend visitor

Rowan came up for the weekend, always good to see her. We all went to Skosh on Friday evening, then spent most of the time at home. Danielle has damaged a tendon in her ankle, so is off running and walking too much for a month. 

Up on top of the moors, about to start the descent towards Marsden.

 

Stroll 43

 I started in Greenfield in Lancashire, and walked back along the canal and then over the Pennines to Marsden in Yorkshire. It was a great day to be up on the moors.

My path followed the Huddersfield Narrow Canal up through Saddleworth to the Stanedge Tunnel under the Pennines. The railway which superseded the canal strides across it to great effect.

Stroll 42

Once over the bridge the path followed the south bank of the Humber to New Holland (named after the Dutch drainage engineers from the 18th century). This is the view of the Hull waterfront.

Stroll 42 - The Bridge

I took the train to Hessle where the Humber bridge joins the north bank of the river. I walked across the bridge which is a great experience, and one that was being enjoyed by a fair number of people. The bridge was closed to pedestrians and cyclist a few years back because of the suicide risk. This was plain daft, and I am glad it is now fully open again.

Stroll 41

Last picture from Stroll 41. This is the now defunct lifting bridge across the Trent at Keadby. It carries the main line to Scunthorpe, and the main road as well. Magnificent but redundant.

 

Elmet - The Play

 At the weekend we made our first visit for Bradford's years as City of Culture. A play has been made of Elmet, the novel by friend Fiona Mozley, which we went to see with Robert and Julia. A quick lunch in the indoor market, then an intense couple of hours of the play. The Unthanks were  performing the music live, and the whole thing worked well. Not as good as the book, and a film would be amazing, but still a great experience.

This is what a Trent looks like these days, taken from the Keadby bridge.

Stroll 41 Scunthorpe

I walked from Scunthorpe to Crowle. Never been to Scunny before, and found it leafy and pleasant. This lane was just a short way from the centre. The path went right to the Trent river, which I crossed by the impressive and now redundant lifting bridge at Keadby.
 

Stroll 40 Thorne to Crowle

After dramatic highland walking, it was back to the Stroll. It is still mild, and I managed to get a good couple of walks in this week. First was a route that took in Thorne Moors, walking right across it from west to east, then via the Isle of Axholme through Crowle and Ealand to the Stainforth and Keadby canal and Crowle station. Good to be rolling again.

 

Cranes

These cranes were in place, ready to lift a heavy new iron cycle and foot bridge over the east coast mainline. It is all part of the redevelopment of York Central, an area of disused railway land. It is an exciting development, which our sometime lodger Pat is heavily involved with through her job with York City Council.

Holiday in Strathyre 8

 So, we returned home after a good break. I got a couple of shots that I might exhibit. Here is one, taken on the loch, abstract enough to draw people in, I hope.

Holiday in Strathyre 7

Danielle is into (quite) wild swimming. So the wet suit was packed in the car and she got two swims in loch Lubnaig. As you can see Layla was a little non-plussed; she does not swim.

 

Holiday in Strathyre 6

We walked into Callander via the forest ridge, to get a paper on Saturday, then walked back on this old railway line that is now a Sustrans track. There was a great cafe in the park at Callander, so all in all a good day. 

 

Holiday in Strathyre 5

We took our traditional trip to a distillery; this one at Deanston across the river Teith from Doune. The old tall building used to be, a cotton mill until the 1960s when the whisky distillery was established. We got a half bottle of some very nice single malt from muscatel casks. The staff were happy to welcome Layla into the shop (quite a leap of faith on their part, but she did not cause any mayhem), and showed me their stills and casks. The distillery has its own hydro electric plant linked to the river, which provides for all their electric needs, and exports to the grid as well.

 

Holiday in Strathyre 4

I climbed to the top of Ben Ledi. Misty on the top, but a strong wind blew the cloud away from time to time, giving dramatic changes of view which would then be snatched away by the clouds once more. 

Holiday in Strathyre 3

We further explored the forest the next day, the difference being we now had glorious sunshine. Just great to be here.

Holiday in Strathyre 2

We got ourselves sorted out in our cabin, then walked up through the forest. Great to be exploring and path-finding right on our doorstep. Layla located a path for us, she goes ahead, finds the path then just sits there waiting for to see the route she has planned. 
 

Holiday in Strathyre 1

We had booked a forest cabin at Strathyre in the Trossachs on the banks of Loch Lubnaig. When power to the whole area went down during Storm Amy it looked like we might have to miss the first day of our time there. But amazingly all was sorted out and we survived potential range anxiety to arrive on Monday in time for the storm to cease; and I was able to photograph the moon over the loch as I took the dog an evening walk. 

 

A Cycling Life 3

When I went away to school, aged 8, I had a large heavy second hand bike that was hard work. A couple of years later I got a new bike for christmas, which opened a new world up to me. 5 gears! Drop handlebars! I have no memory of this bike race at Sports Day one year, so I think I'll say that it shows me winning the race.

 

A Cycling Life 2

I progressed to a real trike, with my improvised hay-turner on the back (actually an old umbrella stand so legend has it).

 

A Cycling Life 1

 

First trike. Grimsargh, Preston

Naming

 

This pond is currently part of the soon to be closed tip. It will then be part of the new community forest west of York. We call the forest the new forest, and this area will be known as the lake district. The raised land that is built on the tip will be the peak district.

Quiz Time

I got a call from friend Emma, in need of reinforcements for a pub quiz team. Hugh and Velveda from the US, and Imogen from around the corner. I couldn't really hear anything. We came last. But it was fun, and not something I have done often.
 

Stroll 39

Layla enjoying a dip in a lake en route to Sheffield

 

Stroll 39

From Kiveton to Sheffield, via the post industrial landscape of old pits, disused railway lines and heathland. A great route that passed through the Rother valley park woods, that I planted in a 1978 holiday job in the freezing winter.

 

On the Station

Not a great photo, but it was hard not to capture this image. Not a stag night, but actual old soldiers.

A rose arose

"I never thought I would see you photographing a rose, like that" So spoke Danielle when I took this shot, and I know what she means; but it is beautiful that it had to be done. Picked from the garden.
 

Still Life

Low sun casting shadows onto the redwood table. Can't resist.

 

Le Weekend

A busy weekend. Friend Katie came up for the weekend as she was visiting an ill relative who was in York Hospital. Friday evening Louise and Mike, who I had met at Open Studios this year, and who had a lot of interest in Elmet, came over for some wine and a lot of chat. Good to get to know them. Sunday there was an consultation walk by a group trying to develop a history trail along the river. We went with a few friends and ended up having lunch at a Thai restaurant outside in lovely sunshine. 

More from the Humber

 Vikings looking across the Humber. What it looks like to me, anyway.

Stroll 38

 I walked from Brough to Hull, along the Humber. It was a beautiful light, and a pretty still day. This meant I could get a few photos that I liked. First off is the Humber bridge. Usually the way to get a good shot of the bridge is to use an odd angle (like from underneath the bridge etc). I got this conventional shot, which I like because the light is so weird on the mud. I would never exhibit it, but I am pleased with it.

Lets Ferment

 

I got Danielle some fermentation jars for Christmas last year. She has put them to use with much enthusiasm. Not sure what this recipe is, but looks pretty fiery to me.

Joint Yoga

Danielle and Layla enjoying a joint yoga session, at the weekend.

Mr Alfie

Last week we were looking after Alfie, friend Emilie's dog. Here is helping me with some admin.

At the weekend we cycled on the tandem to a party at Emilie's. We timed it to perfection, absolute downpours for both rides, soaked to the skin. The party was fun, had a coincidence pop up. Friend Adam told me he had lived in Rome, working for an arabic tv station.

"Oh, I had a friend who worked in Rome on an arabic tv station in the 90s" We established it was the same station, and that my friends Chris and Zarin were known to him long ago. It might not sound much, but it is quite the coincidence.
 

Stroll 37 Saltmarshe to Brough

The wind behind me and the weather fair all day, it was a good time to walk aside the Humber from Saltmarshe to Brough. A real wilderness area that necessitated a bit of mild trespass. I saw avocets, yaffles and a hobby amongst other birds. This shot is looking south across the Humber.

Bike Ride 4

The last day of my ride took me from Oakham to Grantham, where I got the train back to York. Another good route through this quiet land. The last section of the route was along the Grantham canal which was great.
 

Bike Ride 3

 From Market Harborough I rode to Oakham in Rutland. The Sustrans route was a real joy, it is great country to cycle through. I had time to ride round Rutland water, the largest reservoir (by area) in the UK. I had heard of the cycle track all around the lake, and had wanted to ride it. A great place to ride, with a cafe at the nature reserve, where I sheltered from a heavy shower.

Bike Ride 2

I had always wanted to cycle through Milton Keynes (really), to see what the many bike tracks were like. I enjoyed it, there was then a great Sustrans route to Northampton. It is ten years since I did some work in Northampton and I noticed an old railway line that ran north to Market Harborough across lonely hills. I always fancied riding it; now was my chance.

Heavy rain led to a muddy track, but it was worth it. Someone told me that there were a couple of tunnels on the route. They were quite something. Pitch black, dead straight, not a soul in sight. Using my phone I pushed into the void. Halfway along the solitary ventilation shaft brought a gloomy light into the dark. The care and craft that had gone into the brickwork by the Victorian workers was something to see. Back in the day barely anyone would ever have seen them in the smoke filled tunnel.

Bike Ride 1

I went on another three night bike ride. First day I took a train to Oxford then cycled via Otmoor on my way east. I have always liked Otmoor, but when I lived in Oxford it was mainly off limits. Now there is an RSPB reserve on it, and it is much more accessible. Nothing like Thorne and Hatfield Moors of course, but still a nice place to visit. Very quiet, a real oasis amidst the well worked farmland all around it.

As I rode east I passed through the intensive civil engineering works going on in Buckinghamshire where HS2 and the new East West Railway (recreating the Oxford to Cambridge line) intersect. 

Kings Cross

The Regents Canal at Kings Cross has been transformed from a dingy backwater into a great place to wander around, with the Guardian head office being in the centre of it all. Quite a change.
 

Keystone Crescent

I have always loved Keystone Crescent at Kings Cross. I worked with an older person who had been born and raised there (in pretty grim conditions). Very different these days, and very rare to find it without cars destroying the ambience. So I was lucky this weekend to find it like this.

Rugby World Cup

 

Sunday, Danielle and I cycled across town on the tandem to see Spain play Japan in the Womens World Cup Rugby. We were rooting for Japan and they won a really close game. Great fun, embraced by the people of York with some gusto.

Worker's Cafe

It is nearly 30 years since I left Islington Council. Back in the day, the Workers Cafe opposite the town hall was a greasy spoon that was ideal if you needed to eat before an evening committee meeting in the town hall. That hall of formica and fried food is long gone but the name lives on down the road. Only the new Worker's Cafe has got an apostrophe and dinky little spades to stir your tea with. Quite nice nonetheless.

 

Rowan

When Rowan was on her travels at a friends wedding this photo was taken of her. We like it.

 

Weekend Treat

Rowan project managed our wedding anniversary for us this year. Thursday evening she came up to dog sit from Friday to Saturday. Meantime we went down to London, stayed in Rowan's flat in Islington Park Street, then went out to eat at Plates, a really brilliant vegan restaurant on Old Street that Rowan booked for us. It all went well, and the food at Plates was really amazing. 

Danielle in Rowan's flat.

Stroll 36 pt2

This is one of few bridges over the lower reaches of the river Aire, at Beal. Just round the corner is the site of Kellingley pit, the last deep coal mine to operate in Britain, closing in 2015.  

Stroll 36

The Dog, the Sheep and the River

On a beautiful dry day I walked from Selby to Knottingley via the Selby canal and the River Aire, which is where this is taken.

 

From the Weekend

The dog and daughter mutual appreciation society.

Guests

 Friends Rob & Kath came up for the weekend. With Rowan being here as well we all had a good time. I cooked a curry for Friday, and we got fish and chips from our local on Saturday. Saturday morning, Rowan, Kath and Danielle went to the wild swimming place near York (Pool Bridge) that is extremely popular. Rob and I had a coffee.

The three Ladies of the Lake