University of York

The Boxing Day Walk took us through the new Heslington East campus of the University of York. There are plenty of interesting buildings there, including this one. I am not sure if the mottled effect is meant to be faux sunlight or is the result of some bad pressure-hose cleaning or is something else. Either way I don't care, I like it.

Quaker News

Last year Rowan took part in a Quaker young people event in London. A year on, this photo made it into the Quaker News magazine.

Book

I have just finished reading Walk The Lines by Mark Mason. A book about walking above ground along all the tube lines in London; about maps and about urban walking that touched a lot of nerves with me. Not perfect but well worth the read and a bit of an inspiration.

Boxing Day Walk

We went on the semi-traditional Boxing Day Quaker walk. Mild and dry, it was the usual mix of chat and amble; this year around the University at Heslington.

Christmas Time

Christmas Eve we three went out for a lunch at the local cafe; good to support it. Then in the evening we were at the Quaker candlelit carol meeting which is always good; lots of awe-struck little ones carrying candles to the grown ups to hold. Christmas day was nice and quiet and pleasant; incredibly mild outside as well.

Happy Christmas.

Christmas Day about to start here in York.

Pond Life

Rowan was off catching up with York friends, so Danielle and I got a walk round the Moor in. The Railway Pond was looking very serene.

Crash

Milo and I were walking on the bike track near what we call Rowan Corner when I noticed that the ferocious ring-road was strangely quiet. The Air Ambulance taking off, and the flashing blue lights in the morning gloom gave the clue. Our path took us right past the pile of clothes on the road where a pedestrian had been hit; it did not look good. The studied activity of the rescue workers contrasted with the silent lethargy of the drivers in their muted cars. Walking back home the traffic all over York was gridlocked in weary resignation.
Today I discovered that the person hit by a vehicle was Clarke Carlisle, the smart, politically active footballer who used to play for York and Preston amongst others. All very sad.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/clarke-carlisle-wife-gemma-overwhelmed-with-support-as-joey-barton-among-those-to-send-goodwill-messages-to-injured-exfootballer-9941780.html

2014 Picks

Here is my pick of 12 tracks new to me this year; the usual mix of all sorts, all good. Martha are the best new band for years, the Atlantic Starr soul track I heard for the first time since the 80s and it sounds even better no, and the Hill Of Little Shoes [based on a death-camp inspired poem by Clive James] makes me cry.

Return to Danebury

When I was cycling through the Wolds last week I passed the place I took the photo of Danebury that has proved popular over the year. Things look very different in the winter.

The Return

After four months away Rowan arrived home this morning. I took the train to Manchester Airport to meet her, then Danielle and Milo met us at the station off the train. She is really well and it is good to have her back; seems like she's never been gone to be honest. The house has had an injection of mess, noise and life and is the better for it.

Gig of Sorts

One of Danielle's old work colleagues was retiring and, being a musician, he invited people to play at his farewell do. So Greg and I duly turned up, all seemed well set until the loop box seemed to fall out with Greg and refused to do what his shaking foot demanded. Result - our first song turned into a catastrophe. Eventually all was sorted and we did a blasting blues with a 20 year old bass player who stood in with us, "12 bar blues, G, OK?" "Of course". It was great in the end.

The photo is of York Station. There is something about the roof and the sunlight that produces a magical light. Can you spot Danielle in the shot?

Book Group Party

This Kestrel was hunting in Birmingham at the weekend. Looks like its heading straight for my hat but all was well.
Book Group Party last night was good as ever. We managed one round of ExLibris, lots of eating and drinking and chat.
A lot of the chat at my end of the table was about Serial podcast which is strangely gripping and now all over.

Ride

I have been working a lot on my current assignment in Wakefield, so was glad to get a day out today. I cycled through a windy damp Wolds to Scarborough and got the train back. It was a good day for a ride. I stopped at a farm shop for some lunch and chatted with a cyclist from Brid who used to live in Featherstone, which is one of the places I have been working in.

This lonely pine tree is very atypical of the Wolds but I love it.

Dance

Rowan had her Winter Dance thing at school. All went well apparently. Lots of photos have been facebooked, here is a pre-match shot of Rowan and one of her friends.

Meditation

As reward for being a trustee at Woodbrooke Danielle gets a free course a year. This year we decided to do a Meditation Weekend. It was really good - lots of good people there, and two days on we are still meditating. I hope we can carry on [there is, of course, a handy App to time your sessions and end with an appropriate gong or bell noise]. Time will tell.

We went a good walk on the Saturday afternoon in the low winter sun.

The Slippers and the Harley

It is that time of year when newsletters come with Christmas Cards [I can just tell me people to look at the blog]. Judy's mentioned that her husband Gnolib had sat upon some freinds' Harley when they visited en tour in the summer. Cool picture - only trouble is he's wearing slippers. Spoils the effect a bit.

Varsity Cross Country

Here is Rowan with her fellow Varsity Cross Country Team from George School - (this was before the breaking of the foot)

Photography Workshop

I am doing a Photography Workshop as part of York Open Studios next year; details below. I have always enjoyed doing them - a positive experience all round

Mysteries of Acomb

It is quite hard to get a feeling of mystery and history in Acomb, but this clump of trees atop a hillock gets there I think.