End-of-the-year

December 29, 2016

For those spared the traditional hard copy Christmas letter this year, either because your card envelope was just too small or I decided it was about time you had some respite, here it is...

Hello again ...

This time, the phrase 'it's been quite a year' rings truer than ever, cementing my
smouldering visceral dislike of career politicians of all stripes...and reality TV stars.
I'll come back to Brexit and Trump later. Actually, no I won't.

2016 started off with a bang with ringside seats to the New Year's Eve fireworks in London; lots of excitement and colour and a real sense of atmosphere and joy. Go see it if you ever get the chance.

Some project review work in Brussels in February, an accreditation visit to Glasgow, and regular meetings held with and between various other professional bodies kept the neurones firing, along with several lectures at Jodrell Bank finding out just how small we are in the overall scheme of things. A short holiday in Cornwall with embarrassingly glorious weather and several trips to Grasmere and Italy's South Tyrol made the months whizz by. Or maybe that's just my age.

Afternoon tea at Wedgwood's is a delicious experience that I was able to enjoy on two occasions. Fancy china, white linen tablecloths, unlimited dainty sandwiches and cakes and an array of teas to choose from. Preparation for this hardship entails a small breakfast and the skipping of lunch - take it from one who knows.

I've spent quite a bit of time this year learning more about my ancestors and, in particular, my maternal grandfather who fought, and was badly injured, in the First World War. Mark and I took a trip to Ypres and Passchendaele in October and drove to the location where my grandad was shot on 26th September 1917 as his battalion advanced to capture a ridge known as Otto Farm. As well as visiting Tyne Cot and other war graves sites, we spent time at the WW1 Memorial Museum at Zonnebeke and at the Menin Gate where we stayed for the playing of the Last Post. Every evening since 1928 the Last Post has been played under the Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper/Ypres at 8 o'clock exactly. A day that will stay with me for ever for so many reasons. To break the mood there was also the added bonus that Mark and I got lost in the dark Belgian countryside whilst driving back to the hotel in Lille.

On a less sombre note, monthly visits to Rode Heath Farmer's Market and Rode Hall gardens coupled with the occasional visits to Bodnant Garden and Chester Zoo have ensured my fresh air quota. Mark's wonderful Father's Day gift of a tour of Kerry Vale vineyard + wine tasting was followed up later in the year by my self-serving Father's Day gift to myself - a tour of the Purity Microbrewery + beer tasting. I have Robyn's Father's Day gift of our joint spa day to look forward to just before Christmas. I am one lucky father.

This year I've been fortunate to be entertained on various evenings by the wonderful Paul Carrack, Chris Barber and his band (still going strong at 86 years young), the wonderful Jools Holland and his band, the majestic Bruce Springsteen and the towering E Street Band and then, the evening after Bruce, by the lights and power of a full Etihad Stadium rocking to Coldplay. It took me the weekend to recover.

Yet other evenings were filled with Paul Simon at the Royal Albert Hall (who's as good as it gets), the live version of Jeff Wayne's classic 'War of the Worlds' album which was just spectacular, the sublimely good Danny & the Champions and various brilliant jazz musicians during my annual pilgrimage to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

People listened to and appreciated have include Bill Bailey, Eddie Izzard, Robin Ince, Germaine Greer, the good Prof. Brian Cox, the good Lord Peter Hennesey and the good Sir Vince Cable...I even got to meet Whispering Bob Harris and have a chat about needle time and the Beach Boys.

We live in interesting times; with that caveat I wish you health and happiness, the merriest of Christmases and the most peaceful of New Years.

~~~~~~~~~~

If I believed in New Year's resolutions then top of the list would be more frequent postings here. I don't think that would count as a miracle - so it is within the realm of possibility. Have a great 2017.

The Rotary Club Santa...

December 6, 2016

...called by this evening. Years ago he sat on a trailer pulled by an old tractor, or straddled some kind of motorised vehicle tastefully done up like a festive Thomas the Tank Engine. No more. Sadly, Santa is now relegated to the back of a Transit van with both rear doors propped open. This is progress?

Props to all for turning out on a foggy, murky night to raise money.

And props to me for eventually conjuring up something in the kitchen, though it did take an hour and a half.

Some pictures...

November 30, 2016

...to lift the mood a little after my last post:

Astbury Mere can look very beautiful in the evening, even on a cold winter's day.

Paul Simon and Trump's hair

November 30, 2016

...oh yes, the music? Paul Simon is a brilliant crafter of songs and he and his talented band played amazing, poly-rhythmic songs for over 2 hours. His voice is as good as always and the multi-instrumentalist playing alongside him were just awesome. Sound of Silence and 'Bridge' are tackled differently without the support of Art Garfunkel's angelic voice, but he knows how to sing both songs in a way that will stay with me for a long time to come.

And then there is The Donald.

Words still fail me - the ease with which a hammy TV reality-show host; a 5 year-old school bully's brain in a 70 year-old body; a misogynistic, bigoted, thin-skinned narcissistic demagogue could be elected...ELECTED mind you...to be the most powerful person on earth indeed leaves me speechless. He has bad hair too.
I'm sure the columnist in The Atlantic was right in commenting that the media took him literally, but not seriously whilst his supporters took him seriously but not literally. What he'll do whilst in office is anyone's guess - he probably doesn't know himself. But I'm sure that doesn't worry him either, and that may be the scariest of all.

We are moving from an aspirational world towards a transactional one where we deal and make deals with each other. Couple this with an inward-looking, nationalistic, suspicious world-view and many of us throughout the world are in for a painful few years. The division of wealth continues to grow whilst educational and learning opportunities reduce. Our politicians, seemingly, feel more remote than ever.

It's not like me to be pessimistic. I hate feeling so negative about the next few years but even if we're not royally screwed we're certainly in for a bumpy ride.

Update

November 7, 2016

After an embarrassingly long period of inactivity I can now report that, come the end of the year, I shall find myself with significantly more time on my hands. Mixed blessings. Anyway, as a prelude to what I hope will become ever more regular entries on this site, tomorrow sees a return to London, dinner in one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Kensington, followed by an evening with Paul Simon at the Royal Albert Hall.

All I need is for Trump to lose by the mother of all landslides and my day will be complete.

I'm sure that if I got into the routine of writing 500 or 1000 words a day it would be something that stuck as much as the endorphin release after a run. Once I've found a voice and some specifics to focus my thoughts around we might both get more than we bargained for.

I will let you know what the music's like tomorrow evening; that is, at least, a start.

Hull

June 30, 2016

After two days in Hull at the beginning of the week it's back home for a couple of days in front of a computer. Hull is a strange city; most of it I've not visited on the many occasions that I've been there. The bits I have driven through, outside the village suburbs and the spacious university campus, will definitely benefit from the 2017 Year of Culture investment.

Oh, wait...we're on our way out of the EU now. Still, I'm sure one of the crop of politicians in the current leadership frenzies will take care of things.

Still can't let this go...

June 26, 2016

Sunday morning and This is how I feel...

Scotland will become independent, guns will start going off in Ireland and on the mainland. Politically disaffected simpletons who believed a leave vote would stop immigration, improve funding for welfare, benefits and the NHS and get some political accountability back may or may not realise they've been lied to and mislead, but won't get any of that anyway.

Politicians will act like kids and make stuff up as they go along. And European nations with their own internal problems to deal with won't give a rat's arse about any of the UK's problems.

Didn't we do well!

The day after...

June 24, 2016

...the referendum. I feel angrier about the outcome than I ever imagined I would, or could.

I blame politicians of all stripes for delivering us to this position and, as I mentioned on Fb this morning along with 16 million or so other people, I shall never forgive them for this.

Never.

Old farts and mean-spirited, backward-looking, small-minded nostalgic, lied-to reactionary fuckwits voted us here. In doing so, they stole my kids future.

I am saddened and heartbroken by what we've done. And all I can do is write about it. Sickening.

Shrewsbury

June 20, 2016

It's been a very long time since I've been to Shrewsbury, an old market town dating back to 800 AD in the rural county of Shropshire. It rained a bit, but it was still enjoyable with some lovely old buildings and interesting alleys and narrow streets. Next time it's a trip around the castle and the abbey - for this time, here are a few shots:

The Severn surrounds the town on three sides - and looked particularly silty [aka mucky] today.

The Bear Steps - lots of rain; no bears.

The view from the window of the Quirky Tea Room - so called, I think, because of the all pervading yet not quite identifiable smell within.

I really mustn't leave it so long next time. I'll also bring the sun with me!

Nantwich Flower Festival

June 20, 2016

I visited Nantwich on Saturday and it just so happened that there was a flower festival in the main church in the centre of town. Here are a few pictures:

Each of the tags on the trees contained a birthday wish to Brenda...

In London

June 15, 2016

...for 2 days, working. @becks_cafe is always worth a visit - just means that I can't eat anything else now until the weekend. Maybe ;)

Standing up for Europe

June 11, 2016

It's not everyday that I get the chance of a selfie with Eddie. I'm the one on the right incidentally :)

Summertime

June 11, 2016

A few pictures of a summer garden...

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OK, so the last one wasn't really in my garden ☺️ It was good fun though...

Blue Stratos

April 11, 2016

I think I may own the last surviving bottle of Blue Stratos.

Jeez...just looked on Amazon & it tells me it's still available! And I thought we'd banned all chemical weapons ;)

Ospreys and water

April 10, 2016

OK, so I don't have any pictures of the ospreys, but I did see them on Esthwaite Water this afternoon. A lovely surprise.

I do have pictures of Allens Bank tho':

...and from the ferry across Windermere:

...and here's one in the general direction of the ospreys:)

The Lake District

April 10, 2016

The South Lakes is a lovely part of England - especially when the sun shines. Yesterday was a day like that, and even though these pics have been posted elsewhere I'll put them here too.

And, after a long walk, a long rest...

Boxing Day

December 26, 2015

It's always good to work off a few calories walking around The Cloud. It's almost a year since I was here last - I'm sure the track up to the top has become steeper!

The wind blew, but the rain kept off and Robyn, Mark and I slithered and slipped along the paths we've walked so often over the years.

Here are a few pictures...