Wheeling in The Summer

To add a little "excitement" to the summer holidays the Sheffield Council gave permission for a Ferris Wheel to be constructed in the centre of town. Some love it. It's looks a bit odd in all honesty. No doubt it will bring some cash into the tills which is the whole point of the venture. Me? You can take it down ASAP 'cos it just looks crap!

Dogs, Dales and Drizzle

Visiting Hathersage again; always a pleasure even in the rain.


My friend is training two of his sheep dogs in the finer arts associated with their trade. I am always gob-smacked how fast they are as well as excited as a child looking at a ice cream van. This one is Lee (or maybe Lea).





One works while the other looks on with such intensity of interest and concentration.
This is the older brother, Joe.



The sheep? They just end up totally knackered!


On to Stoney Middleton village for some well dressing.










St Martin's at Stoney M is an octagonal church; sort of like an oritorio.


The sad thing about this village and most villages now, is the number of cars parked along the roads. The old cottages front onto the footpaths so that there is nowhere else for the occupants to put their vehicles. Maybe one day someone will come up with the sensible idea of having parking areas adjacent to the village; it works in Venice for example. I can dream can't I?

Finishing the day out at - had to, it's sort of compulsory - a cafe for tea and farmhouse soup with baps. This time it was at Eyam cheerfully known as "The Plague Village".

We went home on the 272 as per; another great day in the dales.

Cambridge? Not For Me ...

Taking the bus from Comberton took us on a trip down knowlege college lane to Cambridge. The town isn't to my liking; it feels over tourist infested with loads of scruffy urbanites and an excess of bikes just to add to the overall mess. You immediately get an impression of the great divide between the Ivory Towered and the just-making-ends-meet masses. Cosmopolitan sounds better ...

The college buildings are without doubt splendid and well worth a visit; like succulent pieces of fruit decorating a badly cooked and messy flan. We but scratched the surface ...

The most impressive chapel is at King's. Sort of over the top look-at-me-I'm-the-greatest architecture and decoration. The fan vaulting has to be seen to be believed.



The gardens at Clare college are delightful especially in the hot sunshine of a summer day.






St John's college seems to have the complete range of architectural types and the most modern, to me, are ugly looking like something you would expect to be a block of council flats.

Pembroke college looked the friendliest and lease self-obcessed (if buildings and gardens can be such). The several courts with various building styles and gardens gave the place a pleasant welcoming atmosphere.

St Benet's church is interesting if only because it's said to be one of the oldest such buildings in Cambridge and still in use today.


Great St Mary's church next to the market square is well looked after though plain inside.








Particularly entertaining were the straw boatered touts drumming up business for the college and punt tours. Punting on the Cam sure ain't as romantic as a gondola trip in Venice especially when some wags think it's a jolly jape to squirt passing punters with river water - they were having so much fun being so naughty just like dear Sabastian and friends ... As a counterpoint to this high brow jollity we were charmed by a few drunks in the town one of which was, so far as impressions can tell, under the delusion that he was a tatooed tarzan swinging from lamp post to lamp post while passing women looked on in awe at his masculinity and physical prowess.

High education and enlightenment levened by a dose of the benal; an interesting day as you will no doubt admit. Don't think we'll visit again ...

Battling On To Stamford - Wrong Stamford Folks

Stamford is that place where, some say, the Saxons, who were mercenaries under the command of Hengist, defeated the Picts and Scots. King Vortigen, a warlod really, gave Hengist land in Lincolnshire for this service. That was in the 5th-century; not to be confused with the Battle of Stamford Bridge which was miles away to the north and 500 years later . Not that any of that changes the fact that Stamford is a lovely town with plenty of activity; the Arts Centre is the hub.

Wandering around the town is a pleasure and the churches we visited: All Saints', St John's, St Mary's and St Martin's, were actually open - maybe Stamfordians are less prone to stealing the church goodies to fund their habit. St Michael's on the High Street had been disused since 1962 and is now transformed into shops and offices; it still looks like a splendid church with architecture that shows the modern buildings for what they are - dull!

Saxon Southwell with Norman Trimmings

We packed our bags and made our pilgrimage way to Southwell Minster which began life as a Saxon minster and is one of the better examples of the Norman massive building style. The village is worth a visit and the minster is simple magnificent. The round arches and massive columns create an aw inspiring space. Add to this a torrential downpour, thunder and dim daylight and you are transported. All at once sinister and sacred; uplifting and littleling. Quite brilliant!

Tea and cakes at one of the cafes round off a satisfying trip into deepest Nottinghamshire.

Millstone for Lunch

It was just too sunny and pleasant not to get out into the hills for few hours. So I packed a few sandwiches and we got on the 272 to Castleton. Off at Surprise View we wandered down to Lawrencefield quarry just for old time sake.

Last time I was here was over 40 years ago and we were benighted whilst doing a nice pegging crack. Can't use pegs these days it may damage the quarry cracks - don't ask about the logic it's quite beyond me. Seems that the fact that it's a quarry, an industrial site, and not a "natural" crag has been lost in the mists of middle class environmentalism.

Wandering on to Millstone edge brought back more ancient memories. Home made anoraks, climbing sacks, knitted socks, Army surplus trousers cut off at the knees, pitons made by school kids in metal work classes, hexagonal nuts drilled out and threaded onto nylon slings - now the amount of equipment is staggering. It costs a fortune to fully kit out a reasonably capable rock climber but it's essential if you want to climb the "new" routes. Still all the posh equipment doesn't mean you'll actually appreciate the environment you're in.

We sat and ate our picnic while looking out over the Hope valley. Two old farts enjoying sitting in what seems to be one of the best parts of England. Onward and upward ...

A steady stroll brought us back to Surprise View and the 272 took us back home suitably refreshed by a few of hours contentment.

Food, Music and Sunshine Plus Alabaster Wobbly Bits

What a weekend! Two festivals in two days!

The Sharrow community turned out for their ding on Saturday which proved to be an entertaining and inclusive event. Loads of this and that with lots of the other pending until night fall. We sampled the food and enjoyed looking at the people in various ethnic dress while wondering why many of the white indigenous folk either looked like beach white whales or hookers touting for trade.

We mixed and mingled while eating the odd samosa, Ital, lamb pattie and drinking espresso coffee. One old, articulate brown person said he blamed all the "troubles" on the TV, American pop culture, poor parenting by people who hadn't grown up themselves and over educated civil servants who could call meetings, write policy documents but had no idea of how to actually do things. "They think they're in some bloody TV show," he said in a Yorkshire-Pakistani English.

I talked to a group of community workers who said that most of the problems which involved young people was attributed to "boredom" and lack of "self esteem". Where have I heard that before? Er ... oh yes, it's the usual knowledge-college social studies doctrine; very PC or New Labour if you're a UKite. Maybe it's too hard for a "young person" to open the local paper and see all the opportunities to do things. Then there are literally dozens of courses - free if you are out of work. Nah, it's just not cooool and the crew will dis you. Much better to be a prat in a hoodie. Talking to a brace of cops provided a view in keeping with the old fellow I previously mentioned. Maybe we need a compromise - an iron fist in a kid glove. Let's move to Sunday ...

A typical English summer day found us walking in the Sheffield botanic gardens, music gentle on the breeze. Both kinds of music ... Country and Western cum Dylanic folk. Not too intrusive on the setting. Mums, dads, kids and dogs sitting on the grass while munching on their picnics. There was even a mobile bar - no drunks evident. We sat under a tree enjoying a Danish and espresso listening to the local talent.

Fast Train to Mercia

For a few coppers we were transported in style to Derby. From whence we caught the Stagecoach to Repton. Now you'll probably ask, "Why?"


Repton was the capital of Mercia. Mercia? Yes, Mercia and later the Viking capital of, you guessed it, Viking held territory in the midlands of what is now England.

Our interest in Repton is St Wystan's church which is of Anglo-Saxon origin. The crypt is said to be the mausoleum of King Ethelbald who was murdered in 757. We crept into the crypt and were suitably disappointed to find it stiff-less. Not that you'd expect to find a 8th century stiff moldering in the crypt. I mean, it's not Italy where it's common to come across add bits and pieces in glass cases and jars.

We were also serenaded by power tools, hammering and other sundry industrial noises - the builders were "in" restoring the church. Interestingly, the various "new" wooden screens and paneling looked mechanical and life-less probably due to the use of said power tools. Since there were no little cafes in the village we re-mounted the Stagecoach and returned to Derby.

Derby is not one of our favourite cities. However, Derby cathedral is well worth a visit. We were lucky enough to be serenaded by a young organist which made the experience delightful.

There are several other notable churches but, as per usual, they were locked due to the high likelihood of resident drunks and druggies pinching whatever isn't nail down. Sad but part of life ...


The markets are interesting but unfortunately one is part of a Westfield complex. The Victorian covered market looks like a small railway station - as you might expect since it's Victorian and the whole structure is cast iron. The fish market is, thankfully, outside!