Wow - It's New Year Again ...

2010 fades out and 2011 sneaks in. Lots of wasted money on fireworks world-wide and untold gallons of booze  consumed in the alcoholic hope that just changing the date will make us more wealthy - well in the "West" anyway.

I'm greatly please to still be drawing breath, eating good food and have a pot to pizz in. It's also a miracle that I'm able to go abroad in the streets with little danger of being shot or bombed because I'm not wearing whatever clothes some rabid Fundamentalist thinks I should be wearing; said Fundamentalist's actions being motivated by a morbid urge to consort with 72 virgins, reach Nirvana or ensconced on the right or left hand of some chosen deity by close of day. Ah, what it is to be an unbeliever ... I leave you to choose whatever colour of belief you like ...

Trouble is, history, if consulted with an unbiased mind, tells us that all will be much the same in 2011 ...

Pass The Mylanta Please!

What a splendid day! The sun shone - for a change ...

We managed to eat far too much at lunch despite our best efforts to control our input. Given this increase in my girth I have decided to have a little nap with the intention of digesting the Christmas pudding in the shortest time.

Just to round off the gluttony, maybe a small, mint chocolate ...

Ho Ho Flaming Ho ...

It's Christmas! Strictly, that's if you're a Christian, but I'm certain in todays multi-cultural and Mammonistic societies all and sundry will be out buying baubles and trinkets they can't afford to give to those who, the rest of the year, the said givers, would be glad to snuff-out or remove at least one limb - that especially in the case of old Aunt Mildred who insists on taking her false teeth out mid-dinner. "Is she still alive?", I hear you ask ...

The receivers of said baubles and trinkets  will, as is their right and yearly habit, give one of those sickly smiles and say, "You shouldn't have bothered. It's lovely." The first sentiment being heart felt and the second having the sincerity of a politician touting for votes at an election.

JC's adopted birthday brings with it the threat of the "Traditional Dinner" which, as you all know, includes an over-supply of booze, a totally indigestible Christmas pudding, silly hats and crackers that seldom crack. This splendid fare, only cooked once a year, is a testament to tradition rather than nutrition. Thank God for antacid remedies ...

Lest you get the idea that I'm a Humbuggering Old Fart I will take the opportuntity to wish all my readers

Have A Safe and Enjoyable Christmas!

Please don't drink and drive you could run over Aunt Mildred ...

Paperwork - The Ideal Thing To Be Doing ...

OK, so we're back in our box. What's to do? Why paperwork of course! It's time to catch up with all that natty tax, pension, insurance, car registration and whatever-takes-your-fancy form filling in. What's the password for whatever is the focus of your bureaucratic attention? Who knows? I've had a nap since last year ... I'll just check the data base ... and so it goes ...

Weather wise it's balmy and idyllic - at the moment. A gross change from ice and snow just a short 15 days ago. Supermarket wise it's, I'll be polite, a bit of a drag. The UK supermarkets definitely produce withdrawal symptoms when you get re-transported ... Not to worry. Our aged bellies are full and there is the possibility that someone will change our dip-trays when it becomes necessary.

House wise, it seems too far to walk from one end of the living room to the bedroom; how do people manage who live in the American style mansion that now pass for everyday family homes in Oz? Maybe my legs are shorter than the used to be ...

Horsetraillia Again

After a total of 21 hours we are now back in our cage at B Bay. The flight from Tokyo to Sydney was excellent - JAL rules OK! Add to the 10ish hours of flying time: 1 1/2 hr local train to the airport, 3 hrs waiting after checking in, 1 hr waiting for the only coach to B Bay, 5 1/2 hrs travel to B Bay.

The weather on arrival in B Bay was perfect, just like a summers day in the UK. Next day? Cold and pouring with rain! Those holiday posters for Oz just don't tell the truth ...

First stop, yes that's right, the supermarket for some nosh. Then we were "at home" - whatever that really means ...

The weeds are crutch-high so that Gardener Sue has plenty to do ...

I've already stated editing the video so that it's time to keep an eye on my YouTube pages - I'll take my time, but some of the video so far is at least amusing - if you like snow ...

It's great to be old and fortunate ...

Tokyo In The Rain ... On Monday

Since its Monday all the museums are closed so we couldn't spend the day inside gorping at art and artifacts. In fact it was a case of having a metro-here metro-there day.

The first mistake was to assume that a large park in Akasaka would be open to the public. Firstly, its a Royal Estate not a park. Secondly, it contains the Togu Palace which is the residence of the Crown Prince, the State Guest House, the residences of Princes Akishino,  Tomoheto of Mikasa, Mikasa and Takamado. Hence, the security camers, guards and high fences - the likes of us would not be welcome ... no matter ...

However, by chance, we walked along the road next to the estate and came across the Toyokawa Inari Shrine and Temple. This was typical in that it was surrounded by the most modern skyscrapers and buildings you come to expect of any Tokyo main street. Since the shrine is dedicated to the Fox-riding God there were dozens of fox sculptures of all sizes - usually in pairs like book-ends.

The rain still poured so we metroed to the Marunouchi district of central Tokyo in search of food - not that there was much by nature of searching since nearly every skyscraper has its restaurants. We settled on The Marunouchi building and took the lift to the 36th floor to see what was on offer. We'd forgotten the time (3pm) so that most of the restaurants were closed for lunch. The view of rain-soddened Tokyo was worth the effort anyway. Down to Basement 1 ... the food court/shop was in full swing so we had an excellent lunch ... and a year's supply of salt!

More metroing and we were back at Asakusa in time for the usual ... coffee and supermarket. Thus endeth our last day in Tokyo ... this trip that is ...

Tokyo ... There Seems To Be No End ...

The day dawned sunny with a clear blue sky so we down-fleeced and set out to trawl the art and architecture. First off the rank was the Doctoral Program Final Exam Exhibition at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Part of the exhibition was in the Museum building which, in itself, is magnificent. The work shown was excellent in all respects. Some of the sculpture and paintings were brilliant in terms of size, materials and aesthetic. I've not seen anything as good as far as I can remember in any of the graduate and post-grad exhibitions I've seen elsewhere. There were some multimedia (video) pieces which, as always, left me cold.

A second exhibition of small, modern, abstract, wooden (some metal - mainly brass) sculptures (Tatazumu Kigi's work) showed how small sometimes out classes large when the aesthetic emphasizes precision and  the natural texture of the materials used.

Lunch at Mr Mac's - my God how we have fallen ... I made a mistake in the ordering and we both got half a cow in a bun and a sack full of fried spuds; the indigestion had to be felt to be appreciated ... never again ... but it was tasty ...

On to the metro to get to the area around Kagurazaka and Ushigome Kagurazaka stations. Traffic in some main streets was stopped for the day so that there was a pleasant, quiet feel when we wandered about.

The Zenkokuji Temple was not that impressive; it looks "urban", which it is, but rather like it came in kit form out of a architects temple catalogue. Quite different is the Akagijinja Shrine which is impressive in terms of it's modern architecture.

After a coffee we headed back to the metro to return to Asakusa. Time to visit the supermarket and head home to do the chores - washing clothes.

Yokohama Day Out

After a fitful night's sleep we managed to get out-and-about by 11 am to find the sun shining and a clear blue sky. Having expected a cold winter's day, we were over-fleeced and over-heated.

We left Ueno on the JR train for Yokohama which took about 1 hour. After getting a bit confused at the Yokohama JR station - it was heaving with people out on Saturday - we retraced our steps to one of the coffee shops to re-group and re-orientate. Suitably re-magnetised, we found our way to the correct  metroline which took us to the Yokohama Museum of Art where we looked at the permanent collection. Not an extensive collect, but two of the Japanese Screens were especially exquisite. The building is a sculpture in different granites. We didn't see the Degas exhibition - we've seen most of the pieces in other exhibitions over the years and we came to Japan to see Japanese things ...

Wandering in the vicinity of the museum brought us to the Landmark Tower and all the massive modern buildings around - impressive. I liked the strange twisty sculpture in the plaza. We decided not to go to the top of the tower ...

We retraced our steps again and took the metro to China Town; this is supposed to be the larges of its sort outside of China. It definitely lived up to it's reputation. The whole area was double-heaving with people! More wandering gave us ample excuse to sample the Pork Buns (dumplings) and other delectables.

A re-retrace and we were back at Yokohama station where we caught the train back to Ueno by which time, all the lights where blazing their Messages of Mammon and a chill in the air had begun to make the over-fleecing desirable. A quick coffee and a visit to the supermarket for dinner goodies rounded off the day.

It must have been a good day out because we were both knackered ...

JAL Does It Again ... But Of Couse!

We cleared security without problem; other than that I lost my glasses in the process. A short 3 hour wait and we were embarked on JL402 for the 12 hour flight to Tokyo. Four films, 2 G &Ts, 2 meals, 3 bottles of water and a small bottle of sake later, we disembarked at Narita airport. We thoroughly recommend Premium Economy - we were bumped ...

Once through immigration and customs we wandered down to the Keisei station to catch the train to Tokyo; I had a 1 hour nap. A quick stroll to the Oak and then we were booked in. The welcome we received was warm and the room as we had requested.

Next? You guessed it - the supermarket. We went on to a tempura cafe for dinner and returned to the hotel where we sank into a 12 hour sleep!

Premier Inn ... Waiting ... Waiting

We had a relatively good English dinner - steak pie, mashed spuds and 73 peas (I counted them ...) and then retired to the room for an good nights sleep. The breakfast was OK if a bit lacking in the "Continental" aspects you'd expect for an international hotel. The coffee? Hey, this is the UK so, as expected, it was terrible ...

We've got 4 hours to kill before we can check-in. We've found a comfortable seat in the cafe/bar so it's time to sip the sparkling H2O and read a novel. There are no newspapers on offer - I discount the Daily Mail and the Sun ...

Three Cheers For National Express

Decamping the Premier Motel in about -4 deg C was cool to say the least. It was literally freezing at the bus station so that the 30 min wait prevented us overheating with excitement. We left Sheffield by National Express coach on time and arrive at the Central Coach Station, Heathrow on time! The weather is bitterly cold and the frost on the trees along the way spectacular. Sheffield streets looked out of this world; the snow had hardly thawed along the side streets so that the effects of the snow fall were quite obvious. Major roads are clear and the traffic flowed. There is no way I would have liked to have driven down to Heathrow given someone else was there to do it and the fare was so little. The coach went through Coventry and amusingly passed the road where I lived when I was 5-7 years old. I had no feelings of familiarity, but it did bring some memories to mind - really disliked the school ...

We settled into the Premier Heathrow and filled up with good food which brings memories of being in the same hotel last year - sometimes it really does seem a bit of science fiction ...

We fly to Tokyo tomorrow at 7pm which means we'll hang around the hotel until 3.30pm ... that's travel Freddy Boy ...

Packing Up The Igloo

We've started loading up the reindeer for the trek across the tundra to the winter pastures in the south. That was all fine and good, but the snow has claimed the roads and reindeer are few and far between. I dashed out into the white-out to try and find one of the more intrepid taxis still plying their trade. Fortunately, I managed to wade through the snow and flag down a hackney cab (the big taxis you get in London). Even more fortunately, the driver was sympathetic to our plight and agreed to help us move our gear to the storage centre. The driver was a delightful Somali chap who couldn't have been more helpful - he even helped us to tote the bags down to the cab. It took about 10 mins to get to the store where we found that the parking area was knee-deep in snow. We lugged the bags through this into the dock area. The taxi fare was a mere 5 Brit pounds! We noticed that the taxis that were running were all driven by immigrants; too cold for the local indigenous folk ...

We walked to the post office in the city only to find it was closed - again. A further trek though the snow and ice took us to another PO which was open; we were able to arrange for our mail to be redirected. This PO is in a small shop - also open. You guessed correctly; the shop and PO was run by immigrants.

More Snow - Less Go ...

It didn't snow overnight and we've seen a few buses this morning. Hopefully the road will be kept clear by whatever traffic braves the weather. But no! It's started to snow again! We can't get to the storage facility to store our UK gear because the place is still closed ...

Fortunately we have JAL tickets that allow us to change our departure date up to 24 hours before we are due to fly out. We may have to change plans at the last minute, but we still have 4 days to agonize. Change to departure means all sorts of knock-on changes with hotels in Japan, flights to Sydney and the only, once-a-day coach to BBay. Hey-ho, it's not that difficult and keeps the mind occupied ...

Sadly, the snow means we can't get to see friends and family before we leave. Our friends at Stanage are stranded by the snow and icy roads ... again. They can use a quad-bike, but the idea of two adults and three sheepdogs on the machine is a bit Wallace and Grommet ...

The daftest thing we've heard is that the Lincoln Christmas Market has been cancelled due to the snow ... seems a bit odd when you consider the main selling image is a snowy scene with all that entails. Normally, the stalls have artificial snow on their roofs (it's not rooves as some may think). OH&S strikes again! God help us; I wonder what our forebears would think ...

Sue is off to the supermarket across the road. It's not far so we don't have to harness the Huskies; she'll just use the bog-standard snowshoes which make her walk like a penguin that has extensive hemorrhagic problems. The barrel of brandy around her neck is a little add-on just in case she gets thirsty on her trek into the white-out. Sue, "I'm just going outside." Histrionic as ever ...

Best of British - NOT!

It has been snowing most of last night and today giving about 25 cm of the stuff. Not much really when you consider how much falls in Scandinavia and those countries don't come to a total standstill! Mind you, it seems that UK divers can't get it through their heads that using chains is common sense ... they carry all the kit for driving in Europe, albeit reluctantly, but using chains in snow condition seems to be just a bit too much to comprehend. The excuse is that it only snows now and again. Last year's experience seems to be lost on everyone; as does, in my life-time, every winter that they have ever experienced. Public transport comes to a halt, trains only run infrequently and most people use the weather as an excuse to stay at home. Politicians bleat about the cost of doing anything to plan for the conditions ... then they bleat about the lost working hours and production.

I've had my rave. It'll do no good ... but ...

We put on all our winter gear and had a good walk all over town trying to find a post office that was open. We were toasty warm and the snow was crisp and even - except in the slushy gutters where some vehicles had managed to get about. We even went to the supermarket ... ee, that were fun.

If it freezes tonight walking will be deadly - ice covered roads and footpaths everywhere. Hey, it's winter - nearly.

Stanage In The Snow

Another trip on the 272 took us to our friends in the Hathersage-Stanage area. The snow gave a Christmas Card feel to the walk across the fields. The sunshine didn't really make up for the cold wind, but the whole scene was worth the chill.

Filled to the brim with food, we spent a snug night only to wake in the morning to find the snow falling again. Everything look really lovely and the absence of any wind allowed the garden to feel like silent perfection; birds' twittering was the only sound to break the silence. A Wood pecker and several Robins feeding at the hanging, bird feeders, along with a couple of male Pheasants pecking at the seeds that had fallen onto the ground, finished the scene. Delightful!

A quick breakfast and we were off to walk across the fields to the village where we caught a 272 back to the smoke.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow ...

Loads of snow fell overnight and, as usual, traffic came to a standstill on some major roads. The proportion of idiot drivers is as it always has been. When will they ever lean? Never ...

We're snug in our cage and we've little intention of going too far from  it's under-floor heating unless we make a quick dash to the supermarket for something chrissy-like to add to the overall seasonal feeling the snowy scene brings. We had the Chestnuts the other day when we went to the Christmas Fair in the city centre ...

English weather? It's great if you like change!

Yesterday, I went to the Millennium Gallery for another life drawing session which was very enjoyable. The walk back home through the city was cold, but the evidence of Christmas retail therapy gave the place all the bustle of a busy market. We have, so far, managed to resist all the hype ... "Humbug," I hear you say ... 

I'm Not Dreaming, It'll Be A White Christmas ... Maybe

The first snow of the year and the roads are blocked in West Yorkshire and The North. Scotland has had a dose - well it is expected up there in the Bonny Blooming.

Sheffield has, so far, escaped, but the temperature has plummeted and the wind become bitter. Bitterness equally seems to be affecting the attitude of most, if not all, students towards the Lib Dems, the leader of which is the Sheffield MP. Sit-ins and demonstrations seem to be in fashion at both unis and elsewhere.

Ah, I remember the demos in the late 60s and the mess made by naughty students during the sit-ins. We were a militant lot in those dark ages. Some even went to Paris to "help" the students at the Sorbonne; what a violent event that turned out to be ... I confess I had too much work to do; I camped out in the main library! Back to today ...

Thank Big G for under-floor heating and double glazing! Plus, a couple or three nuclear power stations to keep the volts volting and the amps flowing. Beggar the obsession with renewable power; I like to keep warm and have my toast a-toasted.

It's interesting how one's attitudes change when one is exposed to weather other than sunshine day-in day-out ...

Sunny Rotherham ... Not

We took a train to Rotherham. The weather was sunny, but very cold; the station platforms had the remains of salt scattered during the early morning - must have been a frost. Rotherham town centre didn't really inspire us; loads of Neanderthals and shops boarded-up. There are large developments in progress; one had 154 shops and 114 food and drink outlets; let's hope the investment improve the future for the local young people ...

We went to see Rotherham Minster which is right in the town centre. A church has been on the site for over 1000 years, hence, the minster is historically important. The building is well worth a visit and the Tea Ladies provide a decent cupper with biscuits for a pound - Kit Kats and Penguins are an extra 15p; what an expense!

Back to Sheffield by train - fortunately the carriage was well heated; the afternoon temperature portended snow which had been forecast.

Snow, Rain, Wind ... I Think I'll Go Back To Bed

It's one of those bleak, late Autumn days when I delight in being one of the lucky ones who are cast on the scrap heap called Old Age. I know what you're thinking. Pool, old beggar has slipped into senility and self pity. Er, no you're totally wrong! The rain is lashing down on the minions who are dashing off to their work; brolly blown inside-out and bodies soaked to at least the second of three layers of warm clothing. Some clutching at an extra-large Costa's coffee in the vain hope that it's tepid contents will warm them when they eventually get to where ever they are destined to toil. I only hope they earn enough to pay their taxes so that they can support me in my leisure ...

Ah, the warmth of a duck-down duvet, a fresh espresso and a cherry Danish! I'll just turn over and have a little nap. Wake me when the weather gets better ...

Lincolnshire

Five days in Sleaford enabled us to travel hither-and-yon. Lincolnshire, as always, offered open vistas of rural landscapes in both dismal, rain-mist and duck egg blue skied, sunshine. Villages visited temped us with excellent pubs offering tradition Plowmans' lunches and excellent beer. Churches, abbeys, medieval houses and Knights Templar oratorios all called for immediate exploration. We reckon you could spend several lifetimes trying to get to grips with the history of the area.

Sun, surf and the congestion of  eucalyptus forest has a certain appeal, but I openly admit to heresy; English mixed-woodland and the open fields have something more to offer ... maybe if we ...

Isobaric Manic ... Poo Distressed

Another day, another dawn, but the Caillech and Lugh seem to be in a bad mood again. It's been raining buckets with a faint hint of sleet plus high winds. Maybe we should have gone down to Waitrose, Morrison's, Tesco or Sainsbury's and bought a pre-prepared sacrifice to put a smile on the ancient deities' faces. Hey, ho ...

We risked the deluge and walked in the very large, Sheffield General Cemetery which is now a sort-of park-cum-reserve for the local fauna some of which wear traditional ethnic dress and smoke certain substances while skulking in the undergrowth.

Another puzzling activity of  some of the locals is the desire to share their dogs excrement with all and sundry. You can be sure that the largest dog is housed in the smallest flat occupied by a Raskolnikovian reprobate; the crime seems never to be punished - I'll clean my shoes when I've finished my wanderings ...

And The Big Wheel Came ... Has Gone ...

A visit to the city proved that I can wander about and not notice that a huge object has gone. The observation wheel has been dismantled and removed!

No doubt the same people who moaned about it being built will now bemoan it's removal.

Weather today? Looks like rain ... QED

Who Forgot To Pay The Sun Tax?

It's sort of raining today. When I say, "sort of", I mean that "raining" doesn't quite do justice to the volume of water being delivered in vertical-downward and horizontal-sideways directions. Plus, there is the accompaniment of Hitchcockian sound effects suitable for the high towers of  Heathcliff's country estate.

I think we will batten hatches and run under bare-poles today whilst issuing a extra ration of rum to ourselves under the pretext of warding off the flue - porcine or otherwise.

Fortunately, we have a very large HDTV on which we can watch a wide range of ancient Brit programmes most of which have a cheerful and uplifting obsession with WW2.

What it is to have a positive outlook and optimistic view of life ...

Fireworks Night ...

Bonfire night again. I wonder how many folk actually know why they are setting fire to squibs and rockets. The Chinese Fireworks Shop has been open for some weeks now. Hard-earned cash has changed hands in supermarkets. Enterprising would-be chemists have mixed their saltpeter, sulphur and iron filings and tamped their concoctions into various containers. I'm sure Guy Fawkes would be delighted that his failed antics are still celebrated country-wide.

We watched from our balcony. A near-by display lasted for quite a while; evidently someone had the cash to buy some very expensive rockets that not only lit up the sky, but the resounding explosions echoed through the streets. It made me wonder how some of the inmates of the council tower bock flats felt. Why? Quite a few are immigrants from war-torn places in the Middle East.

It's all too easy to forget how fortunate we are to live in a stable, welfare state; all too easy to loose ...

Nottingham Art Extravaganza

An excellent trip to Nottingham (that of Robin Hood fame) by National Express coach was all the more pleasant when the weather on the return journey is taken into account. Rain and high winds. I just sat back and let the driver have all the stress of the M1 ... excellent and all for 4 quid!

The show we went to see was "British Art Show 7". A Hayward touring exhibition which made you think it would be one of the better shows - wrong! Frankly it was one of the poorest I've seen; you would have thought it was an end-of-year graduate show at best.

We off-set our appointment with two interesting shows we came across. "Four Visions" included work by four artists (Julian Woodcock, Sarah Cavani, Bob Sparman and David Mallard) at the Nottingham Society of Artists Gallery. We spent at least a couple of hours talking to three of the artists and solved all the problems of the modern world - an delightful time with non-arty-farty artist (a bit of a contradiction you may think ...)

Visiting The Exchange Building in the centre of the city took us to the second show: "Nottingham Studio Presents". Four artists again and all very different. Michael Forbes (one of the exhibitors) directed us to a quiet veggie cafe where we sheltered from the rain and had a tasty lunch.

We walked down Memory Lane and visited one of my old colleges which is now Trent University. Nostalgic? No. That was over 40 years ago; another life ... The main building looks the same and the modernisation is fantastic.

An excellent day out and food for thought.

Spooky Doings in the City

Halloween is upon us again and Sheffield has it's "Fright Night" Fair in the centre of the city. Roads are filled with fairground rides and stalls along with fast food stalls - even Candy Floss stalls. The locals take the fair seriously enough to get dressed up - especially the kids. The fair is a family event and it's great to see so many families out-and about. The whole thing stops at about 9 pm and, by early morning, there is no sight that the fair was there.

We had a walk around and enjoyed seeing so many people enjoying themselves even though the politicians tell us all the doom-and-gloom that seems to justify their tawdry existence.

Cottage Sitting and Aged Dog Minding ...

We had a different w/e looking after old Flint and the cottage of our friends in Derbyshire. Flint is a 14 year old sheepdog and wobbly on his pins - like the rest of us who approach ancient age.

Taking the old dog on his daily perambulations is usually a delight, but this time the hill home proved to be too much. Gasp, wheeze and a slippery, muddy ditch found him collapsed and looking like he had given up the ghost. Not a good situation to be in and especially since our friends had only left for their w/e break two hours before ... Fortunately, he revived after a while so that we were saved from carrying him back to the cottage - he's a big, heavy beast which I have only once tried to lift over a gate much to the distaste of  my aging limbs. All's well that ...

The cottage is warm and snug - with two fires going - and the setting beautiful. Birds abound. Weather wise we had two sunny, late-autumn days; all colour and pale blue sky. I enjoyed playing fireman-in-chief with the outcome, one evening, of filling the lounge with great gouts of smoke more suitable for the production of kippers ...

An excellent w/e with a bit of a scare ...

Sublime Autumn Sunshine in The Derwent Valley

After a dull and wet day you are finely tuned to the beauty of a sunny, autumn day in England. The light is perfect; the scenery looks like it has been lit in a photographers studio; colours of the autumn leaves vivid, grass bright green and the sky a clear, light blue. Nothing could keep us from catch in the bus to Hathersage.

We took a walk along the bank of the Derwent River for a couple of hours and finished the day with a cafe stop. The view from the river up to Millstone Edge is iconic of the area.

That's England folks; drab and wet one day and exquisite the next ...

Sunny Sunday - Fox House to Padley Gorge and Hathersage

The sun shone so it was essential to get on the 272 to Fox House so that we could walk down Padley Gorge to Hathersage; trouble was half the county and their dogs decided to do the same!

Travelling on public transport is convenient, but sometimes the experience can be a bit smelly. This especially if one of your fellow passengers has and elderly and infirmed dog with them; especially if said dog evacuates its liquid bowels; the owner didn't even tell the driver what had happened!!! The smell!!! Anyway ...

We had an excellent toddle from Frog Mouth, down Padley Gorge and on to Hathersage where we found our way to the excellent delli-cafe. Suitably refreshed we boarded the 272 for a smell-free return to Sheffield.

A very enjoyable, sunny day in lovely Derbyshire.

What Is The World Coming To?

"Restless Times" is the title of the show on at Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. It's an excellent show with loads of exhibits; it's even well lit! The theme is "Art in Britain 1914 - 1945". There are paintings, drawings, prints, videos and sound. It's so interesting I will visit again - the lithographs are really worth several visits alone.

The catalogue, if that's what it is, is printed as a newspaper with the head line: "What Is The World Coming To?"

I'm off to a life drawing class at the gallery; then there's print workshop ant the end of the month.

Sunny but Cool in Derbyshire

During the last two day we have been out-and-about in Derbyshire; Hathersage on Sunday and Bakewell on Monday. The local bus service provided excellent transport; it still puzzles me why most folk don't use public transport instead of driving ...

Weather-wise we had two lovely days; each stated with cold and misty condition which cleared to sunny afternoons. Typical autumn weather for England; the sort that encourages wearing fleecy cloths and brisk walks in beautiful countryside.

Bakewell parish church (All Saints) has an ancient past and really well preserved Elizabethan tombs; unfortunately these are hidden behind loads of stored items so it's difficult to see them properly. The village was awash with people because the markets were in full swing. Did that stop us visiting a cafe? No. We managed to include both lunch and afternoon tea in the itinerary - don't ever have the Bakewell Tart if you're in Bakewell; the local version is almost inedible!)

Back at the cottage both friends and dogs were in fine fettle and poached eggs on toast plus a generous slice of cake rounded off another visit.

Sad to Leave Venice - Again ...

We are always sad to leave Venice and it was the same this time. We seemed to get more from the visit this time because we are getting so familiar with the ordinary life there. Wandering, vaporettoing (yes, I know there is no such word) and visiting cafes, art shows, shops - just an excellent way to spend time.

Pet dislikes? Huge cruise liners, tourist groups (one was 60 people, yes, 60, yanks), beggars selling fake fashion accessories, tourist menus (they actually eat the stuff!), people who insist intaking photos while standing in the middle of the small bridges and alleys, people who think that any flight of steps are actually seats ... and dog shit!

Next visit? Maybe a month ...

The vaporetto, bus, aircraft, bus, train and taxi trip took 8 hours door-to-door. No problems. We were delighted. Thanks to all the folk that make these things possible!

Don't You Just Love a Good Rail Network

What a day!

One trip to Castlefranco Veneto and then hop onto another regionale to Treviso. A busy 10 hour day in all, but well worth the effort. Molto stancoed again!

The day started with an aqua alta; the new siren has several tones depending on the hight of the expected flood. We didn't know what to expect until I asked a local, in ear punishing Italian, what the siren was for. The 52 vaporetto had to divert and go down the Grand Canal because the tide was too high to disembark passengers along the regular route.

A quick coffee at the station and onto the train.

How do they do it? Where ever you go in Europe you never seem to get a bad coffee - bad means: bitter and almost undrinkable no matter how much sugar you put into it. In Australia and The UK it seems that the sole aim is to perform around the machine and produce a bitter tar which even the most avide coffee drinker couldn't drink - it's a puzzle. Tell me who started the bucket sized servings? That was rhetorical folks - its the yanks and those dreary TV shows where everyone drinks Starbucks, Gloria Jean's or whatever (any flavour including sump oil and peanut butter) in one of those paper buckets - make sure the talent has the label clearly facing the camera ...

Back to Italy - I've taken my pill so I'll probable not have another rant for a couple of hours ...

Castlefranco Venito has a small, but interesting, historic centre. A walled city with a duomo andseveral interesting buildings.

Treviso was a large walled city, but much of the historic building are re-builds because the originals were destroyed by bombing during the European WW2. The old city has a very pleasant atmosphere and the re-builds are exceptionally good. The duomo is very plain but worth a visit.

Bologna - Arcades Are Us!

The 7.56 am train from Venice to Bolgnga was excellent; packed with university students on their way to Padua, Ferrara and the like - a regionale; none of your intercity prices thanks!

Bologna streets are a feast for the eye - if you are into architecture made mainly of brick.

The duomo is plain inside, compared to the usual Italian basilica, but the height of the building is emphasised by the simplicity of the structure. The main piazza is amazing and reminded us of Florence and Sienna - a huge piazza; castlelike buildings and loads of bits and pieces which are essential to give the impression that Renaissance Italy is still with us.

Yes, there were loads of tourist groups; it gets easier to ignor them even if they are loud-mouthed Americans. Why do they always behave in such a crass way? Posted answers to the Department of US Education and Training must be in written in large block capitals using a black crayon on a single sheet of A4, ruled pale blue or green paper; words of more than two syllables are not acceptable ... ;)

We wandered about for hours just looking at the architecture which is so complex and interesting that it compensated for the frantic traffic and milling crowds. A visit to McDonnald's provided a much needed loo stop - always a good way of finding clean facilities.

Train back to Venice was less packed and a 42 vaporetto got us home in time for a feast of pasta and insalata. A 11 hour day in all - door to door; we were molto stanco.

Ryan Does It Again!

Train from Sheffield and flying from Leeds-Bradford airport was a snip. Ryanair got us to Treviso on time with no probs. The ATVO bus from Treviso airport to Venice took us to the Pizzale Roma where we caugth the No 51 vaporetto to Giardini. A short walk and we were at the apartment. Friends dropped in the keys and we were settled in ...

A visit to Prix supermarket and the cupboards were full of lovely food.

Two days of wandering, shopping, eating and just enjoying the city ... what more could we ask for? Trust us, it's an unique place to be. The via Garibaldi is always a great place to wander and it's just over the bridge to San Pietro - 95% locals and we now feel so familiar it feels like 'home'.

Rain,Rain and .... Rain

A few days in Derbyshire at our friend's cottage was accompanied by lots of rain. Well it's getting into autumn so   it's what we expect if we're truthful. The green and pleasant can't be green without the H2O so moaning seems a bit pointless.

I had a heat-in-the-mouth moment when I managed to drive one of the front wheels of the car over the edge of  the cottage driveway. Experience clicked into place - I jacked the beast up and levered the offending large blocks of stone out of the way with an 8 foot fence post. It was raining at the time which cooled my fevered brow somewhat. Shoving slabs of rock under the wheel allowed me to, eventually, drive the car back onto the road. Damage was not evident so another sigh of relief from my wallet ended the trauma. Hey-ho it's all in a day's excitement ...

We venture out in the rain and drove up to the high moors down narrow, winding and often steep lanes. The views were none existent in the rain and cloud so we drove down to High Bradfield village where we visited a splendid church. St Nicholas dates from at least the 9C and the existing building is, more-or-less, a 15C structure.

High Bradfield was a Norman stronghold complete with two motte-and-bailey fortifications.

Modern Drugs and Good Food ...

I am happy to report that an application of a wide range of pharmaceuticals and yummy grub has just about cured my bout of plague.

We have been taking plenty of rest in preparation for our next sortie into darkest Derbyshire. Time has been spent packing plenty of bright beads and small mirrors to trade with. The natives, we are assured, have stopped the reprehensible habit of eating visitors from modern, technological climes.

I still wonder if we should take a translator; the natives are very difficult to understand ...

Colds - Guaranteed to Keep You at Home

What a bummer! Coughs and sneezes definitely aren't the thing to have if you're supposed to be visiting friends or family. This w/e will be a tissue of boredom interspersed with the odd intake of prescribed  and otherwise available drugs, potions and such like. I always seem to be the weakest link in the contamination train and end up spluttering over all an sundry who are unfortunate to come withing 5 metres.

Feed a cold they say so I will ....

Longshaw Sheep Dog Trials

Another visit to the Longshaw Estate to see the sheep dogs do their stuff. We met our friends and enjoyed an excellent picnic while watching shepherds doing their thing - sheep trying their best to be as unobliging as sheep can be. The weather was at its best - sun and a light breeze. This sheepdog trial has been held each year for over one hundred years. The trial last three days and is one of the most prestigious.

Three packs of hounds provided a break in the days competitions. A very enjoyable day and made possible by using our stalwart transport - the 272 to Castleton.

Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg and Selestat

The Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg is an almost completely restored castle dating from the 12th C. The castle is sited a-top one of the most prominent hills (mountain?). Wilhelm II is responsible for the renovation which resulted in the castle being opened in 1908. While the place looks like a stage set it is still worth a visit if only for the views. The cafe serves an excellent Black Forest cake ...

St George's church

The castle is situated near Selestat which is a lovely village with a wealth of places to visit. The  St George's church (cathedral?) is amazing and St Faith's church has a really calming atmosphere.






The village centre is packed with cobbled streets and medieval buildings. We visited on Sunday so the whole of the town was quiet which made for an excellent meandering stroll. The regional train from Strasbourg provided easy transport (15.60 euros for two OAPs!) and the local bus took us from the station to the castle for 8 euros return - excellent value.

Back at the hotel bar a Ricardo and a beer replenished our energy so that we could tuck into our usual evening feast courtesy of the local supermarket.

Colmar - Day in a Medieval Town Centre

The regional train took 30 mins to take us to Colmar at the cost of 16.60 euros for two OAPs - it pays to be old! The town was, as we'd expected, full of tour groups but these did not detract from the delightful nature of the town centre. There are plenty of medieval building and norrow streets to satify any visitor.

Our first stop was Musee D'Unterlinden which is right at the heart of the old town.This museum is exceptional in all respects - exhibits and extent. The Isenheim Altarpiece (Le Retable d'Issenheim) is brilliently displayed - no dim lighting and shown in what was a church. The cloister is lovely and adds to the pleasure of the visit.

St Martin's collegiate church (the cathedral?) and the Dominican church are notable places to visit; the latter has columns which seem to be far too long to be stable and, unfortunately, we could not visit the cloister or photograph anything inside which was disappointing.

We wandered the streets and, naturally, sampled the coffee and cakes at a couple of cafes. The weather being perfect, it was an altogether excellent day trip.

Wandering Around Strasbourg

Visiting the European Institutions buildings is not that exciting but their achitecture contrasts so much to the historic buildings it is worth a quick tram ride - especially if it's raining. The European Parliament building is by far the most interesting.

Churches, as always, provide lots of variation and interest. The "twinned" church of St Pierre-le-Vieux (one part Protestant the other Catholic) provide clear examples of the divergent nature of their religeous doctrines; the plain and well lit versu ornate and dim - that's the buildings not the doctrines.

St Pierre-le-Jeune (Catholic) is a magnificent building and provides an excellent example of what a "new", if rather plain, basilica looks like.









St Pierre-le-Jeune (Protestant) comes as a bit of a shock when you enter. The profusion of decoration; virtually wall-to-wall frescos. The reason being is that it was a shared Catholic and Protestant church at one time. This church has to be the best one to visit if you have limited time in Strasbourg, especially since it has a delightful cloister.

St Thomas (Lutheran) is unusual in that there are five naves. The height of the columns is also remarkable so that the whole interior looks like a stone forrest.


A visit to Le Palais Rohan provides three museums; we chose the Fine Arts and the Archaeology Museums (no surprise there). The Archaeology Museum is splendid and extensive - if you are, like us, into old bits and pieces from long dead folk. The extent of Roman artifacts really showed our lack of appreciation of the Roman history of Strasbourg.


Wandering around La Petite France is a delight - if you ignore the tour groups - because there are many 16th and 17th C half-timbered houses and narrow streets.

Strasbourg Cathedral, Churches, Canals and Museums - Phew ...

What can I say - nothing that would really tell you how much we enjoyed Strasbourg. Travel in the city is easy with trams and buses covering all of the suburbs; they are regular and fares are cheap. Most of the historical places are in the centre so that exercise is free.

The cathedral is magnificent but sadly quite dim inside which doesn't let you see the place as well as you may like. There are dozens of tour groups which does distract but overall we couldn't fail to be impressed. The height of the columns is, by themselves, impressive.


We visited the cathedral glass window and art museum which is excellent - over 2 hours of browsing and not at a slow pace. The building itself is interesting being well restored and re-modeled. I particularly liked the tiny courtyard with a loggia which seems to be at the centre of the building.

Eurostar to Strasbourg

St Pancras

Just for a change we decided to go by train. Leaving Sheffield for London we arrived at St Pancras on time. St Pancras is on of the pleasantest stations; a magnificent, rejuvenated Victorian building with lots of cafes and shops. Booking into the Eurostar lounge was a snip - all the usual security and migration checks. The train left on time and arrive at Lille on time. A quick stroll around the station, coffee and a pit stop and we were on the TGV for Strasbourg only 10 mins late.

Strasbourg Gare

Strasbourg station has a really modern glass bubble covering the front facade which is really brilliant - if you like modern architecture.

The best part of travelling by train has to be not having all the bother with luggage compared to air travel.

Will we do it again even though it took a total of 12 hours from door to door? You bet! Trains - I love them ...

The Hotel Le Grillon was 5 min walk from the station. A very pleasant place with helpful staff and a great bar. The bar - La Perestroika - is exactly the kind you want to find in France. Friendly, alive and just the place to unwind after 5 or 6 hours tramping the street. The specialty of the bar was vodka ...

Tea, Cakes and Bunches of Flowers at Taddington

The 272, late, took us to Haveasausage as is our  habit. At the cottage we received a hearty welcome and the dogs, as expected, explored my pockets for tasty treats. It always delights us to find such a welcome only 30 mins from the apartment and  the almost immediate change from urbanity to lush green moorland seems magical.

Another bright summer's day made for a tip to Taddington. The Derbyshire countryside is at it's greenest and best. Taddington's village folk were hosting their Well Dressing and have also decked out the church (St Michael and All Angels, mid 14 C) with flowers.

Tea, cakes and sandwiches, freshly made, were available so, naturally, we tested the fare. Bells were rung their round which made the whole experience seem like a scene from a BBC 19 C period drama. England at it's most English. All that was missing was a cricket match on the green; there is no green.

Back to the cottage for high-tea and a chance to solve the problems of the world ...

Offan a Bigger Surprise Than You Expect

A trip to Lichfield cathedral proved to be one of the most surprising we have had. I didn't feel like driving so we took the National Express coach for a relaxing day out. That was even more sensible because the coach was caught in nose-to-tail traffic, which moved at walking speed, while travelling on the M1 and it was raining - I had the pleasure of sitting back and letting someone else have the stress.

Lichfield city seems to be a very pleasant place with a quiet feel to the town centre which is a mixture of  historic and ultra-modern buildings. We walked into The Close which surrounds the cathedral. The building is truly magnificent. Constructed of fine grained pink-red sandstone sadly, affected by years of wood and coal smoke which gives the building a very dark colour and almost black in places. This doesn't diminish the impressive nature of the place.

Inside is fabulous. Well restored and lit. I can honestly say it left me speech less - a near impossible state. This cathedral is one of the finest you could visit - despite malicious efforts of the Cromwellian Taliban. The east windows are being restored so we didn't see 16th C glass bought by Boothby from Belgium during the early 19th C. The Rood Screen is Victorian and is like a piece of jewelry which looks really beautiful.

We can thank Offa (he of the dike) for getting permission from the Pope to create a Bishopric in 786 AD which started the whole process of creating such a magnificent building.

Calder Valley in Sunshine

A family day out by train - sort of. A christening called the Ellmore Clan to Whalley in the Calder Valley. Sue answered the call and we took the train via Leeds and Blackburn. The country looked great in the sunshine - in other weather most of it would have been bleak to say the least. Chrisening over, we repasted and made our way back to Sheffield. However, due to staffing difficulties, the train to Leeds was cancelled. The Northern Rail Customer Service Officer was as helpful as he could be and he re-routed us, via Bolton and Manchester, back to Sheffield. Now things are not that simple ticket-wise. Our ticket was only valid via Burnley, so we were liable to pay any difference in fare. That's where common sense and reasonability of the three guards on the trains came into play - we were not asked to pay a penny extra. All-in-all excellent service and helpful staff got us back to Sheffield half-an-hour earlier than the train we'd book in the first place.

What was our impression of Leeds, Blackburn, Bolton and Manchester et al? Sadley they seemed to fulfill the worse image you can bring to mind of  "The North" - scruffy urban sprawl. Sheffield seems to avoid this impression for reason which escape us.

Overall a great train ride and very pleasant Clan meeting.

Rain, Thunder and Wind - You Can Bank On IT

What weather - er, it's typical English summer storms. Driving in the poring rain along a winding lane which followed the banks of the river Witham certainly aided my concentration. We reached Kirstead and the rain eventually eased so we could see the little church (St Leonard's) isolated in the fields. Down the gravel track, passing the very limited remains of the old Kirkstead Abbey, brought us to this unusual church which looks a cross between old Saxon/Norman and one you'd expect to find in rural Denmark, Norway or Sweden - it's half stone and half timber. It was locked - naturally. We peeked through the keyholes and go a glimpse of the medieval rood screen but didn't have the heart to crash the wedding that was timed to start in an hours time. On to Woodhall Spa ...

Nothing to see worth stopping there and, rain resuming it's downpour, we went on to Bolingbroke Castle; there is only the remains of the castle. The rain eased - sort of - so we pottered about the ruins until the thunder and lighting encouraged us to retreat to the church at Old Bolingbroke. Part of the church of St Peter and St Paul dates back to the 14th century and it is believed that this rebuilding was paid for by John of Gaunt. This is a very pleasant church and well used; we blundered into a cleaning session which was in preparation for a tea and cake morning planned for the following day. Unfortunately no tea or cakes were on offer, only dusters and cobweb brushes ...

Next stop, Revesby. Tea was on offer and indulgence whetted a interesting conversation with the lady vicar about the history of the church  (St Lawrence) and the Revesby Estate. The estate is still huge and it's Almshouses are still rented out to the more needy. These houses were built by Joe Banks' father - Banks of botanical persuasion and Cook expedition. Another Terra Australis Old Boy location and all by accident ...

Torrents of rain finally washed us back to our temporary lodgings via the essential supermarket ... QED

Country Roads, Churches and a Norman Castle

First stop this morning was at Heydour where we looked for the remains of the Norman motte and bailey. No luck, other than a slight mound covered in ill tended bushes, which seemed to have no legal way of being reached on foot; looking at the aero photo showed the mounds were indeed the motte. The village reeked of ill-gotten-gains; no ordinary mortals here; by-Jove, couldn't have the likes of the unwashed next door. One place called a "farm" was either a house paid for by the government or the weekend retreat of one of the multi-lolly brigade. All too nice and clean ... even the stables looked as though they had just been washed. T'other houses all touted themselves as "hall", "manor" and such like. Out of all the villages we've seen this one look just a bit too quiet, clean and tidy; almost spooky. Just as we started to leave a couple of rustics seems to appear from nowhere to give us the once-over. Odd ... so onward ...

We drove though Aswarby - large church in poor repair (locked) - which was the home of George Bass. On to Morton to be surprised by the church not only being open but huge. The tower, situated at the crossing, seemed more appropriate for an abbey.

On down to Bourne where the thunderstorms started to dampen our perambulations. The Abbey church was founded in 1138 and naturally was built in Norman style. A large building which is well worth a visit.

Castle Bytham

Despite the rain we drove on to Castle Bytham and walked over some farm land to see the remains of a Normal Castle. There is no sign of the stone work that would have existed had the castle been of the size and construction suggested by the historical information posted at the site. The motte and bailey mound is very large and impressive. I'll have to research this site because I'm really sceptical about the posted information.

We drove back to Sleaford via a really twisty route which provided grand views of reaped fields of wheat and rolling hills, plus, as a real surprise, about 12 deer in the middle of the narrow road.

Flinders Surprise Finders

What a summer day! You have to have experience an English summer day; no words can describe the day we have had. Weather wise - perfect! A trip down Motte and Bailey lane took us to the village of Swinehead where we eventually found "The Manwar Ings". This is a large two moated earthwork of Norman age. Overgrown and  isolated but still impressive in terms of the ditch size as well as the panoramic view the motte provided of the surrounding fens.

Next we visited Bicker church, St Swithin's, which has some of the best Norman work in Lincolnshire and triple lancet windows; sadly it was locked. We drove on to Donington which we expected to pass through but the massive church just had to be investigated. The church of St Mary and the Holy Rood was also locked but, fortunately, the keeper of the key had seen us wandering around the outside. That's when we found Mat Flinders.

Part of a stained glass window

We had no idea that Matthew Flinders - the fantastic navigator - was born in Donington in March 1774. His dad was the village surgeon and apothecary and Matthew, age 13, helped pa to bleed and potion the locals before joining the Navy in 1789. The church has what is a virtual shrine to the fellow and Ozers visit by the boat load. The church key holder turned out to be the main architect of Flinders memorial; he had travelled to Oz six time to catalogue Flinders memorabilia and, being a retired geography teacher, was as enthusiastic as any Flinderphile you could meet.


After a pleasant chat we moved on to the village of Horbling and visited St Andrew's church - closed. Lo and behold, Flinders was sent to this church in 1786 as a border at Rev John Shingler's school at a cost of £10-10s a year. Makes you think when you learn that the great Oz explorer (really a Lincolnshire Lad) went to a single room school run by a local vicar. Mat married Ann Chappell, a Lincolnshire Lass from Partney, which is a village a few mile north of Donington; we have yet to visit Partney ...

No Eagles but History by the Shed Load

Driving into Lincoln you can't but be impressed by the cathedral sited on the hill. This is a magnificent building which some claim is the finest of its kind in Europe. We spent an excellent afternoon in the company of one of the cathedral staff and, later, had the pleasure of listening to a Swiss choir practising for Evensong service. No matter how many time I visit the place I'm always impressed - that's been over 55 years now ...

The walk up Steep Hill, which is another old haunt of my childhood, from the town centre, seems to have increased in steepness. The Jews House is one of the historic buildings at the base of the hill and was, for a short time, owned or rented, by my ma's distant family - or so I was told when a snotty nosed brat.

We spent an informative morning at St Mary-le-Wigford church visiting the vicar (Jeremy), an acquaintance we made last year when he was a curate in Sleaford. This guy is not your average priest; ex-military intelligence via the Bosnian conflict and, to be polite, I just say he calls a spade a shovel. He has reopened the church after many years of, more or less, closure to the riff-raff. The place is now a drop-in centre and doing well giving what support it can to those who are outside nice, polite society.

British Heritage have approve plans for a major update of the facilities at the church - kitchen, meeting rooms, photo-voltaic panels and a covered cloister which are add-on structures to the historic building. St Mary's is THE oldest church in Lincoln and there is archaeological evidence that it is possible that there were Iron Age settlements on or near the site.

On our way back to Sleaford we tried to find the remains of a Knights Templar preceptory just south of Cranwell but were put off by the lateness of the afternoon and the farm track that lead to what I thought was the building's roof; the only thing we could see that was remotely like a tower and visible over the hedge rows. This will be investigated again ...