Tardis Time

Most people we know have the horrors when you mention packing for a trip. Cases and cases of clothes are humped from car, to bus, to tube, to train, to aircraft, up stairs, down stairs and, finally, into My Lady's chamber.

We have a practiced procedure. If the stuff doesn't fit in a medium size case with a total weight less than 22 kilos - forget it!

We know a person (notice the carefully PC'd use of person) who insists on taking at least 10 pairs of shoes and sufficient cloths to match; "You never know if you will be invited to a wedding, bar mitzvah, funeral or some other social even". Two, or more, gigantic pieces of luggage result. These are, of course, never toted by said person and, amusingly enough, the complaints about the cost of excess baggage is one, if not the prime, feature which dominates their post-trip ramblings.

At one airport someone got to the check-in and, finding that their luggage was way over allowance, they opened their luggage and proceeded to don as much clothing as they could. The Michelin Effect was very funny, especially so when the luggage was still over weight.

Well ... we're all different ...

Tickets Please ...

Now we know where Bilton Central is located I chained my self to the computer for two hours doing a "Mix and Match" with airlines, buses, ferries and train and hotels, in order to come up with a workable set, which got us to and from Venice in September. Firstly, there don't seem to be any "cheap" air tickets only "moderately cheap" ones. Persistence rewarded effort so that I did get a set of tickets and bookings that should, everything crossed, do the job. Rhyair, National Express , Premier Inn and Alilaguna - again!

Option Three ... A Sensible Choice

After a phone call to Blighty HQ our friendly Property Manager gave us the choice of option three; S8, 2B, GFA, B, K, L/D with ORP plus CC, W&E. Who could refuse? Note there is no G, which is a blessing. Also, no worries about stray farm animals and leaking rooves or roofs ...

The snaps seem to underline the choice; so we have somewhere to rest our aged and weary heads in Sheffield.

Phew ... Somewhere To Sleep At Last

At last we have somewhere to hang our hat and spend time in England.

We were a little disappointed with some of the choices but, beggars are seldom choosers. We decided that a roof of some sort was an essential due to the possibility of rain which guided our choice to option two ... maybe option three is better even if it is a little more expensive ...

Option 2

Option 1

 

Tickets, Tickets, But No Home - As Yet

We got our JAL tickets and the Japan Rail Pass voucher by parting with a barrow load of dosh. The tickets had gone up in price due to tax increases - should have paid for them when we booked; a point to remember ...

All that remains, that is important, is to get somewhere to live while we're in England. Fingers crossed the property manager in Sheffield will come up with something soon ...

Here in the colonies, we watch the Royal Wedding; the BBC just can't be beaten when it come to grand telecasts. Say what you like, the event was a lift to the general doom-and-gloom of every day death and destruction. Some folk just seem to be niggards when it come to "royalty"; presidents cost heaps to elect and add yet another level to the insanity that passes for political hierarchy. Nuff said ...

Venice In September ... It's Becoming A Habit

We have been fortunate to book another stay in Venice at our favorite apartment for most of September. The art-fest is on this year so we'll have plenty to moan about ... again!

"No news" is said to be "good news" and we're hoping that's the case in respect of a flat in Sheffield. I suppose it's a good idea to check that the tent is still OK ...

Japan is looking OK so far as our trip is concerned ... hashi crossed ...

Sadly The Oak Has Fallen ...

Sadly, our favorite hotel in Tokyo has closed its doors. It seems that personal and financial conditions which have resulted from the earthquake and tidal wave have had a really bad impact on the people who ran the hotel. They had to let the lease go - for the time being ...

We've booked another hotel which is just around the corner http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/17271-Weekly-Mansion-Higashi-Ueno/ which is a little more up-market. Fingers crossed, we will enjoy the added luxury.

It still astounds us how the Oz local react to the words: "radiation" and "nuclear", while they seem to forget about "tsunami", "earthquake", "homeless" and all that they imply to the Japanese people in the immediate area of the current disaster. Everyone thinks we are totally bonkers wanting to go this year ... we are ...

Hooked On News ...

As you'd expect there is virtually no decent reporting by the media in Oz about the events in Japan. I've been watch in http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/ which seems to give plenty of information and explanation of events.

We'll be visiting Venice again -  just love the place, so why not? At the moment we have nowhere to stay in the UK, which is the same situation as last year. Property managers don't know what properties will be available for renting until someone gives one months notice which means we won't know until the end of April at best. We dusted off the tent just in case ...

Hope Springs ... Two More Months

The Japanese have to be commended for their persistence and ingenuity. I suppose it comes from their recent history (two A-bombs and a complete flattening by our gallant lads). The death toll is expected to reach 28K and God knows how many homeless have to be housed and their lives completely restarted. It's completely beyond proper comprehension for those of us fortunate enough to have all we could want.

We're still hoping to travel as planned. All flights are reported as normal at the moment so we're getting kitted up for the excursion with the latest from D&G - that's Disposal and General.

Labours Love Lost ...

We've endured another election. This time it was for the NSW Government. Mind you, I don't want to give the impression that having the vote is not worthwhile or important. No. It's all the circus performances before the election that needs to be endured. Labour is out and a coalition of Liberal and National Party will rule the roost. We'll see what that portends ...

Eat Your Spinach

The radioactive spinach that was threatening the world turns out to be that which was grown in a research centre and was never on the market ...

"The ministry says the radioactive cesium was detected on Thursday in a leafy vegetable taken from a field in Edogawa ward on Wednesday. The vegetable is called Komatsuna, or Japanese mustard spinach. The radioactive level was 890 becquerels per kilogram, exceeding the legal limit of 500.


The vegetable was grown at a research center, and is not being sold on the market."


Still ... Don't drink the water if you are under 12 months old ...

Radiantly Healthy

We're still hoping it will be OK to go to Japan ... it's not the radiation, but more a question of hotel rooms being taken by the poor souls from the tsunami towns. Flights to/from Tokyo seem to be more-or-less normal, but shuttle services from Narita airport to the city are sometime stopped due to power saving measures.

The very poor reporting on TV and the comics (sorry, that's newspapers to the less discerning) about the radiation problems shows that a headline is much more important than actual fact and explanations. Maybe it is true that, despite most of the population having at least ten years of "education", the general public are too dim to understand real data and its meaning even if said data is interpreted in a simple way by known experts. Sadly, the experts are as guilty as the journalists. We watched an expert from the ANU, a fellow we've know for over 20 years, spouting the most blatant propaganda vis-a-vis Global Warming. It seems that, like the Cheshire Cat, words mean what the sprooker whats then to mean and to the Devil with unbiased logic. Disagreement is tantamount to treason ... (For further entertainment in this vein and a Oscar winning performance of hubris, I recommend the current production, "The Mad Monk", at the local theater in Canberra.)

Back to radiating ...

I think this diagramme, which came from the Japanese government, is useful to explain some aspects of absorbed dosage.

Unfortunately, it's a bit more complicated if you ask, "dosage of what?"  Gamma, X-ray, Beta, Alpha, Neutron radiation? Hence, the use of the Sievert which is a unit of "Equivalent Dose" - Alpha weights 20 times the others. Which part of the body? Hence, the "Effective Dose" - eg: gonads weighted 20 times skin. How long was the exposure? Hence, the "per year" factor.

This page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2922671) seems to do a reasonable job of explaining some of the complications. There are difficulties over unit of measurement and their interrelationships - Rem, Rontgen, Gray, Sievert, Becquerel, Currie, just for starters.

The fact that some of the foods in the area are radioactive comes as no surprise - they ALL are. Trouble comes when there is no comparison with what the "normal" levels were before the earthquake and tsunami. Maybe the foods were not measured before the event - I don't know at this stage. The same comment applies to the drinking water - everywhere (which includes Australian sources of water).

The average nuclear radiation from a person is reported as, something like, 400 microSv per year. You might as well suggest that it is dangerous to go to a football match where you would be surrounded by all those people next to you and all radiating nasties and giving you cancer ... what bollicks!

Interestingly, radon levels have always posed a problem and, not least, in the UK. The building methods in the UK include the wide use of Breeze Blocks which are made, in part, of the ash from conventional power stations. These release radon. The heath authorities in the UK commissioned a detailed study which measured the levels radon in homes in England and Wales. Not surprisingly, the results showed that people living in geographical areas where granite rock predominates were subject to greatest exposure to radon - Cornwall 700% higher than Norfolk. This is a natural phenomena ...

Unfortunately, we don't seem to be able to face up to the simple fact that our civilization is electricity based and we will, inevitably, need nukes to power our iPads ...

Comprehending Disaster

The Japanese earthquakes and tsunami disaster seemed to be beyond my comprehension until I visualized the whole of Batemans Bay, Batehaven and Sunshine Bay being wiped out while we were sat at the cafe.

All the anti-nuclear voices seem to be more concerned for, what they imagine to be, more worthy lives than the tens of thousands that have been killed by this and other natural phenomena which, daily, wreak havoc across our world. I, for one, am pro-nuclear power. If this design for a MOX reactor - note: NOT the ancillary, essential cooling systems - can withstand a category 9 quake and a monster tsunami, I say, build some Pebble Bed units - not near the beach though. Water has the pleasing property of being able to be pumped along pipes.

I got an email from Tokyo pals who are shaken and not stirred. The "system" sprang into action - as per plan. Lest we forget, Tokyo was flattened by Allied (US) bombing - far worse than London; more akin to Dresden - and the resilience of the people re-built what we see today. Remember Kobe 1995? Nothing keeps a well organised society down for long ...

So far, the silliest of the comments made by TV reporters went something like, "This is the worst nuclear disaster the Japan has had to face". I wonder if he had ever heard of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Maybe he thought that "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" were just manga characters. Back in 1945 the Allied "success" created something like a minimum of 250,000 dead and hundreds of thousands of radiation casualties - a tad worse than the Chernobyl episode even though some 350,000 people were re-settled.

We'll wait and see how things are in a couple of weeks and the make a final decision which way to fly to Europe.

Donations to the Red Cross Japan Appeal here.

Quaking At The Thought ...

We were glued to the news reports about the earthquake in Japan. Last week it was Christchurch. If we were as paranoid as most the dope-heads down here in Lala Land, we'd be convinced that the Deities have it in for us. After all, we've been to those places several times and are planning another excursion soon. It's not so. Just the usual bit of plate-shifting that puts the whole of mankind (oops, that's a pejorative, sexist noun) in their place. No doubt the Hand Wringing, Anti-Nuclear Brigade will have a field day.

What should we do about the pending trip? We'll sit on our collective hands for a week or two. No flight tickets have been bought yet, so that we'll have a think about alternatives. Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok spring to mind as stop-off locations. It would mean we couldn't fly JAL which would  not please the Memsahib ...

Transit Hotels

We have somewhere to rest our weary heads in Sydney on the way out and London when we arrive after 13 hrs of flying time - plus 3 hours before departure and 1 hour after landing - hopefully on time (fingers and anything else that helps crossed).

Using the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule, we will be staying at the same hotels we have used over several years.

The Airport Sydney International and The Comfort Hotel Heathrow - nothing flash, convenient and good value.

JAL Just Can't Be Bettered

We've book our flight to the UK via Japan as per usual ... JAL gets our vote every time. The hotels in Tokyo (The Oak; hopefully room 417)and Kyoto (The Palace Side) have confirmed our booking so that we know we have somewhere to rest our weary heads. Even more exciting, is the prospect of having a small kitchen in Kyoto. We already know where there are two excellent supermarkets, around the corner from the hotel, so the taste buds are drooling at the prospect. We have yet to book our JR pass so that we can shinkansen ourselves senseless to, from and around Kyoto.

Nothing booked in the UK means crossed bits-and-pieces until our friend, and property manager, finds an appropriate apartment somewhere in Sheffield - yes, back to Knife, Fork and Spoon Ville. Our friends, who live in the Peak Distric Park, are storing our tent so if all else fails ...

Other plans afoot: Venice (of course) and a list of possibly places as long as my arm - that's the list not the places ...

We'll have some time in Devon and Cornwall this time - family have moved there - and several visits to Lincoln and its shire.

That's all for now ... it's the Life of Riley and no mistake. (Who was Riley anyway ...)

Time For A Sydney Trip

It's that time of year again so I've knocked up a portrait to take to Sydney for a comp. I doubt if it will be sellected, but you have etc etc etc ... It's made from aluminium strips held in place on an an aluminium mesh by beeswax.

We've been experiencing some not-so-typical summer weather in the last few weeks so that the usual pooh-poohing of English weather by Ozers seems unwarranted. Rain seems to be the norm with intermittently blazingly hot days. Still, we have peace and tranquility, which is a blessing when you consider what is the daily round of most of our comrades in other parts of our world.

It's the w/e so we are hoping that the tourists come to town and empty their pockets ...

Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold, Wind, Torrential Rain, Cold ... What To Wear?

After the last few days I'd be astounded if it didn't snow! What weather? Changeable! For those of you who have an idyllic vision of Oz sun and surf, I take great delight in disabusing you of such myths. I've been through my whole, though limited, wardrobe in one day - even Wellington boots! Not that I'd want to be in Qland - poor souls. Mind you I've been an Ozer for long enough to know floods and cyclones are a yearly event; some devastating like this year. Building on floodplains, beaches and estuaries is nothing new. Similarly, taking no regard for the weather, when pitching the tribal tent, seems to be the nature of human migration to far-off climes.

Today I'll brace myself for the rain-sun-wind and go for a stroll in the bush - fingers crossed in the hope a tree doesn't fall on my head!

Hot But Not Cyclonic

It's been a tad warm today 41 C - about 105 F in old money. Well, it makes a change from the snow and ice we experience in Sheffield last year. I can't really make up my mind which is more uncomfortable - cold or hot. I must admit that I really dislike temperatures over 24 C.

I'm glad we don't have the prospect of cat 4 cyclone tonight. Spare a thought for the poor souls in Qland.  Yep, I'll stick with the heat thanks!

Hot, Hot and Getting Hotter

The day in the Bay turned out to be a scorcher. No, we didn't go to the beach and get lobsterised like the tourists. Stalwart that we are, we still managed to enjoy coffee and cake at the cafe without recourse to air conditioning during transit.







Travel wise, I spent a few hours - yes, hours - trying various combinations of places, flights and airlines only to finish up dizzy and totally confused. The confusion didn't cloud my understanding of the standard of service you could expect from Air China; the fares are cheap and the service, so far as I can understand from passengers reviews, even cheaper. Comments like: poor maintenance, broken IFE, bad food, crappy, smelly, rude, unhelpful and filthy toilets, seem to be the most favoured by passenger - even business class passengers!. All of which means, despite the low $1700 ticket value, we will NOT travelling with Air China even though stop-overs in Beijing and Seoul seem to be a tempting excursion. JAL seem to be beckoning again ...

The answer? Caraway - what else?

Heat At last ... Phew, Who Needs It?

Summer has come for a couple of days; it's sun, sun and sun - just like the travel posters. That is fine, so long as you are not working outside. Yes, you are quite correct: I don't have the sense to follow that advice. On a cool day I decided to re-paint the deck; verandah to some, although it doesn't have a roof so really ... That was fine until Phoebe decided to show up. The paint dried quite quickly which was a blessing so all's well that ...

I came across this sick crossword clue this morning while sitting on the deck, watching the birds and munching a bowl of fibre and yogurt:

" Seed in empty garage?"

answer ... ?

And The Levy Was Dry ...

I know it's "levee" in the song, but the flood of anger about the other one has almost drowned my optimism in a sea disbelief. The tide certainly has turned on the outpouring of generosity that has been trumpeted as typical of the Oz character. The Premier of NSW have come up with the most inane of reasons why Sydney dwellers shouldn't be levied - sometimes the stupidity of politicians exceeds expectations  ...

I calculated that what I'll be paying is not even enough for a meal in a cheap restaurant, two tickets to the movies, a decent haircut, ... I could go on for pages; certainly not enough to affect our travel plans. I have always said, "If you pay lots of tax you must be lucky enough to have lots of income." The levy is, after all, just another tax and I know of no other way to finance a socially responsible government. I have just read this: "With taxes you buy civilization" - how true ..

Travel-wise we have had a deluge of ideas, but it seems likely we'll fly to/from London via Tokyo again. We'll probably have two weeks in Japan both ways - earthquakes and volcanic activity permitting. One thing that we'll avoid is the ice and snow in the UK ... there was enough last year for our aged bones ...

And They're Off ... Now, Now Don't Get Excited

If you fancy an economic flight to Europe via Japan, JAL are offering return tickets at less than $1400 - max time from departure to arrival back where you started is 2 months. It's a bargain, but no good for us - more research required ...

Mean time at the manor ... I've spent all morning painting the decking. Not what I'd call a culturally exciting experience, but the domestics you get these days are just not up to doing anything remotely technical - it required use of a paint brush, roller and ladder; far too complicated ...

A Cuckoo Idea?

The Australian birds are always a wonder - usually bright coloured and loud voiced. We've been serenaded by a cuckoo for a few days. You have to feel sorry for the cuckooed birds that spend all waking hours feeding their not-so-little lodger ...

A squawking cuckoo leads me on to what seems to be a yearly event - the debate about a new flag for Australia. Since it is Australia Day I thought I'd suggest an appropriate design.

If Assies insist in acting like them why not ... the main disadvantage will be having to change the gun laws so we can all go around like Ms Palin et al ...

Orsetrailier Day Mate - Fair Dinky Clobber!

G'day mate. Owdya Be? It's Orsetrailier Day mate; a day for mates, mate-ship and mating at a matey barbie with your mates at a mates place with their mates being matey. That's the matey Orstrailian Way mate. A day to burn the traditional Orstralian National Dish mate. Snags and steak mate. Washed down with a couple of six-packs of  beer mate. No worries mate! No veggies mate. No wog food mate. Mate it's just Ossie tucker mate. It's the Ozzie Way mate.

Don't forget to drink and drive mate - it's tradition mate!

New Videos Uploaded - Now For Some Art

That's a double wrap! Most, if not all, of the vids from the last trip are posted ready to be ooed and ahhed.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MalcBilton

All of which means: I have to wake up my thinking bits and make some arty-farty for the Sydney shows in March - not that I expect to be selected ...

It Must Be The Weeds

Another pile of weeds and another Blue Tongue Lizard. This time, the beast was a large adult with attitude ... hissing attitude - and a reluctance to be resettled.

I suppose if I was a cold blooded critter the prospect of dozing  for a few hours in the middle of a pile of bacterially-heated, festering greenery would be the equivalent to my experiences in Sheffield; I spent time under a thick duvet, in a centrally heated bedroom, while outside, the ice and snow lay deep, crisp and even. Comfort zones come in all shapes and sizes ...

Thinking about comfort ... spare a copper or two for the folk flooded out of their nests in the recent Ozer floods: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

Wait a few days and no doubt there will be an appeal for the Vic floods which are just beginning.

The Things You Don't Expect Even On Sunday

Reluctantly, I agreed to help the domestic servant weed the last bit of an overgrown garden. In the blazing sun and wielding a large garden fork, I attacked the jungled mass with the enthusiasm in Genghis Khan intent on conquering Asia. What I didn't expect was to find a small Blue Tongued Lizard curled between the tynes. Fortunately, the little creature was unharmed and could be relocated. Reluctance and bluster was thus suitably turned to delight ... being Sunday, it seems, somehow, appropriate.

Pristine ... Well Not Really

I've just been down to the seas again, to the cloudy sea and the slime,
And all I ask is a long stick or a net to strain it by ... Sorry Mr Masefield!

The pollution notices were out again on one of the local beaches - it's been raining, so all the noxious stuff, which was bottled up, has been give it's freedom. Not that it bothers the hearty holidaites - not a jot. Little Johnny or Jill can make nice sand castles with the blackened sand and paddle in the smelly little stream emerging from the garbaged choked pond just behind the dunes. "What harm can it do? The signs? No. No. They must have been left there and someone to idle to remove them. Another, ice cream dear? ..."

Even so, I had a splendid walk over hill and beach which, I'm happy to say, avoided beached, flabby, tattooed whales and their ill-mannered offspring. Cicadas near deafened the ear and the weather was far from cool and balmy all of which added to the physical effort. An excellent stirring of the bits-and-pieces!

And That's A Wrap!

Thanks to the wonders of modern computing power, I've edited all the video from my last tip! Square-eyed and almost chair-bound - at least it feels that way - I can now move on to ... Deity knows what ...

First up, I'll have to decide what, or if, to make for some Arty Farties in Sydney. This means whatever-it-is will have to be ready for late March. Got to do something with my copious spare time and it's good to have other interests ...

Weeds have been conquered! That is, for a couple of days and if it stops raining ... which it has, so that there is now no excuse not to go a walkies in a vain attempt to get fit and keep a slim-line profile. Ah, the vanity of the over-fed and under-worked. Is there no end to it?

Rain ... What Else?

It's not the weather for sun and surf - again ...

We put on our water-wings to go to the shops and were nearly washed away by the down-pour. Still, it's not as bad as Q'land and WA. The main thing, not to do, is build your house on a floodplain - something, that seems to be a habit no matter where folk live in the world ...

The good side: it's better to stay at home and play with the computers, eat cake and drink good coffee ...

Some Like It Hot ... Phew ...

Today we seem to have been granted a typical summer's day ... it's lovely and warm with some cooling breeze; the latter being the advantage of living next to the ocean.

When we left last year I put all my oil painting brushes in clean, sunflower oil - to save cleaning them and on the advice of a well practiced painter. I didn't bargain for all of them setting like jelly! Hence, a frustrating time trying to rejuvenate them. Lesson learnt ... take the time to clean 'em and dry 'em in the old-fashioned way and you don't have to fork out handfuls of dosh buying new ones.

Video editing is going reasonable well ... only two-and-a-half tapes to go.

I have to be honest - everything seems so quiet here ... even though there are quite a few tourists clogging up the beaches.

Snakes Alive!

I thought that I'd heard the worst for the poor souls flooded out of their homes in Q'land, but no. The residents of Theodor have a plague of snakes! Considering that most of the Oz snakes are as friendly as a your average drunken footy fan, it bodes ill for those rummaging in the dark corners of a sodden house while looking for the family silver.

When you see the holiday brochures for this island continent surrounded by water which, according to Oz propaganda, is "God's Own Country", there is no mention the nasties that abound outside of the concrete and steel. Reality has come as a bit of shock to hundreds of tourists now marooned in the Sunshine State ...

Be Prepared ... It's Got To Be Global Cooling ... or Wetting

We arrived in Oz three weeks ago expecting summer. It seems that the Rainbow Serpent, or whatever, is having a bit of  a schizophrenic episode at present. One day we're sweltering in mid-30 degree temperatures with no wind and the next it's pouring with rain, blowing half a gale and cold enough to rug up like it's a Pommy winter.
Last night found us wrapped in fleece blankets and car rugs while we watched the telly! We could have put the heating on, BUT IT"S JANUARY FOR KRISTOS' SAKE!!!

Things could be much worse for us. The poor souls up in Q'land are up to their eves in filthy water infested with who-knows-what and in some parts they have been warned that Noah et al have been seen sharpening their boat-building tools. On top of that, some of the sewage works are expected to discharge their excremental sauces into the swollen rivers during the next few days - when you gotta go ...

What can you do? I've found my Boy Scout Annual (1955) and we're adopting the appropriate attitude: "Be Prepared!"

It's The Film I Tell You!

It happens every year  when I return to the nest - the film needs editing ... This years swag only spans a total of 10 hours take-time and, red eyed and sleep deprived, I've edited about 6 hour to date. So far, I'm somewhat swollen headed - no, dear friends, more than usual - because some of the movies are splendid, both colour and content wise. I am delighted with my Sony HD handycam which, although it uses mini-tapes, produces great footage.

A quick coffee and I'll  chain myself to the computer again ...

Art Show or Art 'n' Crafts Market ...

The local Art and Craft Society are having their annual show. As per, it looks more like a local flee market. So many pieces on each of the free-standing display panels that it seems just a clutter of stuff. Some average to good and most terrible to poor. Is it art? Honestly, I don't really know. The horse sculpture made from a set of spanners just doesn't look anything more than a Mechanic's Hobby Project (Retired Mechanic's Projects, Vol 9, 1901) , the dozens of beach scenes and flowers are as boring as ever, the abstracts are so abstract that they are muddled and the pastels seems to be dripping with sugar. All very nice for those who like what the know and want something that matches their curtains ...

The trouble with having seen some really exceptional Art - it taints the eye ... so sorry, but the local show made me cringe even when I made allowance for the social reasons for the event and the membership of the Art and Craft Society.

That said, I'll no doubt engage my hypocritical genes and join the Society so that I can go to the Life Drawing events later in January ... there is no other choice if I want to continue what I was doing in Sheffield. Ah, the benefits of living in The Sticks.

It's A New Year Dawning ...

"Morning has broken like the first morning ..." -  I'll leave the rest of the song to you, a cappella if you wish.

My morning broke too early, but, thanks to the live-in au pair, I had the compensation of a cupper and shortbread to easy my lazy self into what turned out to be a very hot day. It does make a change from frost and snow ...

My New Years Resolutions are ... nonexistent! That's the only way I've found that I can keep them and also shows what little credence I give to the practice of making such resolves in the first place. Have you ever had the misfortune of knowing someone who both makes and keeps such resolutions? If you have, you'll also have experienced what utter pains in the backside these creatures are. Say no more ...

Another year of untold possibilities, of adventures new and unforeseen foolish mistakes. Let the games begin!

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.