Weeds, Wet and Windy

Back at the kennel the weeds are rife and the weather, on-again, off-again, rain and wind. Not to worry the 'fridge is full and there's plenty of film to edit.

Local fauna are a delight as usual; there is nothing as rowdy as Oz birds at daybreak. The lizards are up and about when the sun decides to show its more radiant face. Mr Blue Tongue came out to greet us which frightened the daylights out of the Memsahib. This especially since our friend down the road found a four foot python slithering its way around the wood-fire chimney pipe in her kitchen. The snake went on to the work bench top in the kitchen before the stalwarts from the local zoo turned up to remove the beast. Because the animals are territorial they only took it down the road to a small pond where they thought it had come from. The best part of the story was that the zoo stalwarts told our friend to, "Grab it by the tail and drag it outside". No chance!

Here is Mr Blue Tongue:

Back To The Colonies

After two splendid rest days in Narita we find ourselves back in the Colonies again - for a short while. We were greeted by a massive thunderstorm which meant that today was the wettest we've seen for six months ...

So time has come to ... set up all that needs to be set up so that life can go one as before ... that also includes:

Making the next set of travel plans and bookings ...

now where will that be?

Millers' Dale and Turkey Dinner

An afternoon walking and looking for fossils at an old quarry in Millers' Dale. The massive lime kilns added some interest; their size alone testament to industrial activity of the area - up to 1944. Remnants of the railway station still remain. The Victorians certainly didn't have any belief in OH&S or Green Industry.







Back at the cottage we feasted on a roast turkey dinner followed my mince pies; an early Christmas dinner with friends. Excellent ...

Mill Pond, Meadows, Streams and Cottage Teas

After a very dull start to the day the weather cleared and, despite a cool wind, provided just the right condition for a walk in North Lees Estate. Transport, as per, was the trusty 272 to Hathersage - don't you love regular public transport ...

After a more than ample lunch, we took a leisurely walk past the Mill Pond and on to a walled field. The field was surrounded by small woods. We sat against the wall and under the Oak and Birch trees. Such an peaceful setting always leads to the discussion of all manner of problems and this time was no exception. The world sorted, we returned to the Mill Pond, where we met the boys who, after a couple of hours working sheep, decided to demonstrate their diving and swimming ability ...

"Stand back they're going to shake themselves!"



Aquatics done, we walks across the Warren, site of an Romano-British settlement (not excavated yet ...), and down the tracks leading back to the cottage.

Tea, cake and conversation finished an excellent afternoon. Simple ...

Drawn Into The Gallery ... Again.

What a delight to be able to jump on a bus and attend a Life Drawing session at the Millennium Gallery every Friday. Tim Rose directed the session.

Lunch was at the New Deli in Tottley - no, it wasn't an Indian cafe no matter how punny it sounds.

Public transport is excellent in Sheffield - that adds to the pleasure of being here.

Lincoln By Train - Again

A few days in Lincolnshire were our last visit to the home county for another year. Say what you like, the presence of the university students has brought the breath of activity to the place. We now look at the city with different eyes to those of our youth. Lincoln is an excellent old city just as pleasant and interesting as any you would find in France.

Weather wise, we were treated to clear blue skies and bitter cold winds - Lincolnshire Autumn.

Rake and Tor in Derbyshire

After a dull start to the day we ventured out on the 272 to Hathersage. The walk across the fields to the cottage was delightful. After an excellent lunch, we went to Dirtlow Rake. I know that sounds like a character in Pilgim's Progress or one of the Bronte girls novels, but it's an historic mining area. The Romans use the workings which were still in use during the Medieval period. The area adjacent to workings of  the rake or vein is important because of the flora.

On to Mam Tor. This provided a spectacular view of Edale and Hope Valley; no howling gale this time ..

Back to the cottage for tea and trifle - yes, trifle. The Boys were quick to find the biscuits in my pocket - what's new?

A splendid, sunny afternoon wandering in lovely countryside - that's why we're here folks ...

Journey's End Or Beginning?

Just over two weeks before we board the Big Silver Bird again to be transported to the Colonies. The prospect of packing our stuff into the Big Yellow locker for another 6 months looms, but we'll ignore that for another week or so. There are still a few thing to do and see ... it'll never end.

Churches, Cathedral and Family History

What a week! What a beautiful farming landscape! We were fortunate to experience excellent, if cool, weather. The cold wind picked up later in the week so that we we reminded of our youthful excursions into the countryside where we complained of the Lazy Winds - they blow through you and not around you! Open fields allow excellent vistas, but the wind can be a cold companion.

Lincoln cathedral was as magnificent as ever. My childhood was spent under it's shadow and within the range of the bells' peel. No matter how many time we visit the cathedral, we always find the building a splendid place to be. A place of stillness and quiet.












From Horncastle we took the Roman road to Caistor - ‘Venta Icenorum’ (Market Place of the Iceni). This town is one of the key villages that are part of family history. The new Art Centre and Heritage Centre provided a tasty lunch. St Peter and Paul's church was open and proved to be well worth the visit.

The farmhouse which was the grandparents' home was also located - even the Yews and the gate evident in old photographs still stand.









We also visited the churches at: Hemingby, Goulceby, Digby and Rowston.

Some excellent pub lunches and dinners made sure we were well victualed - one of the delights of being in England.

Less pleasant - the road traffic ... Luck was with us: we avoided a fatal accident by no more than 2 minutes. The accident was near Digby; a 19 year old man was killed and his girlfriend badly injured. Such events certainly focus the mind ...

Can't Get Too Much Of Lincolnshire

We're off to Big Sky County again - just a week of poking about and wandering. There are so many places of interest and the countryside is always interesting no matter what the time of year.

On the black side: the reputation of the farming community is not exactly pristine. The incidence of migrant and illegal worker exploitation seems to be on the rise. Boston has earned the reputation of being the centre of unrest; a protest against the use of immigrant workers  has been organised. An interesting social and political situation when you consider the reasons and origins of some of The Great Imperialist's Founding Fathers. Boston has also become one of the centres for the manufacture of Moon Shine Vodka - it's the Poles you might say ...

As a friend said recently, "History isn't action at a given time. It's a continuum of human activity, We're living it."

Pass the bottle Grzegorz ...

Drawing On Old Haunts

Happily the Millennium Gallery has begun the Friday life drawing sessions again. That allowed me to meet up with Tim Rose and have a pleasant time daubing. I always apologize to the model after the session - my efforts are often so Baconesque that any likeness is hard to discern.

The journey to the gallery was made less mundane because some activity on London Road had produced a notable police presence. Sadly, the activity seems to be the possible murder of a young man - drugs and gang involvement seems to be likely. What a civilised place we live in ...

The Indian Summer persists - delightful!

Indian Summer - Walking In The Peak Park

What a week! We've come back to a week of splendid, sunny weather.

Thursday was a beautiful, sunny, almost windless day. Being creatures of habit, we caught the 272 to Castleton and dismounted at Fox House pub. A swift half and we set off along the paths that took us along the base of Burbage Edge towards Burbage Bridge.

Crossing the road we started the slow climb to Stanage Edge where we stopped for a quick snack. The view, though grand, was marred by the haze caused by the inversion. Wandering along Stanage Edge took us to the Pack-horse Track down to The Plantation. Walking down the track and through the trees brought us to the car park where we had an expresso from the little coffee van owned by Val and Nick.

Suitably caffeinated, we walk on towards and down Birley Lane. The highland cows and their calfs standing at the cattle grid payed us little attention, as did the massive bull sating his thirst at a little stream at the side of the lane. We passed our friends' cottages and turned along the track through the fields. Passing the near derelict cottage next to the stream took us past Sir Hugh's Brookfield Manor and on, over the hilled fields, to Hathersage Village.

The deli-cafe provided an excellent pot of tea and cakes which recharged our energies. A short wait and we were re-mounted on the 272 back to Sheffield.

A day out to remember ... about twelve km ignoring the ups and downs ...

Back To Nest No. 2

After a long day, spent mainly waiting for various forms of transport, we are now, unpacked and back at our Sheffield flat. All the travel arrangements worked perfectly (touch wood or iron if your Italian). Ferry, flight, hotel, coach and a couple of taxis got us home in scheduled time. All the food along the way was excellent - what more could a vagabond want?

Stay tuned for some more detailed reports ... it's time for a kip ...

Ferrara Cathedral and Castle

We took the train to Farrara and had an interesting journey. The train stopped a few kilometers from Ferrara for about half and hour. The reason? "crazy man" was sleeping on the track! The police can and removed the sleeping idiot. You have to admit that is an unusual reason for a delay ...

The cathedral is magnificant and probably the most trompe l'oeil ed interior we've seen. The facade is quite fantastic - romanesque gone mad plus.

The castle is simply gigantic! That's all I can say that makes any sense ..

No loonies on the track going back to Venice so the train arrived on time. Quite a long day for the aged legs; about 11 hours in all.

Hot, Over-Touristed, Rubbish Art, But Still A Great Place

We've done even more artificating. It's not any surprise that most of the exhibits are, to be generous, rubbish dressed up as art. Conceptual Art is all very well if you're doing a knowledge college project, but it does wear away any patience you may have had when you enterect the sacred portals of the "Exhibition". We've given up reading the expositions on the intellectual, moral, political, economic, religious, scientific, culinary, Play Doh shaping, finger painting, non-polluting, renewable, recylcable and boring intentions of the artist ...

The Bien is far from what its title implies: Illuminating ...

Venice is just a very special place to be ...

Ho Hum, Moan, Moan It's The Biennale!

We've spent two days trawling round the major venues of this year Venice B. Yes, you've guessed right, another exhibition of someone's C .. R .. A .. P. Thank God for the Italian Pavilion at the Arsenale - as per, it had a majority of good "Art". At least this year there was a pleasing lack of placarded, unintelligible, artists' drivel. Mind you, the Conceptual Art Camp still dominates so that we were left wondering what the piles of junk were supposed to mean ...

Interestingly, Anthony Gormley and partner seemed to follow us through the Giardini exhibition with the same lightening speed ... maybe we aren't the only ones to be other than wowed by what was on offer.

Good food and a diet of various "foreign" TV news in English round off the day.

Venice In The Sun And Rain

All the travel arrangements went like clockwork, only much faster ... The flight arrived 20 mins early which allowed us to catch an earlier ferry, which in turn allowed us to hit dreamland by midnight. A total of 11 hours travelling; this included a 5 hour wait at EMA.

Sunday was spent getting set up at the appartment and buying tickets for the vaporetto and Biennale. A hot day with far too many tour groups.

We managed to visit three of the art events. The Ukrainian exhibit was excellent. The idea, size and location of the huge installation, which uses 3640000 wooden eggs, is a great example of what an installation should be.

An exhibition of Franny Bacon's drawings was also worth the effort.

Monday seems to be blighted with rain, Sue's upset stomach and loads of Chinese tourist groups. We hope their pockets are emptied before they leave ... Monday is also a day when many of the exhibitions are closed.

Let's Hope The Transport Runs ...

We're all packed and ready to go off to Venice - again. Fingers and other extremities are cross. Taxi to the station, National Express coach to EMA,  Ryan Air to Venice Marco Polo airport and ferry to Venice Arsenale. It's exciting, but we still hold our breath ...

Goodbye Mr Flint

A sad yesterday, but it comes to us all. Mr Flint, our dear, sheep chasing, football chewing and biscuit munching friend, came to the end of his 20 year romp.

Goodbye Mr Flint.

On The Doorstep - History

We decided to spend a day wandering in an area near Sheffield, Rotherham and Worksop. There are so many places of historical importance to visit, we restricted ourselves to five during the the afternoon.

Roche Abbey is a English Heritage site. It was closed when we got there. Fortunately the path around the site still allowed us to appreciated the place. The abbey must have looked splendid in its day, situated as it is, in the valley at the base of a limestone cliff.

On to Tickhill for a coffee and cake. St Mary's church in Tickhill dates from the 12th C. The present building dates from late 14th and early 15 C. We were surprised by the size of the church.

At Blyth we bought some lunch at the PO. St Mary and Martin's church was locked. I managed to find the verger and, after a long chat about the history of the place, she gave us the key. The building is an amazing example of a Norman Benedicine Priory dating from 1088. Uncle Henry didn't destroy the place because part of the building, the south aisle, was used as the parish church. The remains of a 15th C fresco, Norman arches and the 15th C rood screen are some of the more important features.

Our visit to Worksop Priory was blighted because the place was closed. A huge building with some modern additions. We'll have to visit again to see the 15th C shrine and chapel. The town traffic directions are so bad, we ended up in a Tesco's car park! Eventually we found our way out of the town ,,,

More Norman delights at St Peter's church in Thorpe Salvin rounded off the day. The main part of the church dates from 1130. The chained bible was bought in 1641; I was surprised to see the bible just placed on a shelf with a loose glass cover. The font came from Normandy in the 12th C.

The ruins of Thorpe Hall is visible from the church, but we couldn't find a way to visit it.












Back to Sheffield in time for the rush hour; an excellent afternoon which emphasised the depth of our culture and it's history.