where art collides philosoperontap

A week in the office/shed in prospect. This is good. Also we are around next weekend, yay. Also good. The shed doors are open to the garden. It isn’t as hot as yesterday but promises to be a perfect twenty degrees ish. Going to get a few things done. We have some happy birds in the garden. Great time of year for them. Height of summer. 

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Shed doors open again this morning although a slightly heavier tshirt on as it has reverted to normalish British summer temperatures. Another day of getting things done, including taking the car in for its first MOT. Fingers crossed. Those buggers at the Land Rover garage do their best to find things wrong that “aren’t life threatening but could do with looking at”. Took out the extended warranty which ain’t cheap  but worth it for peace of mind as when things go wrong on these cars it is expensive.

On the gardening front we have for the moment decided to cut the meadow that sits in front of the shed. None of the flowers I sowed came through and although there are plenty of grass seed heads my idea was to go for insect attracting pollinators. The meadow in itself has looked good but we will revisit the plan for next year.

I also began to thin out the apple tree and to prune the grape vine. Both jobs need finishing and I’m sure I’ll be able to snatch a few moments during the day for that. More bunches of grapes appearing this year which bodes well for the future. Last year was the first “harvest” although we only got a small amount of fruit. In fact I’m not sure I saw any of it 😉 We are training the vine at height around the barbecue area.

We aren’t totes sure whether the grapes are eaters or drinkers. The vine was a present from The Head Gardener’s dad years ago. If the latter I might need to invest in some wine making gear 🙂 In the meantime I will just have to continue sourcing the stuff from the local merchant.

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MOT passed without a hitch and also stopped by the opticians en route home to tweak my new specs. Specs now tweaked and are much more comfortable on the face which is somewhat of a relief as they weren’t cheap.

I think I’ve finished for the day. Tax stuff sent to the accountant, grapevine pruned. Need to thin out a few more apples but might do that after dinner.

Home James, whoever you are. The car has been unloaded. Mostly everything just dumped in the living room. Should really call it the staging room as we rarely use it to “live” in. It’s where things get assembled before loading into the car for a trip and where they are “placed” for further processing when we get back.

The outside temperature is around thirty degrees Centigrade. The shed, which is where I am now watching Glasto, is not too bad as it is well insulated and shaded by trees. I’ve watered all the pots and have now just left the sprinkler going to give the back garden a good soaking.

Currently watching the Los Bitchos set on the Park stage. Never been to glasto and can’t see me wanting to do it as I suspect I woul be stood miles from any stage. Happy with watching in the shed. Elton John is headlining tonight. People were queuing at 4am this morning to get a good spot. THG and I saw him at the Lincolnshire Showground a few years ago on what was notionally his farewell tour. We had VIP tix and were sat in row 4 directly in front of the piano and in where he was looking. That’s the way to do it.

Am liking Los Bitchos’ stuff.

Sat here in desperate need of a shower and a few weeks of diet. The diet will start again tomorrow. The campsite did not have a functioning shower block so that will shortly become a priority. We knew about the showers before going but as we were only staying a couple of nights figured we’d get by. Our pals, with their fancy MoHos had their own integral shower facilities. Huh! 🙂

Sat in the morning sun at the Wold’s Farm campsite. Facing east. At just before 7am the sun is already quite high. A fresh breeze gently carries birdsong. From my position in front of the tent I see a field of sheep quietly getting on with their breakfast and another field heavy with, presumably, wheat on the verge of turning from green to gold.

The birdsong is an interesting mix of beautiful and relaxing tunes emanating from the hedgerows and a cacophony of crows coming from a distant stand of trees at the brow of the hill.

Many campers are already up and sat in front of their pitches. Hushed tones keeping themselves to themselves, aside from the occasional nod to passers by en route to the toilet block.

New Flamborough Light House stands proud at the far end of the promontory. During the day a steady flow of ocean going vessels head both north  and south together with an occasional pleasure boat carrying tourists to on voyages of avian discovery.

On our walk yesterday someone mentioned that eminent naturalist Simon King was at a viewing platform just a little further along the cliff edge. Not having heard of SK I asked whether he was naked. The response was no he is a naturalist not a naturist 🙂 Don’t think they fully understood that I was joking.

We made it to the RSPB cafe at Bempton Cliffs whereupon, after a suitable pause for refreshment it being a hot day, the group spit into two. One party retraced their steps back across the cliffs to the campsite and another intrepid bunch continued along a single track road with the destination of the White Hart pub in mind.

Unfortunately the good citizens of Bempton do not appear to frequent pubs on a Saturday afternoon and the doors of the White Hart remained firmly shut. After a short break sitting on the picnic bench in the pub car park the party decided to continue the journey and removed to the Ship Inn in Flamborough. Chris and I had discovered the Ship the day before on our mission to pick up fish and chips for everyone’s tea.

The walk along the cliffs was very interesting. We saw a large number of nesting sea birds clinging precariously to any available surface. Gannets, razorbills and guillemots were there aplenty but of puffins, the main attraction, we saw but three. Turns out that puffins nest in burrows and do not emerge until their chicks have fledged.

As I sit here the day is warming up and shows promise. Another perfect summer day in the deep countryside. This area is truly a natural paradise and I would like to think we will return to this site which is located a long way up a farm track. Good luck if you are towing a caravan and meet another coming in the opposite direction 🙂

We are setting the compass south. It has been an action packed holiday but it is time to go home. There will be strawberries to harvest and I am excited to see the progress of my onions. A week of R & R in prospect.

Haloumi cheese – 3 block
Chicken breasts – 8
Feta cheese
Big tomaytoes
Cucumber
Olives – nice ones
Lettuce cos
Parma ham
Mozzarella
Baguette
Fresh lemons
Booze
Basmatti rice 
Ham
Cheese
Tin of tomatoes
onions

On the way home. Been a full on nine days. Very little downtime. Life is short. All the kids seen and loads of mates including Nik Patel from Vermont. I love the trips to Antwerp although my time there is totally knackering as the conference we have there is my show. At least the travel was made easy with fast track access through security and passport control. No British passport was used on the trip so no stamp 🙂.

Back in London the cricket was hot. When the last day of the Oval test finished at lunch we indulged in a pub crawl along the South Bank ending at Borough Market for a reunion. Some memorable nights out. Galvin Windows on the World exceeded expectations although I’m not sure why I had less than top notch expectations anyway. Guys and Dolls was brilliant and emotionally draining and The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age was entertaining and different. We got into the Punjab without having to queue. 

At home, CCUK council meeting apart, I’m going to put in some downtime this afternoon, shed doors wide open. Back at the coal face for a day on Thursday.

Alternative guide to coronation day. How to make the most out of Coronation Day. Have a good breakfast then go and play golf. Do not under any circumstances turn on the telly or the wireless set. If you end up in a pub after golf try to make it one that doesn’t have a TV (I realise this will be a hard one to get your brain around if you are from Amurica). Get home around tea time and fire up the barbie.

Busy week ahead. Prep for Antwerp today and then it’s off on Eurostar tomorrow. I’ve taken to travelling in business premier because the queues for standard class are ridiculous. 5 minutes versus an hour. It’s all about making life easy innit.

My biggest decision is which jackets to take. This is an important matter. The jacket choice for the cricket is easy. It’s the dull off white linen job. Just somewhere to keep phone and wallet really. I will also be taking my new panama hat obvs.

I’ve decided that a selection of silk numbers will suffice for the other days where a jacket is required. I’m not sure I really have enough shirts to go with all these but maybe a tshirt will do on some occasions. At least I don’t need to think about which coat to take 🙂Il fait assez beau yanow.

Outside the shed the garden is very green with a splash of colour provided by towels on the washing line. There are also pink roses around the arch. The flower beds are mostly hidden from view when I’m sat at my desk. I gave the wildflower meadow a bit of a watering this morning. The flowers are taking their time to germinate. Maybe some creatures ate the seeds. This is a long term project anyway.

The house is quiet this morning after the invasion at the weekend. All invaders dispatched, back to where they once belonged, Jojo. We like quiet although we do also like it when we have a full house. It’s all about getting the balance right.

Pigeon scampering across the flat roof above me. Time for lunch, said Zebedee.

A slow start. We have a houseful with two front rooms being used as bedrooms as well as the rooms ordinarily designated as such. At ten thirty there was a sign of life upstairs and three lads joined Joe in the kitchen whereupon the subject of bacon sandwiches was discussed.

I am in the relative peace of the shed, doors open and birds singing away happily outside. A cup of tea sits on a beer mat on my desk, not long for this world. The beermat advertises Lenienkugel’s Summer Shandy. No idea where I picked that up. Googled it and it is a thing. Don’t think I’d like it. It’s a weissbier. I had particularly bad experience with weissbier at a wedding in Germany many years ago 🙂

Saw a bird in the garden that I didn’t recognise. A summer visitor no doubt. By the time I had whipped out my trusty S23 Ultra with 10 x zoom the bird had flown away. I may never find out what it was. Probably a sparrow 🙂

No cricket today as the test match finished yesterday. Everyone wanted Ireland to do well and at least people got a fullish day of it. The bigger test lies ahead with the Ashes. I may be able to watch most of the Ashes Series this year. Don’t have any tickets but will have the telly on in the shed.

Quite a busy week ahead. Antwerp tuesday ‘til Friday then 5 nights in London. Antwerp will be full on with me having to use my brain. Wosthatallabout? London is out and out vacation with two days at the World Test Cricket Final including meeting up with @Nikhil Patel on the Sunday. Optimistic it will make it to the last day.

We are also off to see Guys and Dolls and a show called The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age. Really looking forward to that. We have premium seats – table for two right at the front.

It is one of those perfect late spring/early summer days. The garden is growing well. Every time I walk by I look for signs of new growth in the wildflower meadow. It will come. 

The doors to the shed are flung wide open and there is cricket on the telly. I am not alone. Son Tom is busying himself with his laptop on the leather settee and the Head Gardener strolls occasionally by checking on progress in the borders.

Joe is also home and has brought some old Uni friends. Not totally sure how many. Last night it was four but two more turned up this morning and there could yet be others. They have gone into town but I believe are returning to watch the FA Cup Final and intend thereafter to fire up the barbecue.

This morning I pottered. Foster’s butcher, the Anne’s Vans depot and Waitrose followed by some tidying up jobs. We moved my childhood chest of drawers, recently retrieved from our house in Peel, into the shed where it will continue to serve me as a repository for interesting things. I have some Manx first day covers and a wad of old Manx postcards.

With me on the boat also came eleven posters of varying sizes. Too many really but I just can’t turn down a good poster. One thing that did not make it back from the Isle of Man was the model of HMS Victory. Aside from the fact that the seller decided he wanted more than the ninety pounds we had agreed there was absolutely no room for it in the car. It was either the chest of drawers or the ship. I did the right thing.

We are off back later in June and may yet ship it back with us to the mainland. Geddit.

Had my first experience of The Hay on Wye Book Festival yesterday. Must admit it was quite surreal. Hay is a lovely small town on the border of Wales and England. Gelli Gandryll in Welsh.

Found the Kilverts Inn easily enough. Attempted to park in front of it a couple of times but there was room enough for the car as long as you didn’t wantto get out of it. Eventually alighted on the perfect spot in the hotel car park at the rear. The car will now stay put until Wednesday.

Couple of beers with Rhys and Iwan then a stroll to the festival shuttle bus. The surreal bit was the people. Guardian readers one and all from an almost exclusively white middle class background, or so it seemed. Plenty of bookshops, which I like and will visit this morning.

Then we met Eirian and the rest of the family at the festival site. Eirian had managed to procure a ticket return for the Nick Cave session. Three quid. Bargain. We arrived at the marquee just in time.

Now I’d not heard of Nick Cave before I saw him yesterday. An Australian rockstar, apaz. He was entertaining enough. Just as entertaining were the poncey questions people in the audience asked him towards the end of the set. Pretentious in the extreme.

We ended up at the Black Lion for some great jazz. They played Round Midnight (for me) with the harmonica instead of trumpet. Twas brilliant. Surprisingly there weren’t many in. Maybe literary types get to bed early with a good book.

While I’m in Gelli Gandryll I’m going to see a few sessions but the main thing is to be here and enjoy the atmosphere. I’ve realised I’m not the book luvvie that most people here seem to be. I do read a lot of books but that is different from being a luvvie.

At breakfast there was a family of three who had all been reading the same book. Wot! It just ain’t me.

Felt quite relaxed at breakfast. Solo traveller but I am meeting Rhys and Eirian later and Steve Wildthing is coming down from Lincoln this pm.

Logistics Wirral weekend

Saturday

Tref takes Anne and Han to hairdressers for 10am and brings back

Tom and John need bringing back from Jug & Bottle after 11am checkout – either Tref or Joe depending on availability

Tref takes Anne and Han to Thornton Hough church for 12.30

6 of us need to get to Inglewood Manor for 7pm for evening do (10 min drive). 2 shuttles in mum’s car. Tom, Joe or Tref can drive there.

Freestyle timing for return from evening do with Tom driving, fair play

Sunday H/G/T/J

Taxi for H/G/T/J ship inn parkgate to Nags Head, Wilaston to arrive by 12 midday. Needs to be able to take luggage. Tref will book

Tref take mum to meadow lane by 11.30 – drops her stuff off there

Tref departs for Hay on Wye

Joe and Lucy take mum’s car to Nags Head for 12

H/G/T/J taxi from Nags Head to Chester train station in time to catch 14.32 – Tref will book. Less than 20 minute drive.

After Nags Head take Sarah back to Meadow Lane 

Joe and Lucy dropped off at Hooton station either by mum or Jan and Ieu

Anne loads her car up and drives to Lincoln

Haloumi cheese – 3 blocks

Chicken breasts – 8

Feta cheese

Big tomaytoes

Cucumber

Olives – nice ones

Lettuce cos

Parma ham

Mozzarella

Baguette

Fresh lemons

Booze

Basmatti rice 

Ham

Cheese

Tin of tomatoes

onions

And we’re off. The boat moves slowly away from the quay. The safety video is mildly irritating. Some bloke pretending to be a pirate. It’s almost on a par with that BA safety vid which really used to get on my tits. The one with lots of celebs. That was supposed to be funny. It was funny the first time I saw it. Fortunately BA appears to have stopped using that. Either that or they just don’t show it in first class 😀.

We are sitting in comfort in the Premium Lounge. Table service. Splendid views over the Wirral which is slowly moving to the rear. Actually that could be a misnomer. ‘Splendid views of the Wirral’. I suppose I could say that our viewing position is splendid irrespective of the quality of the actual view.

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The sea is very calm. Not quite a mill pond but nearly. This makes for a very comfortable voyage. I almost used the word journey there but voyage seems more appropriate. Earlier I had started using nautical terms such as ‘avast there’ and ‘ahoy’ with members of the crew but they all appear to be Phillipino or simlar and the terminology was lost on them. They are a great crew otherwise 🙂 

Other useful nautical terms include splice the mainbrace, cast off forrard (and aft), land ho and shiver me timbers. I’m sure there are others if I put my mind to it but do feel free to chip in.