A Yorkshire Walk

While in Yorkshire, we decided to take Barney and Isla for a long walk in the countryside.  While en route from Kilham to our lunch stop (the excellent St Quintin Arms in Harpham), the pups decided to go for a swim in the river.  To be precise, Isla decided to go from a swim and Barney stood in the shallows, trying (and failing) to work out what was going on...

Whitby in Infra Red

I took the Infra Red camera with me to Whitby, so the Abbey and St Mary's Church were ideal places to use it.  The Abbey now has a shiny new visitors' centre, created from a building which has been a burned-out shell for as long as I can remember.  It now houses a museum, ticket office and obligatory gift shop, through which one exits (of course).

Carol, Dave, Isla and Barney, posing for their picture on the cliff top.  I'm convinced that the gravestones are significantly closer to the edge than last time I visited.

A vigilant boxer, just outside the new visitors' centre.

These two appeared to be involved in an iPhone-based photo shoot inside the Abbey.

Whitby Abbey has several stone coffins, and it's a tradition to photograph one's children lying down in them.  It least, it was in our family (which may have been slightly strange).  Carol decided that she was going to repeat the exercise with Barney, which turned out to be more difficult than expected.

 What's the old saying about never working with children or animals?

Whitby in Colour

At the beginning of August, Isla and I made the journey to God's Own County (TM) in order to visit my sister and brother-in-law.  The adventure included an outing to Whitby: a place I love, having visited it regularly since the mid-1960s.  The first occasion was by steam train.  No, not the North York Moors Railway, in fact, but the original coastline service from Scarborough (before Dr Beeching started to wield his axe).  It's been a regular holiday destination since then, although we haven't been there for a while.  Not much has changed, and "crabbing" is just as popular as ever.

The famous 199 steps up to the Abbey were no obstacle for a young, fit labrador, and she certainly helped to drag me up them at break-neck speed.  We then had to wait until Carol, Dave and Barney (the Airedale Terrier) ambled up at their own - rather slower - pace.

Visiting the Abbey is always a treat, and it's great that dogs are now allowed in too. 

After tea and ice cream, it was time for the obligatory walk along the pier.  Again, nothing much has changed on the West pier, but the East pier (where I used to go fishing, many moons ago) is currently closed for refurbishment.  It always was a bit rickety.

After a day playing tourist, the pups were getting a bit tired.  Still time to play while waiting for the train to arrive, though..

...until Barney crashed out, that is.

Sharpenhoe Clappers

Back at the end of July, a small group of intrepid photographers ignored the sweltering heat (see Mad Dogs and Englishmen for a description of the situation) in order to check out Sharpenhoe Clappers ahead of an RPS outing the following weekend.  Sharpenhoe is an ancient hill fort, now owned by the National Trust, which also happens to be one of the best places to see butterflies in East Anglia.  Chalkhill Blues, in particular, are plentiful; but plenty of other insect species are represented too.  Given the temperature of the day in question (about 35C in the shade), the aforementioned butterflies had absolutely no intention of keeping still to have their picture taken.  Not that the light was much to write home about anyway.

Being chalkland, the wildflower meadows around the fort were absolutely stunning.

One member of our party (let's call him Barry to protect his identity) had more sense than the rest of us put together.  Rather than chasing butterflies in the mid-day sun, he sat in the shade with his iPhone, photographing the butterfly patterns on a bag.  Not exactly "Nature", but at least he didn't end up with heat-stroke.

Here are the less intelligent members of the party (Jonathan, Sue and Ann) who, along with yours truly, decided that it was worth braving the heat.

The hill fort itself is well wooded, so offered a modicum of shade.  Very welcome under the circumstances.

Definitely a place worth revisiting, when the mercury is at a more sensible level.

Joe at 9 months

Last Saturday I was on duty at an RPS Distinctions Advisory Day in Aberdare, South Wales, and took the opportunity to visit the family in Bristol.  I hadn't seen Joe since June, and he's grown up a lot in the intervening period.  As well as being more mobile - now walking with assistance - he also now has visible hair for the first time (the second picture proves this!).  His coordination has also improved hugely, so self-feeding and clapping are now part of our arsenal.

These pictures were taken on Friday evening, when Joe was feeling well.  On Saturday he had a streaming nose, and by Sunday he was suffering from Chicken Pox (poor thing).  Given that I'm no longer at work, I was able to stay on for an extra day in order to help Frances.  It's a large number of years since I had to deal with a grizzly toddler; but, like riding a bicycle, it all came flooding back.  Joe will be coming to Harston in a month or so, all being well, so hopefully he'll be fighting fit by then.