July 31st 2014

I have an annoying habit of starting books, and either losing them, or becoming distracted not finishing them for weeks, sometimes months. Sea Room by Adam Nicolson was begun in April as I bought it during my extended holiday in Skye. The first half of the book was zipped through in a few days, a fascinating story of a group of island he owns off the coast of Skye, The Shiants. Then came the house move, the new life co-habiting with Julie and somehow the book became 'missing in action'.Today I found it, under the drivers seat of my car. How it got there remains a mystery even Miss Marple may fail to solve, yet it's return to the fold will allow more perusing and lost in thought moments in that uninhabited archipelago.  That is of course if I'm not distracted by our new feral, adoptee cat George who seems to making himself very much at home in the conservatory. I wonder where he goes the rest of the time?

July 30th 2014

A marathon editing day. 10 hours to fine mix 30 x 90 seconds of Radio 4 audio. I'm in the studio's with these on Monday so have a deadline set to get this finished today, to allow me to work on the next batch tomorrow.  This Tweet of the Day is a very satisfying project to work on as it allows the creativity side of me to come to the fore. I'm working to a template set up last year but within that template its up to me how these sound. I like that. An this explains why even though I'd sat at the desk pretty much solidly for 10 hours from 8am, I didn't find this a chore. Exhausting yes, but never a chore. The above image shows the 10 Christmas Tweets by Sir David Attenborough and the bottom image the final programme of 20 September Tweets, the emperor penguin. Format is simple. Speech lines at the top, wildtrack (atmospheres and spot effects to the public) at the bottom with the bird call sandwiched in between. I'm proud of these and when they go through the final mix hope they sound beautiful, simple but effective. The proof then will be in the pudding when the first one airs on September 1st.

As an aside the book languishing infront of the screen is Feral by George Monbiot. George was in the building today recording a piece for Shared Planet. He left this book with the team to read, but it ended up back in the office 'donations' pile. I'm not a huge fan of George, as his tactics and thoughts take a concept and insert it into a perfect scenario world. However I am open to his views and many people have said it is a thoughtful read. I will give it a go. (although it did make me laugh when the Shared Planet reported looked at the book which on its cover has a quote from Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall - to quote his words "any book with Hugh on the cover is not worth reading already").

July 29th 2014

Sometimes just the most surreal images catch my mind. As I got out of the car today, having parked up for work, beside the wheel I spied this 20% remnant of what must have been either a toy soldier or maybe even Batman. The remainder of the street was a blizzard of emptiness, so where had this come from. Was some child sobbing over an 80% toy soldier, or had the remaining portion now been jettisoned into the world of recycling. Of course I'll never know but its always an interesting moment in ones life to find a plastic leg in the street. Well I think so.

July 28th 2014

Today is my 301st posting on this year long blog.................

 

When I began this on October 1st 2013 I had a plan to write something each day and include an image. Plans, desires and dreams are one thing. Putting this into action, and keeping something going through the year is another. And so it came as a great surprise to me I'd passed the 300 posts mark. Of course it shouldn't come as a surprise but looking back, that is 300 days of my life catalogued. I will never return to those days, those dates, or those events, and so as a record this is becoming priceless for me. I've started looking back through the posts and already some have become distant and blurred; events which at the time seemed fascinating, now almost forgotten. So only 60 or so more postings to go. Shall I carry on I wonder. Or stop at the 365th posting. Time will tell.

 

And so what does 301 mean? Well according to that doyen of inaccuracy, Wikipedia, 301 is.........

301 = 7 × 43. 301 is the sum of three consecutive primes (97 + 101 + 103), and a happy number in base 10 (whatever that is)

So I looked Happy Numbers up

[A happy number is a number defined by the following process: Starting with any positive integer, replace the number by the sum of the squares of its digits, and repeat the process until the number equals 1 (where it will stay), or it loops endlessly in a cycle which does not include 1. Those numbers for which this process ends in 1 are happy numbers, while those that do not end in 1 are unhappy numbers (or sad numbers)]

Nope I'm still non the wiser, but glad it's a happy number.

301 is also a HTTP status code, indicating the content has been moved and the change is permanent (permanent redirect). It is also the number at which YouTube views most frequently freeze temporarily while validation is carried out.

Excellent!

July 27th 2014

 

Such a hectic day today. Having overdone it yesterday I woke at 5am, fell asleep and re-awoke at 11am. Being asleep beyond 6am is unheard of for me. The weather remains in its settled sunny and hot way but today a cooler wind blew in from the sea. Ideal temperatures then to head off for a Sunday Lunch at a pub I've never been to before yet so close, the Swan at Rowberrow on the Mendips. This was the starter. It was delicious. A roast pork lunch, with black pudding followed. Julie had salmon with a G&T and the lunch was rounded off with a nice two scoops (vanilla and strawberry)bowl of Marshfield's ice-cream. Luncheon (thank you for paying Julie) over we headed home and vegetated on the sofa. Rarely do I have days when I do absolutely nothing and so it was today. Rested, fed and relaxed at 7pm I spent 2 hours editing Tweet of the Day recordings. Maybe it was the Butcombe shandy but they seemed to edit double quick. Time for bed I think.

July 26th 2014

 

Outside the temperature was epic, nudging 30 degrees. Inside this under-stairs cupboard it was possibly double that. Possibly inherited insanity made me want to empty, put up 2 shelves and repaint the aforementioned cupboard in such summer conditions. But I persevered and by the end of a waterfall drenched afternoon had finished. This house combining malarkey is a wonderful way to look at ones belongings and wonder - why have I kept this, or that. Items that at some point must have been important were relegated into boxes years ago and now at a later point in my life many I can't remember why I kept them .

 

 

One thing however I did find and will not part with is my leaving card from South Tyneside Libraries. I worked there from 1985 to 1990 and on September 14th that year left for a university course. Seeing this card brought back such happy memories and best of all some of the people on there I'm now back in touch with, 24 year later. Seminal moments, yet nearly a quarter of a century ago. How did that happen? So here's to the next 24 years..... its time to look forward.

 

 

 

July 25th 2014

 

Worked at home today and boy was it hot. Absolutely scorching. The sort of heat which saps energy and makes you long for the sun to drop in the sky and cool down. How can anyone in Britain say that? A country with one of the most unpredictable climates in the world.  Putting the tools of my trade down just before 6pm Julie and I headed down to Sand Bay for an impromptu picnic. Actually the picnic consisted of a round of vegetarian burger sandwiches and a raspberry ice lolly. Selecting a comfortable log we sat and watched the tide come in. It was glorious. A number of people had come to Sand Bay to enjoy the sea air and it always amazes me that a place I go to for wildlife, attracts a number of families for a more natural beach day. Having so much silt and mud sloshing about the Bristol Channel will never make this Bay a beach haven, and for that I'm so pleased. I love the bay, its remoteness, yet close to Weston and especially in winter the huge numbers of waders and birds which over winter here. For today however we just sat in the sun and soaked up an overfill of Vitamin D. Perfect, just perfect.

July 24th 2014

 

Yesterday a few people were outside work protesting about the BBC's coverage of the Gaza situation. Today a peace camp had sprung up. Security was stepped up at work and the main entrance closed until further notice. How long they'll stay here is in the lap of the gods but its to the BBC's credit in a way that because they are peaceable and protesting in a non confrontational way, the BBC are leaving them in peace. I think we all wonder where the Middle East situation will lead, but that depends on who owns the oil. It's a simple as that as I see it.

July 23rd 2014

 

Two screens Dawes, that's what I can be called today. The image above was taken for a reason, namely my second cousin Tony posted on Facebook that he had a huge screen on his new office desk, and that size matters (visible on the left hand monitor). Well that went viral very quickly.  First a splattering of duo-screens, including mine, then a three screen followed by another and finally someone with a bank of screen in a cross shape. Slightly excessive! Tony came back shame faced and with a note to himself to ask for more screens in the future. A slight interlude during this unbelievably hot day, and why social media is so named. It's good to talk even if it's only via a keyboard and screen, or two.

July 22nd 2014

 

If I can't spend something on my books now I'm 50 what can I do? Now we are conjoining 2 houses the time has come to abandon all the flat pack furniture I'd bought in the mind set that living here was temporary and to buy some good solid wood furniture for the future.  And so it was with excitement this afternoon that a glass fronted bookcase was delivered to the abode, destined to house my rare, expensive and first edition books, which had until today been languishing in various bookcases. Which given the fact that some of these I've paid nearly £200 for it seems only right to house them properly. The mad part of the whole operation was the packaging. I'm not complaining as it meant the bookcase arrived undamaged, but it took some getting off. First an outer thick cardboard layer, then 2 layers of polystyrene shrink wrapped of course and finally a layer of micro-cloth plastic to protect the surface. I was grateful but part of me did think about the environmental cost. In years gone by before we knew better we'd burn all the polystyrene on the open fire. How times have changed, but not my love of books.

July 21st 2014

There are many things I find interesting about having someone live with me after 20 years or more of solo dwellingness, and that's coming home to find things have either moved or arrived. Plates I leave in the sink, or my socks on the landing don't move much, but bric-a-brac and magazines do. Today the new arrival was  a smorgasbord of plants. Having a professional gardener in the midst does mean my garden is being overrun by pretty things. Chaps, real hairy shirted chaps with flat caps and dungarees have grass, a shrub and a bench to sit on, preferably one they have made out of old scaffolding poles. That is all we need. Insert a lady into this man cave and things become much more colourful, not to say fragrant. And so it was tonight returning to the love nest that another 9 pots had arrived to "fill in those little gaps". This, on top of the 8 plants bought on Saturday, and the 170 'scarlet' geranium plug plants I bought back in January, which this week have finally decided to flower (to be fair I did neglect them a bit). And so it is, a garden to sit in and be accosted by a visual delight conjoined with a heady aromatic hue. Its not bad having a lady staying with me (I still wish to know why fluffy bears are needed on the bed though - good job I have my Massey Ferguson 1:18th scale tractor on the windowsill then).

July 20th 2014

This could have been a reasonably decent photograph of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Hotwells, if that railing wasn't in the way. The reason it is in the way is that this was taken from the car while we waited for the swing bridge over the Cumberland Basin to close. Popping into Bristol en-route to friends in Thornbury therefore took a little longer than anticipated. I'm not entirely sure but about 8 yachts left Bristol harbour in the time the swing bridge was open. If I have my facts, anything other than small boats can only leave Bristol Harbour when it is high tide due to the river being almost drained at low tide and resembling more of a mudflat than a working river. Anyway this half hour diversion was quite pleasant, as was the coffee in a Bristol café, collection of a photograph, popping into work for 15 minutes and finally heading to Thornbury via The Downs to take in the view. Proper tourists. And I have to say the visit to friends turned out to be rather a lovely afternoon too of sipping fizz, eating strawberries and cherries, chatting convivially in the garden. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

July 19th 2014

 

I'm very lucky (and proud) to be the less significant other of Julie. She is a clever woman. Last week she received another commission for a pet portrait, this time a black Labrador, who lives on a farm near Hungerford, Berkshire. A slight deadline with this one as it is for a birthday present in mid August, so just over a month to complete it. So last night Julie began, and a few hours later this first version was in place. I paint, but could never ever do this, she has a real skill. From here the black (which as a colour of course does not exist) needs to go on and the finishing touches, and my job is to make sure Julie doesn't 'fiddle' too much with the drawing. I'm looking forward to seeing how this ends up, but after a few hours on a thundery Saturday evening, it's looking good.

July 18th 2014

 

It was the hottest day of the year so far, and the hottest place was London. I was in London! I was so glad therefore to be spending most of the afternoon in a recording studio in Acton, the Soundhouse Studio's. I was there, in a splendid check shirt I'd say, to record the first months 'Tweet of the Day' for Radio 4. Next to me is Gerry the sound engineer and of more importance through the glass Sir David Attenborough. Such is the professionalism of Sir David that we had the studio booked from 2pm to 6pm to record 30 scripts, each 90 seconds long or so, and read through twice. So that's about 90 minutes then. Because of the traffic Sir David was slightly late, we began at 2.15 and by 4.45pm, the job was done. Which is pretty good going. Hardly any go-backs and well at 88 he is the most astonishing naturalist to work with. I had no idea this photograph was being taken by Shauna Todd who joined us from the Radio 4 commissioning team, and I love it. It tells a story I didn't plan myself. Thank you Shauna.  Recordings completed, some books signed and Sir David left. I love working with someone who comes in, briefest of chats, job done, a brief thank you and goodbye. I left the studio's myself at 5pm and well as can be seen by the car thermometer, (even taken into account inaccuracy) it was a hot day - it stayed at 32oC through my drive to the M4. (Official temperature for today was 32.4 in Kent). Arriving home at 8.30pm in Somerset it was 22oC and sitting in the garden cooling off I could reflect on a perfect day.

 

 

Or at least an almost perfect day. Having arrived at the Industrial Estate the studios were located in, a solidly locked gate confronted me. A call to the studios 'Oh not Jenner Lane again, did you follow satnav or map instructions'. Turned out I was at the back entrance and the only way to enter was to re-join the complicated one way system, over and back across the A40. Instructions given to me were perfect, sadly I got into the wrong lane and, unable to move out of it, ended up on the A40 heading west to a gridlocked Hanger Lane Gyratory, scourge of all travel bulletins. Eventually thinking this is not going well, and with no possible way off, I went even further away and by luck took the only residential road that not only got me off the A40, but by using cunning and logic, travelling many a side street and residential area, I managed to find my way to Acton and so retraced my route back to the correct entrance. 4 miles and 45 minutes to go from the back to the front, and in that heat!! I arrived and Freddi the organiser of the day ran out saying 'we were getting worried' Lovely people to work for at the Soundhouse Studios.

July 17th 2014

 

This small orange Peli-Case may signify I have joined the secret services, or maybe I have unwittingly become 007. I love Peli-Cases, the uber-functional work cases used by many professionals. As tough as old boots they are a first choice for cameraman equipment, sound engineers, even for carrying medical supplies of badger bTB vaccines. Today however I have this bright orange case to carry 3 important things. Books to be precise, three 'Tweet of the Day' books bid for as part of the Children in Need charity and needing to be signed tomorrow. Actual monetary-wise these are worth £20 each, but the three successful bidders have paid handsomely for a blizzard of signatures of those involved. The quest continues.

 

July 16th 2014

 

Suddenly, the nights seem to be drawing in. It happens every year of course but really from mid May until now it seems to be light all the time. Even at night there is a bluish tinge to the sky. I noticed however this evening that at 9.30pm when I took this image it felt like dusk. As mentioned yesterday we've been in the garden most evenings and last week at 9.30pm the sun was still shining, albeit low in the sky. I looked at my watch, yep it was 9.30 and I felt as though I needed lights on outdoors. I love the long days of summer, not however the hot weather which saps all energy. I love the long winter nights too, but feeling the transition begin is sad and to be honest for the first time this summer it began to feel chill-some as the light faded. We have another month to go of nice weather but by the end of August it's dark by 8pm. I will make the most of it at the moment while it lasts. And, in a half light the scented plants in pots take on another visual dimension.

July 15th 2014

Very little reporting in the press so far, but the spring and early summer of 2014 has been exceptional weather-wise. No record breaking temperatures (although that may happen at the end of the week), just warm sunshine and very little rain. Presumably and I'm only guessing here,  with the exceptionally wet winter, groundwater levels are still good, combine heat, long day length and sufficient water,  the growing season is doing well. Certainly many farmers have already begun harvesting cereals and by all accounts its set to be a bumper harvest if this dry weather continues. As such we've been having a lot of salads in the garden after work. And here is one I created earlier. Salads in a big salad bowl remind me of my childhood as my mother absolutely loves salad. Great bowls of fresh lettuce or tomatoes straight from the garden. We grew a lot of food, however Wilf Shields who lived next door had the market garden to the other side of us. I can still see my mum putting a large pan of cold water onto the hob, walking up the back garden, picking a cabbage from 'Wilf's and in 20 minutes we'd be eating it. My love of the smell of tomatoes came from his greenhouses, always that mossy, earthy ripe aroma inside his huge Victorian glasshouses. At one end a trough full of rainwater, a selection of long spouted watering cans and his collection of briar pipes. Memories of childhood summers in those glasshouses will live with me for ever. 

July 14th 2014

Finalised the scripts today. Well to be honest I received the final scripts from the wonderful Brett Westwood on Friday and after a weekend deliberating and adjusting, the final scripts for the recording with Sir David Attenborough were formalised. I'll be heading to London on Friday to record these 30 short scripts with Sir David. It's a great feeling to know that after 10 weeks planning and slogging, we're at a stage whereby 'World' Tweet of the Day is ready to be recorded. I've enjoyed it so far. I'm learning a lot of new facts about world birds which is good, I'm honing scripting skills and above all having fun. A great team are behind the project, my friend Rob, as research and fact checking, Jamie and Tom in the office sourcing images and completing the dreaded paperwork, the aforementioned Brett as script writer, Sarah Blunt in the BBC as script editor and not forgetting my exceptional boss Julian who oversees the whole process editorially with the lightest of touches that make the project happen. Sometimes working for a big organisation can grind one down, but at times, like today, it's an uplifting place to make a living.

July 13th 2014

A trip down to Weston super Mare's new pier today. I rarely go into Weston as it's both 6 miles from home and also used to be awful. It's still not great, but in the last 5-6 years though Weston has transformed its seafront. The burning down of the pier in 2008 was a catalyst for a seafront regeneration programme. So today, 4 years after the pier opened we ventured onto its timber decking for the first time. And it's not bad at all, if you just accept it is seaside fun for the masses. A refreshment in the Edwardian Tea Rooms and then a play on some of the fruit machines filled in a very happy hour or so. The latter especially as playing a fruit machine I managed to win 28 tickets. Not knowing what to do with these tickets I asked a chap and apparently they could be exchanged for gifts in the gift shop. Gifts are good. The only thing I could afford with my 28 tickets was a polystyrene Hurricane worth a stonking 25 points - or 40p as that was all I'd put in the machines before I won such riches. I was happy with that, not least as it brought back memories of Murray's toy shop in Rothbury as a 10 year old buying balsa wood planes to fly. And do you know what? They're still as much fun to fly 40 years later.

July 12th 2014

That piece of cake went down a treat; raspberry and white chocolate.  We were at the Barley Wood Walled Garden just outside of Winscombe for our regular Saturday morning coffee. I had to post some scripts to Sir David Attenborough so popped into the village post office there and caused quite a stir when the lady behind the counter read the address. Leaving with a bit of a queue forming behind me, a restorative caffeine intake was necessary. Just up the hill, Ethicurean have created this haven of tranquillity, and organic produce. I have been coming here for years, when it was still owned by Quart Vert in Bristol, and it remains a favourite. I'd spied a copy of Country Life in the newsagents prior to arriving, therefore to be sitting in warm July sunshine, drinking a well made cup of tea, some cake to pass the lips and a most interesting article on Lindisfarne Castle in Northumberland to stimulate the little grey cells, seemed as good a way to pass a few hours on a Saturday morning as any. The memsahib offered most supportive praise for her sticky toffee apple cake too, just peaking stage right in the photograph. A treat indeed.

July 11th 2014

2014 will be the summer of the hydrangea. Presumably because of the mild winter and long dry summer hydrangeas have been absolutely stunning this year. These two were in a garden next to where I parked the car this morning, the photograph doesn't do them justice, but they were stunning. As I travel about, these native plants of South East Asia and China, have just been stunning. One down the road from me is about 6 foot high and across and for a fortnight has been in pristine condition. I've long loved hydrangeas and have inherited a blue form from one of Julie's clients, it is the most luxuriant form of cobalt blue I've ever seen. Each day I look at this small plant in a plant pot and think "yes this is why gardening is joy, the endless pleasure plants can give". Relaxing too. I hope the summer remains warm and sunny, we'll have a few more months of hydrangea blossom. 

July 10th 2014

Keeping on the Tweet of the Day theme of this week, a map. Not just any map, this is a map showing via red dots the main locations the species we're covering on Tweet of the Day. Actually to be accurate this is only a map of those Sir David Attenborough will record, as the remaining 90 are in planning. I surprised myself how good a spread the birds are. I know I'd tried to plan this but seeing it for the first time on a map really brought that home to me. Its ben a fantastic project to work on, from conception in early May to now when its beginning to come together. There are times like today when life is sweet, or is that tweet?

July 9th 2014

Man in volumous check shirt points grey sausage at a rare Montserrat oriole. I can see the Daily Mail headline already. Well this is me at work struggling to record the song of one of the most endangered birds in the World. Montserrat orioles are endemic to the island which gave them their name. Struggling to survive increasing human activity on that British Dependency island, bird organisations put effort into restoring the birds tropical forest habitat, only for the islands main volcano to erupt and destroy most of that forest. In 2000 a team went to Montserrat and brought back 8 adults to Jersey Zoo in an attempt to start a breeding programme, something which had never been done before. It was successful and Andrew Owen who was one of the original team now is curator of birds at Chester Zoo where they have 3 adults, including the breeding pair in front of me.  The male is a stunning bird. Photographs show a black and yellow bird. In real life however the gold is a shimmering luxuriant golden yellow. Stunning. I wonder what they then thought of my plumage..........

July 8th 2014

My overnight accommodation, as I'm on the road again. After a day in the office I drove up to Chester for an overnight stay prior to going to Chester Zoo tomorrow. I've never been to Chester before, it seems nice from what little I saw driving through, and the Crabwall Manor Hotel & Spa just outside of the city is jolly nice too. I stay in a lot of hotels with my work and most it has to be said are good. This one is in the top 10% of those I've stayed in and as boutique chic upmarket it was a lovely place. But soulless. Having been dragged around hotels since a baby I enjoy luxury hotels, especially in winter, but they're all the same. Efficient, staff polite and friendly but no sense of being somewhere different. As I get older I now prefer small family run hotels or guest houses, places where local people make time to chat. It's a passage of time thing, style over substance no longer appeals as it once did as a young man. That said a pleasant place to stay for the night and enjoy my picnic supper from Morrison's in the room. 

July 7th 2014

 

Well yet another leaving do. This time Brett Westwood with our mutual friend Sheena. Brett is one of the top British naturalists, a real and genuine eccentric and has worked for the Natural History Unit for 16 years. But there comes a time in every man's life when pastures new are a bigger draw than the familiar. Brett decided to leave the BBC to concentrate on being a freelance naturalist and I think he'll do exceptionally well. Hugely popular and with an encyclopaedic knowledge of British wildlife. I've many times been astonished at the depth and breadth of his knowledge, not just facts, but folklore, anecdotes and snippets of insider information, delivered in his own quirky and highly entertaining style. I'll miss Brett being around, lunches in the BBC canteen were a riot of double entendre and comedy as upwards of 15 people crowded around a table for 8. That was five or 6 years ago, everyone on that table, who I'm glad to have also called friends, have now left the BBC, only I remain. Food for thought then. As is the fact that I'll be working with Brett from tomorrow as he's script writer on Tweet of the Day.

July 6th 2014

A perfect day for messing about on the beach. After our lovely night last night, and a superb sleep in The Crown Inn at Puncknowle (which I discovered is pronounced Punnel) we needed a coffee and toast to wake ourselves up. Heading back to Abbotsbury, we alighted into the Old School Tea Rooms and hoovered up a few comestibles in their courtyard garden before heading to the beach there. Part of the world famous Chisel Beach this part is made up of lovely small pebbles about 1cm across. Rumour has it that if a local was plonked onto the beach blindfolded,  they could tell where they were on the Beach by around 500 yards just by the size of the pebbles. Today I just gazed at them. And so a jolly 2 hours was spent lying on the pebbles watching the  (mainly) Chinese fishermen fishing off the shingle. And do you know what in the 2 hours we were there I never saw a fish being caught. Just an idyllic morning, sea, shingle and surf, so relaxing, should do more of this.

My view while asleep

July 5th 2014

Ohh what a wonderful day. Today was the Abbotsbury Family Music Festival. Not quite on the scale of Glastonbury which took place last weekend but I love it as it takes place in the Abbostbury Sub-Tropical gardens, Dorset. These gardens being adjacent to the sea are world famous for their exotic plants, a wonderful setting for a music festival amongst the Agave, Schizostylis and Camellia. This mid-afternoon to evening festival is usually fronted by the UK's premier folk duo Show of Hands, who also help organise it. This year one half, Steve Knightly acted as compare and held the performances together. After weeks of unbroken sunshine last night it rained solidly for 8 hours, the forecast for today was for showers. Ohh dear.!  But as it happened apart from a few spots mid session, the Festival was dry and about as relaxing as a music event should be. One act in particular stole the show, new to me, Sheelanagig. Historically Sheela na gigs were figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated lady tunnel. I guess these chaps are not quite the same. Infact they're not quite the same as anyone. A heady blend of Balkan, Gypsy, Russian, Folk music, fused with comic mayhem, played with a panache and rhythm only expert musicians can do whilst looking like they're messing about. They got a standing ovation from the crowd and well deserved it was too. 

The evening ended just after 9pm and on the way back to the pub we were staying in, a gorgeous sunset played out over the Jurassic Coast. Life is sweet.

Postscript - looking at Sheelanagig's website on Monday 7th, my photo tweet was prominent.

July 4th 2014

Tonight was a very entertaining evening. I have a long term friend Chris who I've known since he was brought home at the age of six months old. A strange phrase, but you see he was adopted. Around 10 years ago Chris discussed with me finding his birth mother. It is a huge undertaking both mentally and emotionally for someone who was adopted to set out on a journey to find out who he is. Months of specialist counselling has to take place first to assess whether the person who is looking for their mother can cope with the outcome. Would the path to finding his birth mother be smooth? Would she welcome him, would he be rejected? How would his parents who he calls mum and dad and who adopted him feel about his wish to find her. Well as it happens the first part of the worry failed to materialise and has been an absolute joy to see develop. He met his mum Jen for the first time 2 years ago in her native Northumberland, and I remember the subsequent call by Chris "for the first time in my life I look at a photograph and see me looking back from someone else and where I came from".

His 'new' family have embraced him and as his burgeoning family expand, they are increasingly off to do mother and son things at regular intervals. Tonight I met Jen and her husband of 30+ years Jim (unrelated to Chris) for the first time. And they are both lovely and Chris is obviously over the moon finding his mum. They are all en-route to a fortnight's holiday in Cornwall and came to me for the evening during a stop over. I had envisaged taking a photograph of us all to celebrate, but it just didn't seem right this time. A photo therefore of the preparations of industrial sized quantities of food for the event.  I'm so pleased for Chris, a long journey but one which has been a resounding success. Well almost, as sadly his parents (those who adopted him) are less than happy this has happened and a distinct frostiness has developed between them all. I don't think Chris's adoptive parents and Jen will ever meet, something Chris is desperate to happen as he has never wanted to move on from the couple who made him who he is and loved him as their own son.  I can't put myself in the mind of parents who adopted a son and presumably feel rejected. I just don't know. It would be nice if this was resolved though, life is too short not to be happy.

July 3rd 2014

 

Okay I was wrong last night then. This may not be the most exciting of photographs but its shows rain. After the wettest and stormiest winter for 100 years, one of the mildest too, spring maintained the mild conditions and from April it has increasingly durned dry. Since early May rainfall has been scarce. Today then as the ran arrived in the first appreciable amounts for weeks it seemed auspicious to record its arrival. Of course there'll become a time when I'll be fed up with rain, but for the moment during this wonderful summer of unbroken sun shine and warm days, a drop of rain now and again is most welcome. Cuts down on the amount of watering needing to be done in the garden too.

July 2nd 2014

 

Today these starlings gathered on the wires. Normally I'd not take much notice of this but yesterday a report came out that even though its the first few days of July, autumn seems to be happening early. I thought about this as around 150 starlings covered the wires and then fell like a black waterfall into the field. Looking at the photograph later there are a lot of juvenile starlings here, presumably a good breeding season then. Seeing the gathering flocks is another indicator of nature's wheel of the year. Funnily enough yesterday I had to break through a garden spider web to exit the garden. Spring has been early this year so it makes sense that autumn will be early. Certainly apart from one day in early June I can't remember when it last rained. Given that the winter was the wettest on record, maybe summer will be one of the driest.

 

Certainly the sunset tonight was a pure 'Shepherd's Delight' moment.... fine day tomorrow then.

July 1st 2014

 

It is July the 1st today. I can not believe it is now 9 months since I began this blog recording my 50th year, but now I'm entering the final quarter. I'm so pleased I decided to do this on that sleepless night in October. If I'd slept well I'd not have had the grem of an idea come to me. I've begun looking back now at the entries and I'm amazed how many I remember but only due to the image and the words, human memory is fickle.

 

So why the sign at The Brew coffee house next door to the BBC? Well as I walked past this morning the sign amused me, all the more so as I knew that later in the day Julie would be meeting someone there. She had replied to a student who wished to know what it was like for individuals to meet a counsellor away from a formal counselling session for her PhD. As it turned out Julie was the only person to respond to her advert and after meeting in The Brew, being noisy, adjourned to Browns down the road where Julie's conversation was recorded on tape by the lady. Upon finishing Julie text'd me and I met her back at Brew for an early luncheon. So it pays to advertise if you have a coffee shop, as they received a sizeable trade today from us.