Sunday 31st December 2023

It is New Year's Eve and the question arises, what will be the last observation of the year? Something profound (in 2018 I rambled on about the issue of looking back) or maybe something beautiful (in 2013 I'd taken some sunset images). Or maybe just what takes my fancy. This milk vending machine to be precise. We'd had a lovely walk around the Hawk and Owl reserve on the Avalon Marshes then on the way home I pulled into our regular farm vending site for milk, 1 litre for a £1, and a dozen eggs, £3 the dozen. The odd thing is I wrote about this vending machine a couple of weeks ago. However I'd not photographed the excitement of the machine itself in operation with our milk in it. A somewhat fitting end to 2023, the capture of everyday life and off the shelf milk.

And as this pebble says which we saw on our walk, Somerset Rocks.

Saturday 30th December 2023

After yesterday's long drive today was a slow day. A leisurely start was followed by a trip into Weston Super Mare for a coffee (and what turned into an eggs Benedict brunch for me) at Revo Kitchen on the beach there. Julie took this image above while we were there which I edited to blur the background. I thought it's a good one to show me this year, wrinkles and all.

Somewhat better than the image below. There's an odd website going around Facebook at the moment where we can look at what we could look like if we were vikings. Well as my mum's side was Norwegian and Swedish I had to give it a go. Extraordinary, I seem to have grown hair too. 

Friday 29th December 2023

We travelled a day earlier home from our holiday cottage at Slaley. Absolutely nothing wrong with the cottage, quite the opposite, but we'd had enough of the wind and given I come to Northumberland regularly it was decided to leave today. On Thursday evening right through to when we left today the wind was a steady 50mph. Last night in particular it was battering the cottage and the Scots pine shelter-belt nearby, the noise through which was unbelievable. But by 8.05am we we're in the car and saying goodbye to Moorgair Cottage. The route as follows;

Lead Lane to the B6306 and down to Corbridge, join the A69, join A1 at Newcastle, past the Angel of the North then the A1(M) until our first stop at Wetherby Services (102.9 miles) at 10.30. Rejoin A1(M), and today take a detour at Ferrybridge due to lengthy delays at the Wentworth Bridge roadworks. Our detour was along the M62 towards Hull, at junction 34 head south on the A19 to Doncaster, through Doncaster and join the A635 to rejoin A1(M) at junction 37. Heading south until joining the A614 at Clumber. Next stop Woodborough Garden Centre (162.7 miles) at 12.05. 

We had a nice lunch at table 20 (which used to be table 21), my veggie curry was lovely. Julie had a fish finger sandwich. Bought some more battery lights and 9 hyacinth and then at 1.25pm we were off again. Joined the A6097 then the A46 at East Bridgeford. Continued to Leicester where we joined the M1 for one junction and then onto the M69, which we continued on to Coventry before rejoining the A46 to Stratford-upon-Avon then Evesham and at Tewkesbury join the M5. A bit of slow traffic at Bristol as always but got home at 4.35pm having travelled 342.6 miles during that time. There are quicker routes, but this route which I've done for a few years now is pleasant, scenic and mostly traffic free and has a perfect stop at almost half way.

And Gingernut was pleased to see us and today while travelling we saw the sun rise and then the sun set. It's a long way.

Thursday 28th December 2023

It was on the theme of upright structures that caught my eye today. We were in Hexham catching up with my friends Andrew and Siobhan, just back from Christmas in Vienna and Budapest. After a two hour coffee then fizz catch up in the Beaumont Hotel they headed off to prep for their Christmas brunch tomorrow while Julie and I headed into Hexham to visit the fabulous Cogito bookshop, where I purchased an Oliver Rackham book on the Helford River, and some cards. We then popped next door into the oddly named Hextol Tans vegetarian cafe which I learnt helps people with learning disabilities gain confidence through work. A bowl of spicy courgette soup later Julie had a card to post, which meant popping it into this very festively knitted Victorian box. Nearby there was a display of upright, if broken, casement clocks in the passageway to an art gallery. Hexham certainly is an up and coming town, and not before time.

Wednesday 27th December 2023

 

Oh snow. Okay not enough snow to make a snowman, but it will do for us. We'd been awake for a while when we noticed it was a strange light coming into the bedroom window. It was about half an hour before sunrise. Julie looked out and said "it's snowing" and it was, wet flakes coming down quite heavily. It was the sort of snow that won't last long, but that's not the point, we'd hoped for snow while we were up here, and it had happened.

Later that morning we headed over to my father's near the coast. It was torrential rain there and three degrees warmer than at Slaley. Not as windy either but the North Sea was rough. A proper winter's day.

Tuesday 26th December 2023

I'd eaten something with gluten yesterday (discovered Pringles contain wheat) and as a consequence I wasn't in great shape today, in fact despite the calm conditions and clear blue skies I spent the whole morning in bed. Julie ventured out to Slaley Forest a couple of times though. In the afternoon I felt a little better and got up. We then played Line Of 4 which is a type of game I tend to like, easy to play but fiendishly complex to win once the principles are adhered to. In one game I had three maybe 4 options lined up, but in the end none made it to four in a row. In that game nobody won. Good entertainment.

Later I remembered I'd brought Gideon along with me. He was given to me a couple of years ago as a joke, but I like him therefore he comes to places with me, like Northumberland. He was however overjoyed to be released from my rucksack and able to enjoy the view from the bedroom window. It's good to make him happy 

Monday 25th December 2023

Christmas has arrived, but these two images were taken late at night. In truth the moonlit one was 4am on Boxing Day but I'm allowed the break my own rules. Christmas Day dawned mild and wet in Slaley. However inclement my mind was transported back to 1980 and my Christmas Day at Titlington. I'm in a very similar landscape in 2023 and I love it. 

For the day itself we drove to East Boldon to spend a few hours with dad. A few visitors there but by 3.30pm he was tired and went to bed. We therefore decided to head back to the cottage then. Fire lit we enjoyed the silence of Northumberland with Julie opening her presents, she seemed to like her banded hand drum, then we finished watching the Forsythe Saga before bed. However the image below was later in the night. I'd woken at 3.30 am to moonlight flooding into the bedroom. I ventured outside into a captivating magical scene and took myself on a short walk. Despite it being officially a white Christmas (it snowed in Aviemore) it was mild out in the lane at 4am, blustery too and absolutely silent other than the wind through the trees. Scudding clouds across the moon added to the atmosphere. I was transported into another world for a few brief moments and I liked it very much.

Sunday 24th December 2023

Well we slept through the gale, which by day break was still raging outside. That's 48 hours of over 50mph wind in the north we've been told, and windy for two weeks. Despite the wind, the weather, and my mood after the long drive yesterday had improved with the sun emerging. The Slaley landscape looked stunning in daylight this morning. First stop the community shop for matches and gravy granules. What a lovely community run place that is, seems to stock just about everything you'd need. That done, and a good chat with the chap behind the counter, it was off to Hexham.

We arrived at the Abbey just after a service had ended, some of the congregation were on the way out, the remainder having tea and biscuits. I sat for a while taking it all in. Not quite the quiet spiritual experience I'd hoped for but an interesting experience nonetheless. I lit a candle for mum.  A quick walk around Hexham followed where we discovered a fantastic independent bookshop called Cogito Books. What a find that was with titles I'd never come across. Julie bought me an early Christmas present of a book about the Brontë's. After that a hot chocolate each in the Belmont dining rooms and back to the cottage to spend the afternoon resting and meeting the cottage owners Gordon and Catherine. A different Christmas Eve but exactly what the stay in the cottage is meant to do, a lot of relaxation and the fire on.

Saturday 23rd December 2023

A little over 24 hours from Fridays tree image at the chip shop in Congresbury, I took this image in the cottage we're staying in over Christmas. It's just outside the village of Slaley near Hexham in Northumberland. We arrived about 3.30pm and were greeted with a festively decorated cottage, inside and out. What a wonderful location, very rural and we arrived while strong winds were battering the landscape. Having left Somerset 6.30am we arrived at Corbridge just after 2pm, had a break at Brockbush Farm Shop and arrived here to a warm and inviting place - though we can't find the matches so unable to light the wood burner. As I write this at 9.30pm a gale is battering the house and it is 9 degrees outside. Very very atmospheric, and the north is different to the south, not least as it is so far away, except it's my home.

 

Friday 22nd December 2023

I'm actually writing this on the day after the day this was taken to illustrate travel and distance. This tree in the fish and chip shop at Congresbury was snapped at around 2pm today. It was my last day at work but I needed to pop out for a bit so Julie came with me. Chores done we were hungry so popped into the chip shop for, what else, a cod and chips. I have to say their tree was lovely. After lunch spent time packing for tomorrow, as we're off to Northumberland and a 330 mile journey.

 

Thursday 21st December 2023

As if on queue, this January Gold daffodil has come into flower today, traditionally the shortest day. Although the winter solstice is not until 3.27 am tomorrow, the 21st of December always features as a high spot in my year. I don't mind the dark nights, but I much prefer the longer days of summer. But as with all things if we had summer days all year we'd feel bereft of change. And this is what this daffodil represents to me, change. It is the wheel of life revolving. Yes it is still early winter but this first of I hope many blooms brings with it hope, new beginnings and a desire to look forward not backwards. As if to compound that feeling at 4.30pm this image grabbed me. What it doesn't record is the strange light that emanated all around. A half light if you will that spoke of late winter not today mid December. The nights are shortening although it'll be January 6th before the sunrise is a little later. Three cheers to the daffodil then.

 

Wednesday 20th December 2023

Well here it is, my last day of 2023 working in the office. I don't finish work until Friday but I'll be working from home. Actually I've quite a bit to do. However I couldn't let my last day of the year in Bristol pass without highlighting this tremendous display outside the electricians workshop on site. These lights are in place all year, but in December they're switched on along with some suitable music. As I walked by today however it made me smile, lights, a rubbish bin, various bits of unwanted stuff, simply tragic. It's the perfect Christmas scene. One of the best I'd say. Just needs a donkey.

Aside from this a couple of interesting chats today. I heard my name being called at lunchtime while coming out from Sainsbury's, it was Fergus Beeley one of the greats of wildlife filmmaking. He left the NHU a few years back and now has left the industry altogether after completing a film on birds for a cable channel. Since then he had founded a medi-vac charity and having been in Ukraine last year he will be off to Gaza soon. It was so nice to see Fergus, must be 7-8 years since we last met and a great guy.

Then just before I came home Dave Terry popped into the office to let me know it's his very last day at the BBC. It's all happened very quickly apparently but he's taking redundancy. Nice chap and has been at the BBC for 37 years. He will be a miss in the Electronic Services department, not least as he's one of the linchpins of keeping local radio and TV technologically on air, old school skills being let go, he plans to play more badminton.

 An interesting day indeed.

Tuesday 19th December 2023

Two almost identical images, taken today about seven hours apart. I was at Worle Parkway, the nearest railway station to home. Julie was catching the 09.35 train to Bath Spa where she had a routine every two year appointment to undertake an echocardiogram. As we sat in the car this morning it was absolutely torrential. The forecast said as much, a cold front travelling south during today to be followed by colder but drier conditions. Correct. 

As I picked Julie up at Worle Parkway at 4.15pm, the rain had stopped a few hours earlier and it was developing into a lovely evening with a stunning sunset. Temperature tonight 7oC and this morning in the rain? 10oC.

Monday 18th December 2023

I've become a little obsessed by the weather at Slaley Northumberland recently. The reason is we're heading up there for Christmas, with the cottage we've booked being at an elevation where cold weather may mean no travel. Like many spur of the moment ideas in the summer reality can bite a little during these dark days before Christmas. The cottage is in a glorious spot and about 30 miles from my dad. We'll go and spend Christmas Day with him and that's why I've become an obsessive weather watcher. Last Saturday heavy snow was forecast for Christmas Day, it has now changed to rain. Will it return to snow? Only time will tell, however being 300 miles north of where we live it will certainly be colder than Somerset, how cold though is in the lap of the gods.

Sunday 17th December 2023

I'd just purchased some milk from the vending machine at Westhay and having returned to the car I thought to myself I'll record this everyday activity. These milk vending machines are becoming quite common now. This particular set up I use regularly and sells milk at 1 litre for £1 or 0.5 litre 50p, reusable bottles for the milk £3. Eggs, £1.50 a half dozen, cheese at various prices and Hullabaloo drinks which are especially welcome in high summer.

I found myself passing here this afternoon after a successful Christmas shopping trip to Clark's Village in Street. When I arrived I struck up a conversation with a lady, owner of the silver car, who was buying two and a half dozen eggs but struggling to find enough change to pay for them. I like that quirky side to this set up. Eggs purchases are cash only in an honesty box, everything else is bought by using a contactless card system.  

A week or so ago I came with my reusable bottle but had forgotten the top, The farmer is very friendly and after knocking, as I waited by his door for a replacement top I surveyed his hallway which was stacked floor to ceiling with new egg boxes, exactly how a working farmhouse should be. What I've never tried here are the flavoured syrup for milk. There are half a dozen flavours allowing the purchase of a milk-shake after adding to your litre or half litre. Possibly then something to try on a warm summer's day.

Saturday 16th December 2023

 Today we walked across the desolate but inspiring landscape of Steart Point. This relatively new nature reserve has reclaimed farmland for inter-tidal wetlands. Sitting adjacent to Bridgwater Bay it was, it is, a perfect location to breach the sea wall and, at high tide, let the Bristol Channel flow in. As the vegetation of the now named Steart Marsh changes to an esturine mix so in come the birds. That said today it was the wonderfully moody clouds that caught my attention. Small gaps allowed brighter shafts to appear, reflected in the water. Everywhere I looked there was a scene to take in but I particularly liked this one looking back to the Quantocks. It's hard to see but on the horizon to the right the sun had burst through illuminating a few fields. Quite mesmerising, plus taking this as a black and white image added to the magic.

Friday 15th December 2023

 It has been surprisingly difficult to grab an image off the television. It is Friday night and Julie and I are watching what for years was the Olympia Horse Show but now held at the ExCel centre. The London International Horse Show, this stalwart of the Christmas season, has been a fixture for decades, not just me but others I've known. Tonight it is the Puissance and already half a dozen riders are out. In the old days this used to be on BBC 2, these days we have to find it on the BBC Red Button channel 601. The drama is still there and as the commentators mention it's a sell out at the arena. It's interesting how such sports as equestrianism are seen as elitist and sidelined from the mainstream but in reality they are massively popular with the public. The winner was Guy Williams from Britain on Mr Blue Sky UK, which is Guy Williams 5th Puissance win in this competition. And the height jumped? 7 foot 2 inches which is astonishing. Guy and Mr Blue Sky seen below during round 1.

Thursday 14th December 2023

 It is simply the image that I like today. I'd had lunch elsewhere but before heading back into the office I popped down the hill to the Bristol Museum as I'd seen a gift that could have Julie for Christmas. As it turned out on my second visit to the museum shop I wasn't sure about the gift, but on leaving I fancied a hot chocolate. It was while sitting with that beverage that I looked up at this view which was quite astonishing. It's not often a cafe has a dinosaur flying overhead (although it's a marine dinosaur). An excellent diversion on a winter's day.

Wednesday 13th December 2023

 

Hands up, this is not my photograph, and, it was taken and sent to me yesterday by Julie. The reason was the book, newly purchased.  A couple of years ago this book won the Richard Jefferies Award for nature writing. However I'd so far failed to getting around to reading it. Then yesterday a comment on my Wessex-Reiver blog reminded me of this book, and in conjunction with the alpacas last week in their orchard it sort of stood out as book to read. Julie happened to be near Waterstones in Clifton yesterday, thus following a quick phonecall the book was in the bag, literally. However it was today that I began to read it. I have to say so far I'm enjoying it, though admittedly I'm only a short way in so far.

Wednesday 12th December 2023

The table after the lunch before. Today is a day of news I've been expecting for a few years. The occasion was the production management Christmas lunch but the news which was announced was that our Unit Manager Kate Chaney is finally retiring at the end of March. She'll be 67 then and will have worked for the BBC for forty years, 25 in the radio department. Seven years ago it was thought Kate would retire but she has steadied the Network Audio ship through all its changes wonderfully. I've sometimes wondered how she has done it especially over the last few years with the merger of different departments. Kate will be a huge miss. And true to form she bought us all lunch in Starlings cafe in Clifton, on a wet if mild December day. The end of an era is coming.

Monday 11th December 2023

Well this is a fearsome beast. Behold the new fangled automatic cat food dispenser. As we'll be away over Christmas even though our neighbours will look after Gingernut while we are away, to take some of the pressure off them over the Festive Period I've bought this automatic dry cat food provider. It was a bit of a faff to set up yesterday, today however is it's first full day of operation. I'm running it now as a trial and it seems great. So far  no problems, in fact the opposite Gingernut has taken to it like, well like a cat to an automatic food dispenser, and licks the bowl clean.  I've just got to get the portions right now so we don't overfeed him but all in all a sensible buy as it means even if we go away for a long day we'll know he's got some food at least and not worry.

Sunday 10th December 2023

I am sending a few Christmas cards this year but a handful of unlucky victims, sorry favoured friends and family are receiving this short story. I wrote it back in September, with six revisions since then it is now ready to be unleashed onto the unsuspecting public. I wonder what they'll make of it, the title page suggests it is a Georgian era comedy, however as the pages turn Ambrose's life takes a dark turn indeed. I love writing, but I have never been interested in publishing my stories until now. Could this be the approach of my pensionable age, time passing and a wish to leave a legacy? Or pure ego and a wish to make money? Or simply I note many books published that I find intriguing are surprisingly covering the same themes once I actually read them. Self publishing is big business now. I wonder then, could 2024 be a publishing year?

 

Saturday 9th December 2023

What a strange day. I'm a regular visitor to Wells market on a Saturday. Around Christmas time there are extra stalls and fun. Not today. I had driven through some impressive flooding on the Somerset Levels and arrived at Wells market, but it wasn't there. About a dozen stalls were littered across the market place but the rest were missing. I was told due to the weather warning for heavy rain today that most stallholders had decided not to come, which given it's two weeks to Christmas is interesting. The result however was my plan to do some stocking filler shopping was not going to happen. Plan B then. The Bishops Palace.

I've an annual pass for here so my plan was just to have half an hour peace and quiet. Which I did. Firstly I lit a candle for mum in the chapel, then looked at the decorations. Then followed a wander around the gardens. This evening and across December the gardens are illuminated between 3.30pm and 7.30pm, at eleven in the morning I could see only the structures bejeweled with lights.

The gardens are lovely even in mid-winter and I headed for the quiet garden. Here a grove of silver birch surround a seating area where in the evening silence is preferred for an hour. I'd say though every time I've been here, even in summer, it's been quiet. Today I was in my own little world. My wander around the garden over I nipped back I to Wells for lunch at the Good Earth, an excellent chick pea curry, and some non festive shopping.  Then home via Hillier's in Cheddar and six new guppy fish to keep our lone guppy happy in his aquarium. A strange day indeed but I enjoyed it very much.

Friday 8th December 2023

Working from home today but as Julie was home we popped out to Congresbury to post some things and as it turned out have a quick lunch in the Congrars cafe. Next door to which however is a new to us Ziggy's Deli. Always a good excuse to have a look around we went to buy half a dozen eggs. It looks very nice, usual things, cheeses, things in jars, Hobbs bread but also a small seating area for a coffee. We will have to try this next time we want a quick lunch. It's always good exploring somewhere new.

Thursday 7th December 2023

A sign of the times, maybe. For the last thirty years come December Fountain Forestry turned up at the corner of Alma Road and Whiteladies Road in Clifton to sell Christmas trees. In past years the whole corner was covered in trees for sale. It's been a traditional point of time in the annual year with the shed needles still visible in the summer around the permanent trees there. Today I wandered up past this spot for the first time in ages and noticed the trees were there. But, as opposed to previous years, very few for sale. In the heavy rain it made for a tragic view of times past. Now I don't know if whoever now is selling the trees had had a run on sales and starting to run out of stock, but given it is only December 7th this is a moot point. On the opposite corner the Dobbies local houseplant shop had a 20% sale of all Christmas decorations in place. Maybe the reports of less spending this Christmas are true, and I could suggest this is no bad thing, if Christmas becomes less about consumerism and more about being with people or giving something back.

 

Wednesday 6th December 2023

Well this is exciting. This morning on the Little Alpacas Facebook page there was a write up of yesterday's trip down there. As they say everyone has their 15 minutes of fame during their lifetime. I'll be signing photographs next. 

 

Tuesday 5th December 2023

 

What a brilliant day. Julie booked us on to spend a morning looking after alpacas, in particular the boys and girls at Little Orchard Alpacas near Axminster in Devon. In total we spend four hours here helping Vic the owner feed, poo pick, exercise, check body condition, eye health, apply vitamins orally and generally care for the 20+ alpacas she has. It wasn't our first visit, that was in July, a very hot day where we just walked them. We we're meant to do this session in November but it was rained off, and converted to today which thankfully was dry. Today was much more hands on. And I loved it as did Julie. They're such characters alpacas, love being around people and really placid, though they can kick and jump. It was so nice to be outside doing this work, it didn't feel like work at all, hopefully we'll get back next year for another session. Lovely part of the world too.

Monday 4th December 2023

An absolutely appalling day weather-wise - heavy rain began overnight and continued until around 7pm. Some areas of the West Country had a month's rain in 12 hours. It was a good day then to stay inside and do some equipment sorting at work. This is my den. Of course it would be wrong of me to call it that, but I spend a fair bit of time in this equipment store. In this view there's a shelf of old Nagra recording devices down the left, underneath which are Codecs, portable connection devices. Batteries in the boxes at the end and on the right headphones, microphones and other paraphernalia. I quite like spending time in here, it's quiet and I can disappear from view for a while. Today I fashioned a rudimentary pair of windjammers for a pair of mono mics that will be recording an Open Country from a beach on the Isle of Man. It's an interesting part of my working life.

Sunday 3rd December 2023

All weekend images have filtered through social media or on the news of a Winter Wonderland. Across the UK but especially in southern Cumbria snow has fallen to produce idyllic scenes. In other areas of England heavy frosts produced similar views. And while here in Somerset we have had some frosty days, today as I drove around the lanes near home at 10am it struck me that this scene is more typical of this part of the world. It was 7 degrees, the relentless rain made everything sodden, and the thick cloud made for a grey half light. This is more typical of a Somerset winters day. Someone mentioned on Facebook when I posted this 'don't forget the mud'. And Amy is quite right. A Somerset countryside winters day is always muddy, with a good chance it'll be wet, and more often than not mild (for the time of year). Definitely not an area to expect a White Christmas.

 

Saturday 2nd December 2023

An unexpected art filled day. We woke to a really penetrating frost with freezing fog to provide atmospheric drama. Deciding what to do, after an abortive attempt to go to Taunton by train (it was cancelled) we drove there through a real winter fog. First stop the Somerset Museum, for a hot chocolate which had not been the reason for visiting Taunton, that had been Christmas shopping. But beverage break over we had a wander through the Museum which I'd not done before and it is well worth a visit. That done we went to the latest art exhibition in the Museum, a retrospective of Alex Hollweg who for nearly 50 years operated from the hamlet of Nettlecombe, which in turn attracted other artists and became an artist magnet. He died in 2020 and this is the first, and largest, exhibition of his work since then. I liked his work which was eclectic in form and style. I plan to return for a longer visit before the exhibition ends in March. We picked up some art magazines and enjoyed the arty Christmas tree in the Museum. Art is good for the soul on a very cold December day.