Yep, a slight change from pictures as today’s been full of surprises due to the weather, which has been wet, wet, wet. The wind and rain have never stopped all day, kyboshing any hopes I had out getting out for a walk as I’d have ended up looking like a drowned rat despite my waterproofs. Plus, this is not the time to be bumbling through the woods surrounding the cottage as trees are starting to fall like ninepins.
However, this afternoon the pair of us headed out and over to the Colne valley to pick up Norah and John (Dawn’s parents) as today was Norah’s 81st birthday and we’d a meal booked at the Bulls Head pub in Linthwaite in the Colne valley to the West of Huddersfield. The weather has been filthy as we drove over with several roads flooded and others on the valley sides turning into streams. But, as we drove along Blackmoorfoot Rd we were hit by a cloudburst of the likes I’ve never experienced in the UK before. It swept in from across the valley and within seconds visibility dropped to zero because of the sheer amount of water dropping from the sky that was blowing in on a gale. Dee immediately stopped the car as it was unsafe to drive in those conditions. I’ve only ever seen rain bucket down like that in SE Asia, never in the UK. We were all a bit stunned but I managed to get my phone out and record some of it (but not the height) as it passed. Here’s what we saw.
Once it cleared we got to the pub without further incident and enjoyed some lovely food. I’d been recommend the lamb shank which proved to be delicious – and looked pretty good too…
Heading back we dropped Dee’s folks off and drove back home through yet more heavy rain. Now we’re tucked up in the warm (and dry) and won’t be venturing out again! The forecast isn’t great for next week either but I’m hoping that the Calder won’t be bursting its bank yet again. I’ll venture down to the river tomorrow to see, but hopefully this trend will continue.
The past 24 hours at Bigland Towers have been dominated by (surprise, surprise) the weather. Fortunately we escaped the worst of Friday’s weather but I made sure of that by staying at home for most of the day, only venturing out in the morning to do some shopping before hunkering down in the office to begin editing the hundreds of pictures that I’d taken over the past few days. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the storm hit us. It’s arrival was announced by massive gusts of wind which stayed with us for most of the afternoon/evening. Luckily, we seemed to dodge the damage that was suffered down in the South-West and elsewhere – although we have lost a few trees. Most fences seemed to escape unscathed. Mainly because all the weak or badly-built ones had already blown away in the preceding storms! There wasn’t much left to flatten…
Today we’ve had a different weather phenomenon – snow. Despite it being Saturday I’ve been beavering away at home trying to get all my new pictures sorted as I’ve a new commission come in at short-notice which has a time imperative, so I’ve needed to clear the decks of pictures ready to go with some of the articles I’ll need to turn around pdq in order to leave time for other work. Oh, the joys of freelance work. Jobs are like the proverbial London bus – they all come along at once!
Thankfully, although the snow’s stuck and left us with a decent dustings across the hills it’s not caused any disruption on the roads or railways. A few hours of the predicted rain will soon see it off which is just as well as we have a lunch to attend tomorrow afternoon over in the next-door Colne Valley.
Tonight we’re having a quiet night at home in the warmth of the cottage. Dawn’s busy cooking industrial quantities of her fantastic Lasagne (as she also supplies her parents and stocks up the freezer at the same time) whilst I’m finishing editing pictures and scribbling this and enjoying the delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen.
So, I’ll leave you with today’s picture which was taken from our bedroom window late this afternoon as the snowstorms took a break and the weather cleared just long enough to be able to see clear across the valley to Sowerby.
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Miracle of miracles – it hasn’t rained all day for a change – just all morning! The weather Gods have smiled on Valentines day, not that either of us had anything terribly exciting planned just a quiet night in together with good food and each other for company. Besides, we’ve both been busy working all day, although I did manage to get out and enjoy a brief patch of sunshine during my daily exercise and perambulations though the local woods and park which meant I wasn’t decked-out like I was on an expedition to the North Pole!
There’s only a short blog from me tonight as now I’m busy packing for my next few days away as I’ll be up at sparrow-fart in the morning and don’t want to have to be clumping round at silly o’ clock disturbing Dawn. Everything will be packed and sitting in the living room, allowing me to slink out of the house whilst making as little noise as possible. Hopefully, the fact I’m heading South will mean I’ll be escaping the next severe weather warning – which will make a change. I’m fed up of gales and driving rain. Time will tell. Either way, I’ll have plenty to write about so expect a few different rolling blogs as I traverse the country whilst working on some very different projects.
Right, time to get back to work as I’m also on cooking duty tonight. Our Valentine’s meal is going to be Mussels in a Thai Green Curry – make up your own punchline about having a spicy night! In the meantime, here’s the picture of the day which comes from the latest batch of old slide scans from pictures taken in India. This is the sun setting off the beach in Arambol, North Goa in December 1995 as a group of local fishermen tend to their boat.
See you tomorrow – bright and early!
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It’s been an all-sorts kind of day here at Bigland Towers – although much of it has been spent anywhere but at home! This morning we met Dawn’s parent for brunch at Hinchcliffe’s farm shop which is one of their regular haunts. I must admit, having someone else cook for us made a pleasant change. I plumped for the English breakfast as a rare treat and I was suitably impressed – and stuffed!
Afterwards we adjourned to Chez Platt as Dee had arranged two new phones for her parents and needed to get them up and running. At the age of 87 her dad is now the proud (well, not that bothered, really) owner of a ‘smartphone’! All Dawn has to do now is to persuade him to leave the thing turned on!
Whilst the Dee oversaw the school of telephony and technology I was hunkered down with the laptop, sorting out old slides to go on eBay. After a year-long break I’ve decided to resurrect my account as a way of making some money and decluttering the cottage of some of the railway ephemera and surplus pictures that I’ve garnered over the past few decades. I’ll announce details soon.
To be honest, today was a good day to be stuck indoors as the weather’s been crap all day. We seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of rain and high winds at the moment, which is hardly conducive to wandering far – although I’ll be doing plenty of that next week.
When we finally made it back home after a detour to pick up some shopping Dee stayed at the cottage whilst I nipped out for a couple of hours to join some friends at a local hostelry to do something I’ve not done in decade and play pool. A small group of refugees from the Big 6 have decided that ‘early doors’ on a Saturday is an ideal time to shoot a few games at another local pub and I’ve been co-opted. Relearning old skills has been both fun and frustrating although the former outweighs the latter!
Now I’m at home and blogging this before turning off for the evening as it’s time to relax, listen to the rain and wind beating on the windows whilst curling up in front of a film, but before I do I’ll leave you with another old picture from my batch of slides taken in India in 1995. On the way back from Mapusa market (the last picture I posted) we had to catch the ferry from Siolem to Chopdem. Whilst we were waiting I noticed this very un-Indian vehicle in the queue for the ferry, then noticed that it also had a UK registration plate. Yep, someone had driven this old Ford Transit camper van overland all the way from the UK to India! Sadly, I’ve no recollection of having talked to them as I’d have loved to have known which route they took and how long they’d been on the road!
I wonder if it’s still there?…
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No blog yesterday as (to be honest) there’s not been much to tell. I’ve been continuing to work from home, the weather’s been crap but Dawn’s been continuing to recover from the lurgi. Oh, I have been getting out boost my exercise levels, enjoying wandering around the valley despite the weather, but that’s been about it.
Mundane the routine may be but it’s also been enjoyable as I don’t often get this amount of time to spend at home and next week the pace changes completely due to a short-notice job coming in today which means I’ll be spending much of next week on the road (or more accurately – the rails) as I’ll now be in Leamington Spa on Tuesday, London on Wednesday and Bristol on Thursday, which will give me plenty to blog about!
In the meantime, I’m continuing to make the most of my time at home, including wading through more old slide scans one of which provides today’s picture. This was taken in India in December 1995. I’ve mentioned previously that a group of us all met up in Arambol, North Goa. One of the group was my brother, John. We’d taken a day off from the beach to tour the local market at Mapusa, the main town for North Goa. The market’s an amazingly vibrant place, typical of many Indian markets apart from the fact it’s also dotted with lots of tiny bars as Goa (being an old Portugese colony) has a much more relaxed attitude to alcohol than most Indian states. The market’s a place where hundreds of people of all ages try and scarpe a living – one way or another, which is what led to this picture.
John had been shopping for fruit which he’d been given in the ubiquitous plastic bag. This young girl was trying to sell plastic bags and accosted John. Not unreasonably, he explained he didn’t need it as he’d already got one, quick as a flash, this girl stuck a bigger bag over it and said ‘but I sell you a bag to carry your bag in”! Indian kids are sharp and quick-witted and this little girl was no exception. John couldn’t help laughing and I was on hand to capture the moment on camera as the girl was happy to pose for the picture. Needless to say, she sold her bag! On another occasion I remember a young shoe-shine boy with the same quick wittedness. A friend he was pestering thought he’d got the perfect brush-off when he told the lad “but I like my shoes dirty” – in a flash the kid replied “OK, then I make them dirtier”!
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It’s been another quiet day here at Bigland Towers. Dawn’s been down with the lurgi – but the old fashioned, common-cold kind rather then anything more exotic (thankfully) so I’ve ensured I’ve stayed at home to be on hand and keep a constant supply of Lemsip’s (mixed with Dee’s home-made fresh lemon and ginger drink) and other foods and liquids ferried to the bedroom. I’ve enjoyed the time at home and not missed much as the weather’s been universally crap. The winds have gone but they’ve left the rain behind and it’s that fine, drifting stuff that gets in everywhere and soon has you soaked. Despite the conditions I’ve been ensuring I break the monotony of staring at a computer screen to get out for a daily stroll. Pictures are lovely, but the views across the Calder valley (well, when the rain clears) are real! Having a full set of decent waterproofs helps in my perambulations as you really need them in this part of the world unless you want to spend a lot of time stuck indoors – or dripping wet.
Hopefully by Friday Dawn will be fighting fit again and I’ll have ploughed through the work I need to clear and be able to sally forth once more. Even if not, I’ve got a few days away arranged for next week, including some interesting jobs arranged that I’ll talk about nearer the time. Today I was diverted by a last-minute request for pictures from a client, it only took a few hours and it was a profitable interlude but it diverted me from what I had planned. That can slip into tomorrow which isn’t a problem as I’m not going anywhere until I can remove the Red Cross from the front door!
Travel brings me on to the picture of the day, which is one of a series I’m currently scanning from a trip to India in 1995-96 when a group of us met out in Goa for Xmas and New Year. Most of the group then returned to the UK but Lynn and I plus our friends John and Helen stayed on and headed South from Goa into Karnataka to visit some archeological sites and the wonderful town of Mysore. Today’s picture is taken just after Xmas. In those days the fishermen of Arambol village came up with a money-making scheme where they’d rent out their boats to take travellers by sea to Anjuna for the weekly ‘flea market’. It was a short-lived venture as safety standards were non-existent. There were no lifejackets and no shade and nothing in the way of luxuries (like space, or proper seats) but it was fun whilst it lasted!
Carefree days…
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Today gave us little respite from the wild and windy conditions that have prevailed this weekend, the only different was that whilst yesterday was wall to wall rain, today was much more ‘four seasons in one day. We kept the high winds and torrential rain but this came in cloudbursts along with bouts of hailstones – in between which we actually had blue skies and sunshine!
To say that the skies were turbulent would be an understatement, but they were also fascinating to watch. The pair of us had little planned other than a quiet day at home. My intention was to spend several hours in the kitchen, batch-cooking for the freezer and fridge in order to give myself more time this week to concentrate on other things. Supermarket ‘fast’ foods are not our bag. We eat healthily and well – and like to know what our food contains.
In order to cook some of the recipes I had in mind I needed to venture out to a local Asian supermarket – despite the appalling weather. Plus, I wanted to get my daily exercise. It wasn’t a problem but I needed to kit myself out in full waterproof gear to do it. You’d have been forgiven for thinking I was headed to the top of Ben Nevis, not the shops, but it did mean I stayed warm – and dry. On the way home I stopped to bide a while on the edge of Halifax, looking across the Calder valley and watched nature in all its raw glory as the weather constantly changed. It was magnificent to watch. I can see why the artist Ashley Jackson moved to Yorkshire as the shadows and light in the Pennines are constantly shifting to put up a fantastic meteorological display. So, here’s a few pictures from today to show you exactly what I mean. These were all taken from today’s walk and within an hour.
The view from the Albert Promenade on the edge of Halifax overlooking the Calder valley with the Wainhouse Tower on the horizon. Looking right across the valley (further to the left from the last view) as yet another storm front passes. Can you believe this is the same day and view as the first picture, just an hour later?
Looking behind myself from the last picture as the sun breaks through a passing storm.
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The usual apologies for absence for yesterday, but nothing exciting was happening so I took a day off to recharge my batteries at home and basically fester. OK, that’s not entirely true, but it’s not far off! The weather’s hardly been conducive to outward-bound adventures as (here in the Pennines at least) the elements seem to be doing their best as making up for dry January. No, not that one (I wasn’t very good at that) but the one that’s far more important and involves rainfall.
Today’s been even worse. The heavens have never stopped opening so neither of us have been up to much other than pottering around at home then popping out for food shopping – which has cost us an arm and a leg. Add all the influences that are driving inflation right now and it still doesn’t account for how prices have risen. OK, we’re told inflations running at 5%. Seriously? Look at the cost of some basic foodstuffs nowadays and you’ll soon see 5% is a massive understatement. Oh, and that’s before we start to look at what our utility (and other bills) are going to look like shortly. And don’t even get me started on the Chancellor’s smoke and mirrors ply with a ‘grant’ towards fuel bills. You’ll be paying it back even if you don’t claim it – as Money-saving expert Martyn Lewis pointed out.
The Tories giveth, and the Tories taketh away…
Despite this confluence of crap there was a couple of rays today. I did something I’ve not done for decades and joined a group of friends in a pub – to play pool! It’s a skill I once had when I lived in London back in the 80s/90s but that’s atrophied ever since. In those days there was a certain pub in the East End near where I lived called the Beehive which was run by an ex-copper that meant we could still be playing in the early hours of the morning – and for money too. Those days are long gone but tonight my muscles and eye remembered a few of the old skills – and it was great fun!
There was no danger of it turning into a late-nighter of old as Dee’s not well and I’m on cooking duty, so it was a case of a few quick games before I’m home chopping shallots to use in an Indian curry. Not that I mind, I find cooking therapeutic. Now all the chores are done and it’s time to relax, so I’ll leave you with the picture of the day. I’ve a new batch of old slides ready to scan but this is one of the first from the new selection.
Back in 1995 a group of us all met up in Goa, India at a place I’d known since a decade earlier. The happy band included friends from London, plus my brother. Apart from Lynn and one other old traveller none of them had been to India before. Some were unprepared. So much so that one friend (I’ll spare their blushes) hadn’t even carried any money as they assumed they’d just be able to go to the nearest ATM…
We arrived on Xmas Eve 1995 and this was how you crossed the rivers in those days..
A ferry from Chopdem arrives in Siolim as we take one in the opposite direction. Xmas eve 1995…
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Only a short blog from me and no politics today as my spleen’s taking a day off. We’ve had a quiet day here at Bigland Towers with the pair of us focusing on work with little else going on other than enjoying our daily strolls. It’s almost as if we were back in our old Covid lockdown routine! I can’t complain as we’ve had a productive day with lots of stuff getting done and some interesting work arranged for later in the month which will feature in blogs nearer the time.
Having been based at home so far this week the tempo changes tomorrow as I’m out and about across Yorkshire mixing business and pleasure. No doubt there’ll be a rolling(ish) blog documenting my travels as and when. But for tonight I’m knocking off and having some chill time so here’s the picture of the day. This is another from a recent batch of old slides from 1995 and shows the inside of the ‘Rundetaarn‘ (round tower) in Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s design, with a curved walkway climbing up seven floors, it’s ideal for those who don’t like stairs!
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Gosh, is it February already? I can’t say I’m too upset. After the past two Covid coated years I was looking forward to 2022 with optimism and renewed hope that we just *might* be starting to recover from all our woes and things would start to pick up. Sadly, for various reasons January was a mixed month to say the least, not helped by the shower of shits who sit on the Government benches in Parliament. I’ve never felt as embarrassed to be British as I am now, looking at this venal, lying and duplicitous bunch who’re more interested in their own careers, partying and lining each others pockets. But I can’t say I’m surprised. Johnson has a long history as a liar and a man who cares only for himself. The fact the Tories thought this qualified him to be their leader says everything you need to know about the Conservative party in the 21st Century. The sycophants and incompetents he’s surrounded himself and appointed to high-office so they owe him personal loyalty makes us look like a banana republic. I mean, Christ on a bike, who in their right mind would entrust Nadine ‘Mad Nad’ Dorries with anything important? I wouldn’t trust her with anything sharp! Her TV interviews yesterday were full on motorway pile-ups. Despite all this, Johnson (am man without an iota of honour) seems to brazen things out, despite the Grey report nailing the fact he lied to Parliament. As a man with no shame, he did it again by accusing Sir Keir Starmer of refusing to prosecute sex offender Jimmy Savile. It was yet another blatant lie, but lies are Johnson’s stock-in trade. He tells them as naturally as breathing.
How long are the Tories going to let this shit-show go on for? Have they any idea how this, their Brexitshambles and their empty bluster against the EU makes this country look abroad, or do they just not care as long as there’s still some money to be made out of it and most people seem in ignorance of what they’re getting away with – or just don’t care?
Sorry, I wasn’t intending to vent my spleen when I started typing, but the words came far too easily!
Away from the political and economic shambles its also been turbulent times here in West Yorkshire, but that’s been down to natural events – the weather! Having survived to named gales we were caught unawares by another one today which literally seemed to slip under the radar. Dawn and I went out for a walk this afternoon wondering if it was a wise move as the amount of trees that were losing branches was becoming worrying. Fortunately we survived unscathed but when I nipped out this evening I noticed a neighbour’s new fence blocking a nearby road. Hopefully the calm will arrive tomorrow. It doesn’t matter too much as I’ve another day based at home, so I don’t have to negotiate my way around a rail network choked with blown-away trampolines, shed roofs or fallen trees.
OK, on to the picture of the day, which has a very different vibe to all this. It’s from my latest batch of old slide scans. It dates from May 1996 and shows a rather special place. Here’s a pub that has what must be a unique location. The Red Lion is in the village of Avebury which is inside a massive Neolithic ditch containing several stone circles. Imagine sitting with your pint outside here, gazing out over a scene like this?
You can find (or buy) many more pictures from Avebury on my Zenfolio website if you follow this link.
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
