who do you still think you are?

Apologies, but I’ve been having a further look at my family history – so this is probably only going to be of interest(?) to family members. Thus far, however, I’ve failed to unearth any fresh insights since I last explored things in 2006. I’ve been looking through records (ie. simply looking at details of my father, grandfather, great-grandfather – not their brothers/sisters etc) and it all appears to be incredibly dull by comparison with the revelations on the BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” programme!
In the last 225 years, tracing the family tree back six generations to the birth of my great-great-great-great-grandfather Robert, our family “seat” has moved less than 50 miles!
Robert Broadway 1786-1844 (cabinet maker): born Radway, Warwickshire; died: Stratford-on-Avon.
John 1814-89 (cabinet maker): b. Banbury; d. Warwickshire.
Frederick 1840-75 (brass worker/cabinet maker): b. Leamington; d: Birmingham.
Frederick 1864-1943 (brass dresser): b. Birmingham; d. Birmingham.
Frederick 1888-1964 (jewelry worker): b. Birmingham; d. Birmingham.
Ronald 1921-1992 (printer/compositor): b. Birmingham; d. Birmingham.
Steven 1949- (architect): b. Birmingham.

On my father’s mother’s side of the family (and following the father-grandfather line etc again), there is a pretty similar picture:
Joseph Flavell 1772-1861 (miner): b. Staffordshire; d. Staffordshire.
William 1795-1856 (cabinet maker): b. Birmingham; d. Warwickshire.
William 1828-1892 (engine fitter): b. Birmingham; d. Birmingham.
Walter 1857-1914 (steam engine fitter): b. Birmingham; d. Birmingham(?).
Rose Flavell 1888-1974 (my grandmother): b. Aston, Birmingham; d. Birmingham.

On my mother’s side, it’s somewhat more difficult. Her grandfather, Albert Walker, appears on the 1901 census in Birmingham – along with his wife Helen and sons Albert 6, Howard 5, Frank (my grandfather) 4 and Joseph 4months… but there’s no sign of any of them on the 1911 census under the “Walker” name. There’s been some family speculation about a name-change from Witcomb or Wickens (when Frank died in 1984, his daughter’s Edna and Mary (my mother) were going through his pockets and found a paper stating he had changed his name from Wickens to Walker!!) and that Albert was a violent alcoholic (according to Frank’s daughter Edna) and ended up living in a hostel. There’s also speculation that the family changed its name after Frank’s father had committed a murder (or jumped ship?). Certainly, we have a certified copy of his birth certificate "for the purpose of employment" dated 1911, signed for by his mother “Helen Witcomb” - referring to his father “Albert Witcomb” as being a brass metal annulater(?)/ journeyman.
The 1911 on-line census is sadly lacking in detail (eg. it fails to list the names of all the people in the household) which makes things doubly hard.
Sadly, thus far, I haven’t been able to come up with anything concrete on the matter (if only the BBC would provide me with some direct assistance!).
With virtually no information as far as my mother’s father’s side, it’s been a little more straightforward as far as my mother’s mother’s side is concerned:
Thomas Bridgens 1806-47 (glass maker): b. Worcestershire; d. Stourbridge, Worcestershire.
William 1826-1909 (glass blower): b. Kingswinford; Staffordshire; d. Shropshire.
Joseph 1862-1917(iron peddler worker): b. Stourbridge, Worcestershire; d. West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
Ada Bridgens 1897-1986 (my grandmother): b. Handsworth, Staffordshire; d. Birmingham.
Given that my ancestors have remained firmed entrenched within a very small geographical area over the past (nearly) quarter of a millennium, I feel somewhat guilty that I’ve broken the family mould and “emigrated” to Bristol!
So, no mariners, no authors, no artists, no politicians, no leading industrialists, no royalty - but it was good to see that we had a late 18th century miner in Joseph Flavell! Just a good(?), straightforward(?), boring(?) working class family.

september-october books

Latest books:
Not Dead Yet (Julia Neuberger): This is essentially a manifesto for old age. I bought it (cheap!) to coincide with my retirement. Initially, it made me feel guilty about retiring “early”, but it also contains some important insights into old age and the need to challenge political thinking on the subject. Thought-provoking and challenging (perhaps I’ll become a political campaigner?!).
Over The Top (Martin Marix Evans): The book provides some interesting background to key battles of the First World War. I was particularly keen to learn more about some of the early battles in 1914-16 that involved my grandfather (eg. La Bassee, Aisne, Le Cateau, Ypres and the Somme). Predictably dry, but informative.
Return To Paris (Colette Rossant): I bought this, together with a batch of other cheap books, on the basis that we were ourselves were just about to “return to Paris”. It’s a coming-of-age biography about the author’s life in post-WW2 Paris. Despite being littered with food recipes (don’t read if you’re hungry!), I found it a surprisingly good read and an ideal holiday book.
AA Gill Is Away (AA Gill): Somewhat pathetically, perhaps, I hadn’t really read any of Gill’s articles/books (amongst other things, he’s the restaurant reviewer/television critic for the Sunday Times). This is essentially a travel book - again bought to coincide with our time in France. His writing was a revelation for me. He has a brilliant writing style – punchy, humorous and intelligent (and, on occasions, somewhat maddening!). I really enjoyed this book and will definitely tracking down other stuff by him from now on.
Leviathan (Paul Auster): I think Auster is a fascinating writer. This is a strange and complicated book about two writers who become close friends and it employs typical Auster themes: the connection between freedom and chaos, isolation and the complexity of interpersonal relationships. Ultimately, this novel seems to be about the desire to discard an identity and begin anew. Although I felt it was ridiculously contrived at times, I found it a compelling read.

golfing at celtic manor

Have just returned from Wales (well, across the Severn Bridge from Newport!) after a couple of days’ golf with great mates Steve, Pete and Bob. We’d found a very good “deal” which provided two rounds of golf at two of their championship courses – Montgomerie and Roman Road (unfortunately, NOT the Ryder Cup course) - plus an overnight stay in their 5-star hotel for £103 each.
The “youngsters” (Steve and me) took on the “oldies” (Pete and Bob) in a 36 hole challenge match. After leading overnight by three holes, we ended up “thrashing” them 4 up and 3 to play. Actually, that’s not quite accurate. Steve more or less “thrashed” them on his own. I really didn’t play well at all – which probably reflected that I’d only played one round of golf (in April) since Southern Ireland Golf Tour last October! Beautiful courses (especially the Montgomerie) and excellent hotel - despite its awful external appearance (especially when viewed from the M4!). We were also pretty lucky with the weather – very windy both days (gusting 40-50mph at times?); showery yesterday, but mainly bright sunshine today.
Lots of laughs and great banter (of course!).
Photo: Steve, me, Pete and Bob by the first tee on the Montgomerie course.

why, oh why, do I love Paris?....

Moira+I had been to Paris a number of times before, but the last time was TWELVE years ago - which seemed a little scary when we realised. We decided to spend three/four days there to round off our boating trip and travelled into Paris on the train, having said our fond farewells to Chris+Lal in Montbard. We found our way to our hotel in Montmartre without any problems (apart from me getting my luggage stuck in the doors of the underground train TWICE within a matter of seconds – much to the considerable amusement/irritation of the other passengers!).
Stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Boulevard Barbes - about 10 minute walk from Sacre Coeur - in what is described as the “lively Montmartre district” (the area certainly had an “edgy” feel to it, especially at night, but we didn’t have any problems). Having dumped our luggage, we walked up to Sacre Coeur to look out across the city. Both the view and the church are stunning beautiful, but I’m afraid it was depressingly (and predictably) FULL of tourists and the cafes and streets felt as if they’d be “Disneyfied”. We sought refuge in the Montmartre Museum (expensive for what it was but, thankfully, lacking in hoards of people!). Had an excellent meal in the evening at La Mandiciotte restaurant in Rue Lepic.
The following (gloriously sunny) day, we caught the Metro to the Eiffel Tour and walked along the banks of the Seine to Notre Dame and then on to the Pompidou Centre. Really lovely walking through Jardin des Tuileries (where we stopped for lunch) and very impressed by Musee de L’Orangerie (Monet’s wonderful “Water Lilies”, plus lots of other beautiful pieces by Chagal, Picasso, Modigliani etc). The last time we’d been in Paris, the Pompidou Centre had been closed and so we were determined to see it this time. Initial impressions weren’t very positive – it looked rather drab (and difficult to keep clean!) and the ground floor entrance area left a lot to be desired. However, the “square” to the west side was full of people, relaxing, and the upper gallery spaces were excellent (with a wealth of good-quality, contemporary art); city views from the top floor terraces were fantastic. Enjoyed another evening meal in another restaurant in Rue Lepic (“Les Trois Coups”).
Sunday was another beautiful sunny day and we caught the Metro south of the river to visit the Musee National du Moyen Age (at Alan+Gareth’s suggestion) – housed in C15th former L'Hotel des Abbes de Cluny. Absolutely beautiful building and some wonderful artefacts (including six charming “Lady with the Unicorn” tapestries). Coffee in Place du Pantheon, followed by simple sandwich lunch, before walking to Place des Vosges (1605-12, classical square) – a rather grander version of Queens Square, Bristol! Sat in the shade of an avenue of trees and read for a while. Returned to the hotel via Bastille – where there was some form of “reclaim the streets” demonstration by hundreds of cyclists (much to the “amusement” of other road-users!). Another evening meal in yet another lovely restaurant in Rue Lepic (“Des Si and Des Mets” – apparently, the first restaurant entirely gluten free in France!).
Final morning spent having coffee in Place Des Abbesses and, finally (we failed on day two!), finding our way into the amazing Cimetiere de Montmartre – a quiet sanctuary set under a raised roadway, packed with family vaults (many looking more like sentry boxes to me!). Arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in plenty of time – only for our flight to be delayed by nearly three hours (technical fault resulting in them having to swap planes).
The only real “blip” to what, for us, had been a magical return to France.
Photo: montage of Paris images.
PS: As a lover of the “Amelie”, I regret to say that I failed to have a coffee in the café featured in the film (Café les Deux Moulins)!
PPS: you can see more Paris pics by clicking here.

fantastic four go boating in france

Moira+ I don’t normally do boats. Neither of us are natural boat people but, when our lovely, generous friends Chris+Lal invited us to spend a week with them on the rivers/canals of Burgundy, we just jumped at the opportunity (I think what clinched it was when Chris asked me if I could tie a bowline knot and I explained that, when I was in the scouts - 50 years ago! - I had learnt how to tie one one-handed.... possibly suspended from a cliff, lock or some such scenario(?). Fortunately, my “skills” were never properly challenged!).
It proved to be a really special week. The weather and the scenery were simply beautiful (and, of course, the company was first class!). There’s something rather lovely and relaxing about motoring down rivers and canals at a stately 6-7km/hour, passing through locks every one or two kilometres, reading in the sunshine, stopping in some stunning locations…. oh, and eating and drinking very well!
Chris+Lal are part-owners of an impressive 50ft long dutch barge – with lounge, eating area and two cabins (each with their own en-suite wc and shower facilities!). The boat was moored in the beautiful town of Auxerre (an area of France neither Moira nor I knew at all), with the cathedral and abbey dramatically dominating the River Yonne frontage. We spent the first evening exploring the town (and finding an excellent restaurant) and the following morning visiting local vineyards (we had our arms twisted, honest!). We then set off up-river as far as Migennes before joining the Burgundy Canal. The following five days saw us reach our destination of Montbard – largely in beautiful sunshine - stopping at St Florentin, Tonnerre, Tanlay and Ravieres along the way (amongst other places). I did scribble out a “log” of our adventures but, to avoid making you feel too envious, won’t bore you with all the details here….
Among the highlights for me were the following:
1. The beauty of Auxerre.
2. The entertaining vineyard proprietor (and successful salesman!).
3. Being sang to by lovely, friendly fellow-boaters at St Florentin (they proved to be 16 French choral singers “on tour”).
4. The STUNNING chateau at Tanlay.
5. The starry, starry sky at Argentenay.
6. The beautiful misty morning at Argentenay.
7. The amazing sunset/red cloudy sky near Ravieres.
8. Gathering loads of walnuts from the boat (from an overhanging tree).
9. Hate to admit this, but I actually enjoyed listening to Chris’s i-pod music (with one or two key exceptions)!
10. Chris+Lal’s generosity (and the comfort that at least THEY knew what they were doing as far as the boating was concerned!).
Photo: Chris, Moira and Lal on board Dorney (you can see other photographs by clicking here).
PS: I think it’s only right that I also point out the following:
a) I did NOT fall into the water once.
b) I did NOT drop my camera over the side.
c) There were a NUMBER of occasions (no doubt, much to the admiration of the lock-keepers?) where I nonchalantly lassoed lockside capstans as we entered locks.
d) There were a NUMBER of occasions (no doubt, much to the amusement of the lock-keepers) where I pathetically FAILED to lasso lockside capstans as we entered locks.
e) I was NOT made to walk the plank (although this was threatened by the skipper on one occasion).
f) I am REALLY good at thanking lock-keepers in the following manner: “merci beaucoup madam/monsieur…. au revoir” (I’m pretty sure they were REALLY impressed by this).
g) I am REALLY good at cycling to boulangeries first thing in the morning and smiling/shrugging (in a rustic gallic way, you understand) and asking for/pointing at the loaves and pastries.

cricket, lovely cricket

Spent an excellent day at Taunton yesterday, with Chris, Bron and Roger, watching Somerset play Lancashire in the final County Championship match of the season. Travel was all very straightforward and relatively cheap - with Chris+I catching the train and then ambling the 5 minute walk from the station to the ground. After some pretty wild weather over the past few days, we were incredibly fortunate to have bright blue skies for most of the day.
All very civilised and thoroughly enjoyable (and quintessentially English!) – there’s something incredibly reassuring about watching an old-fashioned, four-day game of cricket. It’s clearly how an awful lot of retired people spend their summer days and, frankly, I think it has much to commend it!
Photo: “the slips go down as the quick bowler races in….”
PS: the day finished with Somerset just 5 runs ahead of Lancashire and with 5 wickets down (with one day left and Lancs’s second innings still to come)…. and facing rather humiliating defeat.

9/11…. ten years on

Everyone can remember that day ten years ago…. For me, I was in my office and Jan, one of our architectural staff, had picked up some incredible footage on the internet of a plane hitting one of the twin towers in New York. We all watched in total disbelief – each of us speculating as to what must have happened…. a technical malfunction? pilot error?.... nothing seemed to make sense. Then the second plane hit the other tower and, after various “OMG” exclamations etc, we all went VERY quiet. It seemed clear that this was some sort of deliberate, planned attack. Like many people, I suspect, we didn’t get any work done in the office for the rest of the afternoon…. we kept on checking updates via the internet. I remember getting home and simply staring at the television for hours on end; eventually going to bed but continuing to listen to updates via the World Service.
Completely sickening.
Just over three weeks later, Ken, Steve and I were in New York – as part of our pre-arranged (amazing) golf tour of New York State (Steve+I were in the air as US/UK air strikes took place in Afghanistan). Ken, who had arrived in NYC on business a couple of days earlier, had been brought up in New York; as a kid, he’d watched the twin towers being built. We all knew that our relatively limited time in the NYC would be very harrowing, particularly for Ken. Understandably, we weren’t allowed to get close to the twin towers site (thank goodness… and I only have a few non-digital photos, so I can’t show post them here), but these are some of my key memories of that time:
a) There were stars+stripes EVERYWHERE.
b) Security was massive!
c) Groups of people would be standing and applauding every truck (demolition/construction/fire) that entered the twin tower “zone”.
d) When people knew that Steve+I were British, they were effusive in their praise for Tony Blair (who they clearly felt would make a much better US president than Bush) – for what they saw as his powerful and appropriate words in response to the attack.
e) We were able to eat in one of the best restaurants in Greenwich Village (normally we would have had to have booked weeks in advance) and were welcomed with open arms – by and large, it seemed that people were afraid to venture out of their homes.
f) We took a boat ride on the Hudson river and simply stared at the “void” in the skyline that WAS the World Trade Centre and the ongoing stream of smoke and steam that continued to rise from the site.
g) Ken gave a memorable sermon at St Mary’s church, Thame within a matter of days of 9/11 (I’ve tried to track down a link to a tape but, thus far, without success – Ken: any suggestions?).
I returned to New York five years ago with Ken (plus Moira, Debby, Gail and Ian) and, thanks to his generosity, we stayed in a beautiful hotel in downtown Manhattan (as you do!) - only some 200m or so from the World Trade Centre site itself. I still found it very difficult to take in the full extent of what had happened on 9/11, but going to St Paul’s Chapel (located immediately alongside the site and which, amazingly, survived intact) brought it all into focus. This link gives some idea of what went on there.
My own (badly) patched-together photograph of the World Trade Centre site shown here (taken in 2006) sadly fails to convey the extent of the devastation that took place in September 2001 but, for me, it provides a poignant reminder of that fateful day.
I just hope and pray that there aren’t any major incidents to mark today’s tenth anniversary.

august-september books

More books:
The Sea (John Banville): This is our book group’s next book; it’s written in the form of a reflective journal of the storyteller who is trying to come to terms with his wife’s recent death and events from his childhood. It has a strange, almost haunting quality as it contemplates matters of memory and experiences. The story constantly fluctuates between recent events and those that happened in his childhood you can almost sense the writer putting down the words on paper in longhand as things entered his head as. I very much enjoyed the book (although I did find it a little surprising that it had been good enough to have won the 2005 Man Booker Prize).
Team of Rivals (Doris Kearns Goodwin): A truly stunning book about the “political genius” of Abraham Lincoln and how he appointed his fiercest (and better-known) rivals to key cabinet positions. It’s a VERY lengthy, but very engaging and highly-readable, historical narrative which provides a fascinating insight into Lincoln’s presidential election in 1860, political leadership and the American Civil War. It took ten years to write and its 120 pages(!) of notes/references illustrate the author’s extensive research. I particularly liked the description of what was probably the first “proper” presidential debate (numbering seven in all) – where the ”first contestant spoke for an hour, following by a one-and-a-half hour response, after which the man who had gone first would deliver a half-hour rebuttal” in front of “huge” crowds (and with newspaper stenographers working diligently to take down every word!). The day of the “sound bite” had yet to be invented!! My best book of the year without a shadow of doubt – and is the probably one of the best I’ve EVER read. Simply brilliant.
A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway): I’m rather embarrassed to admit that this is the first Hemingway book I’ve ever read (at least, I think that’s the case). It’s a semi-autobiographical novel set in the First World War; the principal character is an American ambulance driver during the Italian campaigns. It contrasts personal tragedy against the impersonal cynicism and futility of war. A powerful book – and I’ll certainly endeavour to read more Hemingway over the coming months and years.
Salvation on the Small Screen? (Nadia Bolz-Weber): The prospect of me reading a book on American Christian television programmes is frankly ludicrous. However, after listening to the author at Greenbelt a couple of times (and I’d previously read her entertaining blog from time to time), I decided that her “take” on watching 24 hours of TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) would, at the very least, be entertaining. It WAS and, fortunately, Nadia simply confirmed all my prejudices!
The Accidental Pilgrim (Maggi Dawn): (Two "religious" books: do you get the impression we might have been to Greenbelt?!). This is a relatively short book about rediscovering what it might mean to be a pilgrim in our fast-moving 21st century. Initially, I have to admit that I felt it was somewhat lightweight in nature but, ultimately, was rather charmed by what she had to say.

friday at the “library”

This photograph was taken in the Warwick Arms pub, Clutton at 4.30pm this afternoon. It shows a group of (lovely) Bristol-based teachers who just couldn’t wait to celebrate the start of the weekend (it was, afterall, the end of the first full week of term!). E-mails will have previously been circulated at school arranging to meet at the “library” after school… which, obviously, was mere code for the “pub”! We’d set up this “start-to-the-weekend” facility about a year ago (an extension to the Bristol Self-Help Group!) and it has proved to be a popular “chill time” for getting frustrations off your chest and for comparing highlights of the week.
This happens every Friday and I’d decided to use my bus pass to join them in Clutton today – on the basis that “someone” would give me a lift home (which Andy did!).
It was great to see former colleagues again and good to know that the school was surviving without me….
Photo (left to right): Ben (legs only, sorry!), Emma, Laura, Amy, Iain, Tom, Newby1(?), Charlotte, Newby2, Andy (legs only, sorry!), Helen and Liz (legs only, sorry!).
Apologies for the poor picture (I didn’t have my glasses!).

dreaming in stratford

Moira+I went to Stratford yesterday to see the RSC’s latest version of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the newly transformed Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Felix was playing “Snug” – and was very funny; he’s also understudying for “Bottom” and has so far had to play that part three times… which must feel very scary!). It’s definitely my favourite Shakespeare play and last night’s performance (despite a rather strange beginning?) was absolutely magical (literally).
Great friends from Thame (Ros+Eric and Christine+Bob) joined us and it was really good meeting up for lunch at Lambs beforehand – before going on an excellent theatre tour.
A really lovely day.
Photo: Moira, Christine, Bob, Ros+Eric outside the RSC.
PS: One rather strange thing: the start of the performance was delayed 5 minutes because a school group was late arriving (don’t know the reason), which was a little irritating, but… then Bob+I noticed that the group didn’t return to their seats after the interval! What on earth was going on? Felix is going to investigate….

goodbye gorillas!

Today is the final day of Bristol’s wonderful “wow! gorillas” public art event (artists have decorated 61 life-size gorillas, sponsored by local businesses which have been placed around the city for the last 10 weeks). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it (even though I haven’t tracked down all the gorillas) and it’s been brilliant to see the reactions from young children throughout that period - Iris and Rosa have thoroughly enjoyed discovering them.
Just brilliant… what’s going to be next?

Photo: a montage of just fifteen random gorillas (my two favourites are pirate gorilla (top row, middle) and Brunel gorilla (middle row, middle).

the hedgehog

I have to admit that I had some reservations about seeing this film. It’s “loosely” based on one of my favourite books: “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery and, as always on such occasions, I didn’t want the film to spoil the book. The book is beautifully written from the perspective of two intelligent individuals (the rather grumpy concierge of an apartment building and the precocious eleven year-old daughter, Paloma, of a privileged family who occupy one of the apartments) and one of its endearing qualities is its graceful writing style. For me, Mona Achache’s film (with Josiane Balasko and Togo Igawa very well cast as the concierge and the new, wealthy Japanese tenant) doesn’t capture the magic (or literary quality) of the book – I found Paloma’s film-making, in lieu of her journal-writing in the book, somewhat redundant. It was also sad (but, I suppose, inevitable) that the film missed out so much of the early part of the book – which conveyed important background to her character and her daily routine. However, I did feel that the film very successfully conveyed Paloma’s love of Japanese art and culture.
Like the book, I found the film uplifting, poignant, encouraging and optimistic. It certainly wasn’t one of the best films I’ve ever seen but, nevertheless, it was charming and watchable.

officer class?

Not sure if I’m amused (in a laughing maniacally kind of way) or appalled by the prospect of a new “free school” in Manchester which is due to be staffed entirely by former soldiers. It’s intended that the school (with army captain Affan Burki as headteacher) would offer students “ambitious academic goals, outdoor activities and a demonstration of ‘martial values’”. This coincides with an announcement from Mike Gove that ministers are to scrap a requirement for teachers to record instances when they use physical force, as a part of a wider move to “restore adult authority” in the wake of the recent riots. Tom Burkard (a research fellow at the Centre of Policy Studies who is on the steering committee for the planned Manchester school) – and someone who, no doubt(?), has years of experience at the coalface of education, has helpfully explained that “all the old remedies for poverty, under-achievement and alienation have been tested to destruction. The consequences were starkly before us on the streets of Tottenham and Croydon. But before we put troops on the streets, we should consider putting them in our schools”.
I think they’ve finally lost the plot….

PS: All this just happens to be emerging as the Ministry of Defence gave details of its redundancy programme and coincides with plans by the government to encourage former members of the armed forces to take up teaching, by providing sponsorship and a fast-tracked undergraduate route.

“proper” retirement begins here….

It seemed very strange waking up today knowing that my school friends were all starting their new academic year. Today, perhaps for the first time, the reality of retirement finally registered. Feeling the need to mark the occasion, Moira+I went for a coffee at no.1 Harbourside Café (as I often have over recent weeks) and sat outside in beautiful, bright sunshine…. JUST because retirement means we CAN do such things!
Photo: no.1 Harbourside Café (taken on another occasion).
PS: Received a text message from lovely teacher friend Helen first thing this morning indicating the roadworks/traffic lights just down the road from school were STILL in operation…. work had started on 14 February (we know this because it was very close to the heart of many Bristol-based members of staff who had been monitoring its painful “progress”) and was due to take six weeks to complete. After two months, another (replacement) sign appeared saying that the work would be finished by August…. but the job is obviously still ongoing. With the project currently running 23 weeks behind the original completion date (remember, they reckoned it was only going to take them 6 weeks in TOTAL!), you just get the feeling that they might have underestimated the scope (and COST!) of the job. Genius.

greenbelt 2011

Moira+I spent the long Bank Holiday weekend having a very good time again at Greenbelt…. once again, enjoying meeting up with lots and lots of very good friends. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that we again gave camping a miss (I blame Moira) and stayed at the local Premier Inn! We got to see/hear lots of brilliant stuff but, inevitably, probably also missed lots of other magical stuff – there’s a VERY full programme and there are always a number of things you’d like to go to that just happen to coincide with other “must see” things. Difficult to sum everything up, but:
SOME OF THE REALLY POSITIVE STUFF:
The Unthanks were absolutely brilliant; also really enjoyed “Show of Hands” (of course!), Kate Rusby, Iain Archer and Martyn Joseph.
Some surprise bonuses (music): Luke Jackson, Edwina Hayes and Lobelia in the Performance Cafe.
Loved Ian Adams’s stuff (especially the poetry) – despite the tiny “venue”!
Loved meeting up with all our friends, but especially Sue, Si, Ed and Jonah (we need to see them more often!).
Was impressed by Nadia Bolz-Weber and Rob Bell (and was somewhat taken aback by the length of his book-signing queue – just 60metres – after one of his talks).
“Where The Wild Things Are” print-making and costume-making was amazing.
Loved the “Sound of Conversations” (Pecha Kucha).
I’m NOT a knitter(!), but was amazed by the number of people (of all ages) who were involved in “Woolly Thinking”.
The Methodist Art Collection included some stunning pieces.
Faisal Islam (Channel 4 News finance guru) was SO impressive!
SOME OF THE SAD STUFF:
Really missed Gail not being there (she’s been suffering from labyrinthitis over recent days).
Feel really bad that I missed Billy Bragg perform on Friday night (we’d already got pretty wet but, apparently, he was superb)(went to see him speak the following morning – good, but not quite the same thing!).
Spent far too much money (on food, books and CDs)!
Anyway, it was another great festival!
Photo montague (left to right from top row down): Billy Bragg, Kate Rusby, Woolly Thinking, Lobelia, Ian Adams, Simon Mayo, Simon Taylor+Paul Roberts, Iain Archer, Rob Bell, Steve Knightley (Show of Hands), Faisal Islam, Mainstage, Rachel Unthanks, Nadia Bolz-Weber and a Citroen catering wagon!

‘appy burfdy jim lad…. and other stuff

Moira+I met up with Hannah+Felix in Queen Square sunshine yesterday for a birthday mini-picnic (it was Hannah’s birthday on Saturday) and game of boules (which birthday girl duly won!)…. really lovely. This was followed by an evening at the Old Vic Theatre to see “Treasure Island” - directed by the excellent Sally Cookson (of Ali Baba fame) and including wonderful musical direction/composition from Benji Bower (who was also involved in Ali Baba). The production is set in a specially designed open air theatre directly in front of the theatre building itself (and utilising part of its façade) and was just BRILLIANT!
A really wonderful evening of live theatre at its very best.
PS: it only runs until Friday 26 August so, if you live near Bristol, I thoroughly recommend that you get yourself a ticket before it’s too late.
Photo: Moira, Felix+Hannah doing their stuff on the boules “court”!

walking along the beach at sunrise (and lens issues!)….

I just KNEW it was going to be a beautiful, bright sunny morning today (albeit with a little dawn mistiness) and was determined to get up early and head for Berrow beach (35 minute drive away) before dawn. I left the house around 5am and drove down the empty motorway, parked by St Mary’s church and walked across the golf course to the beach. It really was a beautiful morning – clear skies, but VERY cold! I ambled along the deserted beach, past the wreck of SS Nornen (which ran aground in 1897) to the groins just as the sun was rising (at about 6am)… then back home for some espresso and a bacon sandwich.
It beats working!

Photo: groins on Berrow beach.
PS: very frustratingly, just as I was about to take some photograph of the sunrise, my camera lens “got stuck” – resulting in the camera automatically shutting down…. this happened repeatedly and meant that I didn’t actually get ANY sunrise images! I’ve just checked on Google(!) and it seems that this is a bit of a problem with Canon cameras (I’ve very occasionally experienced it before – usually in very cold conditions?)…. various suggestions, one of which was: “remove the batteries from the camera, wait for a couple of minutes, then put them back in and turn the camera on”. Brilliant!!

in search of gorillas (and wellingtons)....

Bristol Zoo Gardens celebrates its 175th anniversary this year and they’ve come up with a very popular public art event to mark the occasion called: “Wow! Gorillas”. Artists have decorated 61 life-size gorillas, sponsored by local businesses which have been placed around the city for 10 weeks until 7 September. Children, including Iris+Rosa, have really been enjoying discovering the gorillas (“Gorilla!” is eagle-eyed Rosa’s battle cry whenever she spots one!).
Iris+Rosa+I had a great day yesterday gorilla hunting in darkest Clifton – with our main aim being to see the special “Brunel Gorilla” (or “Gorizambard” as he is now called!) at the end of the suspension bridge. Iris was brilliant and walked the entire way (including the steep trudge up to the bridge itself)(Rosa fell asleep for this section!) from start to finish.
As well as gorilla-spotting, the day included a picnic, a trip to the Museum (to see the stuffed gorilla!), drinks at no.1 Harbourside Café and a ferry ride from the Watershed to “The Cottage”.
Great fun… and pretty exhausting for all concerned!
Photo: Gorizambard+Rosa+Iris plus drinks in the café.
PS: You might notice in the photograph that Rosa is only wearing one wellington boot (wellingtons are her footwear of choice!). That’s because the other one had dropped off when she’d been asleep – as I was pushing her in the buggy. As you can imagine, this was serious stuff… but we came up with a plan at the end of our adventures to re-trace the early part of our walk. I put the surviving wellington in the buggy for safekeeping (for some reason, Rosa refused to hop) and off we went. Amazingly, we DID find it! The celebrations were VERY enthusiastic… but also, sadly, somewhat short-lived because “silly granddad”(!) obviously hadn’t secured the other wellington adequately in the buggy basket and, ridiculously, it meant I had managed to lose wellingtons on two separate occasions. Granddad has taken a lot of “stick” (from Iris) for being so pathetic and Rosa is currently receiving counselling….
In the meantime, if you see a small black wellington with blue trimmings (see pic), can you please let Granddad know (there could be a reward!).

the worst salesman in the world… just got a little bit better

Thanks to the encouragement of my wonderful family (and good friend Emma!), my voice coach, my shopping psychologist and pure luck, my second attempt at the Harbourside Market went much better yesterday. Other “virgin” stallholders were even asking ME questions, so suddenly I felt like an old hand! It could also have something to do with the fact that the stallholder two stalls away had a dog that spent the entire day barking at customers (I was very patient and didn’t once tell her to get her dog “seen to”!) – with the result that potential shoppers were seeking solace at the number40 stall.
I realise just how unpredictable it all is, but yesterday was a definite improvement on the previous week AND the Harbourside café gave me a special rate for my coffee because they recognised me as a stallholder!
Of course, next week will probably be back to square one….

Photo: I think I also managed to get a better pitch (on the harbour side).

more supermarket stuff...

As some of you will be aware, I’ve previously expressed my strong concerns about the big-six supermarkets and the implications for our High Streets (frankly, it may already be too late). Yesterday, lovely friend Lal made reference to this wickedly amusing blog post on the subject following this week’s riots.
Back in May (to his credit?), Cameron commissioned a review into the future of the high street (led by Mary Porta, broadcaster and retail guru). It’s due to report back in October.
In the meantime, Labour has launched a stinging attack on Tesco – calling it an “almighty conglomerate” (no doubt, Asda and Sainsbury’s will support Labour’s stand – just because it’s anti-Tesco!).
Last weekend’s Guardian magazine contained a powerful (and demoralising) article by John Harris. Examples from Stokes Croft (inevitably!), Sheringham, Frome, and Dorridge are cited in demonstrating the power (and effectiveness) of the supermarkets in gaining planning approval – and how they are constantly able to “win” consents due to the lack of funds available for Local Authorities to fight planning appeals (when compared with the supermarkets’ treasure chests) and the supermarkets’ ready ability to agree Section 106 conditions to enable surgeries, libraries and the like to be funded (or land provided)…. patronising blood money to all intents and purposes. The all-too-familiar stories of how Councils end up capitulating (eventually) to pressure by the supermarket fraternity are worrying (as we well know with our recently-approved, massive Sainsbury’s in Bedminster).
Frighteningly, one planning consent doesn’t mean that the other supermarkets simply go away. Oh no. This situation, as outlined in Harris’s article, is pretty typical, I suspect (note: Eorica Mildmay is an anti-supermarket campaigner from Norfolk): “Back in Sheringham, I mention the campaign in Frome, but Mildmay is not in the mood to make me feel better. ‘These people will not take no for an answer,’ she says. Her face darkens. ‘We have it on good authority that since Tesco won, there's a possibility of Asda and Waitrose coming to Holt. There might be a Lidl in Cromer. People who read the trade magazines were watching us. The worry is that now we've got zapped, it'll become a free-for-all. And heaven help us."
Just a look at the following figures will surely convince you that “things just aren’t right” when it comes to supermarkets. Again, from Harris’s article:
“There are just over 8,000 supermarkets in the UK, and they account for 97% of total grocery sales. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons take 76% of that market. Their share of non-food retailing currently stands at 14%, a figure up by 75% since 2003. In the two years up to November 2010, planning permission was granted to 480 stores run by the Big Four, which works out at one supermarket every other day. Since 2008, they have accounted for 87% of the retail floor space given planning permission. In May, Channel 4 News reported that by 2014 retail space operated by the Big Four was set to increase by 20%: as its report put it, ‘an expansion drive on a scale never seen before’….
“Once planning permission has been granted and another supermarket goes up, the inevitable happens: local traders suffer, and many go out of business – whether the supermarket is out of town or, in line with modern trends, closer to the centre. I have a stack of personal testimony that makes this point, but the words I usually reach for are those of Gerard Jones, the owner of a window blinds and dry-cleaning business in Ystrad Mynach, south Wales, who has watched as Tesco has done its worst on a site 400 yards from his town centre. ‘Tesco have muscled in and destroyed our community as we know it,’ he told a local planning hearing in late 2010. ‘Every venture we have tried in the town centre has been shanghaied by this organisation. Footfall has fallen and nobody can truthfully say Tesco has brought shoppers into the town centre. It has taken 100 years to build our community. It doesn't take long to throw that all away.’”
The Tory Government, who clearly sees any criticism of its retail policies as a threat to “healthy competition”, has responded with: "Town centre planning policy is not pro- or anti-supermarkets. Planning cannot seek to restrict lawful competition between retailers; in fact, planning policy is blind to whether the operator of a retail proposal is a supermarket or an independent."
Well, actually, I think there's a very strong case to say it SHOULD!