last ten tors training

I won’t be able to be part of the actual Ten Tors weekend in a fortnight’s time because it coincides with the SouthBank Arts Trail – so this weekend on Dartmoor was my last for 2007. I’ve really enjoyed the experience. Once again we set out from school at 4.30am on Saturday and were up again at 5am yesterday (so that the various teams could have breakfast and break camp to enable a 6am start to their on-going trek). The weekend’s weather was sunny and warm (probably rather too warm when you’ve got to carry a 30lb rucksack for nearly 30 miles!). I was lucky enough to be at the first checkpoint yesterday to sign teams in as dawn broke on another beautiful day. Pupils were brilliant again – but lots of blisters!
Another great weekend – breakfast at the Fox Tor Café is highly recommended!
Photo: Dartmoor images at dawn yesterday

southbank arts trail

It’s almost that time of year again! This time it’s an ArtsWeek – Arts Trail Weekend on 12+13 May, with a Performance Week 14-19 May. We’ll be opening up our basement again and Paul (Brown), Stu, Ruth, Hannah, Moira+I will be showing our latest stuff and we’ll also be having a “private view” on Friday 11 May too. At least that’s the theory – I’ve still got to get my act together!
Photo: number40 exhibition flier (based on an “Ubu Rex” poster by Hannah)

babs lunch

We get together with our lovely friends Gail+Ian+Debby+Ken three times a year for “BAB’s lunches” (Barnes/Adams/Broadway) to celebrate pairs of birthdays. This time it was (somewhat belatedly) Moira+Ken. Yesterday we celebrated in Bristol, with the others travelling down from Oxford by train; Moira+I met them at the station and travelled to the harbourside by ferry (a first for us – very good except perhaps for “pleasure boat prices”?). We had a great meal at Bordeaux Quay (another first for us and highly recommended!) then relaxed outside the Arnolfini listening to excellent live music in the sunshine.
It’s what friends and weekends are for…..great time!
Photo: half of BABs (Ian+Moira+Gail – sorry Ken+Debby!) at Bordeaux Quay.

brother

My brother’s brilliant (despite being over 4 years younger than me)! Although we don’t see each other as often as we’d like, we get on really well and I love him dearly. Just received a lovely, entertaining letter from him - he does things like that - enclosing an Easter Card to him from John Sentamu (Archibishop of York to you) as he knows he’s a bit of hero of mine. He suggested that I either keep it for his autograph or give it to a friend called “Alan” next Easter! Three years ago Alan and I went to the Bromyard Folk Festival (just a boys’ weekend you understand!) and, despite the rain, had a really great time…. I’m currently trying to persuade him back this September (as long as he brings his impressive tent).

Photo: Me and me bruvva at BFF 2004 (picture cropped to exclude beer!)

birthday party

Scenario: thirty guests invited to a “surprise” weekend party to celebrate our lovely friend Steve’s 50th birthday at a Tudor Manor House in East Sussex (we like to associate with younger people!). Problem: it’s in April – thick coats/waterproofs, wellingtons, log fires et all. In reality of course, it was just the most glorious weekend weather and we spent lots of time eating+drinking outside, playing games and swimming!

Great party, lovely people, glorious food+drink and incredibly generous hosts.
Photo: pathetically, I forgot to take photographs of people enjoying themselves and, instead (despite the quantity of champagne, wine and port consumed the night before), got up at dawn to watch the sun rise over the Sussex countryside!

hot air

This morning saw my first hot air balloon of the year (I think - but perhaps I’ve just not been looking?)…. despite the rather overcast conditions. I’m absolutely useless on heights, so I know I’ll never be brave enough to fly in one, but I do envy the people who do! It put me in mind of the balloon fiesta that happens in Bristol each August…. getting up at dawn to watch dozens of colourful balloons take off into the morning sky (when there aren’t any high winds, that is!).
Photo: just a few of the many images taken at the fiesta in 2005

easter people

Spent a wonderful relaxing Easter weekend staying with great friends Bob+Christine in Thame, Oxfordshire (where we lived for over 20 years). Went to celebrate Easter Day with our old church community at St Mary’s and Moira+I felt very humbled by the large number of people who still remembered us and greeted us with hugs+kisses after the service. Returned to Bristol later in the day and had a lovely time with Mikey+Iris (and their parents!) – Alice+Dave dropping in overnight on their way to Devon.
Photo: Mikey+Iris getting to know each other at home

manchester passion

Watched the Manchester Passion on BBC3 last Easter and watched a repeat again last night. Found the whole production powerfully moving (as I did last year) – particularly the illuminated 8m long white cross being carried through the streets of the city. The use of “classic Mancunian songs” such as “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (The Smiths) and “You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side” (Morrissey) was surprisingly apt and relevant. I’d read St John’s account of Jesus’s crucifixion in “The Message//Remix” during the course of the afternoon and found it equally fresh and thought-provoking.

easter

Attended a well-meaning (but rather dry and awkward) Assembly at school last week given by four friendly, but somewhat imposing, members of the Gideon’s Society to a group of 11-13 year-olds. Was saddened at the answers offered by pupils to the question: “What’s the meaning of Easter?” - responses included: Easter eggs, chocolate, holidays and bunnies; only one reply (“new birth”) gave any hint of any deeper meaning. No one mentioned “Christ” or the “cross” or “crucifixion” or the “resurrection”.
Perhaps they were just embarrassed to appear too keen in front of these strangers from GS (or their peers) but, nevertheless, I found it all rather depressing.
Photo: Nun’s Cross, Dartmoor

blackout bristol

It’s just possible that you read my blog in December (then again!) about the huge wastages of energy due to unnecessary lighting in commercial buildings – featuring a photograph of a brightly-lit building in Canary Wharf, London taken just after midnight. Well, Friends of the Earth, Bristol is pressing people to turn off non-essential lights tonight (“Blackout Bristol”) and, over the past few weeks, has been putting together a list of the worst offending buildings. The winner/loser appears to be the new HBOS building, Harbourside – it has remained empty for nearly a year (apparently due to major air-conditioning problems) but, despite this, “all the lights are on all night”.
More power to FoE’s elbow I say!

more ten tors training

I spent the bulk of this weekend helping out on a two-day training exercise on Dartmoor with 15-17 year-old pupils – setting out from school at 4.30am yesterday! The conditions were pretty good this time (heavy cloud and mist; rain; strong north-easterly winds; and sunshine!). My principle role was minibus driver, but I did manage to do my fair share of walking too. Pupils walked some 28 miles across rough and undulating terrain over the two days carrying their rucksacks - each weighing 30 lbs! You should try it! Once again, the pupils were brilliant (and very good value – they made me laugh!) and the number of volunteers who were out of the moor manning checkpoints was pretty staggering.
We camped in the grounds of a pub last night and, obviously, the helpers were all forced to sample beer!
Photo: teacher Emma with two of the pupils resting at a checkpoint on day one

norfolk golf tour (I wish)

It’s felt very strange this week. At this time of year, I used to spend a few days playing golf, with about 20 others, on links courses on the Norfolk coast (Royal Cromer and Sheringham for anyone interested!). Working in a school has obviously put an end to this for me – the tour is arranged in non-school holidays – and 2006 was the first time I’d missed it for about 20 years. Missing it last year wasn’t too bad because many of my best mates weren’t able to make it either…. but, on Tuesday, I received a text message from Steve+Ken to say they were “on their way” (and how strange it will be without me being there too etc).
Feeling very envious!
Photo: (left to right) Steve, me and Ken golfing at Prestwick in 2003

lent

It’s taken me some time to put something in writing, but I’ve been hugely challenged by the foundation quarterly service (on 18 March, entitled “Unknowing God”) – hauntingly beautiful and somewhat dark in content. I’m still reflecting on the powerful and stark declarations from Lizzie, Ellen, Dylan and Tim. No easy answers or forced optimism, but rather an honest rawness as they shared aspects of their own spiritual journeys. I don’t yet really know of any of them all that well, but I wanted to hug them all!
Our Bedminster Parish Lent group, meeting at home, has also provided much food for thought (study book: “Source – on prayer for Lent”). We decided we needed an “askjeeves.com” equivalent on the parish website – to help answer those tricky questions no one knew the answers to!

Photo: "Breast-feeding Madonna" by Antonia Rolls (one of the artists featured in the foundation quarterly service)

hands off!

I’m not a huge follower of the England football team (too many disappointments over too many years!) and wasn’t particularly surprised by another woeful display against such world-beaters as Israel yesterday. By the end of the game, fans were chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing” at the current England manager. This didn’t really worry me… but then I suddenly realised that I SHOULD be worried!
Here's the scenario: within the next couple of months, the powers-that-be decide that they’ve made a terrible mistake in appointing McClaren as manager - fine, no worries. BUT then they decide to make Martin O’Neil (the Villa manager) their target for the England vacancy!
No way/hands off (you heard it here first!)!

adoption day

Received really great news yesterday afternoon: Mikey has now been formally adopted by Alice+Dave! In Alice’s words: “It was the least official-feeling official thing EVER. The judge asked me ‘so, is he continent?’ I thought it was such a stupid question I must have misunderstood him so just meekly said ’he's doing very well’!” Nevermind, he was apparently a very nice man.
As you might imagine, this crucial question will go down in the archive of family stories – at the least appropriate moment, Dave will turn to his wife and whisper those immortal words: “so, Alice, is he continent?”!
Photo: Dave+Alice+Mikey with Judge Gee (great name!) and social workers Chris+Kath.

joni (again)

More words about Joni Mitchell on this blog I’m afraid! I received e-mails from Alan and Sarah yesterday telling me that there was the first of two documentaries on her last night on Radio2 (good to have people looking out for you!)(this comes hard on the heels of Paul Robert’s recent blog). Wonderfully evocative programme – I’m sure you’ll be able to hear it on the “listen again” BBC link (although I think I could have done a better job at interviewing her!). The BBC website includes a messageboard with lists of people’s favourite songs. For me, “Blue” is the definitive album (and being featured on next week’s programme) – with my top songs: “The Last Time I saw Richard”, “A Case of You” and “Little Green”, although “Both Sides Now” from the “Clouds” album brings back most memories!

rat pack

Went to a great charity concert at school last night featuring Toby Marsh (an ex-pupil) and his sister Charlotte. Charlotte danced (she was recently selected to perform with the English Youth Ballet) and Toby sang a selection of “Rat Pack” songs (plus some of his own) quite brilliantly.

I love seeing young people blossom!
Really enjoyable evening and lots of money raised for Cancer Research.

desert island discs

About 25 years ago, I came up with this cunning business plan (actually it never got anywhere near becoming any such thing!): it was all about producing personalised cassettes(!) for people consisting of their favourite pieces of music - everybody's "desert island discs", as it were. Since then, of course, someone's invented the internet, the iPod and iTunes and rather put a dent in my scheme! At long last, I actually started to download some music from iTunes at the weekend and, after clumsily trying to ensure that it was compatible with the music I already had on the computer, have now managed to compile my very own set of songs to keep me happy on my desert island (which, thanks to iTunes, now includes such rather pathetic oldies as "Go Now" by the Moody Blues, "Heard it through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Clowns" by Judy Collins and the theme to the film "Un Homme et une Femme").
As you might imagine, it's somewhat more than the eight records they allow on the radio programme!

spring

Moira+I had a lovely time last night at Ruth+Stu’s, celebrating Ruth’s birthday. Stu had taken the day off and they were telling us about Iris enjoying breakfast in the garden - in the sunshine.
Spring has clearly arrived!
Photo: tiny Iris flowers in our tiny garden

ten tors training

I was helping out on the training day for a group of sixty or so 15-17 year-olds on the Quantock Hills today (essentially manning one of the checkpoints rather than walking the 15 mile arduous route) – in preparation for the final two-day challenge over Dartmoor in two months’ time. The views are apparently stunning, but we didn’t see any. The weather was absolutely atrocious – incessant, heavy rain with high winds from start to finish and with visibility down to 100m or so at times!
In the event, the students were brilliant. They didn’t complain; they simply got on with the task in hand with determination and wonderful good humour.
It was a completely exhilarating day.
Photo: one of the groups from our school – not quite half-way round!

PS: this was posted before learning of the tragic death of a student on one of the other training sessions near Okehampton. Horrible news.