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Category Archives: Essays
Bollocks to Brexit
We are now 21 months on from the EU referendum and 12 months from when Theresa May handed in the Article 50 notification. The UK and EU have just agreed a transition arrangement so that we can leave the EU … Continue reading
The Sad Tale of the MUGA and the Trees
July. High summer. Fledglings everywhere, but plenty of nests still active and more to come. Birds nest in trees. So maybe July is not a good month to begin major tree felling? According to the actions of our County Council … Continue reading
Seven Seven
I remember it more than any other day. A hot summer Thursday morning, I was having a slow start and missed my normal train. I reached Tower Hill just as the station was closing. “Power cut, no we don’t know … Continue reading
Home again
It’s hard to imagine now that before moving Up North, My Taller Half and I spent six years living in Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Southend is where miles of suburban flatlands meet miles of Thames estuary mudflats. Terrible for hillwalking, fantastic … Continue reading
A spring and a skip
Winter finally loosened its icy grip late last month. Almost overnight the world turned green, and living things across the land breathed an audible sigh of relief. Now the promise of summer is teasing us (but wait, we haven’t had … Continue reading
Posted in Essays, photography
Tagged chickens, pond, seasons, spring, weather, winter
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Spring promise
It’s the first day of March, the snow is still clinging to the slopes of Weardale, but boy can you feel the promise of spring around these parts. Snowdrops are in full bloom. Everywhere, even in fields and on waste … Continue reading
Welcome back GMT
Good morning! Everything seems to be reset. The Autumn weather is back (cloudy, touch of wind and rain, NO SNOW) and so is normal time. I loathe and despise the clocks going forward for the summer time. This year I … Continue reading
Every picture tells a story
I took this picture this morning. I think it sums up the year pretty well. I’ve been really looking forward to this Autumn’s foraging season. I’ve moved house, and so I need to learn my new patch, but as I … Continue reading
Posted in Essays, foraging, photography
Tagged foraging, nature, photography, seasons, snow, weather, Wolsingham
2 Comments
You won’t know Durham until you go to the Gala
Durham is built on coal. Coal is in the blood: many families have a mining background and the realities of mining are still in living memory. Indeed, the last pit to close was Easington Colliery in 1993, and today there … Continue reading
Posted in Essays, Out and about, photography
Tagged Big Meeting, Durham, Durham Miners Gala, heritage, mining, photography
6 Comments
Make time for meadows
I wanted to write this post in early June. The local meadows were ablaze with flowers. It felt a total privilege to be able to walk through and witness them. I was going to talk about how amazed I was … Continue reading
Posted in Essays, Out and about
Tagged County Durham, Crook, flowers, grass, meadow, nature
5 Comments
Muddy Tracks 