Leeds Armouries

A visit to Leeds Armouries is always worthwhile and with this year being 200 since Waterloo there were some special exhibits on display – an animated video-map telling the story of the battle, a talk on the weapons used, and a collection of associated art featuring Daniel Maclise’s huge (45 foot long) and hugely impressive  ‘Waterloo Cartoon’; in addition there were the perennial favourites such as the armoured elephant and Henry VIII’s horned helmet, and we also took in a couple of  demonstrations – on Japanese warriors and two-handed sword combat – that were informative with plenty of opportunity to handle the weapons, all in all an excellent day out.

Hudl 2

Having struggled for a month with my hushed Hudl (its incessant crackling stopped by sawn-off earphones) I finally replaced it today with a Hudl 2, as the growing inconvenience of having no sound and further deterioration in its general condition (a blue cast to the photos and a dodgy on/off button) meant the end was nigh; fortunately my issues with the Hudl 2 – too large for my bag and a bit pricey – were resolved by the purchase in Whitby of a slightly larger man bag, and the helpful £30 price cut by Tesco.

Lionesses

In the early hours of this morning I watched the England Women's football team win through to the World Cup semi-finals, beating their Canadian hosts 2-1 in a tense game; I have enjoyed watching most games, finding the standard much improved from four years ago, but they still lag behind the men in important aspects of the game – diving for free kicks, petitioning for red and yellow cards, appealing for every decision no matter how obvious the outcome, and rolling about feigning injury – and long may that continue.

Whitby

In common with most primary school classes, my wife’s has a fluffy toy that each Friday goes home with a different child, returning on Monday with pictures and words to show and tell what they did over the weekend, however by this time of year all the kids have had a turn and so it is left to the teaching assistant to step in and show a bear a good time - consequently Bernard the Bear accompanied our family day out in a warm and sunny Whitby, where he joined in in playing crazy golf, lunching on fish & chips, building a sand castle, and eating ice cream.

Magna Carta

My daughter and I took the short trip to Durham to look at the of the Magna Carta at the Palace Green Library, where around the only remaining copy of the 1216 Charter there was a whole exhibition of documents and artefacts on the “changing face of revolt”, taking in also the later charters, the English civil war, the Jacobite risings, the Great Reform Act, and the Chartists; all good stuff, as was the salmon & leek quiche, cup of tea and slice of lemon drizzle cake in the tucked away but comfortably appointed café.

Phone a Friend

Arriving for my scheduled three hour tutoring session this morning I was taken aback to find a learner not only punctual but also in attendance after an absence of five weeks or so, and for whom my prepared ninety minute lesson around pentominoes would be a little light in content; so I prefixed it with some relevant revision on perimeters and areas of rectangles, followed it up with an introduction to the simpler tetronimoes, which in turn gave me the bright idea of for once using his addiction to his mobile phone to my advantage by suggesting he download Tetris and play it for half an hour to familiarise himself with those five pesky four-squared shapes before  moving on to the planned lesson on the even peskier twelve five-squared pentominoes.

Future Learn

It was about eighteen months ago that I was first told by my ex-boss about Future Learn, the open access learning platform on which universities worldwide put short courses that anyone can take, free of charge, but though tempted by “The Moons of the Solar System” I was then just starting tutoring so gave it a miss; however last weekend a friend from my student days also mentioned it, and that a course - “Football: More Than a Game” - from Edinburgh University (our alma mater) was about to start, so today I took the plunge, registered, and dived into the six week programme – if I can’t hack a course on football I may as well hand up my cap and gown for good (alongside my football boots).

Teesaurus Park

I did not know of Teesaurus Park until I stumbled over it last year while walking the Teesdale Way path, so my children had never been taken there, an omission rectified today for two of them at least (albeit now as adults); the big chunky steel dinosaurs (and an anachronistic mammoth) are strangely pleasing to the eye, wearing their graffiti and rope swings lightly, and they remain an enduring reminder of Middlesbrough’s iron & steel industry – once mighty but now extinct.

Drained

It was pointed out to me by my daughter that the kitchen extension gutter was overflowing, indicating a blocked downspout, which despite the still falling rain I decided to tackle at once; my initial intervention failed to remove the blockage but did dislodge the downspout enabling the trapped water in the gutter (as I scrabbled  to shove it back together) to drain quickly to ground via the inside of the sleeves of my hoodie, and when undeterred I then attacked the downpipe from alternate ends, the caked dirt and leaves eventually shot out, followed by the column of water it was holding back, which flowed unerringly over my socks and shoes, so when the job was finally done I felt, in more ways than one, drained.

Lion and Lamb

Some of the LGH old boys attending the wedding/reunion secured prestigious accommodation at luxury hotels while others (including us) ended up in the Lion and Lamb Inn which, though boasting an impressive array of beer pumps, Sky sports TV, and cavernous games room with dart boards and pool table, lacked a little grandeur and sophistication in the bed and breakfast stakes; nevertheless it was clean, comfortable and welcoming (and not at all to blame for the engineering works that yesterday cut off electricity in the village requiring all power-related activities such as showers, hair drying and straightening, breakfast and tea-brewing to be completed by 08:30), with a good breakfast provided for a very reasonable tariff, settled as we left this morning to return home via a stop in Keswick for tea and scones (necessary  to assuage withdrawal symptoms from yesterday’s wedding feast) at the excellent Little Chamonix Café.

Wedding at Wasdale

The day of the wedding began damp and drizzly, the clouds only lifting as our minibus climbed up to the Low Wood Hall Hotel in Wasdale, a charmingly restored Victorian residence, where the LGH reunion (see yesterday) swelled to seven (including a prospective groom) and where we were immediately issued with an orchid buttonhole, a bag of pot-pourri confetti, and an itinerary for the day which duly unfolded in a relaxed informal way to include: welcoming snacks of sandwiches and cake served with a glass of Prosecco laced with hibiscus flower; live music from a string quartet and then a harpist; the two-groom ceremony itself followed confetti showers, bubbles, the release of white dove balloons, and photographs (now thankfully on a bright, sunny, late afternoon with stunning views from the terrace over the rhododendrons to Scafell peak); more Prosecco, this time accompanied by cake, scones and helpings from a bespoke three-tier (chocolate mint, jelly baby, chocolate orange) ice-cream tower; a buffet meal of sides of salmon and noisettes of lamb followed by strawberries and cream, or cheese from another tiered stack; and finally, much later, fireworks which coincided with the arrival of our return taxi at the conclusion of a wonderful wedding that wore its ten hour duration lightly while providing a delightful setting for the latest LGH get-together.

LGH Reunion

Forty years after graduation five ex-residents of the bijou Edinburgh University student accommodation known as Lloyd George House (LGH) reassembled, with wives in tow, in the unlikely location of Gosforth, West Cumbria, on the eve of the wedding of a fifth LGH alumnus, and gathered in the West Lakes Hotel for drinks and a meal (the starters putting the world mackerel population at risk and the instantaneously re-established banter putting the other diners to flight); back in the bar over coffee some quieter reflection was going on ranging from nostalgic recollection of student days’ antics to post-retirement angst that rejoices at our footloose freedom but worries over our physical capacity to enjoy it to the full.

Darlington Skyline

With time on my hands between tutor sessions I took a lunchtime stroll around South Park which despite the inclusion of a MUGA and skateboard rink remains a Victorian gem with bandstand, bowling greens, run-down aviary, small lake with obligatory ducks and island, and mature trees now in full leaf, the latter providing a haven for birds and also for grey squirrels, two of which perched and calmly munched nuts yards from where I sat and watched the world go by; however the view of the town skyline, noticeable for the absence of both residential and commercial high rise blocks, had a new jarring note as the contest for highest building, up to now a tie between the spire of St Cuthbert’s and the clock tower of the station, seems to have been joined by a new mobile phone mast resembling a truncated Blackpool Tower. 

Pentominoes

In search of engaging maths topics for the end of term wind-down period I dredged up pentominoes from somewhere in my memory and quickly managed to identify for myself the twelve unique figures that can be made from joining five squares together along their edges, but what I could not do was fit them together to make any of the four possible rectangles; the internet showed me how and more entertainingly how to arrange them to make various animal shapes – cat (or dog), camel, giraffe, elephant, kangaroo and crocodile – of which I attempted the latter, producing (after the best part of an hour) a close relative with two tails. 

Tuesday Morning Action

The usual Tuesday morning excitement in the village, engendered by the weekly pop-up café, reaches fever pitch every three weeks when its opening coincides, like today, with the visit of the mobile library; sure enough I found the village hall packed (with nearly ten people) and resounding to the sound of tea cups, cake forks and literary discussion (largely centred on murder mysteries) as the retired gentlefolk, young mums and ladies of leisure mixed in a model of community cohesion.

Light Years Ahead

Buying light bulbs has always been tricky – clear or pearl, small or standard, screw or bayonet, spot, candle or globe – and now it is even harder with low energy, halogen or LED to consider, not to mention trying to gauge how many lumens are needed (watts being passé), so today in Wilkinson’s even though I knew the shape and fitting needed I still stared at the shelves for a good while doing a mental cost benefit analysis between the halogen and the more expensive to buy but cheaper to run LED; for my bedside lamp, on less than an hour a day, the payback was over six years, but what really put me off was realising its projected life of 20,000 hours would see me off with a couple of decades to spare.

Late Wins Recorded

With my daughter departing early to visit her sister and my wife and son both working in Teesdale supporting a school residential, I was left to my own devices for much of the day, so after a little housework I settled down for some live sport on TV – the last stage of the Criterium du Dauphine followed by England’s Euro 2016 qualifier in Slovenia - however the crucial last ten minutes of each had to be recorded as I was called away first to greet home one worker and then fetch home the other; it was a good decision as several hours later (having avoided all news reports in the meantime) I was able to view the concluding incident-packed minutes as live, with wins coming late in the race for Chris Froome, late in the game for England, and late in the evening for me.

Auckland Castle

Visiting Auckland Castle today provided a rich and concentrated set of contrasting experiences: the twelfth century St Peter’s Chapel in the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham has a medieval feel with pillars and arches, stained glass windows and wood panelled ceiling, and walls studded with the coats of arms of bishops going back to and beyond Thomas Wolsey; currently installed above the altar however is a bang up to date four panel video installation by Bill Viola that over seven minutes depicts four people (martyrs) subjected to visually stunning ordeals by earth, wind, fire and water, from which they emerge with human spirit intact; upstairs in the Long Dining Room are the awe-inspiring collection of paintings by Francisco de Zurbaran of Joseph and his twelve sons, as remarkable for their Judean presence in this centre of Christianity as for their art; while in an adjacent room the contrasting culture of football is celebrated with the Two Blues exhibition celebrating the history of Bishop Auckland FC with old programmes and artefacts, newsreel footage of some of their unequalled ten FA Amateur Cup wins, and the trophy itself on loan from the FA; the icing on the cake was a tea room to do it all justice.

Learning Generations

Covering a couple of adult numeracy classes today was a pleasure, working with quietly determined learners who contrast sharply with my regular cocky and couldn’t care less kids; and it is of course likely that some of the studious adults were there because they too were disengaged at fifteen, and that some of these cocky youngsters will be back in a few years with their heads down over their work.

Cribbage

In today’s five hours scheduled teaching only one learner turned up, and him for just an hour, still he at least enjoyed the post-examination low impact lesson planned – how to play cribbage – and the games that followed, which cunningly tested his number bonds to fifteen, facility with combinations and permutations, and recognition of sequences (runs) and shapes (flushes).

Speed Humps

A rare concurrence of a fine sunny day and the Town Sports saw me relaying 27 school athletes to the stadium in a 16-seater minibus (health & safety dictating that this be done in two shuttle runs rather than packing them all in cattle-truck fashion) and then spending a pleasant day cheering them on, chaperoning toilet visits and getting a sunburnt face, before returning them (victorious no less) in two more shuttle runs; the eight drives (two extra were needed to return an unwell child to school) clocked up just sixty miles but seemed longer due to the 56 speed bumps negotiated (seven each trip – a bit like doing the hurdles in a bus) half of which were greeted with over-dramatic shrieks from the passengers.

Talking Tea Shop

A few of the local ladies have enterprisingly established a pop-up tea shop in the Village Hall each Tuesday morning, providing tea & coffee, homemade cakes, an opportunity to chat, and a window ledge full of books to swap into and out of; this morning, accompanied by my daughter, it took 5 minutes to exchange a book, 15 minutes to polish off the refreshments, and 40 minutes to exit the building as we waited for a pause in the (rather one-sided) conversation long enough to do so politely.

Home Not Alone

On the way back from Northumberland yesterday we picked up the elder daughter from Newcastle Airport (a welcome change from Manchester) back for the summer from her second year teaching in Mongolia, which means I now have human as well as feline company during the school week; it was nice just to chat over a cup of tea and get words back rather than a meiow, a head-but or a disinterested yawn.

Bright and Breezy

Awoke to a bright morning and a fine view over Rothbury from the bedroom window, and after a sizeable breakfast we drove up the coastal route to Bamburgh and went for a stroll along the beach, huge with the tide out and the gusty wind behind driving rivulets of sand out ahead of our feet and into the distance - of course coming back it was harder work and lunch in the Copper Kettle was welcome.

Northumberland

As a thank-you for her ministrations during my recent incapacity I whisked my wife up to Northumberland for an overnight jaunt with today’s trip falling into three distinct phases: first a stop for a coffee break in a very windy Amble where a new harbour-side development of beach-hut type retail units proved irresistible, soon relieving us of the best part of £50; second stop was Barter Books in Alnwick where my pre-prepared wish list provided a useful framework for reference as I perused the numerous shelves and picked off six good books (the cost easily swallowed by my credit balance); and finally to Rothbury and the Coquetvale Hotel where a glass of Champagne and a bottle of wine accompanied fine meals selected from the ‘Britalian’ menu.

Three Cheers

Having taken the boy to Darlington for his last AS exam I stayed in town for a mooch round which included a Primark purchase, and as I was heading for the exit the store PA announced the name of a member of staff who had this day completed 23 years’ service and asked that we all give her three cheers; the first cheer was silent as customers processed this unconventional request, the second was muted but audible, and the third was almost half-hearted, more audible was the comment that came from the security guard as I left – “23 years, bloody hell, you’d get less for manslaughter”.

Dingbatted

This evening we went to the Bluebell at Acklam where, to support the Zoe’s Place charity a quiz night was held with an eclectic mix of rounds  - general knowledge, music, pictures, cryptic clues and dingbats – of which our team of three made a decent fist apart from the dingbats, which we could not get our collective head round (getting just 3 out of 20); nevertheless it was an enjoyable night with the only irritation being an adjacent team who seemed to think the idea was to shout out the answers rather than write them down, yet bizarrely, given their ignorance of quiz etiquette, they were more often right than wrong.

Two Tips

The first tip was my regular gratuity for my hairdresser as a token of my appreciation for both a good job on the mullet and a rare and enjoyable conversation on books and reading; the second tip was a visit to the ‘civic amenity site’ where I deposited a dozen bags of garden waste, generated by my wife’s weeding and pruning mania and accumulated through my recent period of immobility.

Vane Glorious

After missing last month’s quiz at the Vane Arms we returned this month with renewed vigour and sharpened wits to contest what was a well-attended event, and helped by an eighties music round that suited the majority of our team (if not me) and a few inspired general knowledge answers (not much of me there either) we managed a rare podium place, receiving the second prize of a voucher for £20 off a meal.

Free Parking

I made my first visit in a while to Stockton town centre today and was pleased to find the short stay parking tariff amended to allow free parking for an hour, particularly as an hour is all I will ever need to take in all its attractions, which for me consist of a helpful combination of my three most used financial institutions, two cafes that I have been known to frequent (Quaint & Quirky and a Café Nero) and a host of charity shops with extremely cheap second hand books.