Fishy

I don’t often have the occasion to recommend a restaurant; usually I don’t think where I’ve eaten is worth a mention.

However, last night was an exception. Finding myself in the Clifton area of Bristol on a disgusting night and in need of food I found ‘Fishworks’.

Part of a small chain, the door opens into a small fishmongers and then on into a lovely modern restaurant. I was early (6.30pm) and therefore the first diner of the evening but despite being alone I was given an excellent table.

I can’t fault the service, the waitress was so enthusiastic without being insincere. Getting over the idea of eating a giant sea insect, I ordered half a lobster with fries – perfect!

The meal arrived quickly and despite the lack of meat on a lobster, what there was had been cooked to perfection. I couldn’t resist the lemon tart for dessert and then felt stuffed!

The whole meal came to £22 which I think is very reasonable – when work are paying!

Going back in time to the Isle of Wight

I hadn’t been to the Isle of Wight for many years, in fact I think the last time I was there was with Rob (so that would be at least 9 years ago); so I was looking forward to going back.

The island appears to be stuck in the 1970s, and have a different feel to the rest of the UK, hard to describe but it just feels really different.

Jill and I were attending a two day course on Access and Education in Maritime Archaeology, run by the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology. Instead of staying at the centre Jill had booked us into the most amazing B&B in a manor house in one of the villages in the interior of the island. I’d love to go there for a romantic weekend with John – maybe one day.

Little pad in the country
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

The course was fantastic, and well worth the effort involved in getting down there (and getting home again, more on that later). The topics covered ranged from an introduction to underwater archaeology in England, How to find funding (which of course included Jill and I talking about the fund we distribute), risk assessments, writing press releases and photography.

The second day also started with a walk on the foreshore to look at a couple of hulks (shipwrecks) and how they can be used to teach about archaeology. Although we had to be up at 7am (fine by me as I was up at 6.30 again!), it was lovely to go for a short walk down by the seashore.

Archaeology with seaweed
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Everyone on the course was great and had loads of ideas for outreach and learning, but the photography session was the one I was most looking forward to – so that I could steal ideas for John and I (so that we can do photography courses perhaps in the future). To be honest the photographer was a great guy and very good at his wildlife photography; but the session wasn’t very good at all. Most of it was an advert for his work (lovely but totally irrelevant for us as archaeologists), and then the rest was rather basic.

I’d told him that I work for John as an assistant at weddings, and throughout the talk he kept going on about how fantastic wedding photographers are, and how difficult weddings are to shoot! Anyway, I got lots of ideas about things that John and I can do in an ‘introduction to photography’ day or half day course, and some ideas of what we shouldn’t do!

The two girls who ran the course were so enthusiastic, and worked so well together.

With Professor Archie O’logy
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

On the final evening Jill and I had the chance to go for a lovely walk along the front from Shanklin to Sandown – I love the seaside, there are so many photo opportunities.

Waiting for summer
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

The only down side to the trip was the journey home! We (the advisors) had a meeting at the Fort in Portsmouth on Friday morning, and then some site visits. But I never made it to the site visits as there were no trains running from Portsmouth or Fratton – so that meant a £32 taxi journey to Chichester! Then the slowest train the known (and probably unknown) universe has ever seen, stopping at every tin pot station on the way into Victoria. Then a trek across London and a dash to St Pancras to catch a train up north – arriving in Sheffield within 5 minutes of Susy getting in to stay with me for the weekend.

Over the otherside of the hills

Perhaps I should leave childhood memories where they belong – in the past! As I sit typing this I’m in a little B&B on one of the many roads off the sea front at Blackpool. I’ve never stayed in Blackpool before (except the work conference in a big hotel on the front which doesn’t count!), as when we were children and came to visit we always came for the day from Preston where Gran lived.

Arlecdon Church
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Today I had a day of meetings in Cumbria, well actually it was only two meetings (two churches that we are going to pay for some repairs to) but the distances and time it takes to travel the windy roads of the Lake District meant that it took all day. The weather was typical, raining one minute and then glorious sunshine the next.

The day was certainly interesting as my companion for the day, a work colleague who is a practicing Christian, very active in the church and a very strong believer – none of which I knew when we first set off. Oh no I can almost hear you thinking, well those of you who know my feelings towards the Christian church anyway!

Actually I really enjoyed our discussions about what happens when you die, who wrote the bible, whether god created everything or if it was just an accident – and, the fact that I’m going to hell when I die (not something that bothers me since I no more believe in hell than I do in heaven – both being constructs of the Christian church to try and keep people in line).

He was impressed that I don’t celebrate Christmas, given that it would be hypocritical as a ‘non-believer’, but he also thought that I’d be really interested in an Alpha Course!

Anyway, why am I in Blackpool?

Since tomorrow I will be going down to Gloucestershire to see Dad for a few days I didn’t see the point in returning to Sheffield for the night – and anyway, the Blackpool illuminations are on!

Illuminations
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Arriving in the town I was greeted by the weather I have come to associate with this resort – very wet drizzle and winds that can knock you sideways.

So after dumping my bags in the B&B I set off along the front towards town, along the front. I have to admit to being very disappointed by the illuminations – where they always so unimpressive? I don’t think they were, I’m sure that more of the trams were lit up, only two that I saw were. The promenade in the 70s was always bumper to bumper with cars, kids hanging out of the windows watching the lights and the trams. Dad tells me that he’s sure that we travelled on a lit up tram on one occasion but I don’t remember.

By the time I got to the tower the rain had penetrated through my coat and my trousers to my underwear, and down the back of my legs – miserable! The only places open to eat were the hotels, in which I would have been the youngest by about 60 years (they really did look from the outside like old people’s homes), or fish and chip shops (or of course McDonalds – sponsors of some of the lights).

Corporate sell out
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

After a not particularly good fish, chips and mushy peas it had actually stopped raining, so I walked back along the front (against the wind this time), past the B&B and on to the pleasure beach – a lot more neon than before.

The B&B is supposed to have broadband, but I can’t seem to log in, so I’ll probably not post this until tomorrow evening when I get down to Dad’s house. Tomorrow I intend to spend talking photos, if the rain stops for long enough!

(Broadband was working in the morning, so I managed to post this before breakfast!)

A week in Derbyshire

So, I missed the floods in Sheffield as I was in Derbyshire. Jill, Buzz and I were staying in a cottage in Middleton by Youlgreave so that we could easily get to Hillhead 2007; a massive international quarry trade show.

Hillhead Show
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

We had, at the last minute, got a stand for the fund so that we could let the industry know what is happening with part of the tax they are paying.

Stand
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Given the weather it could have been a complete wash out; but other than Monday which was very wet, it was good weather the whole week.

Set up was on Monday but since I’d managed to rope Jon into delivering a lot of the stuff the Friday before there wasn’t that much for us to do. We did have to rush into Sheffield to pick up a table and bench/table to put the literature on – only just escaping before the weather got really bad.

The show started on Tuesday and was busy from the beginning; with some of the ‘big wigs’ from the industry coming to our stand! Actually the whole show was been a fantastic PR exercise, we have spoken to more influential people in three days than we had (or could) in the preceding five years.

Proud stand owners!
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

At the end of the day we made our way back to the car park to find that the Chrysler hire car had a flat (very flat) – and could we find the spare? Could we hell! I phoned the AA but after a couple of hours of waiting, and being the last people in the car park, I HAD to find the spare and change the wheel – hell, I’m not pathetic, I can change a wheel. In fact Jill and I spent some time trying.

bloody flat
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

The wheel was actually directly underneath the middle of the car, at the front! Like the damn Krypton Factor getting it down – but we finally managed it – only to finally find that the nuts on the wheel had an anti-theft device!

The AA man arrived only to find the gate to the site locked (even though he was a good 25 minutes before it was supposed to close) – we finally got away from Hillhead at about 9.45!! By the time we got in we were exhausted, it was all we could do to eat and go to bed (thanks to Jill for the excellent dinner).

Wednesday was different for me as I had to go and sort out the tyre – the spare was only a temporary one. I have to add how impressed I was, yet again, with National Tyres – this is the second time I’ve taken a flat in only for them to remove a nail and mend it instead of insist that I need a new tyre – on this occasion they went even further, they didn’t charge me!

Catching some zzzzzz
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Again, Hillhead was busy and the weather was good. Afterwards we sent Buzz back to the cottage as he was snoozing on the stand! Mind you, that was nothing in comparison to the two guys on the stand opposite us, I don’t think the smiled for the whole three days – they can’t have sold a single thing!

happy solutions
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Jill and I went off to Cheshire for a site meeting that I’d arranged (I really didn’t want to go but I’d canceled once already and it was really the only opportunity). I’m glad we went, what an incredible place – built by a local preacher in the 19th century, it is an allegorical garden illustrating the Pilgrim’s Progress. Totally mad!! But totally lovely too.

Mellor’s Garden
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

We didn’t get back to Middleton until after 9pm – another late night.

Thursday was great, and we did a bit of ‘promotional item’ bartering with Corus and a number of other stands, got some bags, pens, pencils and bouncy balls! We also ran out of sticks of rock – I’d got 3000 sticks and we had taken about 2000 with us to Hillhead – green, lime flavoured – limestone! It was a great give away for pulling people into the stand and getting the talking to us about the fund.

Although we could have packed up on Friday Buzz was keen to get back down south so we managed, with help from Julian from Worcestershire County Council, to pack everything up and get it up to the car.

All in all it’s been a great week and I’ve really enjoyed spending some time with Buzz and Jill. Although I have to say it was very hard work and there was little time to relax. I had hoped to show them some of the monuments around Middleton, Arbor Low and Nine Ladies; we didn’t even manage to visit Bateman’s Tomb behind the cottage as the weather was so bad. The only time the weather was nice, we were at the show!

JCB
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

IFA Conference

Reading – what a city!? I can’t say I was taken with it at all, dirty and un-friendly are the two words that spring to mind.

Unfortunately the University campus is out of town so the conference was a bit of a bus ride from my hotel (the Ibis – surprisingly nice).

I can’t say many of the sessions kept my interest particularly, except the one on archaeology and art.

This really blew us away, I hadn’t realised that some of the guys in the London office are also artists (I’ve decided to be pretentious and call some of my photography, art). The session had us taking pages of notes of ideas – Charlie is a writer so I’m looking forward to reading some of her stuff.

It’s got me all fired up again about taking photos.

I have to report that the remainder of the conference as pretty boring and I had to leave early as Colin and were off to the theatre in Sheffield (tickets I’d bought some time ago).

Oh my Bob! What a week last week was!

I feel that I’ve not stopped all week, but I’ve had a really enjoyable time. So, as a couple people have asked, I’ll update you as to what i’ve been up to.

Saturday (10th) Liz and I had a day in York with our cameras. The problem was that we weren’t really in the mood for photography, probably because the weather was very dreary. In the end we decided to try work out some of the things for the scavenger hunt for the big UK Flickr meet – we found loads of things, including some Vikings (it was the uni RAG week). I can also highly recommend the Cafe Concerto near Botham Bar (I think that’s where it is my sense of direction completely deserts me in York).

I was off again on Sunday – Newcastle this time. I do enjoy the city, especially down on the quayside. Although I don’t know why visiting Baltic always seems to be a disappointment. It’s not that the art isn’t good, it’s often excellent (I’ve seen Anthony Gormley stuff there); I think it’s more that there are often floors closed and they don’t seem to use the space well. But the cafe and shop are good.

The building I really do enjoy visiting is Sage Gateshead. It’s got a wonderful atmosphere and just a lovely place to wander around, it’s also got a great cafe and free internet access in the library section.

I stayed in Newcastle over night so as to go to the North East regional office. It’s some time since I updated them on the fund, and that day was perfect as the Chief Exec was there – so I got the chance to tell him what’s going on too.

Back in Sheffield for Tuesday Jon and I attended a public enquiry in Derbyshire. Not that work is involved, but that we wanted to see how these things work – very interesting actually.

On the road again on Wednesday. We had a WiP meeting (it stands for ‘working in progress’ – everyone has had to ask, including me!) in Liverpool, and so I needed to drive the fund stand and literature over for Thursday.

I arrived in Liverpool early afternoon on Wednesday so that I could have a couple of hours wandering around the city (I knew that my long hours over Thursday and Friday would mean that I could afford to take a few off on Wednesday). It’s been over 10 years since I visited the docks (I don’t remember much except visiting the Tate Gallery), so I walked down there with my camera. Liverpool is a city that I don’t really know, but I do like what I’ve seen.

The WiP meeting went very well, and afterwards I drove the stand and Ingrid over to York for the second meeting on Friday.

By the time I got back to Sheffield on Friday night I was exhausted.

So it got to Saturday again, and Colin left at 5.30am for Chester to sell books at a Roman Amphitheatre conference and I have a lie in (until 9am).

It was the Chinese New Year and the Sheffield Flickrites had arranged to meet in town to try to take some photos of the dragons and dancing. It was great to see everyone, and we even got a few new members. The New Year celebrations were fantastic, with lots of photo opportunities. JD had brought about a million lens with him (well half a dozen), but the best by far was his gadget for Through the view finder shots.

I had to have a go. Basically it’s a old twin lens camera at the bottom of a large cardboard and elephant tape tube; you shove your SLR macro lens in the top and take a photo of the twin lens large square viewfinder – I absolutely love the look of the results.

All of the Sheffield Flickr lot are really nice, and it’s great to spend time taking photos with them – I hope we get to meet up again soon.

Finally, to round the week off I got up on Sunday morning at 6am to go over to Chester with Colin. I’m glad I did, although we didn’t sell many books, Chester is a wonderful little city that I hadn’t visited before. It’s so much nicer than York, and I had a very enjoyable few hours wandering about. The city walls are great to walk around, and the whole city is wonderful for anyone who has an interest in historical architecture.

The conference ended at lunch time for the delegates to go and have a tour of the amphitheatre, which meant that Colin and I could get away early.

On the way back we were looking for somewhere to have some lunch and I noticed a sign to the Anderton Boat Lift. I’m so glad I suggested that there might be a cafe there – there was, and it was very nice. What an amazing structure – known as the ‘Cathedral of the Canals’; it’s a lift for getting narrow boats down 50 ft from the canal to the river and was restored in 2001. At only £2 each to visit the lift (although it wasn’t operating that day) it was a bargain visit. By the time we got home I was certainly ready for bed – in readiness for a visit to York on Monday!

Train travel

I travel by train for a number of reasons; the ability to work whilst travelling, the time savings, and more than anything; for environmental reasons.

However I’m increasingly getting annoyed with the ‘great’ British public that I find sat around me on trains.

Today I travelled from Sheffield to London on the 11.25 train – together with a young guy who proceeded to eat a cake with his mouth open so I could actually hear every chew (not to mention seeing it – I didn’t look); a very fat man who seemed to be snoring whilst awake; a female doctor who shouted down her mobile, a young girl whose mobile kept playing loud tinny pop music, a middle aged man who when not shouting into his Blackberry was chewing gum so loudly it was incredible, and a girl who obviously had never been told about deodorant.

Who are these people????? Why are people so rude?

Okay, I’m sure I’m not a saint (in fact I’d be the last to claim I was); but my parents at least taught me to eat with my mouth closed, that some small level of basic hygiene is a good idea, and that annoying everyone around you with music/mobile phone rings and shouting is not very nice.

I usually sit in the ‘quiet’ coach but I’ve decided that it winds me up too much – people continue to play load music or talk on their phones and then get annoyed when you point out that they are in the quiet coach.

Morrisons menu

It was so late by the time I went through Huddersfield on my way back from Cumbria (such a pretty drive) that I decided to stop at Morrisons for dinner (Colin is always telling me how good the restaurants are).

Given the recent awareness of obesity and weight problems I was amazed to find that the only hot food on the menu that didn't come with chips was the lasagne – silly me, when I got to the till I was asked if I wanted chips or garlic bread (eg. Not a vegetable in sight), so I ended up paying extra for peas! So much for healthy eating!?

The Home Counties in Yorkshire

We’ve just had our work ‘Territory Conference’ in Harrogate (land of conferences!), two days of catching up with colleagues and hearing about what’s happening in the organisation.

Harrogate has always struck me as a strange place, very genteel and posh – probably as it was a Victorian spa town, it is very much out of place in Yorkshire and appears to be very much out of place in Yorkshire and seems to be an island of the Home Counties in the North!

So Monday evening was the famous ‘Don’s Disco’, and of course the Christmas meal and quiz. The quiz was great, in the picture round all the answers had the initials ‘EH’ – although that didn’t make it much easier. The Chief Exec was sitting on our table (I really like the fact that he comes and sits wherever there’s a space – there’s no ‘top table’) and was desperate to win the quiz (even if it did mean trying to get me to use my Blackberry to look up answers!) – needless to say, we didn’t win, we came runners up loosing out by ½ a point! The runners-up prize was a bottle of Harrogate
‘Restorative’ spa water (NOT FOR CONSUMPTION!). The long squeaky balloons were very popular!

Caron and I drank a little too much white wine, although we both managed to behave (unlike some others!). The following morning I didn’t make it down for breakfast, but I was present and correct (if not a bit quiet) for the sessions – whoever had the idea to send us out on a treasure hunt around town …….. Caron and I made it as far as the nearest café (we weren’t the only ones).

The conference finished at 2.30 and since the rest of the afternoon would have been spent driving home I decided to delay that and with a couple of others we went to the Turkish Baths – WOW, it was wonderful (i was going to put a link to their website – but they don’t have one!).

I can highly recommend a visit as an excellent relaxing hangover cure, especially the very very cold bulge pool.

On the way home I remembered that the Radio 4 programme ‘PM’ was doing a great project getting all their listeners to take a photo at exactly 5pm, whatever they were doing.

Unfortunately, I was driving and it was very dark –

Trip to London

As I write this I’m sat in a conference; Living with Minerals in the QEII conference centre next to Westminster Abbey. The main speaker, Sir Moody-Stuart is speaking, and what he’s saying is actually very interesting – but I’m finding it really difficult to stay awake!

I’ve almost stopped attending conferences as I just can’t concentrate – I wonder what the hell I’d be like if I was still at uni? I don’t think I’d manage a two hour lecture I really can’t keep my eyes open.

One thing that did make me giggle were the comments from the chairman this afternoon – ‘could everyone please turn off all telephones, blackberries and other intelligent fruit you might have with you’.

Tonight I hope I’ll stay awake long enough to go to the champagne reception on the balcony of the Houses of Parliament.

One of the speakers was the Conservative MP, John Gummer – he kept me awake! Mainly as he outlined why he believes the aggregates levy tax is a nonsense. He claims that the tax came from the wish of government to ‘appear’ to be green – and to use the quarrying companies as scapegoats for the building of new roads.

Later in the afternoon we broke into smaller sessions and I was in the group which discussed ‘Environmental realism, improving mutual understanding’ – I really couldn’t keep my mouth shut!. Mainly as I was the only historic environment person there, I felt it was important to flag up that when we talk about ‘environment’ we must remember that this includes the ‘historic’ environment, not just the birds and the bees.

Given the substantial discussion over the aggregates levy tax and how the money is being spent I’m really pleased I attended today. Although it was obviously important that our Minerals Policy Lead attended (he couldn’t), I really do think that EH should try to get more involved in these issues – the natural environment do (Natural England, Friends of the Peak District, Environment Agency, RSPB and even the Ramblers Association).

This evening there was a wine reception at the Palace of Westminister (the House of Commons balcony); the building is totally amazing. I hope I get the chance to go back again and take some photos. You could feel the history all around you.