Nice to have our friends Nat & Cath in London for a few days and their amazing children Caitlin, Elsa and now Joe too. Spent some time in Peckham Park in the sunshine with them all relaxing. Amazing how smart kids are. Fascinating to watch and engage with.
Which is a good thing. She’s got a great eye for seeing amazing things to take pictures of (some are quite bizarre) and has now started uploading to Flickr also. Go and have a good look (and chuckle) at the pictures of toilets, people dancing at bus stops and shoes on pavements – amongst other things.
A few weekends ago Emma and I headed down to a very picturesque Manor House near Chichester after work on the Friday. We were welcomed by Kate, the owner, and also her dog Monty. We also met Lou who was staying there for a few weeks from France as part of the WWOOF‘ing that Kate runs at the house. The idea is that you can sign up and go and work anywhere in the world and receive bed and board in exchange for 6 or so hours work a day on an organic farm.
I was there to shoot a few photos of the stables in the morning, which are currently being renovated. We were treated to organic apple juice (made from their own apples), salmon and eggs (from the chickens on site), lots of coffee and a couple of hours of chatting and relaxing. Amazing to get out of London for a day and relax. Incredible just how quiet it is outside of London. As well as Monty, Kate had two lovely collies staying with her. I was also able to feed the chickens which was great – see the below video.
One of the nicest things about staying at a place like this is seeing the little family mementos and history around you. It’s incredible. These tractors really stood out to me, along with the little trike in front.
After staying far too long and getting far too relaxed we then headed over to Alresford to meet some friends, have some lunch, relax some more and take another dog – Gus – for a walk around the nearby watercress farms. Could definitely get used to this lifestyle. One day perhaps.
After a fairly epic week in terms of work, both Architecture & Photography, I went over to the pre-opening of Franks Campari bar to meet Chris and a few of his friends. I’ve never seen South London so busy with art students and what is commonly known as hipsters I guess. After such a busy week I didn’t stay long but I think I’ll head back a few times this summer to get some more shots of the art and installations and also hopefully to enjoy a few drinks with friends.
And a quick video of the crowds.
And whilst the view really is amazing we really are spoilt by the view from our bedroom window.
…is something that I’ve strangely neglected as of late (apart from commuting). The chance to take a trip to Wales with Jenx, Matt and Jim was something I was keen not to miss, as much for the riding as the shits and giggles that usually follows. We went to the usual spot of Afan for a trip round Syline on the Sat. As usual it started of sunny but ended up wet and muddy as hell. Some funny moments of Matt riding through hub deep mud and also endo-ing into it certainly kept the smiles coming. The lack of views was a shame but thats what happens when you ride in Wales.
After getting cleaned and dry we headed up to a tiny little village near Brechfa and a superb little bunk house with a pub attached. Great fun and almost everyone in the bar was speaking Welsh. Good food and lots of Guinness followed. An early night was needed. Waking up to a room of wet kit, skinky feet and farts was less pleasant but it’s all part of the experience. After a leisurely start it was off to Brechfa for a quick route around the Raven I think. I was far too tired for it after Skyline the day before. Would be nice to go back with a bit more energy and after a less hectic week at work.
Glad to be back in the saddle though. Thanks Graham for organising and thanks for Matt and Jim for the additional shits and giggles.
Team shot
Bike tree
Can’t see the view unfortunately
Mist
Resting freeriders
Yesterday we (Emma, Jane and I) drove out to Peaslake in Surrey to go for a walk around and just get out of London for a few hours. Normally a place I’d go for mountainbiking but interesting to go there walking. Had a wander around from the car park near some of the trails I normally ride, up past Barry Knows Best and then over to the Holmbury Hill viewpoint. Bit too hot for the ladies and one too many hills. Still it was good to get out. The trails looked amazing and there were plenty of riders around. Think I’ll head out there next weekend with the bikes.
A few pics from Instagram app on the iPhone as well as the proper camera.
That’s the sound of our new car. Amazing! Doesn’t leak, has air conditioning, these things that put the windows up and down automatically, a little bleeper on the key and you can even talk to each other without shouting. Crazy. Hoping to use it for some biking trips soon as well as seeing our respective folks in Bath & Cambridge.
Awaiting a formal naming.
The last few weeks or even months have been mental workwise. I’ve been working long hours and also working at the weekend and evenings on photography work which included putting a small exhibition up in the local pub. I’ve still not managed to ride my mountainbike but I’m hoping that will change soon.
Today I was keen to use my camera again and not on a tripod! I glanced through my Lightroom Catalogue earlier and couldn’t see a single image that was a personal one. So, off came the shift lens and battery grip, on with the 50mm ƒ1.8 and out we went. Nice to travel light for a change not feel the pressure of having to deliver images for a client. We only went around Peckham Park to get some fresh air and a coffee but it was great to get out for a bit. Naturally we ended up in The Gowlett for a pint of Guinness or two.
Here’s a few shots from today.
Day off work today to catch up with my sister who is in London for the weekend. The great thing about having a visitor is that you have to make the effort to do all those things you’ve never quite got round to doing, like that gallery, or that place for lunch, or that cafe etc.
Should be good!
And here she is having a great time in Trafalgar Square.
