Sally and I set a precedent in 2007 that we would have a girls treat in the summer and in the winter. We can never repeat the sheer exhilaration and pleasure of the hot air balloon ride but we almost got there during a day off on 29th June.

Beautiful weather and high temperatures.

Top down on the car and a drive through the Lake District to Ambleside and a delightful cruise on a steamer on Windermere. Ambleside to Bowness and back. I’d forgotten how gorgeous it was.

Then, luxury of luxuries! Afternoon tea at Samlings Hotel near Ambleside. Oh such bliss. Such decadence. What stunning service and champagne and cakes. BLISS BLISS BLISS.

Poems, laughter, welly dancing, hot and humid, PunkyFolk, storms and charcoal sausages.
We had a LOVELY day at the Dent Festival Nestling in a large field under the glorious fells and landscape of the Cumbrian Dales near Sedbergh. Its just a little festival, informal and family friendly. It was very hot and damply muggy but the 5 hours in the main marquee flew by.

First we saw one of our favourite festival treats, the jolly, hysterically funny and charming Keith Donnelly and Les Barker. Then there was Black Umfolosi – 5 guys from Zimbabwe with acapella voices like molten honey and dancing in their poetic, expressive way and later, in wellies!

Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds were the highlight of the day for us. They were utterly brilliant. Ade is still the comic, but he is a darn good musician too and his band made up of some of the best folk musicians in the UK. It was all punk, old punk, punk from the heyday of punk, but all played as folk. It works superbly. Even small children were pogoing! Since the gig Ade himself has emailed me to ask if he can use some pictures for ther website and for a new promo poster. What a THRILL!

Before the thunder storm rolled in we got a bite to eat and a wander in the field before joining Heather and Alex to slosh about in sodden grass in the big beer tent and watch the torrential rain and lightning. As the evening session began the weather cleared and left just clouds of midges and a stunning sunset. We saw Tarras (an old fave of mine) and a little bit of Transglobalunderground (who I’m not that keen on) before heading home through a beautiful dusk.

Poor Hector has had my fluey cold too and was feeling pretty rotten all weekend and most of the week – not helped that for most of the week he was working late into the night on stuff going on at work. I felt iffy too and am still coughing after two weeks.

Work for me has been odd to say the least. Some bonkers stuff that you couldn’t make up! We have resorted to hysteria, but only by way of laughter – if we didn’t laugh we’d cry. Its also been unbearably hot – no fresh air and no ventilation. Awful.

I have two days leave this weekend – have been off today and had a relaxing day – but woke at 4 am with the worst migraine I’ve had for a very long time. Agony, and it made me sick too. Gruesome few hours. So, I’ve taken it easy…. Its been an odd day too because of learning of Michael Jacksons death last night. I wasn’t a fan – though I did like the Motown music from when he was a kid – but it is sad. He struck me as a fragile, damaged, troubled and lonely person.

We’ve got a good weekend ahead. Nothing but bimbling at home tomorrow and on Sunday some live music – pics and info later. It’ll be good to spend some time together after a tough week.

On Monday on my second day of leave, Sally and I are heading off to the Lakes and a steamer trip on Windermere followed by afternoon tea at the Samlings Hotel – sheer, total luxury. Can’t wait…. These pics are a taster of what we have to look forward to:

We went out today on a ‘date’ together. A nice drive up over Hartside and lunch in Northumberland and back via Derwent reservoir and a little walk, Weardale, Teesdale and the glorious moorland of the upper Pennines.

Now that my 365 one pic a day project is all done I want to start focusing (excuse the pun) on specific images, and probably revisiting shots that I’ve liked that I’ve previously taken.

Twas midsummer in the vale of river heaven; home to fair maidens and dashing knights, and the sun beat down on upturned rosy cheeks. Amid merriment, music and feasting, quaffing of ales and jestering, canopied colourful tents sprang up and challenges were undertaken by teams striving to be victorious in their quest to drop from candy coloured ropes from the church tower.

I’m quite proud of this shot I took in the garden at dusk last night.

Got held up on the way to work…..

My friend lives in the forests on the Scottish Border a bit north of Bewcastle and next door to a building that includes the name Blackpool. At the weekend she was stopped by people in a car asking where they could find the beach and pleasure park. It was a family from Bradford who had followed their SatNav. They were only adrift by – ooooh – 130 miles!
You couldn’t make it up could ya!

It has been a wonderful afternoon with Pete and Sarah coming over. They live on Corfu in a beautiful house in an olive grove. We had a few hours with wine and gossip and laughter and music. Sarah hasn’t been well but is looking lovely. Pete brought along one of the mandolins that he makes himself and played it for us. Find out about his mandolins here….. It doesn’t get any better than this…
A photo of Sarah that I put through some Photoshopped post-production.

A BBC News report…

Crews rescue man after road melts

Firefighters rescued a man in Greater Manchester after he became stuck in melted tar – caused by the hot weather.

Crews had to pull the man, who was stuck to mid-shin, out of the sticky tar bog after part of Angleside Avenue in Burnage melted on Tuesday night.

He was not injured but was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

A fire spokeswoman said it was the first time she had heard of such an incident in her 34 years in Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

She added: “Crews had to pull the tar to one side and manhandle him out of it.

“He was stuck there for 40 minutes and we used oxygen to keep him calm.”

NICE!

READ ABOUT IT HERE