North to Black

North to Black

Artwork for my next publication, North to Black, a story of crossing the North Sea to Amsterdam, going up the Rhine, along a canal and down the Danube to the Black Sea, oublished this month.

El Camino Portuguese

 El Camino Portuguese

The artwork for the cover of my latest book just recently published titled El Camino Portuguese, a five week trek from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela and onwards along El Camino Finisterre and El Camino Irlandais to Muxia and finally A Coruna. 

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Stalham, Norfolk

 Stalham, Norfolk

A fascinating little village set deep in rural Norfolk.

A view of the parish church tower from the south...

                                       

...a view of the extension to house the altar...

...the tower and nave from the north...

A close up of the south entrance built of knapped flint.

 

The Baptist chapel built in 1813...

...and the larger chapel built next door in 1894 for a larger congregation...

...and a dinosaur mascot outside a local estate agency on the other side of the old chapel. 

The marvelous art deco style main building of the local high school.

And then it was on to the Museum of the Broads which has a host of exhibits to tell the history of the Broads.

Tools used to harvest reeds for thatching.

A cycle boat

A punt hosting a duck gun. 

Some of the tools used by a reed harvestor. 

Another cycle boat. 

A pleasure craft. 

Part of teh bows of a boat used to provide shelter for those that want to sit down for a while.

The hull and a model of a wherry. 

A steam powered reed cutter. 

Happisburgh, Norfolk

 Happisburgh, Norfolk

A weekend with the extended family and we have been visiting here for three decades so we were locals but we all can recognise newcomers as the village isn't pronounced as it is spelt but is called Haysborough.

The local church and the white sign on the gate is announcing that the tower is open to visitors, but it doesn't mention the entry price or the fact that there are 135 steps.

The south entrtance to the church built of knapped flint with a small room above for the visiting priest.

A view of the local lighthouse from the top of the church tower.  

Other views from the church tower along the coast...

...and in the other direction...

...a Commonwealth War Grave Commission style gravestone for a RNLI volunteer from the local lifeboat station just a kilometre down the coast...

...and a standard military CWGC gravestone.

The village is very picturesque with many homes built of local materials...

...a tiny cottage...

...a local house built of flints...

...a view of the lighthouse from the ground.

A view of the beach...

...a view of the boulders placed to protect the base of the cliffs made of soft sand and clay.

The local pub called the Hill House Inn standing on a hill that rises four metres above the road through the village. That may not seem much but when the county is so flat, that is still a significantly 'high' hill. At the back of the pub is an extension called the Signal Box. A railway was planned to run from Cromer to Sea Palling and in 1903, at the tail end of the railway building boom of the 19th century, a signal box and platform were built to allow passengers to get off the train and visit the pub. The project ran out of money and the railway was never built. The area beneath the signal box is used as a stage for the pub's annual sommer solstice beer festival. 

A blue plaque detailing that the Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle wrote The Adventures of the Dancing Men featuring Sherlock Holmes here in 1903 and mentions the Hill House. 

Living with Los Madrileños

 Living with Los Madrileños

The cover of my next book depicting a flamenco dancer in front of Escorial which features in the book and now available from your favourite book retailer.

It is a story of my time living and working in Madrid and a journey through Spain's geography, history, culture and cuisine. 

Storks at Knepp Castle

 Storks at Knepp Castle

After an absence of 600 years, in 2019 the first storks returned to UK at Knepp Castle. Now there are 24 nests with 27 chicks and 48 eggs yet to hatch at the last count. There is a history of storks in the area as nearby Storrington used to be called Storkington. 

                                        

A view of a nest.

A close up of an adult and two chicks.

Another view.

Both adults on the nest.

Some of the yurts at the campsite at Knepp Castle.