3rd degree

Polly had a party to celebrate the completion of her house renovations and moving back in with her girlfriend Rosie, and Steve. Thus the party became a threesomes party. The hosts came as three Health and Safety officers, while everyone else raided nursery rhymes, Christmas tales and (in our case) pop groups, for inspiration.

Highest point in England

This is it! The top of Scafell - the highest point in England. 978m. Not particularly lofty by world standards. But it had it's head in the clouds the day I visited. So this was the view....

Lake District

I bought a new woodworking tool on Ebay, which I had to pick up in Bolton, so used this as an excuse to go walking in the Lakes for a couple of days. It rained for the first two nights and day. I was sleeping out, so that was pretty hard, but managed not to get too wet. I stayed mainly in the valleys on the first day to keep out of the clouds. Then headed for higher ground on the second when the weather cleared a bit. Here I am on top of Glaramara with Derwent Water in the background.

Shambala

I went to a great little festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend with loads of entertainment for kids and mature children. There was a beach resort with sandpit for the wonky olympics and sandcastle building.

There was a big top with various cabaret events and roller disco.

Hottubs and two saunas.

Loads of craft workshops. I made a raku pot.
And obligatory fancy dress!

Poppy fields

The government is trying to stop local farmers from growing poppies, however the revenue is so much greater than from the usual wheat crop....

Horse riding

It fell to me to take Georgie horse riding today. Unfortunately they had run out of ponies, and only had a shire horse called Emily available for her to ride!

Pond weed

I rescued the fish in this pond from a dismal life today. I didn't think there were any still alive. But there are quite a few. They just couldn't move.

I spent over three hours forking several hundred weight pond weed out.

I think they are grateful.

Street party

A very English affair. North Oxford. Very middle class. Doctors and academics...

...and Giles playing his drum...

...and May putting on her new shoes. The latest fashion. Georgie has some too. They have dolls secreted in the heels. It's a terrorist plot to take over the world.

...and Leo, sporting a mask I made him...

One of the jugglers - not this one - lost control of his fire poi, and it landed between the feet of a five year old princess in full tafeta regalia. There was a collective holding of breath, before disaster was averted - God knows how. Fire retardant?

New van

I have just bought a new/ 2nd hand van, which I am very proud of. It's the unexpected things that please most. Power steering that is as light as a car's. A load area I can stand up in. A fully secure, alarmed load space, with neither visible locks, nor windows in which I can leave my tools in overnight. I think it is going to improve my working life enormously. No more aching shoulders at the end of a job, from the drive home. It even has electric windows and mirrors, which feel indispensable already. All my tools now have a home inside. And my name is emblazoned - albeit discreetly - on the side.

I bought it on eBay without even seeing it. Felt very rash, but have subsequently decided that I had just been discerning. The description looked and sounded honest, and so it proved to be. The bodywork looks great for a six year old vehicle.

Sketchup

While I was in Wellington last, a friend showed me a model he had created using Sketchup. It is a computer programme I had already downloaded, but always baulked at experimenting with. But then I figured that if a pancake flipper could master a design programme - albeit a pretty smart pancake flipper - who was I to avoid this new technology. And within a couple of hours I was up and running.

It's great. So good, I may rarely touch my drawing board again.

More engineering icons

Another of those DIY Kiwis was an inventor called Richard Pearce, who is credited by some with making the first manned flight, nine months before the Wright brothers. His 140m flight ended up in a gorse bush, so he didn't consider it an unequivocal success. Indeed he died in obscurity. But his reputation has in recent years been elevated to that of Kiwi hero status, along with Burt Monroe of "The World's Fastest Indian" fame.

And John Britten, who's 1000cc motorbike revolutionised motorbike design in the mid 1990s and took the racing bike world by storm.

Barton's mower

One of the things I love about New Zealand are the men. Many of them are deeply practical, and resourceful despite limited resources, and have a shed for tools and spare parts. One avocado grower I met through my friend Grant, knocked up this mower to cut the grass in his orchard. Probably better than anything on the market, it looks like it belongs in a Mad Max movie.

Tramperman

Just thought you should see just how ridiculous I sometimes looked going up mountains in New Zealand. Here Tramperman makes an appearance in Peckham with his friend Batman. In the Kiwi backcountry, such an outfit barely raises an eyebrow. The emphasis is on practical clothing, which keeps you warm and dry. So cotton is eschewed in favour of polypropylene and merino wool products. And sometimes wool mixed with possum fur, which is hollow and therefore a great insulator. However, it still amuses most Poms to find themselves running around in tights and short shorts rarely seen since Kevin Keegan was performing on Britain's football pitches.

Wellington

Last view of my beloved Wellington from the Massey Memorial.

Wanganui River

Three days of paddling with friend Jo (Yes, just a friend!) down the Wanganui. Not much to see, but sunken logs, water, and steep hillsides covered in bush.

And the Bridge to Nowhere. Built to give soldiers access to land given to them for services rendered in the aftermath of the 1st World War. Unfortunately the bridge came to late for most of the soldiers and their families. Most had left by the time the bridge was finished. The terrain just too hard.

Tararuas

Went walking in the Tararua's just north of Wellington. Climbed up to Mt. Hector (about 1500m) for great views of Kaikoura mountains on the South Island.

All the way to Ruapehu in the North.

Wanted a bush walk really, but got lost, had to camp out for the night - fortunately weather was fine, otherwise it could have been dodgy - and walk out the way I came in. Over the mountains instead of along the valley.

OK, just one...

View from Picton, getting on to the ferry back to North Island.

Hanmer Springs

Stopped off on my way north at these thermal springs. There are a few of these dotted around New Zealand wherever there is the appropriate geothermal activity. Cost? About five pounds. Sheer self indulgence at very little expense. One almost feels obliged to go.

Bank's peninsula

There is a beautiful outcrop of land to the East of Christchurch. As usual the result of volcanic activity! Rolling hills and tranquil estuaries radiating out from the middle like spokes of a wheel.

Gave me an opportunity to add to my current series of reflecting water shots. These replace the misty mountain shots of yesteryear.

William Morris

Heading north back to Wellington. Stopped in Christchurch to pick up a new/ second-hand laptop to replace the one I dropped a couple of months ago. Visited city Art Gallery for exhibitions of William Morris and Colin McCahon - New Zealand's foremost artist (deceased).