A tale of two Bobs

If you start to type 'Bob' into my web-browser you (maybe surprisingly) don't get Bob Dylan or Bob Marley. However, you do (not surprisingly) get Bob Graham, but you also get Bob Wightman. Now Bob Graham has had plenty of coverage on this blog but Bob Wightman only occasionally gets a mention

I first met Bob Wightman at Ilkley Moor fell race and it was Brett who introduced us. I suspect I'd already visited Bob's website but it was before he fell off Stannage and started his blog Bob and I ran round the Haworth Hobble one year with Steve 'merrylegs' Foster and it was Bob who navigated leg one of my first Bob Graham and the final leg of my successful round (I'll never forget seeing him in the car-park at Honister). Bob also showed me and Rich 'Mr 1470' around leg one on a glorious Saturday morning; the day I first saw the parachute descent off Blencathra

Bob had a hip-replacement operation this week and I'm guessing he'll be blogging about his recovery over the coming weeks. I guess too that it'll make interesting reading

Lou Donaldson

The Sensations

I've had some kind of low-grade flu virus for around five weeks and haven't run at all in that time. The one time I have run I found it incredibly difficult to breath and felt very 'mortal'. The virus (a bit like my love of rocksteady, ska and reggae music) seems to come and go but is very persistent!

Alfie at nine months

Alfie is nine months old now. He was on tip-top form yesterday when we met him and his mum and dad at Bicton!

Herbie Hancock

Sylvia Striplin

Sidmouth sunset

IanDarkpeak's web-site

Ian Winterburn (IanDarkpeak) from Dark Peak Fellrunners is a bit of a legend in fell running circles. He's actively involved with mountain rescue, is a regular, willing and excellent navigator on the Bob Graham (he helped me on leg 2 of my round), a purveyor of the legendary Rescue Ale and is also just about the most upbeat and smiley guy you'll ever have to privilege to meet on the hill or off it for that matter. His web-site / blog is well worth looking up with his two most recent posts highlighting the threat of hypothermia and looking in detail at winter navigation being particularly strong. Highly recommended reading!

Mellow Larks

Idris Muhammad

Sunday lunch

We went for lunch today with my twin brother Michael and his partner Deb. Michael invited us out as part of our (ongoing) engagement celebrations and I suggested we go to the Devonshire Arms In spite of living a few minutes up the road I'd never set foot in the pub in all the time I've been in Wharfedale

Every thing about the meal was great: lovely food, perfect service and a nice relaxed atmosphere in the brasserie. I also got to wear my new tweed jacket (Abraham Moon cloth from Guisley). Tweed seems to be my latest obsession after me spending hours recently scouring menswear blogs looking for a something to wear for our wedding. I doubt it will be another nine years before Stef and I return to the Devonshire  

Family affair

Better future

100% Northern

I've probably blogged this before, but I was born in Derby and spent the first 40 years of my life living around 10 to 15 miles North of the city. However, I moved up to live on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales in 2004 and have lived here ever since. My first five years in Yorkshire were spent working in Bradford, and I've always felt more Northern than Southern although I always tell folk 'am frum midlans' if they ask

Earlier today I did the 'How Northern are you?' test with Stef. She was 70% Northern in spite of not knowing what a balm is and having dinner in the evening as opposed to tea. That's good going for someone who was living in Southampton only two years ago. I was quite pleased (and oddly kind of relieved) with my 100% Northern status in spite of answering bitter instead of mild. I guess I won't be heading southbound any time soon!

Laura Nyro