All things must pass

One of my gurus passed away recently and as is  often the case we learned at the funeral that there was much more to the deceased than we could have imagined. We all knew Frank was a family man and a highly knowledgeable expert in his professional field, but I didn't know that he was a very competitive sportsman, or that he taught himself to play the guitar as a 59 years old. A full church on a miserable grey Peak District morning was a very good indication of the high esteem he was held in with a broad range of people R.I.P Frank Welch

A perfect autumn day

I've worked in and around the textile industry for over 33 years and meet a lot of people every year. Some are just starting out in their careers. Some feel like contemporaries. Some are real gurus; leaders and learned people. Two of the gurus work at separate plants in Lancashire and not only are they both great guys but they are expert in theier fields plus have an ability to not only pick up new things but share the old too. Today I saw them both. They were pleased to see me and I enjoyed our time together as I do always

Today I saw also some wonderful autumnal trees hanging on to their leaves if only at least for the time being. I spotted a couple of flocks of marauding winter thrushes, recently arrived from cooler climes. By a newly flooded corner of a field I noted a brace of oystercatcher proving that they don't all over-winter on the west coast

On the way home, on the edge of Three Peaks country, I treated myself to a new tweed cap made from wool cloth produced by Abraham Moon who employ some experts and gurus of their own. It'll be perfect for winter dog walks. It's great we still produce some fantastic product in our islands, and a shame that what my friends and colleagues do isn't better recognised and acknowledged