Martin's Mag.

…probably as it’s been carried out since Brunel’s day – paint is removed from suspension cables by steeplejacks with small hammers and buckets.

[android smartphone]

Bugger! I love being part of the European Union; I believe, with all its faults, it’s a force for good, and for peace. The trouble with referenda is that they are rarely only about the subject on the voting form, and there are many in our society who, with justification, think that the gap between the haves and have-nots has reached obscene proportions, and therefore vote against what is seen as the current status quo. Interestingly, the two land borders that we have with the EU (N Ireland and Gibraltar) both voted decisively to remain. Could be problems there. We’ll have to wait to see what form of “brexit” we end up with. No-one seems to know, least of all the “Brexiteers”. I don’t think any of us knows how expensive, divisive and isolating it’s going to be.

As it was Sally’s birthday we had a few days in Newlyn, near Penzance. A real working, fishing, town with a strong personality. We took our time meandering back, and visited some old haunts in the Devon South Hams.

Mousehole boats

Newlyn harbour

Sketching from Harbour View bedroom

Penzance bike training

Sally’s fishy friend

Penzance harbour

Penzance lido

Newlyn boats

Newlyn harbour

Newlyn plaque

Rocky’s old caff, South Milton, Devon. Now excruciatingly middle-class

Asthall Manor, in Oxfordshire is a magnificent house with even more magnificent gardens. Every couple of years the owners curate an exhibition, currently onForm16: sculptures in stone. More at onformsculpture.co.uk.

We met Wendy and Graham there. Most of the following pictures were taken by Sally.

A huge cache of ice-age animal bones, found in natural caves in the west of the Mendip Hills. These were discovered in the 19th century by a bishop who decided it was proof  of biblical texts, specifically The Flood.

We cycled from Newport to Goytre Wharf, and back, on the Monmouth and Brecon canal in South Wales. Actually, for a canal, quite steep in parts.

Under the M4.

Information board.

Unusual hinged lock gate.

A walk through the Cotswold countryside passing through Horsley Mill Fish Farm.

We’ve been to Bruges about this time of year for three years now, mainly because we refuse to believe that the weather can’t always be worse there than it is at home. It was a draw, more or less, this year. As I’ve taken all the tourist pictures before, I intended to keep the camera in my backpack this time, but, well…

[Click any picture to enlarge]

Bruges bricks

Bruges weaver

Bruges fungi

Cafe in the re-cycling shop in Bruges.

Boy racers’ cafe in Ostende.

Inside the weirdest general stores in Sluis.

Sluis cheese shop.

Square in central Bruges, during Saturday market.

Bruges Saturday market

Bruges Saturday market

Bruges Saturday market

Bruges Saturday market

Ostende pier.

Sal outside seafood lunch restaurant.

Dolls’ house in Neuporte

Art installation, Ostende.

Sculpture in Neuporte.

The Eagle by Leo Camps 1996. Neuporte.

Statue of Edward Anseele, Belgian Socialist. Ghent.

Lille Citadel.

Lille zoo.

Lille zoo.

Lille zoo.

Lille Citadel.

Lille Citadel.

Lille Citadel.

Lille Citadel.

Ghent barge.

The Old Fish Market restaurant. Closed on Mondays!

Lunch, Ghent.

Ghent.

Ghent.

Ghent building site.

Hotel, Bruges.

The four sides of “Raw”, by Neville Gabie.

Martin, pixellated.

Part of “Echo” by Annie Cattrell.

“Fire and Water Boats” by David Nash.

“The Heart of Stone” by Tim Lees.

“Iron Road” by Keir Smith.

“Cathedral” by Kevin Atherton.

Bluebells by Mother Nature.

Laurie Lee made this part of Gloucestershire famous when he wrote Cider With Rosie about his childhood in the period between the wars. He died almost twenty years ago and in his lifetime the area moved considerably upmarket, being now full of second homes and Range Rovers.