Any ideas for a nice walk on Friday in North / East Yorkshire? Essential: some history/heritage to ‘see’ rather than just ‘feel’ Desirable: birds, a good pub, nice views, a watercourse, a stile or two, a friendly horse, a tea room, a curious fox, a bubbling spring and a cheery wave from a vicar.

✂️ Yesterday I finally responded to @agakowalska.bsky.social’s challenge to make a collage from a single piece of packaging. I present to you a green (tea) woodpecker, made from a big Yorkshire Tea box. It was fun and I’ll be rooting through our recycling bin for more materials later on ♻️

Always exciting when it's new book time. Tonight it's a new audiobook and I plumped for The Postal Paths by Alan Cleaver.

A day of annual leave for some #dadmin, but managed to get out for an hour for a leg stretch and was rewarded with a bullfinch, goldcrest, corn bunting and a lovely horse!

The weather is appalling and I’ve got a bit of a hangover so I’m having a very lazy afternoon and plan to start my new book; Little Kingdoms by @alexharvv.bsky.social. Can’t wait to get stuck into it.

Out in York today for a beers, possibly lots of beers, so went out for a very slow early morning 5k. Beautiful wintry conditions. Buzzards and hares everywhere.

My word ... 🎺 www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Another beautiful morning …

I’ve got a lot of goals that I’m working towards in 2026, one of them is to complete a sub 5 hour marathon in memory of a really good pal of mine. I’m adopting a run/walk strategy and this morning I did a nice 10k to start things off. It’s was a stunningly beautiful day for it.

A great piece on Time Team here, which remains my favourite TV show of all time. I’ve no idea why I didn’t follow my passion for all things historical academically or professionally. Oh to have one’s time again …

I’m filled with anxiety & 100 unrelenting worries, so, I’m in bed reading & listening to Above/below by @tinyleaves.bsky.social. Spotify recently told me this was my most listened to track in 2025. No surprise, it’s so beautiful. Always lifts my spirits and gives me hope. youtu.be/EkDYKAy_i_4?...

The Christmas holidays are quickly drawing to a close. So, to keep the back to work blues at bay for as long as possible my son and I went for a drive to a local cafe for scrambled eggs, bacon and tea.

Have spent a very enjoyable thirty minutes tonight on OS maps planning and exploring various walks for my trip to Findhorn Valley in May. I can't wait and I'm hopefully going to (finally) chalk off seeing a Golden Eagle in the wild.

I’m nursing a dodgy knee so did some car seat birding this morning! Parked here for an hour or so and had a blissful, relaxing time. A water rail kept darting out into the stream but too quick for a camera and finger. Buzzards soaring overhead and long tailed tits in the trees.

Despite having randonly developed a very painful knee, I went out for a 5k jog earlier and was rewarded with a beautiful bullfinch. Rubbish phone photo but he was very handsome. A great start to my birding 2026. :-)

Happy New Year to everyone. Best wishes all round. I’m really determined that 2026 is going to be my best year yet. Lose some weight, run a marathon in memory of a good pal, see a golden eagle, start my blog and spend more time doing the things I love (I.e. the stuff in my bio!). Best wishes to all.

Have just finished the short novel Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet. Really good. I spent time on the island in the summer and Burnet’s reimagining of a real life historical crime is done very well and vividly evokes the isle’s unique character, as well as being an unsettling yet sympathetic read.

Sadly didn’t spot the glossy ibis or white tailed eagle that’s been seen in the area, but still an enjoyable leg stretch that took in All Saints in Aughton. The church has strong links to Robert Aske and the Pilgramage of Grace. Back home now for tea, biscuits and a bit of football on the box.

My 12yo son is out all day for his friend's birthday celebrations. So you know what I'm going to do? Take myself off for a lovely walk somewhere. :-)

Best pub porn I've seen in yonks.

A last one before Xmas. Bird place-name of the day 122: FINCHDEAN (Hants). OE finc + denu. ‘Finch valley’. No way of knowing which finches, but since it’s Xmas I’ll go with bramblings! Happy Xmas all. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Just back from a few days in Belfast. What great place. Not been for years and it was great to return. The Crumlin gaol experience was fascinating and really well done considering the history and the condemned cell/place of execution particularly captivating.

York looked beautiful tonight. I’m definitely at home in the countryside but really miss living in the city centre sometimes.

This makes me SO angry. Who has done this? Why? So depressing. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Our local village church was looking ruddy lovely tonight. There was a medieval nunnery next to it. Still hope to make it into a 3d digital model one day …

Had a walk up and around Sledmere today and called in at the Triton Inn for a pint. Had been past it loads of times but never ventured in. Should have! Cracking pub!

The algorithms are making it a lot harder to spread the word about these online talks. Although numbers are still reasonable, it would be a great help if folk were able to give the 30 December event a quick share 🙂 Booking available here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/buildings-...

I've also just finished this on Audible; The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. An absolutely magnificent, gut wrenching novel. One of the best I've ever read. Had a little tear up at a couple of parts. Would highly recommend. Will stay with me for a long time. (Heron on the cover is a bonus!)

Finished this last night. Didn't know a huge deal about the Winter War between Russia and Finland and this was a really interesting, gripping novel where you learn by accident.

Just listended to probably my favourite ever episode of the #Plodcast today. @drmjwarren.bsky.social talking to @blorengeviews.bsky.social about birds, history, maps and nature. Just brilliant.

This is my dream home. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1... An old Victorian church with stunning views of a beautiful part of the world, a magnificent roman fort just up the road and surrounded by loads of history and wildlife. Amazing. Just need a tweak to planning permission to live in it.

Have just finished The Pretender by Jo Harkin on Audible. Really, really good. I’ve no idea how someone writes a novel like that with so much historical research yet still makes it funny, sharp, gripping, compelling sad and relevant! A terrific slab of historical fiction.

Had an enjoyable afternoon at Catterick races today, which has been hosting horse racing since 1783. I've got a real soft spot for the North Yorkshire track. Sadly though, I saw no signs of the old roman Cataractonium or any remanants from the Battle of Catraeth, both supposedly nearby.

Fair play to Scotland, unreal game! International football during the domestic season gets some stick, but evenings like tonight are why it should be cherished!

Had a 6.7 mile run around Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs yesterday. A beautiful morning for it.

Why do they do this? Pretty spectacular to see!

Absolutely loved this from @nicolawriting.bsky.social in the latest RSPB magazine. Took a photo of it on my phone and favourited to read again.

Bit of a lunar eclipse going on out/up there tonight.

Did three of my favourite things yesterday; a spot of birding, bought some books and had a pint.

Sadly didn’t see the local white tailed eagles on my walk in the North Yorkshire Moors yesterday, but did have a pint in the Lion Inn, which was a decent substitute.

Lovely walk from Loch Druidibeag to Loch Skipport Pier and back today. Loch Skipport was a cool place to stop and sit for 20 minutes; once a bustling 19th century port and one of the main ways onto #SouthUist, but only some old upright timbers remain. We even spotted a far away eagle.

After getting absolutely battered by Storm Floris for most of the day (never experienced anything like it), it was amazing to get out of the house in mere gale force winds and have a bit of an explore of the local area. Beautiful. And saw my first ever sanderlings and a ringed plover.

Spent some time on Eriskay today. What a beautiful place. Our first full day today and here for a week, but already starting to feel sad that it’s not enough time.

En route to the Western Isles and we broke up the long journey with visits to some football grounds; 📍Shielfield Park (Berwick) 📍Foresters Park (Tranent Juniors) 📍Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk) 📍Ochilview Park (Stenhousemuir) 📍Forthbank Stadium (Stirling) 📍Claggan Park (Fort William)

What a magnificent collection of stamps. I felt like a 19th century gentleman when I received this.

This is absolutely nuts. Easy to say now, but I always thought something was a bit off about the whole story. What a mess.

Be still my beating heart www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...

Had had a lovely walk today around the old racecourse at Richmond (the Yorkshire one where Rishi Sunak lives). It’s still a really evocative place and the grandstand there is the oldest surviving of its type in the world. Great place. Saw a curlew and then went for Sunday lunch and an ice cream.

Sat by an old canal, in the peace and quiet, fondly remembering a really good friend whose funeral it was on Wednesday, listening to Folded Landscapes by Erland Cooper whilst being serenaded by a Chiffchaff. 👊🏻

York City have just released their new kit. Can anyone vouch if the 'runes' on the boat do indeed spell out ‘YORK’?! Apparently there's 'a nod to the city’s Norse past, a subtle Viking design complete with longships lies in the fabric.' Does that class a Viking design?! Still, I like it.