Tag: York

The Lone Wreck

The Lone Wreck

I am working for my Pianoforte recital at Horbury (Nr. Wakefield) which is on the 16th of this month — how I look forward to these occasions. Oh! music — what a delight you are to me — it is one thread between man — & spirit.

For “bread money” — I play as “relief pianist” at the Electric Theatre (Picture House) (York) — hours 4.30 to 7 o’clock.

It does not take up too much of my time — what a blessing! !”

William Baines, 1899-1922, in his diary for Wednesday, 2 January, 1918
Baines

Baines biographer Roger Carpenter thought that William Baines’ 16 January 1918 recital would have been only the second public recital that the 18-year old composer gave. I’ve met people who remembered William playing at the Primitive Methodists’ Ebenezer Hall, so probably that was the venue.

Goodnight to Flamboro'

Tomorrow lunchtime at a recital in Ripon Cathedral Robin Walker performs William’s Tides, two sea pieces for piano, The Lone Wreck and Goodnight to Flamboro’ in a program that also includes performances of William’s Five Songs.

birds in flight sketch

Fifty years ago, for my ‘major project’ at Leeds School of Art I was organising a Baines exhibition and a biographical leaflet. Looking back through my file today I like the inky roughs that I produced on layout paper. Unfortunately the finished publication was in two colours only, so I didn’t take those any further.

Flamborough cliffs
My drawing, from an old postcard, of the cliffs at Flamborough, for Roger Carpenter’s 1977 biography of Baines, Goodnight to Flamboro’.
The sea stack known as Adam, since eroded away, at Flamborough. Drawn from an old postcard for Goodnight to Flamboro’.

York Away Day

York works well for us: we can clock up our 10,000 paces on a walk around the walls and then get a meal and browse around the shops. Some day we’ll find time to visit the art gallery or one of the museums, but today we just needed to escape.

Halfway through our 10,000 pace circuit of the walls we stop at the Gatehouse Cafe in Walmgate Bar, where I draw the houseplant.

Hart’s Tongue

Hart’s tongue fern (left) grows in the crevices of the old brick wall by Jamie’s Italian, next door to the Lendal Cellars.

Wall rue grows from crevices in the capstones.

2.55 p.m.: On the train home, we cross the Vale of York, then cut through the gentle dip slope of the magnesian limestone ridge.

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The Gatehouse

casement

Greylag goose at Clifford's Tower.
Greylag goose at Clifford’s Tower.

We like to walk the full circuit of the medieval city walls of York when the daffodils are out and today we found the perfect latte (and orange carrot cake) stop half way around at Gatehouse Coffee, Walmgate Bar. Two of the windows in the upper room are medieval style cross-shaped arrow slits but this later leaded casement window looks out onto the impressive barbican, a pre-gatehouse obstacle that any attacker would have to negotiate if they were determined to storm Walmgate Bar.

Kings & queens, knights and bishops, have entered York through the four main medieval ‘bars’ or gatehouses in the walls of York and they’re still doing battle today as a couple finish a tense chess game at the table by the window.

Commuters, Leeds station
Commuters, Leeds station

‘I could have taken your rook,’ the woman suggests.

‘You could have taken the rook, but you’d still have lost the game!’ the man retorts.

An onlooker, a woman who has been reclining on a bench in the corner, walks over to inspect the board:

‘If you don’t mind me saying, what I would have done is . . . ‘

Luckily the inquest on the game doesn’t escalate and the couple leave, still the best of friends.

Roe Deer

Wood pigeon and squirrel in the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum.
Wood pigeon and squirrel in the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum.

On our outward train journey from Leeds the trees are still bare but crows are building. Gorse is in blossom on a south-facing rocky embankment in Leeds.

roe deerOn the return journey at four o’clock a little to the east of Church Fenton, I spot a roe deer on farmland close to a belt of trees. It’s years, probably ten or fifteen years, since I’ve seen one.

Link: Gatehouse Coffee

Robin Hood: a walk in Barnsdale Forest

There were 6 picture maps to draw for the 19 miles of my Walks in Robin Hood’s Yorkshire along with two short town trails, plus local views and historical details.

I love the maps in Tolkien and The Wind in the Willows and my aim is to try to make the places look delightful enough for my readers to feel they’d like to walk there but accurate enough for them to follow the directions in the text without the need for an Ordnance Survey map (although I do recommend people take one with them in case there are unexpected footpath closures or if they decide to stray off the route).

Robin Hood’s Yorkshire

Arms of the House of Lancaster, built into a wall near Pontefract Castle
Little John’s Well
Robin Hood’s Well
St Mary Magdelene, Campsall
St Mary’s Abbey, York
Robin Hood’s Tower, York
Brockadale Map
Rough for Brockadale Map

Artwork from ‘Walks in Robin Hood’s Yorkshire’, Willow Island Editions, ISBN 978-1-902467-19-1, from my display ‘A long, drawn out process . . .’ exhibited at the Robin Hood Scholars’ Conference at Beverley, 10 July 2011.