An iron staple, or joggle, where the stone block in which it is seated has split and partially fallen away. It's possible to see how the joggle sits in a chiselled recess which is filled with lead.

Read the recipe book. Then ignore it and do what you can with what's in the pantry.

180 g plain flour

70 g bran

250 g strong flour

some sugar

some milk powder

1 1/4 tsp yeast

350 g water

Does anyone else hear music when looking at this? Berio or Varèse work best for me here.

You might remember a similar shot with a bee foraging on this lupin. Well the visit worked and the plant is now happily going to seed. Job done 👍

Walking to collect my mail, I spotted this under the castle lights.

The evenings are drawing in for sure.

On the morning after turning back the clocks for winter. A gloomy, grizzly day outside. An extra hour in bed to read and drink more tea. Bliss.

Still flowering. It must enjoy the chill in this room.

There's nothing quite like boiled eggs and 'soldiers' made from toast. But let's face it, smashing-in the top of the egg to gain access using a spoon is brutal, messy, and uncivilized.

But lo! I have just managed to find a nifty device from Germany: an eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. There are several types, this being a precisely calibrated spring-loaded affair that cracks and removes the shell with the bare minimum of collateral destruction.

A device of which even the fastidious Hercule Poirot would approve!

Looking out of the window of the train; it was a stream of landscape images, like I was running headlong through an art gallery.

Victorian terraced houses in Glasgow. Many have been converted into serviced offices.

Arnside coastguard siren warns of the approaching incoming tide and tidal bore.

it's seriously loud!

A new tradition for me. Avocado toast with my Russian-style preserved tomatoes.

I have never liked the term 'brunch'; it has so much cultural baggage for me. But having spent the morning reading and drinking tea in bed, then brunch it is.

Dessert at our work Christmas lunch

Bright and breezy, and on sale. Irresistible!

A friend has not been well and his kitchen is being remodeled so I made him some soup. At least his microwave is still usable.

As I was taking this there was a sudden gust of wind. I quite like the effect.

nothing is permanent.

Black and White canal towpath

Today is Beltane, an ancient festival that marks the beginning of summer, the peak of spring, and the return of fertility to the world.

These columbines flower from late spring to mid-summer, making a bridge between the seasons.

Soften the onions, celery, garlic, add a handful of herbs, then the potatoes, carrots, and some curly kale. Cover and allow to cook in their own steam for 10 minutes or so.

Smoked mackerel, kumara (sweet potato) chips, and peas. A bit of tomato sauce and mayo for interest.

When Fleetwood was a fishing town, fishing boats were easily identified by their funnels.

Designed by Clark Sorensen. Joyful and surprising.

A lucky grab shot.

The navigation skill of migrating birds never fails to amaze me.

It took some savage cropping to get this how I wanted. Dalton Square has a number of these ornate and rather lovely lanterns.

Lit by electricity now.

from my back garden

A kind of gnarly smile from the top of the rye loaf.

camera-wiki.org/wiki/Instantograph

In Oxfam, Lancaster.

Made in Birmingham .

Unusual velocipede. Often wondered if they are worth the money.

Walking along the river embankment, no cars to disrupt a clear evening.

I once had a sports car that was described as a 2+2. Fun but useless for any more luggage than a shopping bag

This 2+2 (2 eggs, 2 rashers back bacon) will be useful in providing half my daily protein. Fat kept to a minimum by choosing lean bacon and cooking without fat. Eggs cooked with some milk and canola oil. All in the nuke for just a few minutes at 75% power.

Happy Sunday everyone 👍🙏

Ivy berries make great ink and dye but are poisonous to dogs and people. Seen along the canal side.

...but still doing its job.

Drinking coffee in the pouring rain having decided not to stay in a packed concert room. To be fair there was an umbrella. It was so peaceful here, too.

When i asked the barista what blend she was using, she replied that she did not know. She just opened the bag and filled the grinder. I salute her honesty.

Seeing my world order being overturned and shredded to pieces, values being carelessly betrayed, and my head being filled with ghosts, I can depend on enduring love.

On a somewhat glum January afternoon the light at Blackpool beach inspired a sense of majesty.

It's amazing how restorative even a short trip to the seaside can be.

Made in UK, the ecogum truck is made to remove gum from pavements without using solvents and is battery powered.

The gang wishes you all a merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Thank you for all your visits, faves and comments.