2004 - Happy Flat - Simon P, Djr

It's April - this time last year Oj and I were halfway through a month in New Zealand - and Simon and his wife Vicky had just set off on a huge round the world trip. They've just got back and it was a real delight to see them again. Simon is a vintage, improving with age; a great friend and always fun to hang out with. Even better is that now both he and Vicky are back to stay, they're relocating from London to Bristol. So, hopefully many fun filled adventures ahead as the Old Gang reforms. It'll be 10 years in October that I've known him.

2004 - London - view from my hotdesk

2004 has seen me in London on work a few times now - this is the view from the hotdesk area at the Agency building. Houses of Parliment with Big Ben on the left side, and the London Eye across the river.

2004 - Bristol - Glen Comradski

April: Riverstation Bar. Glen joined Jo and I on a random visit to the theatre - knocked back a drink at the Riverstation, which has relevance because it overlooks Redcliff Way, where Dom and Lucy now live and where Game currently takes place. Was great to see Glen again - and so soon after our last encounter (with Karim and co at Budokan) - normally there's almost a year between our encounters. He's such a lovely bloke. The play was Beasts and Beauties, a collection of eight european fairytales and was utterly fantastic - we came out with a real feel good vibe, then grabbed pizza and more wine from Renatos next door.

2004 - Random Rainbow

I was standing by the side of the road after it had been raining and saw a cool irridesence in a slick of water - bending down to snap the shot some random bloke walks past. I managed to capture his reflection as I took the shot. So: Random Rainbow.

2004 - Castle of Tranqulity - Zed

April: Sunday nights in Brislington have developed a new and wonderful tradition - Jo and I pop round to hang with Sonja and Zed - and a few glasses of Martini - and some Olsen & One Card- and always great conversation. It's simply lovely. I know Zed will move away at some point, as will Jo and I, so right now, whilst I got it, I'm savouring every time we get to share moments together so easily. Zed's singing career continues to develop - she's still doing backing for a rising star of the Bristol Drum and Bass scene and has been bouncing all over the country, Ireland and Europe on tours.

2004 - Corfe Castle

May bank holiday. Oj and I hire another car and have a really great long weekend - Saturday morning took it really easy whilst I got some writing done, hired the car then drove up to Cheltenham to see Claire. The girls went out for a night on the town but I stayed in, enjoying the luxury of Claire pad, drank wine, made food, read Andy McNabb (Firewall), watched TV and even fell asleep on the sofa at one point! Aye becoming a right old fart :o) but it was lovely. Next day drank tea and read all morning and into mid-afternoon whilst Claire made a roasty. Then Jo and I blasted down to the South coast to explore parts of the country I've never been to before. Wandered around Bucklers Hard, a village where some of the ships for Nelson's fleet were built, drove through the incredible New Forest (promised ourselves we'd come back and camp there), had the best fish & chips in the UK in Lynemouth, then crashed in a cool B&B that was just opposite a fab rustic pub - up next morning and drove 20 miles West, past Bournemouth and down to Corfe Castle, famous for Lady Banks holding off a Cromwellian seige for six weeks. The castle was finally destroyed by engineers with gunpowder by an act of Parliment - a real shame because the place must have been utterly staggering when intact. As it is, in ruins, it's still bloody impressive. You come round a bend in the road and it hits you - looming up from the crest of a huge hill. Parking up you get to enjoy a great little village before entering the ruins. The whole place has these crazy leaning walls - that would flatten you into puree if they ever fell over - which creates a Lovecraftian vibe of 'strange angles'. A very Romantic place.

2004 - Corfe Castle

May: After you get past the curtain walls, you can climb up into the remains of the keep (dates from the 13th century) which gives you staggering views of the surrounding countryside, and the village below the hill.

2004 - Corfe Castle - Oj

May: These walls are slanted because they've fallen over but remained intact - on the other side of them you can actually walk underneath them like a lean-to, which is pretty hair-raising when your imagination pictures what would happen if they finally gave up the ghost and just tumbled all the way over.

2004 - Lulworth Cove - Djr

May: Leaving the castle, we drove further West and the South, right down to Lulworth Cove - which again, is wonderful, cobbled streets leading down to a sheltered harbour (though avoid the cafe down there, and avoid the fish and chips -blech!!!)

2004 - Arctic (photo from) - Age

Age - although I say it Ogre is my mother's nephew - part of a huge family I have out there in Norway. Currently booking tickets to get out there in June - will be my first visit in 15 years!!!

2004 - Newcastle - Bob

June: I grab a last-minute flight to Newcastle to help mum with taking the house apart - the builders are starting earlier than planned. Dad's been packed off to a care home for several months - I have the pleasure of throwing away decades of accumulated rubbish; there is almost nothing worth keeping. Mother hovers around at first, picking through the bin bags, trying to grab a few things but I snap at her and challenge her to explain how she intends to actually use the things she's reclaiming...she can't, so resigns herself to putting them back in the bags and letting me get on with the clear out.

Bob has fully recovered from his smashed up leg. Tough little sod.

2004 - Newcastle

June: this was taken on the first day of serious work to extend the back of the ground floor of the house. The following images simply document the house prior to massive demolition ahead.

2004 - Newcastle

June: come out of the old kitchen door (off picture - to the right), and move through the old garage to the door in the distance...

2004 - Newcastle

...step through that door and enter this room, part of a utility building attached to the side of the main house...

2004 - Newcastle

...this is the same room but viewed from outside...

2004 - Newcastle

...back inside the utility room, looking away from the house. The washing machine / tumble dryer is just off picture, to the right. The cupboards on the left contained towels and bedding... and for years held all the Christmas decorations.

Step forward and move round the corner you'll find...

2004 - Newcastle

...a small workshop... I can remember having my chemistry set here around 1981 - 82 - 83... it's also where I had a huge 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle... but over the years this space became cluttered and choked with accumulated rubbish and garden tools.

2004 - Newcastle

The back of the house as it was.

2004 - Newcastle

For mum it was strange not having Dad there in the house. She had effectively become a carer 24/7 for him over the past few years.

2004 - Newcastle - Ian, Yaz, Djr

May: We meet up a few times this trip - some great nights out; one very drunken one with Yaz and I shambling through the Dene late at night - spooky city.