2008 - Jesmond Dene - Sarah, Oj

March: a couple of weeks since my last (unplanned) visit, Jo and I drove back to Newcastle, this time with Jo's sister...Sarah, who had never been further north than York. It was a great visit. My sister was there too. We took Sarah down into the magical wonderland of Jesmond Dene; did the walk into town; down to the Quayside to see the bridges. The weather was crazy, one minute glorious sunshine, the next moment hailstones followed by a blizzard of snow, then sunshine again... so I was happy, because I love that unpredictability of weather.

2008 - Jesmond Dene - Oj, Djr

March:

2008 - Jesmond Dene - Armstrong Bridge

March: this is the bridge I would have to walk across in the dark, as a 9 year old, back in the late 1970s, after moving from Heaton to Jesmond; back then there were no lights, in fact, one whole side of the bridge was off-limits, in danger of collapse. So they've done a great job of repairing and restoring it back to its former glory.

2008 - Newcastle Quayside - The millennium eye bridge

March: one of those days when glorious sunlight turned into a shower of hailstones with arctic winds whipping your face and hands into white numbness... we found sanctuary in a Gregss bakery, munching hot pasties.

2008 - Tynemouth - the pier

March: Wild waters this day.

2008 - Tynemouth - the pier

March.

2008 - Tynemouth - mum, AKR

March: this was great day out, and another example of mum's amazing positivety in the face grave illness.

2008 - Tynemouth - x

March: this guy was having a wail of a time with the high winds blasting his kite surf across the tips of giant waves at an amazing speed.

2008 - Tynemouth - mum, AKR

March: I love this picture.

2008 - Jesus Mound - Djr

March: I had finished SHadows of the Quantinex about 5 days earlier (on a monday night) back in the Sky Bunker in Bristol. The next day I picked up my notes on Edge (from 2004) and started writing the novel. I had intended to start writing Dog Eat Dog, but I was a little saturated with the world of Yellow Dawn, both from writing the rules, writing major scenarios and playing it every 3 weeks... so Edge was a wonderful change of direction. I'm currently blazing through it...loving it.

2008 - Jesmond Dene

March: Jo and Sarah left by car...I hung back for a couple days of solo time; did my walk down the Dene one beautiful morning.

2008 - Jesus Mound - Pete

March: it was great to see Pete over the bank holiday weekend. We even managed to squeeze in a game of FURY OF DRACULA despite my intense writing schedule. Top bloke. He continues to write his short stories...a new venture for him; I told him if he completes 10 shorts, I'll help him putting them together in a book compilation.

2008 - Jesus Mound - David and Goliath.

March

2008 - Jesus Mound - David and Goliath.

March: I'm pretty sure the original fable didn't end with David being scooped up in the mouth of Goliath...

...for the squeemish, the mouse did survive. Sid put it down and made the mistake of looking away for a few moments. The mouse scuttled off and hid beneath a huge stack of logs.

2008 - Jesus Mound

March: view of our back garden.

2008 - Jesus Mound

March: this is taken less than an hour later. And this is supposed to be Easter!!!!

2008 - Jesus Mound - Bev, AKR

March.

2008 - Jesus Mound - Bob

March.

2008 - Jesus Mound - Bob

March: I laugh every time I look at this.

2008 - Random - DJR

Taken in Aug 2007, on the trip to Oxford with Sonja, Zed, Kelvin, Ramona and Jo.

2008 - Heaton, Newcastle - Djr

Taken in the early 1970s by Kenn-Ole Moen.

2008 - Heaton, Newcastle - Djr

Taken in the early 1970s by Kenn-Ole Moen.

2008 - London (photo from) - Mum, Akr

Taken during mum's visit to London for scans and other diagnosis.

2008 - Bath - Gonzo Ben, Tomasz

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2008 - Bath - Tomasz

We have a good work ethic. Hit them until they do what you say.

2008 - Bath - Eugene, Gavin, Storm

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2008 - Bath - Jason, Guy

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2008 - Bath - Dan

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2008 - Bristol (Cosy Castle) - View from the Sky Bunker

One the numerous fantastic sunsets visible from the lofty perch of the Sky Bunker; this is the top of Dundry hill, about 7 miles away as the crow flies, with a plane come down to land beyond the hill.

2008 - Bristol (Cosy Castle) - Edna

One of the girls Vega$ dug out of a skip behind a department store many many moons ago; she used to be a feature of the Happy Flat and has seen some interesting times.