Journal

Seahorses in Lake Geneva/Lac Léman Skateboarder goes horizontal Lac Léman 2 Lac Léman 3 Inside-out view from Nestlé I prefer to bite them rather than sit on them Not quite full frontal

By plane and train this morning to Vevey in Switzerland, to see Nestlé. Spent several hours discussing the sustainability agenda with José Lopez (Executive Vice President, Operations), Niels Christensen and Claus Conzelmann of Nestlé, and Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria and another member of the Nestlé Creative Shared Value Advisory Board.

Endless, rusting vigil Migration 8 (detail) Hurricane control panel (altimeter top right in 6-hole middle frame) Hurricane canopy (left) found in garden being used as cloche Keep Bamburgh shoreline Elaine 1 Elaine 2 Elaine 3 Elaine 4

Drove across to Holy Island this morning, ploughing through a water-covered causeway, only to arrive in the midst of a downpour – and then decided that a walk in inadequate clothing would lead to death by exposure, deciding to head south to Bamburgh Castle. Somewhat disappointed by the museum element of the Castle, but delighted by being almost borne aloft – indeed almost to Kansas – by thumping winds. My glasses torn from my head.

Stumbled across a print by local artist Peter Phillips that shows a red fish against a field of blue fish moving in the opposite direction. So reminded me of the ‘counter current’ theme of this website, that I bought a copy.

Then we went into the exhibition of bits of aircraft and other elements of sundry warmongery. Had heard that they had a Hurricane canopy, shown in one of the photographs above, but hadn’t realised that it had been found being used as a cloche in a local garden. Was fascinated to see remnants of a Hurricane control panel, still containing an altimeter – I have the equivalent from my father Tim’s Hurricane, shot down over West Wittering in 1940.

Then a wonderful walk along the seashore, with sand whipping off the dunes, into our mouths, eyes and ears. Great skeins of sand being blown across the beach. Distant Lindisfarne picked out by fitful sun – as were nearby lighthouses and other structures on the Farne Islands.

Jedburgh Abbey 1 Jedburgh Abbey 2 Jedburgh Abbey 3 Jedburgh Abbey 4 Jedburgh Abbey 5 (walrus ivory comb aligning with Abbey tower) William Wallace Memorial {art of the William Wallace memorial obscures part of Trimontium Trimontium from Scott’s View Dryburgh Abbey (detail)

Early part of day spent visiting Jedburgh and Dryburgh Abbeys. At the latter, a wedding was taking place, so we hovered on the edges. Then we drove up to the William Wallace Memorial and to Scott’s View. Truly strange to find Earl Haig‘s grave in Dryburgh Abbey. Sent a deep chill through me in the midst of all the nuptial keening of the pipes. The same, though to a much lesser degree, with the William Wallace memorial: poor, brave man.

Tim on the right Spitfire 1 Spitfire 2 Spitfire 3 Bottom up: Hurricane, Spitfire and Provost Bottom up: Hurricane and Spitfire

Elaine and driver of Cumbrian Classic Coach En route Marquee Promised Land

My having characteristically misread one of two invitations, we arrived marginally late this afternoon for Clare Kerr’s wedding to Nick Hurd at Monteviot House, so Elaine and I accepted a lift once we had parked our rental car in a field. This was from the driver of a delightful Cumbrian Classic Coach – nervously aware, even though the trip took about two minutes, that its age and our solitary splendour was probably blowing our carbon budget for the next year or two.

Finding ourselves squeezed in on the groom’s side, rather than the bride’s, I was delighted to find myself sitting alongside William Kendall, who I first met when he was studying at INSEAD – before his later adventures with companies like The Covent Garden Soup Company and Green & Black’s.

This was the first wedding I have been to whose order of service started with a quote from Sir Hugh Walpole (‘The Most Wonderful Of All Things In Life’) and ended with an Apache Blessing. Met a number of people we knew – and others we didn’t – during the subsequent drinks overlooking the River Teviot and dinner in a marquee, in which we were seated at a table labeled ‘Promised Land’ with the likes of Christopher and Nonie Ward (he was a previous Chairman of WWF) and Jules Peck, and his wife Vicky.

Then out onto a balcony overlooking the Teviot for probably the most spectacular firework display I have ever seen at close quarters. As the extraordinary sound system in the valley delivered the opening chords of Satisfaction, and the fireworks flowered overhead like a scene from Hans Solo’s piloting of the Millennium Falcon through star-fields, I thought I had achieved some higher form of satisfaction – whatever nearby fish, badgers and owls may have made of the WWI-style goings-on above their heads. People who live locally told us later that the display could be seen from miles away. These images don’t do justice to the spectacle, but they are what I captured as the heavens erupted overhead.

Fireworks 1 Fireworks 2 Fireworks 3 Fireworks 4 Fireworks 5 Fireworks 6 Fireworks 7 Fireworks 8 Fireworks 9