Friday 19th February, 2010.

So, who's this young man with the late eighties haircut, proud smile, and retro black leathers? That's right, it's Jamie (the time when he'll wish to be known as 'James' is still years off) Whitham. This was taken at Darley Moor circuit in October 1987 and young Jamie has just won the Stars at Darley end of season national trophy. He won both legs on his 750 Superstock Suzuki and beat a varied grid of riders on TTF1, Superstocks, and ex-500cc GP 'bikes (there were no Superbikes in those days). As we were walking around the paddock at the end of the day, Vicky spotted him standing at the rear of his Transit posing for fans and, passing the Olympus Trip to me, she said: 'He'll be good one day. Why don't you take his photo?' So I did.

Chinese New Year, Birmingham, Sunday 14th February 2010.

1) May the Year of the Tiger bring you Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity (especially if you are one of Birmingham's balloon sellers).

2) Oh no. Now Vicky's gonna drone on and on about how wonderful the Villa are. A real community club with a stand at the Chinese New Year and always getting involved with things going on in the City. And you can get a proper panini in the ground. And chips. You can't get that at the Wolves can you? No you can't.

3) The Year of the Monkey, The Pig, and The Rabbit wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year.

4) Vegetarians look away now, please. All we will say, at this point, is cultural differences and all that and live and let live. Oh yes, and it was absolutely rammed inside (we didn't go in).

5) Noodles. £2.50 a carton. Well, you've got to haven't you? And we've got a chinese meal when we get home. £3.00 meal-for-two-in-a-box special offer from Morrisons. It seems that Droitwich supermarkets can celebrate the Chinese New Year as well, so who are we to argue? Yummee.

Birmingham Nature Centre, Saturday 13th February, 2010.

1) Oi you! Get down off our garden shed! This is one moggy we're pleased to say we don't have to clean out at the Cat's Protection. It's a lynx, by the way (but you knew that).



2) So, who's observing who here?

3) Ai-yeeee! Run for yer lives. It's the very rare three-bodied-two-headed ring tailed lemur.

4) You gotta love 'em. Meerkats bask in the warmth of a sunlamp. And who can blame them? It was a typical February day. Cold and murky-dismal. And then it started drizzling. No wonder all the otters and beavers were hibernating. Got more sense.

Friday 12th February, 2010.

That pesky female Kestrel is playing hard to get so we haven't taken any photos for days. So, suffering from withdrawal symptoms, I was looking through our old motorcycle sport scrapbooks the other day and came across this photo. Blimey, I thought, don't they look young. So I decided to scan it. 200 photos later I had put them all on a disc. It occurred to me that some people might be quite interested in them so I am going to put a few on this blog every now and again. This one is of Steve Hislop and Carl Fogarty (both went on to be quite good) chatting outside the pits at Silverstone during the British Champs meeting on 19th Sept 1987.

Earlier that summer at Cadwell Park, Roger Hurst and Phil Mellor discuss their prospects at the British Champs meeting on June 28th 1987.

Wednesday 3rd January, 2010.

This is the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birmingham, which is due to open in June.

We first saw it about twenty months ago and it looked really impressive on a warm day in bright late-spring sunshine. Not sure it looks as good on a miserable damp February lunchtime.

Undoubtedly it will be state-of-the-art with all mod cons for patients and staff alike. Bet they still won't be able to see people on time. Kept us waiting a mere hour-and-a-half today.

Mustn't grumble tho', eh?

Wednesday 27th January, 2010.

Here's some exciting news. David has got a new photo project to take his mind off the rising and falling of the river.

This female kestrel (don't think it's a male) is a regular sight during the winter months near the Pump House. Usually, it can be seen perched on one of the lamp posts next to the footpath. On many occasions David has walked beneath it and got a 'splendid view' (note how he can come over all 'Simon King' under the right circs) as it twitters quietly to itself whist giving the grass below the evil eye, seemingly oblivious to the walkers, joggers and cyclists passing by.

But, should David stop and ferret about in his pocket for his digital compact (oo-er, missus) the kestrel immediately notices and indignantly glides off effortlessly to a nearby tree (see photo).

So, the ambition now, is to eventually get a closer shot of it before spring arrives and it only feeds nearer its nest-sight (wherever that may be).

Severn still rising: Monday 18th January 2010.

1) Walking back along the river from town and the footpath has become a weir. No worries, David is confident he can walk thru' that, even in his pumps.


2) You can see why home owners have had to go to the expense of raising their houses by one storey, can't you?

3) Another overflow point. No worries, David can get past this, even if he hasn't got his boots on.

4) Oh bugger, thinks David, time to detour back around the far side of the racecourse.

Editor's Note: David has promised that he will stop taking photos of the River when the novelty of its rising and falling has worn off. Trouble is, he says, that may be some time off just yet.