Tag Archives: Vicki

Sep 09 2026
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Daily Post, Landscape

On the Miners’ Track

Tuesday 8th September 2026, 1.05pm (day 5,493)

Down off Yr Wyddfa, 8/9/26

Begging the pardons of Kinder Scout and Broad Law, which both might feel they qualify, but it was time I went up a proper mountain, and Yr Wyddfa (a.k.a. Snowdon), the highest peak in Wales at 3,560 feet, is a big pointy beast and definitely counts. I will additionally note that Wales can offer alcoholic beverages at its highest point thanks to the summit cafe, though I stuck to tea. No summit views today though, thanks to cloud up high, so let’s choose this shot featuring the day’s walking companion — my sister Vicki making a second appearance in a fortnight, seen here on the way down.

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Aug 26 2026
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Women in my life

Tuesday 25th August 2026, 12.35pm (day 5,479)

Vicki and Clare, 25/8/26

Sister on the left, wife on the right. Between them, Vicki and Clare sort out as much of my life as anyone else these days. I think both of them have my interests to heart.

With this picture I have reached 15 full years of blogging — 15 x 365 = 5,475 and there have been four February 29ths. I started on 26th August 2011, my 42nd birthday (hence the title of this blog, in case you’d forgotten), and tomorrow, well, you do the maths. I suppose there have been some occasions when I have considered bringing it to an end, particularly on some days where, working at home or stuck in the office, I really have struggled to find anything particularly worth photographing. On the other hand, as I have no intention of ceasing to document things like walks, football matches and periods of travel, I imagine that deliberately leaving gaps in the record would immediately feel like I was letting myself down. So on I go. One of these days I may simply have a camera breakdown, but que sera, sera.

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May 18 2026
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Newt (and sister’s hands)

Sunday 17th May 2026, 2.25pm (day 5,379)

Exactly what species this is, no idea, but this little creature becomes the first specimen of the family Pleurodelinae — the newts — to appear on the blog. Sister Vicki was quite concerned that a heron had been munching on the inhabitants of her garden pond, but this one, at least, is OK so far.

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Dec 08 2024
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Sister and brother-in-law

Sunday 8th December 2024, 2.25pm (day 4,854)

Vicki and Pete, 8/12/24

A visit from Vicki and Pete, and as I get inexorably older, days like this are increasingly welcome. I think the relatives are happy about it too, despite how Pete may look on this shot.

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Jun 22 2020
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Unexpected stash

Sunday 21st June 2020, 2.55pm (day 3,223)

Whisky samples, 21/6/20

A long-awaited visit to my family, unseen since lockdown began. A welcome interruption that highlighted how pointless all this is becoming. Why my sister Vicki was dishing out the whisky samples in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, well, that’s a story hidden beneath the surface of this picture. Particularly as I don’t even like the stuff. (I know whisky is a noble drink with much character and history: I just can’t stand it.)

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Apr 19 2020
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Daily Post, Interior

Family dinner, online

Sunday 19th April 2020, 6.20pm (day 3,160)

Dinner videoconference, 19/4/20

A couple of months ago, at least, we made an arrangement that we would visit my sister Vicki and family today for a Sunday out, let there be dinner, socialising, sunshine etc. This date got sucked into the COVID-19 black hole some time ago.

But thanks to the miracle of videoconferencing, we did our best to find a replacement. Seven family members, including myself, appear on the laptop screen at the back — Joe being the only attendee who cannot be seen. We ate well. It was fun. But it is not and never will be reality, and soon, we would like reality back please.

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Jul 21 2019
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Daily Post, Family Member, Landscape, Portrait

Crossing Allt a’ Mhuillin

Saturday 20th July 2019, 2.20pm (day 2,886)

Crossing Allt a'Mhuillin, 20/7/19

Ben Nevis is a mountain of two sides, for sure. On the south side, a vast but rather dull slope up which hundreds toil daily; the payoff for climbing continuously for three hours being the chance to attain the status of Most Elevated Person in Great Britain, at 4,411 feet (or 1,345 metres). We secured this goal at 11.24am.

But going up that way doesn’t show you the other side, the North Face, with its stupendous crags and (after the tourist path) blissful sollitude. This is the connoisseur’s side of the mountain, the place where you can really look up and feel, yep: this is the culminating point of the whole country, it really doesn’t get any bigger than this.

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May 30 2017
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Vicki consults my atlas

Monday 29th May 2017, 12.25pm (day 2,104)

Vicki and atlas, 29/5/17

The family portrait theme of the weekend continues with my younger sister Vicki paying a visit and making, as a result, what I calculate to be only her second appearance on the blog. She seemed interested in my big world atlas for some reason, perhaps planning a trip — certainly I have been in Hebden for what seems like a while, although June is going to involve more distant locations.

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