Summer in the city

I don't know about you, but there seems to be a lot to look at during the summer, well in the city anyway. Perhaps its just the aesthete in me or perhaps its just me age and wandering eye (hah!), but summer really brings out the beauty in the population of Hull. Ok we haven't had much summer but that's by-the-by.

Whether its the same elsewhere, but its good enough reason to just go and sit in the main square and watch the world go by! Its even better if there's a drink in hand and then there's no real need to move anywhere too quickly.

Admittedly there are times when you see people who ought to cover up a bit more, but on the whole the people of Hull are not too bad on that front, or back, whatever! :)

The joys of observing

Sometimes its just nice to sit outside of the observatory on an evening or late at night and take in the scene. The stars etc., set in a darkish sky above, with a comfortable chair and a cuppa in hand, and then just letting your mind go can be really relaxing, especially if you're trying to spot meteors.

There are times when its just the thing, rather than just dashing around with the scope, observing this and that and forgetting the sky as a whole. We forget the views the ancients had, instead we've parcelled the sky into manageable segments for our big optical devices.

Just sit and take in the sky sometimes, who knows what your mind might turn out or where it might go!

Have a happy Yorkshire Day!!!

What? You didn't know? Shame, shame. Today is the day, throughout the world, that all true born Yorkshiremen celebrate and promote the greatest county in the whole of Britain. One like no other, with a people like none other. The place where that county west of the Broad Acres is never mentioned without spitting. Unlike any other county, Yorkshire celebrates its heritage, its geography and its whole essence.

"Yorkshire Day is celebrated on 1 August to promote the historic English county of Yorkshire. It was first celebrated in 1975, by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, initially in Beverley, as "protest movement against the local re-organisation of 1974". The date alludes to the Battle of Minden, and also the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, for which a Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce, had campaigned."*

"August 1st held a special place in Yorkshire's history for, on this day in 1759, soldiers from Yorkshire regiments who had fought in the battle of Minden, in Germany, picked white roses from bushes near to the battlefields has a tribute to their fallen comrades."**

So all true born Yorkshiremen and women, repeat after me:

The Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity
I, (your name), being a resident of the [West/North/East] Riding of Yorkshire [or City of York] declare;

* that Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York, with these Boundaries of 1130 years standing;
* that the address of all places in these Ridings is Yorkshire;
* that all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshire-men and women;
* that any person or corporate body which deliberately ignores or denies the aforementioned shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.

These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2007.
God Save the Queen!"**

So now you know!

Yorkshire Day

* Wikipedia
** Yorkshire Ridings Society