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You might remember from an earlier blog post that I had come across a local artisan gin distillery with lovely gin but that I stopped being a customer because they could or would not condemn blood sports. Well, for Christmas Tom and Abi bought us and Abi's parents a 'gin experience' at Spirit of Masham. Here's what happened. The four of us arrived at the distillery at the appointed time and found another pair of guests already there. The owner prepared us each a gin and tonic and we all chatted. I related my experience with the other gin distillery and the owner was very quick to jump in and say they do not support any blood sports - on the contrary they are concerned for animal welfare and are very active in the Masham Save Our Swifts programme - a great start. Whilst we enjoyed our G&Ts the owner gave us a fascinating history of both gin and of his company, delivered in a knowledgeable, humorous and entertaining style. After this we were given a tour of the distillery - interesting and very, very impressive. Then came the highlight, the chance to make our own gin. We were each allocated a small still that would make enough gin for a 70cl bottle and a bit. The spirit and water had already been measured out and we added them to the still. Then a binding agent - for me I chose Liquorice powder. Next came the dried juniper berries which had also been measured out for us. After that it was up to us to choose our own botanicals from the wide range on the shelf. We had to record what we added as we went along. My choice was Cardamom (I LOVE Cardamom), Vanilla, Ginger, Star Anise and Mango. During this period the owner/tutor made each of us a cocktail (we could choose from a list) using their own gin. Once the distilling was finished the owner/tutor measured the strength of the alcohol and brought it down to the required level. It was bottled and with the bit left over he made us a Gin and Tonic using our own gins. Good job, Tom had said he would act as taxi for us. The best bit of all - they keep your 'recipe' card on file and if you want another bottle they'll make you one using one of the small stills. Guess what - everyone on the 'experience' also bought some of the company's own gins, too. There is their 'original' which is their signature gin (and it is seriously awesome), the classic (which is a standard gin) and others. They also do a pretty special rum. This was a simply wonderful afternoon. We all thoroughly enjoyed it - and this is the gin we are going to be buying from now on. Seriously - this was a great experience - give it a go. You can find them on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/spiritofmasham and on the Web: https://spiritofmasham.co.uk/ Thank you, Tom and Abi, for an amazing Christmas present!

Some time ago I was approached by a couple of young ladies in America, Emily Rinkema and Deb Emerson, who had developed a concept called Hodie (pronounce Ho-dee-ay). Hodie is Latin and means 'this day.' Emily and Deb explain that this is what (ho-dee-ay) is all about: enjoying the time we have together at this moment. Emily and Deb had both gone through the pain of seeing loved ones descend into the long goodbye of dementia. The two friends tried to engage actively with their family members despite the cognitive challenges - they struggled to find simple, fun activities. Together they came up with the concept of a card game with no rules, just various activities that the cards can be used for. This innovative idea allows people to make connections with loved ones who are going through dementia. Their first card pack featured 20 or so photos of birds by Vermont photographer Peter Riley. As Emily and Deb explain << While there are no rules to (ho-dee-ay), each set comes with an insert that has suggested activities: cards can be matched, stacked, organized, clumped, sequenced, and sorted; stories can be told, memories can be shared, and knowledge can be passed along. Most importantly, those playing can make up their own rules!>> Following the success of their birds cards they planned that the second set would feature classic cars. They found me on my Instagram (@pmhimages.co.uk) and got in touch. It goes without saying that I was honoured and delighted to be invited to be part of this exciting and worthwhile project. Emily and Deb tell me that they have taken advance orders for 33% of the first production run of the classic car packs and today - mine arrived in the post. They have turned out brilliantly and I love the insert with the suggested activities. Quite simply, these two ladies should be extremely proud of themselves for what they have created. I, myself, am very proud that they asked me to be part of it. Now - surely there must be a distributor in the UK that would like to have these as part of their portfolio to bring the benefits to dementia patients over here! You can find Ho-dee-ay on www.hodeeay.com and the link to the classic car pack is https://hodeeay.com/product/car-show/ I hope this is a great success for them. It deserves to be.

OK, let's get this out of the way first - this is an excellent product. I was delighted when I discovered Whittaker's gin. I bought some for my wife - it's wonderfully smooth. I took my wife up in the Triumph Herald and we took some photos and bought some more. When you take a bottle back for a refill you get a £5 discount - I've done this, too. I was getting excited about their whisky plans. In Spring we were going up as a family in my son's '66 Mustang and doing a distillery tour. We were enthusiastic customers. BUT as I am sure you know, I hate all forms of animal abuse and am active in this field. In one of the forums of which I was a part I noticed a post naming Whittaker's gin as people who proactively support fox hunting and who used to go hunting. An extract from the post read < > and supported this by claiming << ‘it’s the country way, it’s tradition’ >> to excuse it. I wrote to them to ask about it - I made it clear who I was and referred back to our visit with the Herald so they could put a face to the message. I didn't even get the courtesy of a reply. A quick check on the owners' FaceBook pages, however, revealed photos of them hunting and a photo of a fox with a lamb that had been debunked as staged ages ago, so there appears to be no doubt as to where the sympathies lie. I'm not going to do a fake review and say the product is rubbish. I don't do that. I don't need to lie and do fake reviews. The product itself really is excellent and supremely smooth. If you are comfortable with animal abuse then you will of course be happy to buy from here but I personally simply cannot recommend or patronise a business or organisation when I know that they are part of the kill for fun community, and for that reason they can now count me as an ex-customer, a former customer. The empty bottle has gone in the re-cycling and we will not be going there again. May 11th 2023 UPDATE If you remember, when I found out about the hunting links I contacted Whittaker's Gin to get their side of things and didn't get a reply. I waited three weeks before I posted my blog. Within 90 minutes of the blog being advertised on FaceBook I got a response: << Whittaker’s Distillery does not support Fox Hunting or any other illegal activity. >> That was it - a sort of stock response. I responded immediately: < > As you can see, I tried to enter into a dialogue to ascertain the position. This was the reply: < > I think it was quite clear from my messages that I had not 'made up my mind' and was giving them the opportunity to clarify and give their position. I responded: << Tbh - I contacted you first. I didn’t just accept it. When I didn’t hear back I went to look to check. If I am wrong and you are actually opposed to these activities now and can state that I would be delighted and perfectly happy to post an update. >> Again, I gave them the opportunity to respond and offered to post an update. That was on March 14th. I have waited since then to give them ample opportunity but the silence has been deafening. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Let me tell you about when I was at University. It was in the late 70s and Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, was striking terror round West Yorkshire. Every evening after lectures I would accompany my female friends back out to their flats a couple of miles away from campus and then walk back to my accommodation on campus. Every evening they would complain and say I was over-reacting – that was until the horrible night when poor Jackie Hill, a student, was murdered and her body left on the very patch of ground we walked past every night. They never complained after that. I don’t tell this story to big myself up or anything – just to set the scene because nothing has really changed. Women, men, children are still vulnerable when out and about. The name Suzy Lamplugh, the estate agent, is well-known to all. Poor Claudia Lawrence has still not been found and her name resonates with us all here in York. More recently the name Sarah Everard has been burned into our minds. Wouldn’t it have been useful for all the victims if they had been able to call for help, or have someone looking out for them on their way home? Well now they can. I’ve been having a look at Guardian Angel. This is a personal safety app created by my good friend, software developer Stuart Stead. He’s a father himself and the sad cases of lives lost to attackers made him want to do something. He’s been working on this for a long time and now he feels that technology has reached the point where he has been able to realise his vision. The app has two main functions – HelpMe and TrackMe. A family or business will set up a ‘group’ of users. With HelpMe, if someone is feeling vulnerable or threatened, they can trigger an alert either by voice command or button press. This immediately starts a recording and sends a notification to the group. A member of the group takes ownership of the call and this sends an audible confirmation to the user that the alert has been received. The supervisor can then listen to the recording and take appropriate action eg initiating a video call from within the app or calling the emergency services. The system continues to record and also displays an ongoing location on a map. The audible confirmation of receipt of the call for help could well deter any attacker. Even if it doesn’t it will mean the emergency services will be on their way very quickly and will know the location. Importantly the system uses data so it requires less signal than a phone call. The TrackMe function is started before the user sets off on a journey – for example walking home, or travelling by car from a distant location. Again, a member of the group will take ownership and monitor the travel on a map. This app clearly has many, many uses Estate agents – they often have to meet prospects alone in houses Care workers who visit homes alone Council workers University students Taxi Drivers Social Services Ambulance crews A young woman walking alone to or from work, or after an evening out can be monitored on her journey using TrackMe and if there is an incident can trigger an alert for assistance with HelpMe. Families can use it to monitor their children coming home from school It can be used where someone (be it adult or child) is being subjected to bullying, intimidation or harassment at work or school. It is an ideal tool for the HR department to look after an organisation’s employees It can provide evidence for the police in harassment cases via the recordings If someone is walking home and has TrackMe activated and they are abducted the phone can provide tracking as long as they still have it on their person. I’ve scratched the surface here – there are endless possibilities for this app. The first version of the app to be launched is the Business Guardian Angel which is designed for businesses to take care of their employees. The Family Guardian Angel will follow soon and this is intended to be a free version, funded by adverts. Stuart told me he feels that times are hard enough for families and he doesn’t want any family to feel they have to compromise their safety and security because they can’t afford it. Yes, I know there are a couple of other apps out there and I have looked at them – you know what? Guardian Angel blows them right out of the water. It’s quite simply in a different league. I really hope that businesses jump on board with this – organisations have a duty of care to their employees and this is an affordable way in which they can do exactly that and when Family Guardian Angel is available then EVERY FAMILY SHOULD USE IT. This is a game-changer! Go and get it! www.theguardianangelservice.com

New Year's Resolutions - what are they? Total fail on every single one of them. I'm not even going to bother re-making them this year, just have them as vague sort of targets or aims. Having got the fails out of the way, let's have a look at what did happen. In the world of VX Tom and I went with Dan Shuker to Graz in Austria where VX was to be a demonstration sport. Obviously VX was a real hit, as it always is, and it was nice to have a few days away with Tom. I also went to Bavaria. Sadly Maggie couldn't go because of passport hold ups. I love Bavaria - it's my spiritual second home. We have lots of friends down, there. Some are more friends than family and it was their Golden Wedding so I was keen to be there. Sadly my friend died suddenly and unexpectedly two weeks beforehand so instead of going for the celebrations, I went to just be with them. It was very strange without him. Maggie and I did get away for an overnight - some friends won dinner, bed and breakfast at Stapleford Park Hotel, but couldn't go so they gave it to us. What a treat. We could never afford something like that. Absolutely stunning place, great photo opportunities and wonderful food. I've managed to get much more time out with the Herald and Falcon this year. We've had much better weather and I've been able to use them for everyday use, plus we've been to three classic car rallies in them. As well as that the Herald made her filming debut. A local film company was doing a promotional video for a client and needed a pre-70s car. You can see the film here on YouTube . It's only about one and a half minutes long and the car sets the scene at the beginning. Obviously that's the best bit! I have to say - they did a good job. Continuing the theme of cars - I found my photographic niche. I'd been messing around with different genres, not settling on anything but finally settled on automotive photography. I've set up a new Instagram account specifically for this (@pmhimages_cars) and hopefully in the New Year I'll have a website up. I've already got a gallery site up where people can buy downloads, prints, photoart, mugs etc but I need a website to feed into this. I also need to get more galleries up on the gallery site. I'm delighted with the response that my automotive photography has been getting. Now I need to develop this further by looking at light painting and incorporating the drone. What else this year? I continue to be active in Animal Rights, and we continue the fight, spreading the word about the evils of fox-hunting. We've had outreaches and have done plenty of leafletting and have been working towards the annual propaganda events they call their Boxing Day meets. Their days are numbered - there has been so much incredible negative publicity for the hunts over the year, along with convictions. More and more people are realising that they are flouting the law with impunity and that this is an incredibly cruel and barbaric activity. And yes, I'm still vegan and still wishing I had done it many years earlier! You might remember that we lost our darling cat Izzy December last year. We still have Chloe - she's a real Daddy's girl, but she is getting slower and older before our eyes. She is sleeping her days away, but is warm, comfortable and very loved. Here's wishing all friends and family a very happy Christmas and a healthy and successful 2023.

Ages ago I read in a vegan FaceBook group that Mr Chippy in York was doing vegan fish and chips!! Wow - what a far thinking establishment. Even though I don't live far from York I very rarely go in unless I absolutely have to and that's because of York City Council - I prefer to take my business to Thirsk, Harrogate, Northallerton etc, but that's another story. Anyway, this week I had to go into York and was there around lunchtime - saw Mr Chippy and remembered they did vegan fish & chips so thought I would give it a try. Please bear in mind that this is not a fish restaurant, it's a take away chippy but it has a bit of seating. In first place I was impressed when the young lady asked if I wanted the banana blossom or the pea protein version. Not only did I have a vegan option, but I had a choice of vegan options. Not only did I have a choice of vegan 'fish' options but there are other options in a vegan section of the menu, for example vegan onion rings, vegan jumbo sausage, pineapple fritter. I'd already tried banana blossom and tofu versions so thought I'd try the pea protein version. I was glad I did - I think it's my favourite of all the three. Even though there isn't a lot to choose between them I thought the pea protein version had the edge. It looked like the sort of battered frozen fish fillet you get from the supermarket and the texture and taste were both good. Full marks to Mr Chippy for making a vegan option available - it worked. It was precisely because of this that we went there. I was delighted and that would make me go back again. Might go with onion rings next time, too! Well done and thank you you can find them on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/MrChippyyork

I'm 63 - and I've got this far without having had either a parking ticket or speeding ticket. I'm not getting holier than thou - I know it's a matter of time because no matter how careful you are to not break the speed limit they will get you at some point for straying over. Anyway, that record came crashing down a couple of weeks ago when I had to go to Harrogate. As I run a sport I often have to deliver to and collect from Harrogate Sports Trophies. As I am in a commercial vehicle and delivering/collecting I use on of the parking bays, each of which has space for a couple of vehicles. If I approach from the Ripon direction there are two - see picture above. I use them regularly with no problem. I know they are parking bays and I know that at that time of day they are fine to use. So, on 24th November I arrive and I see that there is one vehicle at the front of the parking bay with space behind it, so I pull in behind the vehicle that is already there. I write on a pad that I am going to be at Harrogate Sports Trophies, put it in the windscreen and see the guy from the front vehicle arrive back, put stuff in the back of it and leave. I get out of the van, go to the back doors to get my stuff and go to the shop. 8 minutes later, I'm back and I see a parking ticket on the windscreen. WTF - I've only been 8 minutes!! The traffic warden is there so I say to him 'Mate - why have a I got a ticket?' He points at a notice on the wall about 8' up - the bay is suspended! Apparently coaches were going to be bringing kids into Harrogate during the day and dropping them off. The other side of the road (paid parking) was still OK but the loading bay round the corner (also on the opposite side of the road) was also suspended. As I'd got out of the driver's side and gone to the back of the van I obviously hadn't seen it (and just as obviously neither had the guy who was there before me and neither had the guys in the vehicles in the other loading bay) At this point I need to say that I wasn't at all aggressive with the Traffic Warden and he was perfectly reasonable, courteous, friendly and professional. I have to say though - they aren't Traffic Wardens anymore, they are Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) - and doesn't that tell you everything about how councils now view us. It used to be that they were public servants, now they are out masters, but I digress. At this point, I need I still have more stuff to collect from the shop and by now I've got the ticket so I ask the warden if I can go back to the shop to get it . He says he shouldn't let me but if I'm quick, so off I run. I tell my friend in the shop that I have to dash as I've got a ticket and he comes down, too. He has a chat to the CEO and asks about the two vehicles in the other loading bay. As he approaches one, the driver returns and the CEO lets him go. The other driver hasn't got out of his cab yet so technically hasn't committed the 'infringement.' After a while they think he is being a long time - and find out he has got out of the cab without being seen, but returns at that moment. The CEO says he is going to have to issue a ticket; the driver says he parks there every day to collect from the charity shop. The CEO says if he goes now, he'll not write the ticket - his main aim is to keep the bays clear for the coaches, and he suggests to my friend that I should appeal. So I do - I write and explain that I didn't see the sign and why, and that probably no regular user of that bay would see the sign as they get out of the cab and go to the back doors. I also mention the inconsistency - but I don't expect a positive result as, strictly speaking, the PCN had been correctly issued. Imagine my surprise when I get an email back saying that even though it had been correctly issued, they have taken my points into consideration and are overturning the PCN on this occasion. Well done Harrogate Borough Council Parking - thank you for your even-handed and fair approach to this situation. It wouldn't have happened in York (robbing bar stewards that they are there)! I do have to question the logic of closing the loading bays though. There are those two loading bays and one more further up (not accessible from this direction because of the one-way system). There are lots of paid parking bays plus a multi-storey car park. Why not close off a row of the paid parking bays? There would be plenty of other parking options for people who would have planned to park there and they would have seen the notice when they went to the payment machine. It makes far more sense than suspending the loading bays which are used by commercial vehicles to service local businesses and which use them for about 10 minutes at a time and which probably couldn't fit into the paid bay and certainly couldn't use the multi-storey. Don't tell me it is because of the kids getting off the coach because the other loading bay was also at the opposite side of the road. Either way - on this occasion it was a happy ending and I again thank Harrogate Borough Council for their fair and even-handed approach.

After reading one of my other vegan reviews someone suggested we should try the Nut and Nettle at Bridlington - so we did. We had a ride over to Brid this week and figured the High Street would be a main road running down to the sea (like Filey) so we parked up in the harbour car park and got out Google Maps. Wrong - it was about 35 minutes walk away so off we went. I have to say parts of Brid look very tired indeed and on our walk there was nothing really attractive about the place - until we turned into the High Street. What a revelation - suddenly the traffic noise was muted and the surroundings were quaint, cute and delightful. We thought it was a time warp and we had stepped back in time. This is the High Street in the Old Town and it's beautiful. What a great start! So we found the Nut and Nettle and in we went to a charming and warm welcome. We got seated and the young lady brought the lunch and drinks menu. I'll list the lunch menu here as it isn't too long - Wild Mushroom, sage and cashew cream soup with homemade focaccia - butternut squash, leek and 'mozzarella' arancini - focaccia sandwich - wild waffles topped with avocada, maple cashew cream, coconut 'bacon,' wild leaves and caramelised walnuts we both went for the focaccia sandwich - it had plant-based sausage, garlic aioli, vine tomato, mini-gem, salad and fries , and it was absolutely out of this world. I had the sweet potato fries - beautifully seasoned. Afterwards I chose the kids' hot chocolate with vegan marshmallows. I figured I'm a big kid at heart so qualified - hey, growing old is obligatory, growing up is optional. And what a treat. I love the mismatched crockery - one of the drinks came in a 1970s Hornsea Pottery cup and this was what I liked second best about this place. Obviously the best thing is that it is vegan but the second best is that it is so delightfully retro - even though the lovely staff are so young it has a great retro feel to it - even the background music was predominantly 70s. I really enjoyed my visit and can't wait to go again. Might just have to go for the waffle next time ... If you're in Bridlington, this is the place to eat!

Way back in 1975 I was still searching for my musical identity. One evening I turned onto Geordie Scene and saw a maniac, wild-eyed guitarist jerkily strutting across the stage while the lead singer growled out stuff like I'd never heard before. My mind was officially blown - I knew I'd found it. The band was Dr Feelgood. The guitarist was Wilko. I was hooked. The next day I went down to the local shop and ordered the LP Down By The Jetty. Then I found out they were going to tour and the nearest they would be appearing would be Leeds University. I managed to get tickets and my parents drove a mate and me the 60 miles to Leeds and sat in the car park chatting and drinking tea while Andy and I experienced Feelgood live for the first time. It's still etched in my memory. Sadly, that was the only time I saw Wilko with Feelgood. I continued buying and enjoying the music and like all Feelgood fans I was gutted when they parted company, but like all other Feelgood fans I just followed both. When I went to University at Leeds I got to see Wilko with his Solid Senders down the road at Leeds Poly - one of the best gigs I've ever seen. Part way through the power went off everything except the bass. He and the drummer never dropped a beat, they just kept going. When the power came back 5 or 10 minutes later Wilko counted them in and they all just picked up again - absolutely amazing. After university, marriage, new career and then later parenthood got in the way and there was a bit of a gap for me but then in the 90s I managed to start going to gigs again and see Wilko every time he was up North with his Wilko Johnson Band. I took friends along and converted them. It was always the same crowd, mainly blokes of a certain age - it felt like being a member of an elite club. Then came Oil City Confidential and suddenly the crowds were bigger, younger and mixed! Wilko was mainstream. We felt for him when he lost Irene and stopped playing Paradise for a while (still one of my all time favourite songs) We were all gutted for him with his cancer diagnosis - but I like to think I would have made the same decision he did. And how we all rejoiced for him when he got a reprieve, and then managed to tour again and we all got to see him again. We were all so shocked and saddened by the news this week, that Wilko had left the stage for the last time. Our hearts go out to his family and we say thank you for the music, the performances and the enjoyment. Forget all the big names - Wilko was my guitar hero