alun callender's blog

Its that time of year when the parsnip makes a welcome return to the blog!

To celebrate this lovely cold weather, a spicy soup is in the making.

To follow its progress I’ve downloaded the David Loftus Hipstamatic pak. How splendid it is!

Both the soup & the app.

Lunch was served up by Mark Hix during the summer for a Marie Claire shoot.

The chef created a most lovely lunch using responibilty sourced fish from our coasts, but not before a delivery of foraged sea greens arrived at the location.

If I had of known I could have brought him some strawberries from the allotment.

After few meetings on the South Bank yesterday,  I cycled past St Paul’s to see what was happening.

There was an amazing atmosphere even for a Tuesday, let’s see if they can change the world.

Although I think St Paul’s has seen it all before.

Late September and finally a holiday to the Charente Maritime, I am loving France and I am loving the Hipstamatic!

There is nothing so special, uplifting and fleeting as a flowering poppy.

It springs up like a weed, self sown, pushing skywards until June when it will unfold its lovely delicate petals just for a day or two before scattering them on the soil. They start so simple but with each generation getting more flashy than the last.

Everyone needs poppies in their lives, if you see some lovely flowers now, go & collect their seed heads, then scatter somewhere special!

These ones have appeared in our garden this year, long may they germinate.

Just found these amazing & very inspiring images taken of criminals in New South Wales during the first half of the last century.

I find them in terms of composition & lighting just extraordinary images.

These are some of my favourites.

More and the story behind them can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/6danemm

Just spent a lovely long weekend with visiting our friends Lou & Colm in Ireland.

We love it out there plus I was given a refresher course in riding on Billy (he is the horse in front, just so there is no confusion!).

In time for Valentines day, I uncovered these lovers from the allotment.

It breaks my heart to ever separate them, perhaps their last song-swan shall be spicy, creamy and in soup form!