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The Register — 2016
18 entries, #89 to #106 · transcribed from the notebook
2016 were the year of the stool. I'd been sitting on walls and damp grass for the best part of seven years and Our Linda said summat about the state of my trousers, so I got a folding stool from the camping shop in town, April time. Aluminium legs, canvas seat, folds flat. It's still in the boot of the car now, the same one, though the canvas has gone at one corner. Reading the notebook back, the entries had settled into a shape by 2016 — flask conditions recorded as standard, which I'd recommend to anyone starting out. The hundredth shoe came in August, at Butterley, and I see I didn't make owt of it at the time, which were right. Eighteen shoes altogether, a steady year, a lot of it reservoir ground. The handwriting is better in this notebook because I'd changed to a pen that suited me, a Parker, which I still have.
#89
9 January 2016 · Right trainer, black
Canal towpath, Slaithwaite
Right trainer, black, on the towpath below the mill. Laces gone. Sole coming away at the toe. Weather were cold and still, frost on the setts. Flask conditions good, first outing of the year. Photograph came out reasonable.
#90
30 January 2016 · Left boot, brown
Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, west bank
Left boot, brown, at the foot of the embankment on the west side. Laces in, tied. Been there a while by the look of it. Grey day, no wind to speak of. Flask conditions fair. Two photographs, one came out.
#91
20 February 2016 · Right shoe, black leather
Deer Hill conduit path, above Meltham
Right shoe, black leather, lying in the drain beside the conduit path. Four eyelets, no laces. Heel worn down on the outside edge. Weather were raw with a wind off the moor. Flask conditions poor on account of the wind. Photograph didn't come out.
#92
12 March 2016 · Child's plimsoll, left, white
Greenhead Park, Huddersfield
Child's plimsoll, left, white, under the bench near the bandstand. Elastic sort, no laces to note. Clean, recent. Mild for March. Flask conditions good, sat on the bench a while. Egg and cress. Photograph came out.
#93
2 April 2016 · Left boot, tan
Butterley Reservoir, Marsden
Left boot, tan, on the spillway side by the railings. Laces in, one snapped. First outing for the new stool, which folds flat and goes in the bag. Sat with the boot half an hour. Weather were bright. Flask conditions very good. Two photographs came out.
#94
23 April 2016 · Right trainer, grey
Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Milnsbridge
Right trainer, grey, on the coping stones by the lock at Milnsbridge. Laces gone. Tongue missing an' all. Showers on and off. Flask conditions fair. Didn't bring the stool, no need on a towpath. Photograph came out grainy.
#95
14 May 2016 · Right shoe, brown suede
Castle Hill, Almondbury
Right shoe, brown suede, in the grass below the tower on the Almondbury side. Laces tied. Suede gone dark with the wet. Warm day, hazy over the valley. Flask conditions good. Brought the stool, had a feeling about it, and were glad of it. Sat an hour.
#96
4 June 2016 · Right boot, black
Ramsden Reservoir, Holmfirth
Right boot, black, on the path above the north bank at Ramsden. Laces in. Sole sound, upper cracked across the toe. Fine morning, cuckoo going somewhere up the valley. Flask conditions very good. Cheese and pickle. Stool brought, used. Photograph came out well for once.
#97
18 June 2016 · Left sandal, brown, buckle sort
Scar Lane, Golcar
Left sandal, brown, buckle sort, on the wall top partway up Scar Lane. Buckle rusted through. No laces to note. Warm and close, thunder about later on. Flask conditions fair, tea a bit stewed. First photograph didn't come out, took another, that one did.
#98
9 July 2016 · Left boot, brown
Wessenden Moor, above Marsden
Left boot, brown, off the path near the second reservoir, Wessenden way. Laces gone. A full day of it, set off at half seven, out past three. Crackin' weather the whole day. Flask conditions excellent. Stool brought, had a feeling about it. Two rounds of sandwiches, cheese and pickle and egg and cress. Three of five photographs came out.
#99
30 July 2016 · Right trainer, white
Royd Edge, Meltham
Right trainer, white gone grey, in the gorse at Royd Edge above Meltham. Laces in, loose. Warm and blowy. Flask conditions good in the lee of the wall. No stool, no feeling about it. Photograph came out.
#100
13 August 2016 · Right boot, brown
Butterley Reservoir, Marsden
Right boot, brown, by the overflow steps at Butterley. Laces in, tied in a double knot, which you don't often see. Good condition. That makes a hundred. Weather were fair. Flask conditions good. Sat with it a while on the stool. Photograph came out.
#101
3 September 2016 · Left brogue, black
Lane below the church, Farnley Tyas
Left brogue, black, at the side of the lane below the church at Farnley Tyas. Laces in. Polish still on it in places. Misty first thing, cleared by ten. Flask conditions good. Photograph a bit grainy but it came out.
#102
24 September 2016 · Right trainer, blue
Greenhead Park, Huddersfield
Right trainer, blue, by the paddling pool railings at Greenhead Park. Second from this park this year. Laces gone. Weather were mild. Flask conditions good on the bench. Photograph came out.
#103
15 October 2016 · Left boot, brown
Ramsden Reservoir, Holmfirth
Left boot, brown, on the dam wall at Ramsden. Laces in, one frayed to nowt. Leaves down, first proper cold of the autumn. Flask conditions fair. Didn't bring the stool, no feeling about it, and were wrong as it happened. Stood instead. Photograph came out.
#104
5 November 2016 · Right boot, black, steel toe sort
Scammonden, path along the dam top
Right boot, black, steel toe sort, on the path along the dam top at Scammonden. Laces gone. Heavy boot, work boot. Wind coming straight up the valley off the motorway. Flask conditions poor, tea cold by eleven. Photograph didn't come out.
#105
26 November 2016 · Left plimsoll, black
Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Linthwaite
Left plimsoll, black, elastic sort, on the lock beam at Linthwaite. No laces to note. Damp right through, been there a while. Rain most of the morning. Flask conditions fair under the bridge. Photograph came out grainy.
#106
17 December 2016 · Right boot, brown
Field gateway, Old Mount Road, Marsden
Right boot, brown, in the field gateway off Old Mount Road above Marsden. Laces in. Hard frost, ground like iron. Flask conditions good, tea kept well in the cold. Last of the year. Photograph came out clear, the frost helped.