In our family, birthday meals generally revolve around going for a short walk and a long lunch at a nice gastropub in the countryside.
My mum has an encyclopaedic knowledge of great pubs in the most obscure corners of Yorkshire, generally called The ‘Something’ at ‘Somewhere’.
For my older brother Duncan’s 34th Birthday recently, we visited the brilliant Butchers Arms at Hepworth.
As is usually the case, it rained on & off throughout, and most of us would rather have skipped the walk and dragged out the lunch!
But our pooch Kyra didn’t seem too bothered about the rain, and lunch tastes all the nicer when it’s been earned.
So off we strolled across rolling Yorkshire fields…
Clambering over many drystone wall styles. 
Kyra inspected the drainage in the lower field. Â Ted’s had trouble with this one for years.
The walk had two causes for celebration too, because my bro Duncan & his girlfriend Fiona had also just recently got engaged!
This was our first outing as a family since the big news!
They’d had Fi’s engagement ring specially made with a stone from my dear Nana’s wedding ring!
Here are the happy couple (and birthday boy!) as I turned the lens on them!
They’re really very sweet together, and I’m majorly excited about their wedding!
You’d think I see enough weddings, but I am giddy as a kipper about seeing my big brother tie the knot!
(…or at least being off duty and having a few scoops and hitting the dance floor…)
Heading back down into the valley
A little snap of a distracted pooch and her mum!
One of the reasons for Kyra’s distraction!
She really doesn’t understand why these fields of horned white dogs don’t wanna play.
These walks are a nice opportunity to catch up with everyone before lunch
We walked through a wood with some impressively knotty branches.
This would’ve made a top spot for a portrait shoot!
So instead we did a self timer groupshot
Another ace patch of Woodland on the way back to the pub
Back at The Butchers Arms, ready for lunch!
It’s run by an amazing chef called Tim Bilton (read more about him & it here), who used to be head chef of the enormous Bibi’s restaurant in Leeds.  When I worked with the Leeds Guide I did a brilliant shoot with Tim at a farm, where I bloodied his chef whites up and took his portrait  in a meat locker with a huge knife, carrying massive chunks of cow!  He’s a top bloke.
I like the vibe of the Butchers arms!
Celebratory bubbles for both another year on the clock and to a happy engagement!
Here’s a casual pic of my Dad, shot across the table!
The menu!
The grub!
The chat
The desert
The me (looking unusually serious, as I was probably explaining how to use my camera!)
…and the brother, looking awkward as the traditional birthday desert comes out and we all sing!
Fun times!