I’m down to do a big walk of 42 miles in May of next year so the weather being rather nice on Wednesday it was time for a bit of training.
Plan was to get the train to North Queensferry and then walk back via the coast into Edinburgh as far as possible in the short winter day.
After some faffing about, including Scotrail not being able find a driver for the train I was getting, I got to North Queensferry and headed for the Forth Road Bridge to start my walk.
It was a perfect day for low level walking. Cold and sharp in the air but not uncomfortably so. In the end I managed 30Km before the light failed and I jumped on a bus home.
Of course there was an opportunity to stop for photos alone the way.
Outside my house there is a tree. This being what is considered a mature development, that tree has stood there for decades.
In that time it has seen people make this place their home. Seen children born, raised and leave the nest. It has seen families come and go, couples grow old together and people pass on.
Generations of birds have made nests in the tree, cats have climbed it chasing the birds and dogs have chased the cats up into the canopy.
Every autumn, it sheds its leaves and every spring it grows new ones. And in the summer, those leaves provide shade for the children that play round its base. In winter it waits patiently for the warmer weather to return.
There is something to be learned from the tree as it stands there. It doesn’t seek fame or fortune nor continually worry about the past present and future. It acts only in accordance with its nature, doing the right thing at the right time without hurry. Perhaps we can learn to live like that as well.
Earlier in the summer there was some actual sun and I was out and about trying the new 28mm prime lens I got for my camera.
While looking at the flowers and the greenery in Princes St Gardens, I was reminded of the saying
Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished – Lao Tzu
The flower blooms when it is ready, bees work steadily to collect pollen and make honey and the petals fall at just the right moment to wait and start again the next year. No hurrying, just progression.
To live in harmony with nature, to what is needed when it is needed and then to accept whatever outcome occurs is the path to contentment.
The Wednesday of my summer holiday dawned and it was time to move on to the second part, Cambridge. But first a detour.
I’d wanted to go to the Imperial War Museum’s Duxford site for a while and since it was only 15mins or so from Cambridge, the journey south seemed like an ideal opportunity to visit. The route there was simple and I was heading out at 7:45 am and at the museum by 10:45am.
The site is massive with 3 large hangers full of exhibits alongside smaller areas. The first hanger contained some of the things you come to see. A Concorde and a Vulcan. Plenty more though with a Harrier, Mosqueto, Canberra and much more. I spent an hour at least just looking round. Also among the planes there was the Comet that did the first scheduled Atlantic crossing. That was like a time capsule back to the early days of jet aviation. Didn’t seem that much smaller than a modern airliner, if anything, it felt more roomy inside. I suppose in the early days it was such a special thing air travel that they wern’t trying to pack them in.
Next along was a smaller hanger with a Battle of Britain exhibit and some of the aircraft that have defended the UK though the years. An ME109 that had been shot down was displayed in a diorama as it would have appeared when it landed in the farmer’s field.
A big hanger was next. This was the American Air Museum with some very large exhibits including a B52 though that seemed smaller than I expected being mostly wing. Lots of iconic aircraft here including a Phatom, SR71, U2 spy plane and B17 bomber. Also, and slightly strangely, was a piece of the alleged Iraqi “Supergun”. It seemed out of place.
Last on my visit was the ground war exhibiting. This was a huge number of tanks, trucks and alike from all round the world. Mostly WW2 and a lost of it on D-Day. There was so much to see that it would be easy to go back to Duxford and spend another day. But as I was leaving came the highlight. A Spitfire took off and flew some aerobatics. To hear that Merlin engine roar was the crowning moment of the trip to Duxford.
Heading out from Duxford, it was on to the Cherry Hinton Caravan and Motorhome club site. I found to my peril, the problems of ignoring the travel advice to the site and ended up on quite a narrow and twisty road up to the site followed by an abrupt slowing down as the entrance appeared out of nowhere.
The site is built in a disused chalk pit and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This time I got a pitch next to the loo block and was soon set up and setting out on my first attempt to back bread in the van. It went well initially but after the second knead, it rose too much and stuck to bits of the pan that I’d not greased. Oh well it was a learning experience.
Thursday was for a trip to London and something I’d been looking forward to for a long while, the Pink Floyd exhibition at the V&A. And so I was up and out the van early and up to the train station. Unfortunately I’d booked my ticket for the exhibit at such a time that I had to get the early train into London and this cost my £40odd to get there. I successfully navigated the underground and was soon standing in the queue.
Of the exhibition, all I can say is that if you’re a Pink Floyd fan, try to go and see it. The presentation along with the sound was very very well done. There was a room for just listening to the Dark Side of the Moon and The Division Bell heads were present in all their glory. It did the band proud.
Lunch was in the V&A courtyard and then on the Science Museum. By this point of the trip I was getting a little museum’ed out so it was a quick visit to look at the computing and maths exhibits and then back to the train only stopping to admire that tourist trap that is Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station.
Last full day of the trip, Friday, was to be spent in Cambridge itself. Got to the tourist office and found a map of the city centre. First port of call was King’s College and most especially the chapel. This was massive for a chapel, almost cathedral size and with a complete set of stained glass telling a story. And also, The Adoration of the Magi. Well worth the entrance fee.
King’s College Chapel
This was the only college that I went into as they all wanted a entrance fee and it could of got expensive. So it was a wander round looking at the old buildings, visiting the odd gallery and nearly coming away with £700 worth of painting. The Scott Polar Institute was a worthwhile visit including as it does, a replica of the boat that Ernest Shackleton did his epic voyage in.
Last on the trip was a visit to the Museum of Old Computers. This was a real throwback to my youth with lots of computers and games machines from the years including a full working Domesday System. Games I’d played when young (and not so young) and in the entrance hall, a large CPU taking up 2 walls made out of discrete logic with LEDs and 7 segment displays to show its operation. Absolutely something that any geek visiting the area should see.
The holiday was to extend into Saturday and go home on the Sunday but I’d seen everything I wanted to see so I cut it a bit short and packed up on the Friday evening ready for a quick getaway on the Saturday morning.
And so Saturday morning came around and I hit the road north. I was coming down with a cold I could feel so it was a good thing that I was setting off. The drive north was onto the A1 and just keep going. Apart from very slow traffic through roadworks at Scotch Corner I got home in about 7.5 hours with no real trouble.
A great holiday was had. The weather wasn’t always kind but I got to see all that I wanted to see and probably more. I was getting a little punch drunk from all the museums and in the future I should build in some rest days to the plan but I enjoyed it and it is time to start plannning the next adventure.
Glasgow fair fortnight 2017 rolled around and it was time to head off on my travels. This year it was heading south again with visits to York and to Cambridge. I’ve been to York a few times and love the city but this was to be the first visit to Cambridge.
I hit the road on Sunday morning about 8:30am and after a pit stop at Sainsbury’s for food and brimming the fuel tank at Dunbar, I was on the A1 and heading south. Good time was made up till some roadworks round about Scotch Corner. A good deal of the journey was spent arguing with the Sat Nav which couldn’t quite believe that it was a mostly straight road to the campsite. For some reason when I’m heading south, it wants to take me off the A1 and on to the A19.
Arrived at Rowntree Park Caravan and Motorhome Club site after a journey of 4.5 hours feeling pretty good. One of the lovely things about Cali is that the van is comfortable enough to do long journeys in one go.
The site was packed and there was a bit of a queue to get booked in. I ended up on a pitch a little further from the toilet block than I would have liked but not to mind. The sun was out and I was on holiday. I’d picked out some new books to read on holiday and chose “Mend The Living” as the first one to be read. I’d not taken the full blow up awning with me but had rolled out the one that was attached to the van and the rest of the evening was spent sitting under it reading, cooking and eating dinner and generallly relaxing. As night fell, the sounds of a blues band making their way through some of the standards could be heard on the wind.
I did, however, manage some stupidity when setting up for bed managing to blow the fuse for the internal lighting circuit so the rest of the trip was to be done with only two camping lanterns inside.
Monday morning woke to clouds and drizzle, the hot sun of the day before having disappeared. First on the itinerary was the National Railway Museum. I always make a point of visiting when I’m in York and it didn’t disappoint. There was some time of Murder On the Train mystery going on in the small hall. But in the larger hall there were some changes since the last time I’d been. First of these in a EuroStar power car. I still think of the channel tunnel and EuroStar as something new and modern but the first of the sets must be 25 years old by now or more so they will be coming out of service and into preservation. Unlike the rest of the British Rail network where they run units for 40 years as they can’t afford to replace them.
Eurostar Power Car
The Mallard was out on display as usual and I got a peek in the cockpit. Also for this visit, I got to see the turntable working. It moved a loco round effortlessly. And close to each other was the Japanese Bullet Train and the Evening Star. Two locos from almost the same time but opposite views of the future. The former new and modern electric loco, the latter the last steam train built for the uk network and expected to last in service 25 years.
Mallard
Evening Star
After the National Railway Museum, I caught the road train up to the Minster. I wasn’t intending the visit but I did since I was in the neighbourhood.
York Minster
I didn’t spend long but it was nice to see that the restoration of the large stained glass windows was almost complete and it was looking very very good. When finished that will be superb to see. Some of the other stained glass was looking good as well.
York Minster
From there was it was back to the van. The weather had cleared up a bit so I was able to sit in the sun and read a bit more.
Tuesday dawned as early and with as miserable weather as Monday. The plan was to take advantage of being in s city with a big railway station and head to Leeds to visit the Royal Armouries. So it was to the train station and on to the fast train to Leeds. Going in the other direction was the Skyfall train.
Skyfall Train
It was raining a bit in Leeds but not enough to make the walk to the Armouries too bad. Once in I had another go on the Lee Enfield virtual shooting range and was as bad as last time I tried. There’s plenty to see in the Armouries and highlights include a set of replica weapons from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies that were made by Weta. The detail on them is incredible. All the more so when you realised that much of what went into them couldn’t be seen on screen. Various sets of armour were fascinating. The technology in them ( for the time ) is incredible. No wonder that NASA came to visit when developing the first spacesuits.
Although the museum contains lots of weapons, it tries in part to look at the cost of having weapons in society. There is a section towards the end of the museum where they take a gun crime and try to look at all the people that were affected by it. Moving stuff.
From Leeds it was back to York and since I had time, it was into the Castle Museum. I’ve not been in a while and it was an interesting look at life through the years. There were special sections on the 60s and on the First World War, the latter being a look at how the people of Yorkshire were affected by the war.
This was my last day in York. The weather hadn’t been kind but it was worth the visit as usual.
It is often too tempting to stay in and sit listlessly watching the TV or surfing the web. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent watching YouTube videos or randomly clicking on links, all with the same thought “Some{thing|one} entertain me”. In his book, “How To Be Miserable: 40 Stratagies You Already Use”, Randy J Paterson notes this as a fairly realiable way of being unhappy.
The trick of course is to take yourself out of that situation and find something new. And that is where the cities parks come in.
I felt the need this morning to get out and change my view. So as I write this, I’m sitting in a Starbucks overlooking The Meadows. There’s greenery and people wandering by. It isn’t raining and the sun is quite bright. As Sunday morning’s go, this is nice. And all only a 15 minute scooter from my house.
I’ve escaped. In a short distance I’ve been able to leave behind the temptations of TV and the internet (though I am writing this on an internet connected device) and the idea of sitting listless. There is a strong tradition of people escaping. I’ve read the books (or seen the films) such as “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed or Bill Bryson’s “A Walk In The Woods” and I’ve been inspired by people make the decision to go out and find something.
There is a saying that the only Zen you find at the top of a mountain is the Zen you take with you. This may be the case but what the top of the mountain does is strip away the cares and concerns of normal life and leaves you facing only what you brought with you. And it doesn’t have to be a mountain. In this park there are trees that have stood watching over this space for decades if not centuries. Petty cares pass them by like the clouds in the sky.
The act of escaping, of going to a place where there is only you and what you’ve brought with you is essential for reflecting on life and is an essential step that needs to be taken on a regular basis.
And now my coffee is done it is time to head out and see what Zen I have. The rain has started but that doesn’t matter, I came prepared.
With there being a run of sunshine this week in Scotland, it was time to hit the hills for some walking. This weekend’s choice was Ben Ledi near Callander. I’ve climbed it once before but that time it was up in the clag so not much to see. This time, the weather forecast was for cloud but nothing down at summit level.
Setting of early, I was at the car park for 8:30am. This involved a somewhat nerve-wracking journey over a very narrow bridge. But I was there and with the boots pulled on I set out on the way up. There is a very well made path heading up the slopes of Ben Ledi and I was making good time through a somewhat blasted landscape caused by the Forestry Commission cutting down all the trees on the lower reaches of the hill. Also, looking up I could see the clouds down below the top so at this point it was shaping up to be another day without a view.
But as I climbed higher, the cloud blew away and there were vistas reaching in each direction. On the ascent, I paused for a moment at the memorial to the member of mountain rescue who was killed on duty.
The summit was pretty busy as a number of people had decided to spend the day out of doors. It was still too early for lunch so I headed on to do the full round via Stank Glen. This involved setting out along the ridge line. By this point the sun was fully out and there was visibility to the horizon in all directions. A little haze in the distance but still a fine day and a number of stops were made to take photos.
Deviating a little from the Walkhighlands route I followed a path down a fairly steep slope slowly and carefully. This brought me down in to a slightly boggy area but with some fantastic views back up the slope.
From here there was a rickety stile to cross then a very well made and fairly flat path that took me down though some trees. The sun was beginning to burn now so I was glad of the shade.
Back at the van it was time for some lunch and to get out of the sun. The car park was pretty full by now and it was a little tricky to get the van out of the parking space. But soon I was on the way home after a lovely walk and planning my next trip. And a visit to Boots to get some after-sun creme.
Last weekend there was the opportunity to head down to Blackpool for some dancing at the Tower Ballroom. A group called 4 The Love Of Dance put on once a quarter Salsa and Bachata nights and a chance to dance at the famous ballroom was not to be missed.
To keep the accommodation simple, I was taking the Van down and staying at the Caravan Club’s Blackpool South site just outside the city. The day started with a leisurely loading of the van before hitting the road about 9. It is just over a 3 hour drive down the A702, A74m, M6 and M55 to get there and I was in no hurry. The drive was uneventful and I had Damian Lewis reading Diamonds Are Forever to keep me company on the way down. Talking books on long journeys are brilliant as you really have time to get into the story.
The campsite was achieved about 1pm and since I hadn’t brought the awning, pitching up consisted of putting the roof up and plugging in the electrics. Then I pulled the bed down to get some zzz in before the night’s dancing.
Night came and after getting showered and changed, I got a taxi into Blackpool. The club had arranged a flat £10 fare into the city and it wasn’t long before I was on the seafront. Being early as usual I took the opportunity to look around. Most things were shut but the arcades were still open. I resisted the temptation to spend money in them and got to the ballroom.
It was looking fabulous as we waited for the start. First up was a 1hour workshop which round about the intermediate level. I’m guessing that not too many complete beginners would have decided to go to such a night.
Then the music and dancing started. The floor was just right and there were folk from all over to dance with. I managed to dance until about 12:30am at which point my legs were beginning to fall off. So taxi back to the van and fortuitously I had put the bed down before heading out so I dropped into my sleeping bag and on to the land of nod.
Sunday I awoke early due to the birds singing their hearts out at 6am. Packing up (which consisted of putting the roof down and unplugging the electrics) I was on my way home. A fantastic night was had by all and the van proved quite handy with the whole night out costing maybe £60 all in. Have to do it again sometime.
Easter having just passed, it was time for my first trip away in the van of 2017. And as is the tradition, I headed down to the Caravan Club site at Melrose. Melrose is a lovely site with some decent walking round about and an Abbey belonging to Historic Scotland. It is also not so far away that if it all goes wrong I can easily head home. And better still I discovered a new Co-op supermarket right at the door
Set off mid morning and hit Sainsbury’s for a pit stop before taking the A68 south. This involved following a procession of lorries determined to do only 40mph on a 60mph road. Since Cali doesn’t really have enough poke to get round other vehicles on such a road without long straights, I settled in for an easy ride down, enjoying the scenary and the tunes on the HiFi. I was a witness to some hair raising overtaking moves though.
Just over an hour later I was at the gate of the site and then picking my pitch. Two new things that I’d purchased for this year’s travelling were some screw in awning pegs and an electric pump for the awning. Turns out both were not useful buys. The drill I had could not drive the pegs into the hard standing at all. There was just no bite from the pegs. So resorted to the old rock pegs and 2Kg lump hammer. The electric pump struggled to get the air beams up to even 4psi let along the 7psi they should be. So it was back to the double action manual pump.
With all the messing around, it took about an hour to get pitched up. Lunch was had then it was time to settle down with the book that I’d bought. I’ve been looking forward to Christopher Brookmyre’s new Parlablane novel, “Want You Gone” and the timing of publication was fortuitous. An enjoyable few hours were had following the start of all the twists and turns of the novel. Also bought for this year’s camping was a Nintendo 3DS. Some Mario Kart was played and you can’t own a Nintendo device without Tetris.
Dinner was chicken and then it was back to the adventures of Jack Parlablane. While the weather was good, if overcast, it was getting a little chilly. Never mind though, I was wrapped up in my slanket. Bed was shortly after sun down and it was time to dream of falling blocks (too much Tetris).
Saturday morning started early with every bird within a mile radius deciding to serenade me to ensure I was awake. I did however see an actual example of the early bird getting the worm. Literally.
After breakfast I pulled on the hiking boots and made my way to the Elidon hills. These provide a lovely and varying challenge as there are three of them and there is the option of climbing each. Today it was Elidon Mid hill and the Roman Signal Station. Great views and I had the place mostly to myself.
There was to be some more Roman stuff later on but the next stop on the trip was down towards the Rhymer stone. This marks the spot where Thomas the Rhymer met the Queen of the fairys and was given the gift of a number of prophesies on Scotland’s future. One of these was that there would be a bridge built nearby over the River Tweet and thus I headed off to see said bridge.
Along the way was the next Roman stop on the walk, Just outside the village of Newstead is the site (though nothing remains) of Trimontium. An important Roman fort, named for the three Elidon hills. Some information boards invited you to imagine the scene and described some of the archeology done in the area.
Near the fort was the bridge prophesied by Thomas the Rhymer. Three bridges in fact, a Railway Viaduct, an old bridge carrying the path north and the newer A68 bridge. Sightseeing done, from here I walked back to the campsite and lunch.
Timing being everything, I finshed lunch just as the shower block was opening after cleaning so I had hot water and a shower block sparkling clean to the usual Caravan Club standards.
Brookmyre’s novel was calling for the afternoon and I continued to follow the twists and turns of the plot.
For dinner it was time to try out the last new toy for the touring season, a CampingGaz cooker for use with the grill plate I bought. It was rather good and cooked the steak I had to perfection.
Evening passed with more Nintendo and reading. I had decided for this trip not to take a TV and I wasn’t missing it. Instead there was a chance to get some decent reading done and some game playing.
Sunday morning dawned as early as Saturday and I was up and on the road for 7:30am. Home was a quiet and relaxed journey to contemplate a nice weekend away and a season of trips to come.
A few years ago I went to an exhibition of Ansel Adams’ work at the City Art Centre and found it truly amazing. He produced work with what was at the time fairly primitive equipment of a stunning quality. He documented various national parks in the US over long career.
In some ways this exhibition was a lightbulb moment for me. I had been thinking about starting hillwalking but seeing the landscape photography provided the impetus to get out there. I purchased a camera and set about trying my hand at some photography. I got a few decent shots but it was a learning process and still is.
So now it is time to get a little more serious about it and one of the best ways is to study the masters as it were. So the above book was found in bookshop and it is time to find out just what about that exhibition caused the spark and how I can go on to generate my own style get some decent shots.
Winter is nearly over and I’m looking forward to some camping and walking.
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