David D Williams

Disco Boots - Gentleshaw

2012-01-22T22:15:00.000Z

A ray of winter sunlight and Catherine's sparkly boots turn my Volvo into a Disco*

We went to Gentleshaw for a bit of orienteering (3rd place) - Adrian, Philip, Catherine and me. While the middle aged gents were wearing sensible orienteering shoes - Catherine (7) went for something a bit more showy.

*yes a bit of a weak off-roader joke - but its late

And this time it is Gooseberry

2012-01-20T20:51:00.000Z

I still have gooseberries left over from Summer

Rather similar to the Apple Cake made last week BUT more eggs and you put the berries on the top and they sink down during baking

It is a Waitrose recipe - click here

To the Ricoh for a Cheese Injection

2012-01-19T20:53:00.000Z

My first Kraft Company Conference - nice to see many old friends - interesting to sample new products

I had a good chat with Mr Colin Jackson (R) - I think I confused him with my references to the ARDF world championships

ahhh... now I know why my wristband says "62"

Spare seat on my table - so I got the have TWO goat's cheeses

Il menu: well chosen I thought

Colin Jackson - world champion and former world record holder for the 110m hurdles - talks to us about his experience at the Olympics

Colleagues (it was by now rather late)

Another Night Race in Sutton Park

2012-01-18T21:07:00.000Z

I won!

It was much quieter than last time. I did meet some cyclists - and got an impressed "powerful headlamp!" comment - so I went up to "main beam" and got a "very, powerful headlamp" comment. Excellent. Running through the holly woodland - like passing down the aisle of a back-green cathedral - plus the very spooky fluttering of hundreds of roosting birds - no vocalisations - just fluttering.

And this is 'Curry Goat' - note NOT Curried Goat. Scrummy - especially with the rice and beans. The chef works with me in Bournville Factory.

Even better than Mom's Apple Pie

2012-01-14T18:37:00.000Z

Apple and Almond Cake - recipe says "make this and you will never make apple pie again"

I still have a fridge full of apples (neighbour's tree, neighbour won't eat them because they have not come from a supermarket) - getting a bit wrinkly so its time to start cooking with them

This is June's Apple Pie and Almond Recipe - my favourite

Apple and Almond Dessert Cake

by the way... apple sauce is TWO words.

My favourite airport in the whole wide world

2012-01-12T20:33:00.002Z

Those are prayer flags on the hillside

I flew into Paro in 2001 - then it was a AVRO RJ - with 4 hairdryers for engines - but at least if you lost one you still had 75% power.

Take of to the South (sharp left turn after the first ridge on the left and then a sharp right etc. etc.

Landing from the North

Three words I never thought I would hear in the same sentence

2012-01-05T21:27:00.000Z

What is that?


Still no idea

Night Unicycle Orienteering


It Chris McS on a Unicycle at Shire Oak

A short practicality test - conclusion

Under seat mounted lamp - needs more work

Balancing without external visual references and with lights that move with head or hips - needs much more work

Coincidences?

2012-01-03T20:33:00.000Z

Last night I was clearing my box room ready for redecorating - I picked up my copy of "How to be Topp!" - famously illustrated by Ronald Searle, while checking the publication date I noticed it was set in "Scotch Roman" and then sat on my bed and read the first chapter. The first time I have seen or read this book in twenty years and certainly the first time I have come across a "Scotch Roman" typeface.

Today a tweet from Tim Harford led me to a site about font master Matthew Carter and Googling his most recent font (miller) revealed that it is based on Scotch Roman.

Returning to twitter I find a new tweet - Ronald Searle's death was announced this morning.

umm....

Imelda Marcos? Moi? Non!

2012-01-02T21:14:00.001Z

As the great lady probably did not say "you can never have too many shoes"

Tidying up today I find that I have 1 pair of standard shoes and 8 pairs of orienteering shoes, including 6 VJ's:

My VJs - from oldest to newest: bottom left to bottom right and then top left to top right

Strange that the uppers on the older shoes are barely worn - and ZERO holes whilst the the last orange pair went "fuzzy" after ~5 races and then shortly after began to perforate. I only bought these because the ones on the top left got holes after a year of use. I have not run in the green ones yet. Also my feet seem to be getting smaller - from a 10.5, through 10 to 9.5 in the latest pair.


Three generations of VJ "Dobb" soles - oldest on the left, newest on the right

In the good old days it was the sole, not the uppers, that went first - either the Dobb-spikes working loose or a stud breaking off on a rock. Perhaps the shoes were "lasting too long" - or was it a response the lighter shoes from competitors? I suppose the environment in Scandinavia is rather different from brambly-midlands-grot.

Interesting to see the changes over the years:

Cross/Triangular Studs to Concave Pentagons to Concave Quadrilaterals/Rhomboids
Addition of "teeth" in the instep/outstep (perhaps for contouring grip) replaced with a single dobb and some small studs
Two of the heel dobbs move from the middle to the front studs and then are joined by two more dobbs back on the middle studs.
An extra dobb at the front (in the middle - caused me pain as it was right on a joint) and then two more front dobbs.
Addition of two bands of mini studs/ridges - not at all sure what these would add in terms of grip - if the ground was so soft that they made contact it is probably almost liquid mud.
The "toe" goes more pointy and the grip bars become broader and then the toe curls upwards and gets mini-studs instead of bars.

I wonder how scientific all this redesign has been? Hopefully not marketing or visual appeal led.

What sort of compromises have been made?

grip on sand v grip on wet mud v grip on leaf litter
grip v binding in sticky mud/clay v self cleaning
grip v flex v protection v support
and so on...

A little trip to London with Anna...

2011-12-28T20:15:00.002Z

Sequence for the day:

09:10 Leave Frimley
09:20 Panic ticket buying at Farnborough
09:25 Rush over the bridge to join the
09:30 to London Waterloo
10:05 Waterloo via Green Park to Knightsbridge (A decides that shopping is more attractive than museums)
Then - Harrods (food hall, expensive watches and "pink floor"),
Anna selects Science Museum out of available list,
Walk to South Ken, sandwich (Ham and Cheese) handmade to order by a nice man at South Ken station.
Eaten while watching the skating at Natural History museum.
Uncle David is wearing his Hi-vis jacket - so gets asked twice for twice for directions.
Short locomotive heavy visit to museum and then the attraction of "Hamleys" becomes too much
So it is "follow the dark blue to Picadilly" and "its four stops...".
Hamleys very busy - we patronize "build-a-bear" and then David needs a Latte.
Post Costa we went to look at the posters for "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" - no Jason this year and then down to...
Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, once more asked for directions (London Eye)
Waterloo Station (30p to spend a penny - what a rip off!) and then M&S for Tuna and Sweetcorn sandwiches and then home to Frimley.

The last time I took a train in this direction from Waterloo would have been about 1969 - but I still had a moment of spooky Deja-Vu

Gen. Kitchener was all alone - and no one paying respects - so we dodged the H&K toting police and had a little talk about Kitchener only to learn later that A is off to Gordon's School next year and not General K's

"Beware these horses may bite or kick" - all Anna got was a good sniffing over

Houses of Parliament looking stunning

"...your valor will not be forgotten by a grateful country" - unfortunately - it has - see Wikipedia entry for H Havelock

A chilly Trafalgar Square

There is a SAAB in the Science Museum! Sadly all SAABs will be museum pieces soon (bankruptcy a few days before Xmas)

Strange building in South Ken - it is the Ismaili centre?

£199 - we decided that this was sadly... out of our price range

Yes - really - its Wills and Kate Wedding Dolls - groovy smiles!

First stop - Harrods - Food Hall and then the "pink section" of floor 4 - little girls toys

Jubilee Line - Wall cladding like something out of Blake's 7 crossed with Dr Who

Heading for Green Park

On the train from Farnborough to Waterlook (after stressful experience with the automatic ticket machine - too many options - too little time)

Another Xmas, Another Reading

2011-12-24T21:35:00.000Z

A very nice Thali

Very nice and reasonably priced food at the Chennai Dosa - a favourite of Simon & Martin. It was early afternoon, it was busy and (good sign) we were the only Anglos in the place

Reading 2 Brighton 0 - good match

No 13 - Reading Fans Everywhere!

My contribution to Xmas lunch - Lüneburg style sprouts

We went to see James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors and then afterwards a Calzone (with extra anchovies for me)


This was the restaurant where Joce and I ate post Patrick Stewart/Gielgud/Christmas Carol* - it has been done up and gone up market a bit - as usual Italian Waiters were brilliant. *I note that 6 years later I am still wearing the same coat and fleece - oops!

Swedish Christmas Eve Supper

Effect of Swedish Christmas Eve Supper

Nero in his new preferred position

Making a year's supply of Pepparkakor

09:00 and a bunch of (not all) strangers in a field

2011-12-24T16:05:00.032Z

Its the Reading "Park Run" - only 5 minutes from the Anderssons - Martin and I went - and it seems we knew, between us, about 5% of the 300 present. Photos all by PeterCook71 on Flickr

Catching up - I missed the start signal and forgot that "runners" always go off super-quick

3k in and the wee girl* and I are lapping runners - I was struggling to keep up at this point (*possibly a relative of Tammy's)

Struggling with the final sprint - I gained 10 metres through the pre-bridge mudbath - but only one position

22:05 for 5km - the bloke in the red jacket is Erik's nemesis - John Gregory

"Park Run" is everything too many orienteering races are not - really easy to enter, really easy to take part - and all over without using up a whole date.

49 John GREGORY 22:02 VM50-54 68.61 % M 40 Reading AC PB stays at 00:20:07 24

50 Mark WILLIAMS 22:04 VM40-44 62.76 % M 41 PB stays at 00:21:49 6

51 David Duncan WILLIAMS 22:05 VM45-49 66.26 % M 42 Harlequins Orienteers First Timer! 1

A year in one image

2011-12-23T15:24:00.002Z

and an explanation...

Young Bailey & I go to Cadbury World

2011-12-21T20:35:00.000Z

The new owners dared not touch this bit (when Cadbury changed the FRY sign at Somerdale there was much grumbling and muttering)

Stomp on the Roses

This is my favourite!

I just put £95 of fuel in the tank, while in 1988...

2011-12-18T21:17:00.000Z


I just put £95 of fuel in the tank of my car - in 1988 it took just £15 - Ow!

Clearing out the loft and throwing out old paperwork and statements. This was from when I was commuting 600 miles a week to Marlbrook and back.

Of Bread and Ferrets and Friendly Cows

2011-12-18T20:42:00.000Z


Its the HOC Club Champs at Hartlebury Common

A surprisingly good position for me - down to local knowledge and thoughtful route selection

The common is now home to a herd of calm and very friendly (at least to other) cows

We had our post race celebrations at Wilden church hall - hiding behind the bins was...

An unexpected visitor to our post race feast - while various scaredy men pull their trouser legs up - I go looking for suitable food to entice our guest back outside

Mr Ferret is not interested in Quiche*

In the end Uncle Robert produced a pair of gardening gloves and using these I lifted the calm ferret into a Sainsbury coolbag and took him outside. Obviously a nice dark and reassuring hiding place as my gentle attempts to extricate ferret were met with raised hackles, arched back and threatening noises - so it was an undignified up-ending and a good shake for bag and a rapid retreat for me.

*Must be a "real man" as in "real men don't eat quiche, neither do they orienteer" (according to Mr Feirstein)

As usual I won the bread - but it was a nail biting wait - I bought at least 1/6th of the tickets but none drawn in the first 15

Not licensed for modification (but might be pretty good for chemical warfare)

2011-12-17T17:32:00.003Z

The Material Safety Data Sheet for black HP printer ink

Be afraid be very afraid!

Dell Part Number 023X761 REV A00

2011-12-17T17:29:00.000Z

Having a bit of a tidy up at work - and I found this

Its just a wee little screw

Here are instructions for use - and an invitation to consult "the documentation that came with your computer" for more information


and here are the disclaimers and copyright notices

Overkill?

Attenborough went to Clyde River...

2011-12-11T20:54:00.002Z

.
...But I was there first, and boy has the melt got earlier:

The final episode in "Frozen Planet" was all about the changes at the poles in the last few years.

There was a segment filmed at Clyde River - 13 years after my visit - the melt is earlier and cracks are opening up where they never did before.

May 1997:

and now...

...and a very quick back link from the BBC...

I wonder how automatic these things are? It took just a day or two before the BBC visited my blog

Not good but Baaaaad Fallingbostel

2011-12-06T21:59:00.119Z

Its Flybe to Hamburg Today

Civilised airline - but we boarded much too early, left way too late but still arrived on time - strange!

American DJ and technical team

Fresh from a gig in Bristol and traveling to Hamburg. We talked Creme Egg Clucking Easter Bunny and the Star DJ ignored all the "personal electronic equipment" exhortations - turning his Iphone back on as soon as the cabin attendant had passed down the aisle.

Gorgeous Gänsebraten

This at the very stylish but rather a chilly walk from the associated hotel "Anders" at Walsrode (http://www.mercurewalsrode.de/anders-erlebnis-gasthaus/)

Menu A at the factory

You can have "Menu A, Menu B and Salatbar!" (helps if you bark it in the style of Helga from Allo Allo). The meat thingie was tasty - sort of a local "all the bits of a pig you would not really like to think about made into something a bit like haggis"

A very nice and clearly family run hotel - Germany's success is based on such businesses


No - I did not!

The local firewater - 50% alcohol and very smooth and minty - my host did not join me in a glass though

"Heidegeist is a herbal liquor , in particular in the Lüneburg Heath is widespread.

Heidegeist contains a total of 31 heathers and has an alcohol content of 50%. It is clear in color and strong flavor ^[1] ."

I really doubt if there are 31 species of heather on the Lüneburg Heath - I had thought of visiting next summer (and in daylight for a change) but contacts who have lived in Fallingbostel for 16 years claim "it is flat and boring"

My glass of "guter heidegeist" was "on-the-house" and Germany was also LOTS cheaper than Dublin - how is that possible?

Public view of the factory - strange that driving past the previous evening the lit up "Kraft" sign gave me a sort of warm "I'm home, there are friends here" feeling - and its not yet been two years

This shop is open to the public - but not at 07:30 in the morning

Bad Fallingbostel used to just be Fallingbostel but then it passed the test set by the German Spas and Bathing Facility Authority and since 2002 it can call itself "Bad"

More Gorgeous Gänsebraten

The sprouts were delicious and were mixed with very salty cubes of bacon - yum yum - having the same for Xmas I think.

Inexpensive Pizza at Hanover Airport

I don't understand about HAJ - huge carparks, huge buildings, offices and towerblocks - but hardly any flights and tiny antiquated terminals. Perhaps most of the buildings are not directly associated with the flying part of the business. There is no restaurant airside at terminal B - so I ate before security - somewhat confusing as the staff had German as a second language and I have it as about 300 words - once I had established that the staff came from a) Italy - Pizza Oven and b) Sri-Lanka - till - we switched to a more useful combination of Italian and English.


Hanover seems to be a gateway to Russia and the CIS

I have been to six out of 19!

Ceiling in Terminal B - Non-Schengen Gate

HAJ was very quiet - no queue for check-in and no queue for security - six staff, two lanes - and just me. I have no idea what all the little pipes are for in the ceiling - perhaps they are sunlight guides?

London with the dome to the centre left

A very familiar sight for those who fly from points south and east into BHX - standard routing is along the north side of the Thames estuary and then turn somewhere over Ealing and straight into Runway 33

Sutton Park at Night

2011-11-30T22:48:00.001Z

...

This is Adrian Bailey's Photo!

Only the second time I have been to and from an event entirely by train - today was the "big civil service strike" - which meant that Adrian had time to plan a night race in Sutton Park...

Only 32 metres direct distance but it took me 424m and 4min 31s to find number 11

Waiting for the 20:19 Sutton to Selly Oak service

Leave work at 17:00, arrive at event 18:00, catch 20:19 back home - and all for £4.20 + £2 for the orienteering - great!

A faded shell of former glory (or something like that)

2011-11-25T20:45:00.003Z

And so to the BBC Good Food Show... still good fun but not half as good as it used to be...

Less of the earnest organic-wholefood-vegan-green-eco than before ("organic" is reported to now be a turn off)

The gadget section is smaller - mostly just knives, fewer appliance manufacturers and not so many pots-and-pans.

Supermarkets - well there was Morrissons, Sainsbury and M&S

A very nice stand from Orkney - we chatted about the impact of that beached liner of a Tesco, the dominance of Tunnocks, the ferry to Raasay and the gentlemen who run "The West End"

The "restaurant court" was missing and the drinks side was way down anyway in between Buffalo Burgers to start and Ghuka curry after closing time...

The World Cheese Awards

but sadly straight after judging it was all declared "unfit for consumption" - grrrr - I suppose it makes sense what with the cheese having been manhandled and prodded but more likely because of the large number of cheese retailing stands at the show.

Rossmore Oysters - £2 for a large one - absolutely gorgeous!

Seriously the best taste at the show - "seaside in a mouthful" - so many tastes... shame about the unforgivably misleading news reports "Winter Vomit Virus in Oysters" - the tests just show that there is virus - not whether it is of the human infecting type, nor whether the quantities detected are significant.

The Welsh Government!

The badge on the left reads "Sian Hill, Welsh Government" - funny I thought it would take more than two lovely ladies to run the entire country.

Ghurka Fast Food

A rather lonely stand now that the exhibition had closed - but a very nice curry - from Nuneaton so I guess this must be the restaurant - Crossed Khurkris

Does the world really need 5 competing brands of Toffee Vodka - yes indeed!

The show was over but there was still a crowd around this stall - at a competitors the proprietor had made the mistake of recruiting a friend to help - drinking one little sample for every two served to punters - a swaying and almost incoherent friend by six o'clock.

My haul

The solution to my vodka problem (I buy it, I drink it, no problem!) is to buy some really expensive rum, gin and elderflower brandy - my parsimonious nature easily defeating the closet alcoholic... just one tiny glass of an evening.

Marlbrook - 21 years later

2011-11-23T21:21:00.009Z

I started project work at Marlbrook Factory and moved on the Somerdale in 1990. This was a flying visit to share information on cleaning systems and standards and to enjoy a remarkable breakfast:

and all for under £2

There is a LOT more traffic now, the journey takes about 90 minutes instead of 70 - and no chance at all of getting close to my all time record of ca. 58 - so I went home via Pencombe and various narrow and twisty roads.

30 minutes on a very cold bench

2011-11-22T21:24:00.002Z

This evening I took the short cut across Bournville Green. Someone was sitting on the stone bench opposite Woodbrook Road. This is normal - its where all the trendy art college students hang out - so black t-shirt and goth hair cut was nothing out of the ordinary. Something made me turn back and ask "are you alright"?

Black t-shirt... it is November, its 7PM and its is a bitter night...

Bournville Green - The Xmas Tree

"I don't know where I am."

"This is Bournville Green - you are next to Cadbury's factory, can I help you?"

"I've run away from the mental home?"

The poor girl has rows of cuts and needle punctures on her upper arms and both forearms are bandaged - I can see fresh blood seeping through - a self harmer - but calm and lucid.

"Do you want to go back? Is there someone I can contact?"

What to do? - I don't want to call 999 - its not an emergency - but do the mental hospital do a call out? I am only going to get an office number from directory enquiries. So I called the 5th emergency service 118 118 and they put me through to the Bournville Lane Police Station - very professional - collected all the necessary information - age (16), name <****>, mental state, physical state, my name, address and mobile number and said they would sort something out.

So there I sat for half an hour - it was a very cold stone bench. <****> seemed depressed and withdrawn, not surprising, and we had nothing in common as a subject for conversation so I chatted about what I did at Cadbury and pointed out the Wispa and Wholenut buildings and I managed to get some smiles and a few laughs. A very sweet girl especially when smiling. I described the Carillon across the road and we had a bit of a "European Geography Quiz"...

I felt guilty not sharing my coat - as I had this and a fleece - but *blood* - I decided that if she shivered once - she would get the coat.

An ambulance turned up - as usual none of the information had made it through so I briefed them - did not seem keen to take <****> to the mental hospital - favouring A&E - not a good idea at all.

At this time of night fifty people and hundreds of cars must have walked/driven past the figure on the bench - either without noticing something was amiss or did and decided not to get involved.

Very sad, very sad indeed - not sure I would be cut out to be a carer - but it would be nice to be able to help. Feeling a bit sad.

Extremely tense before "The Sprint"

2011-11-20T21:26:00.001Z

Competitors await the off at Pamber Forest

Its all very serious - the second ever ARDF sprint in the UK - very tricky - some completed in 15 minutes and some were still out after a couple of hours. Not helped by the little red arrow on the cut down map extract - it did not indicate the direction of North - only the direction to run away from the start. 30+ years of orienteering meant that I was not fooled and was back in Ca 19 minutes

...and thats your lot Dublin

2011-11-16T22:23:00.038Z

All clear over Snowdonia

I can pretty much name all these peaks - not sure about correct pronunciation tho. I can also do all the numbers stenciled on Airbus A320 Port Engine supports - having stared at these 16 times this year. Going back you want to be in Row 28 - 29 does not recline but from 28 you can be out and down the back stairs quickly and get pole position in the second bus - which becomes the first bus by the time you get to the security barrier - and if you are quick you get to be in the first group of 4 past the CCTV camera and out to freedom.

This trip was to look at a cooling tunnel - we were making Irish CDM Wholenut - scrummy!


That's a €12 prawn* cocktail that is!

*Much nicer than the one at the Clontarf last week (I believe the chef dines at Seabank) - not least because there was A LOT of lobster in my cocktail - yummy - I suspect that this might have been last week's gate guardian having reached his "boil and eat by" date.

Dover Sole Roulade - with crab meat and other nice stuff

Last time this was on the menu - they ran out of Dover Sole and I had the remaining portion as a starter.


A light Xmas pudding with custard and a dessert wine*

*It was from Bordeaux, not one of the usual suspects - but I can't remember exactly what. As I was finishing up some very welcome guests arrived - got hugs and all - the lady and gentleman own the best penthouse apartment in Malahide...

THE (!) penthouse in Malahide

as well as hotels in Jamaica (birthday party at Ian Flemings house), and further properties in Dallas and other places around the world I cannot remember - the Gentleman is a retired airline CEO. They regularly book the restaurant for parties - now I know why they get a hug and I just get a hearty greeting!

Newly decorated Seabank Bistro. Malahide

As this was my final (for now) trip to Dublin I wrote up a restaurant review on Tripadvisor...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g211873-d2309796-Reviews-Seabank_Bistro-Malahide_County_Dublin.html

Cold Blooded Lizard?

2011-11-16T22:00:00.001Z

I brought the IR camera back from Dublin to the Bournville Office - which meant I had it overnight at home (this is the £15,000 pound model we have to get permission to take out of the EU and had to sign we would not transfer it to Iran, Cuba, Libya or North Korea)...


Kingfisher Way - my house is on the right

I now have confirmation as to why my heating bills are so low (£8 a month for gas on average) and why I have not yet needed to put my heating on more than twice this autumn; My neighbours live at sauna temperatures...

Party Wall - Living Room - TV and internal wall (left) are at "Room Temperature"

Party wall - Bedroom - lamp and internal wall on right - at room temperature

Non-party wall - this is North facing

It seems that I am stealing heat from my neighbours - I am quite comfortable at 17 deg C - as long as I am wearing a good sweater and even in bare feet:

Ankle to Toe Thermal Profile

Perhaps if I fitted a heat pump to the wall as well... (they might get suspicious what with the unexplained patch of condensation/ice)

Heating on - +10 minutes

Heating on - +15 minutes


Plus 20 minutes

...too hot...

(Surprisingly Emotional) Trip to the Classic Car Show or "My first company car was two Range Rovers"

2011-11-13T21:07:00.002Z

And so down to the NEC for the Footman James Classic Car Show - a first for me.

Lots and lots of cars from my childhood and my youth - two themes - "next generation" and "emotional connection". Also just how many of the stalls and exhibits were West Midlands based - even 35 years after the collapse of out motor industry there are still companies out there supporting and re-manufacturing our industrial heritage.

Just like orienteering - this has become an old man's event - several exhibitors wondered whether there will be a next generation of enthusiasts and looking at the reasons why a particular model or marque is loved and collected by a particular generation I can see why.

From a practical point of view - you can keep a 1902 motor going indefinitely, 1940s a bit more tricky, 1960s and 70s increasingly difficult and anything post 1990 has a serious expiry date hanging over its head. A 2011 Volvo XC60 is going to be economically unmaintainable well before it reaches its 10th birthday.

I asked each exhibitor "why?"

Because one screeched into the filling station, put £2 of petrol and then burned rubber all the way to the horizon - single most exciting thing my 5 year old brain had ever experienced (1972 Hillman Avenger Tiger - available in banana yellow or flame orange)

I would go to the library to look at "Popular Photography" and other glossy magazines and there was the 5.4 litre Gordon-Keeble.

My Father had one and so did mine (two off Wartburg 353 aka "Farty Hans") - why else would you want a 1966 design, 1988 made, East German car?

Its what I wished my father had driven - rather than a custard yellow Vauxhall Viva (SAAB 99 Turbo)

My father designed and made them (Meadows Frisky)

Its a DeLorean! (A DeLorean DMC-12 - the wife has one as well)

The Saint's Car (The actual Saint's Car a Volvo P1800 - not just the same model but the one driven by Roger Moore in the TV programme - Jaguar turned them down - fools!)

I did not see ANY UK Made General Motors Cars (Vauxhall) - they were down for Hall 5 but there can't have been many...

Notable sights:

Green and White 1988 Range Rovers - just like I drove for Cadbury in Ghana

A "Janey" lookalike - a 1950's Ford "Pop" - like my Mother drove and eliminated a blackbird with on the way back from church in Alton (strnage what you remember 46 years on); Three gears, no synchro-mesh and windscreen wipers driven from the inlet manifold vacuum (at last a proper explanation as to why they kept speeding up and slowing down - it wasn't "the wind" after all)
A yellow Austin Metro (my first car)
Lots of DeLoreans!
A Veyron
Bubble Cars - I remember there was a Messerschmitt and a BMS that used to travel round Chester in the 1970's
A Raleigh Chopper - I had a Tri-ang but the cool blond boy with the rich parents and all the girls - had a Chopper.
Oldsmobile 88 with a cooler hood ornament than the one in Cuba
Ford Anglia Tail Lights
A Gold Ford Granada - straight out of "The Sweeney"


Just like mine - VNE 247X


This was the WRC Group B version of the Metro (£40K new, £13K after rule changes, £26K to current owner - bit of an issue with Mrs Current Owner)

World rally group B was dropped after several in-competition deaths - the entire passenger + load compartment full of engine gives you an idea just how hot this hatch was.

For Sale - £1.25 million and it is yours (development cost - £5 million each)


A Gordon-Kemble - "Tortoise and the Hare"


Interesting Component


Made an impression on me in the 1960's

The 997 cc Ford Anglia so does not deserve to have a "go faster" rocket fins


Oldsmobile 88 - no functional reason for this but doesn't it look great

And all because...

His Dad designed and built them.


That is all the instrumentation you need unless...


Time travel is your aim

DeLeorean DMC-12 - All that curvy stainless steel - the owner is a martyr to oily fingerprints - everyone has to have a quick touch.

111111111111 - ha ha ha!

2011-11-11T18:33:00.001Z

11:11:11 on the 11th of the 11th of the 11th

One chance to hit PrtSrcn or wait a hundred years - nailed it!

Penult Trip to Dublin (The mad price bubble extends beyond Malahide)

2011-11-09T21:11:00.033Z

No room at The Grand so a dark, wet and blustery drive down to The Clontarf Castle

Dublin Bay Prawn... Just the one and some tails

That's a 32 euro steak that is!

Staff were very very good indeed but next time I will buy a McDonalds on the way down; €32 for a steak - now seriously - how good would that have to be? The menu should have been a warning "The Aberdeen Angus is a placid breed giving tender, marbled and low stress beef". Steak was OK - nice roast veggies tho'.

Inside it is even better - all fusion Victorian Baronial and Ikea glass and wood

The hotel was full of disgruntled American tourists (undercarriage fault on US Airways, trip tagline
"Experience Dublin like the locals do") - cold, wet, windy and very very expensive!

Clontarf has some very seriously bloody history... poor Brian Boru and what a lot of double crossing!

I've been here a very long time...

2011-11-03T21:43:00.001Z

Another short trip to DUBLIN

2011-11-01T22:17:00.041Z

This is meant to be a year without traveling... this morning my Aer Lingus Gold Card arrived...

Its an Aer Lingus Gold Card! 24 qualifying flights and its yours (though it took a lot of chasing to get it issued - does not happen automatically when you reach the magic number!)


Mint Airways?

According to the handling agent this is providing a leg of the Comtel flight to Amritsar via Vienna. Mint Airways "As of December 2010, the Mint Airways fleet consists of two Boeing 757-200 aircraft with an average age of 17.8 years, which are equipped with 12 business class and 217 economy class seats.". 17.8 years - not good.

(Update 18th November - this was the plane which got stuck in Vienna until the passengers coughed up £23,000!)

There were at least 8 Ryan Air 737s parked up - exciting new destinations? - no just somewhere cheaper to park until the skiing season starts.

Once more to the Seabank:

That is sweet scallops with salty/crisp pancetta - yum yum yum - thought it should be for €12

Fish Pie - all the bits and bobs left over - really very good indeed

Check in at T2 Dublin Airport - In the middle of the evening rush (17:00)

Dublin Terminal 2 is impressive - it is also quiet - check in has two "wings" - there were about 15 passengers in the Aer Lingus side and none at all on this side - just one rather bored "oversize luggage" counter attendant.

Still twice the number as travel through BHX...

Weißbier und Weißwurst (for breakfast)

2011-10-22T21:55:00.000+01:00

I am in Munich; the Viktualienmarkt to be exact and I am on a mission

No - not here - Pfifferlinge - I know what these are. Preiselbeeren? Hmm - look like Lingon - and following research - it turns out that they are

Cristina said "When you are in Munich - you must have Weißbier und Weißwurst in the Viktualienmarkt

...and you must eat them before 12 midday - Weißwurst must be fresh that day. With breakfast being amazingly expensive at the otherwise excellent Hilton Munich City Hotel and now as it is Saturday I am funding myself I walked into the city centre, nerved myself up and in atrocious German* ordered brunch.

So here I am with strong lager hitting an empty stomach (and rapidly bladder), already slightly dizzy with low blood sugar, been walking around for an hour or two and the air temperature is just below freezing... I NEED A LOO! These are in short supply - eventually I find a department store - but the loos are 7 floors up - ooh, ooh, ooh, ahhhhhhh....

*But you should hear the Munich accent - Pretzel is mangled as "brrrittzyl"

And here they are surfing in the Englischer Garten

Each rider waits his turn and then tries to stay upright as long as possible - chilly water straight from the mountains.

A short Saturday morning walk through the garden reinforces my impression that Munich is very squarely right at the top of the First World - with the UK somewhere about 1.75

In the middle of the park is a Chinese Pagoda - where an oompah band was, fittingly, playing the "Eton Boating Song" ("The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton" - but we did have a bit of help from the Prussians)

We can't afford a tunnel to hide the A303 at Stonehenge - but in Munich they can do new tunnels even for parks


The Deutsches Museum - sure to be earnest and educational "ah yes, it is the world's largest museum of technology and science" (it helps if you read that in the accent and intonation of a slightly tired and emotional Michael Schumacher). It was very good but in some areas - especially the electrical it very much was a *historical* museum.

Yes indeed - a whole gallery dedicated to "Modern Casting" - here fathers and sons watched in reverent attitude the demonstration and explanatory lecture before proceeding to methodically assess every exhibit "See young Helmut - how lost wax investment casting gives way to the modern continuous mechanism"

I worked on the Concast plant in Redcar back in 1985 - its not that modern - and really just a rip-off from Spira

Now here is something you don't see that often now-a days

Iron lungs were used to get Polio sufferers through the acute stage


There were some impressive aviation galleries at the museum - strangely though the whole 1935 to 1945 period was pretty much missing - shame - but there is an annexe out in the country - perhaps that is where the rest of the collection is displayed.

Strange to be outside the terminal and Munich - the Birmingham flight had 16 people on it - that is why it was so cheap and I could have a day of tourism in Munich and still save the company money.

A Certified Sanitarian?

2011-10-21T21:43:00.000+01:00


Kraft Foods research centre in Munich.

I'm here to learn about Sanitation (its American for Cleaning stuff and things) and Sanitary Design (which is American for Hygienic Design) and to take the first step on the path to becoming a Certified Sanitarian (which is not the next stop on from Scientology nor anything to do with Dr Who - that is Sontaran). Its a shame that in English-English sanitation and sanitary are forever associated with "poo", sewers and ladies' essentials.

An impressive building

For the record it was cheaper to get from Birmingham to Munich via Dublin - convenient for me as I needed to go to Coolock to crawl around in some equipment. In fact is was cheaper to get from Dublin to Munich than from Birmingham to Dublin.
. We all stayed in the Hilton Munich City - to where I was whisked direct from MUC - on time and in comfort - so very efficient. The hotel is parked right on top of the U-bahn station. Strangely everyone is a foreigner - for my first evening in Munich - I heard no German at all.

Someone in the Navy likes short shorts and Wellington boots...

2011-10-07T10:52:00.000+01:00

The US Navy is watching me...

And this is what he/she was looking at...

The fashion this year was wellies and the SHORTEST possible shorts

...Eyes front sailor!

When shall we three meet again (BHX @ 06:30)

2011-10-03T06:30:00.005+01:00

Trevor, David and Bill - waiting for LH2513 to be called

Eco-business? Its 06:30 and seven of us are on the International Pier at BHX - two to MUC, one to WRO and 4 to DUB. All goes to show that video conferencing does not work.

It is Trevor's last trip before retirement - 37 years service. I am having a year off traveling - so why have I just earned my "Aerlingus Gold Card"? - that is 24 counting flights!

The Dublin Team

Are they running the Tehran flight again?

Hamfest Again, Olfactory Challenges... Again

2011-10-01T20:36:00.009+01:00

Uncle Robert - with one of our 5 or 6 potential converts*

*bought 3 OFF PJ80.

Trade stand and visitor numbers were down on last year, prospects for ARDF also. Only thing held up was the proportion of visitors to our stand with PERSONAL HYGIENE ISSUES - phew - Robert and I took it turns to suffer.


Derby ARC - ARDF in the OLD days

They are selling my book!

You can still get it from Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio-Orienteering-Handbook-Bob-Titterington/dp/1905086261/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317998482&sr=8-1

The (Cumbrian) Police are watching me...

2011-10-01T20:12:00.000+01:00

Evicted by Norwegian Ambulance Chasers

2011-09-28T20:52:00.001+01:00

There is a big conference on at The Grand...

...a bunch of folks who cheer when a ship goes down - hence the unfortunate logo

not content with evicting me from The Grand, the Nog-wegian element at the conference block booked my favourite restaurant. So I had to be in and out in under 45 minutes...

That's scallops to start - sublime

and 'Alibut to follow (waiter is from Toulouse)

So tonight I am in the Hilton close to the airport - not bad and the staff are great - Lenka is amazed that not only can I correctly name the capital of Slovakia as Bratislava but I have been there and know that Czechoslovakia no longer exists AND I can order my breakfast in Slovak...

jedno vajce
jedna čierna
jeden biely
jeden hash hnedá
pečené fazuľa

That's my old school down there...

2011-09-27T08:28:00.002+01:00

As seen from Birmingham - Is that Arenig Fawr or just the Breiddens?

Cloudy over Shropshire

But clear over Chester - thats the River Dee and you can see my old school

MOT Advisory "...body has slight corrosion"

2011-09-23T20:14:00.063+01:00

.
I think Uncle Derek was being kind "drive it for the summer and then get the bodywork looked at...". So it is off to Keynsham for Black SAABath

Everything fits in!

That is 4 panels and a door and an exhaust and lots else. I only have a post code for the garage but a check on Google Earth confirms exactly where the SAAB surgery is located:

"JamSAAB" - this must be the spot

About 500 metres from Somerdale (1929-2010 RIP) - where I worked for ten years...

Somerdale Factory (what a waste)


Yes I am in the right place

Absolutely

Up on the lift for a wee check

Oops!


More oops!

Fooled You! It's the SS Great Britain

Very clever - below the (glass) waterline and inside the ship the air is maintained at below 15% humidity - one BIG ?Munters? air drier - just like the one Rowan Atkinson uses to keep his classic car collection in good condition and we use to stop condensation forming on chocolates as they exit the cooling tunnel.

Now that's what I call a bearing - 250hp using 5psi steam - VERY large diameter cylinder*

There was an olympus engine in the museum - 70,000hp - 4 of which would fit inside just one of the SS Great Britain's cylinders.

Every last detail restored - even down to the smell of sick coming from one of the staterooms (opening the doors revealed a costumed up mannequin with head in bucket - bucket filled with faux-vom)

A Cadbury 99 not a SAAB 99

Strolling along the quay I met
a) Some gentlemen in a classic SAAB 900 - black, convertible
b) A Swedish family - from Norrköping - the son, having completed his degree course, has moved to the UK to do research "will you be moving back to Sweden?", "Only if I can persuade my English girlfriend..." Deja-vu all over again
c) A strategically placed ice cream van - liveried up in "Flake" colours - how could I refuse - after mentioning that I was working on the Flake plant in Dublin and exchanging views on whether £14/outer was a fair price I discovered that the vendor's mother comes from Sicily and that October is the perfect time to go and that he spends the winters in Florence. We exchanged further views on whether €9 is really a bit of a rip off to get in to see "David"


Bristol Temple Meads

Impressed with public transport - first time I needed to use a long distance train in 12 months - turn up (15:50), buy ticket (15:52), direct train to Birmingham every 30 minutes (16:00), change for Selly Oak (17:32), walk 700m from local station and arrive home (18:02) to a...

Strangely empty garage

Spring Cottage - Sprint ARDF in a post-extractive landscape

2011-09-17T17:01:00.003+01:00

Today we went to Spring Cottage for ARDF. This is in the middle of the "National Forest" - currently a mixture of decaying mining villages, derelict mines and rapidly expanding forest plantation. In the afternoon we did the first IARU rules "sprint ARDF" in England:

(Mostly) runnable poplar woodland

The sprint was confined to the "white" forest near the small pool

7:35 for 5 foxes - not bad - I lost a minute at #4

UK Election 2015 - "Remember you have a choice"...

2011-09-03T18:09:00.000+01:00

...

Sorry do we?

And of course, the f-word, father, the bad f-word, worse than "feck" - you know the one I mean...

2011-09-01T20:34:00.001+01:00

"That sort of language" really upsets Mrs Doyle and I certainly did not expect to hear it from the Taxi Driver as soon as I called out my destination.

Image Copyright dublintaxi.blogspot.com

Arriving into Dublin airport on Monday morning I was a bit surprised when the first words out of the Taxi driver's mouth were "F**K OFF!"

I knew it was a bit much to expect a Fáilte at 09:00 in the morning but not nice to get the alternate Dublin F-greeting.

It turns out that a fare from your airport to Coolock is not what a taxi driver who has been waiting 4 hours is hoping for. I offered to get out and take the next taxi but he decided he would prefer €15 to nothing.

OK – I am a regular business traveller through the airport and I am used to this sort of thing and hear worse during my working day but consider if I was first time American visitor and this was my welcome to Ireland – or worse still a visiting journalist or travel business professional.

The real problem is that there are 17000 taxis in Dublin and "arny fule two days off the boat can get a license; the f-inng test is always the same..."- it is rumoured that, post deregulation, the city has more taxis than New York - and I can believe it (http://dublintaxi.blogspot.com/2010/01/airport-taxis.html)

Digital? Moi? Non!

2011-09-01T20:11:00.002+01:00

A friend of a friend writes...

Dear Comcast, Verizon, and DirectTV. It might not be today, but someday your monthly screwing of me WILL end.

Well for me TV watching ends on 21st September...

...when the analogue signal is switched off for good.

It dawned on me that, except for BBC Breakfast, my TV has not been turned on since Noah and Stacey played "Dig Dug" and "Galaxian" on my console - and that was in May.

As Chris and Sian will not be moving to Manchester when the BBC decamp north - and Carol is also not confirmed and Bill alone is not a big enough draw, I won't be watching in the mornings anymore.

This year I have only wanted to watch three programmes: Dr Who, Top Gear and Strictly - and they call come, in HD, via IPlayer - and on demand as well - so the analogue TV is going in the box room and come 21st September I will be going 'Cold TV Dinner Turkey'.

Breaking in "New Expenses System": Testing the boundaries

2011-08-30T22:00:00.043+01:00

While away from home on business - but still in the UK - there are guide allowances for breakfast, lunch and dinner - this is all to do with tax.

You are meant to be able to find a breakfast for under £5. Not possible at any airport I know of, the nearest I can get is..

Costa Coffee who will do you something for £6.10. The evening meal limit is £25 and we are meant to stick with that overseas as well.

Tax man obviously has never been to Ireland - and certainly not Malahide - where the only hotel will stiff you 34€ for a steak.

Day 1: Sandwiches for €7.50 - well safe

So what I am doing is one night "sandwiches from SPAR" and the next a proper hot meal. However you know you are somewhere special when the corner shop does not stock cans of beer - only wine!


Chicken Liver Pate - the sticks are fried Parsnip - part of a total meal cost of £35 - "Early Bird Special Deal"


Sea Trout, no starters, no dessert, one glass of wine - total meal cost - €43 -no warning or red-highlighting - safe!

Ray Wing - very nice, chowder to start, one glass of wine, no dessert, no coffee - €49 - pushing it a bit

...So it was sandwiches for the rest of the week.

I know why food is expensive in Norway* (lots of oil, lots of money, no land) but how do the Irish get away with this?

*My £11 baked potato in Tromso

You know its more than a recession when...

2011-08-27T20:09:00.000+01:00

Today at Sainsbury - two pizzas, a bag of salad and 2 garlic baguettes in their "Feed a family of 4 for £5" promotion

By comparison in Ireland that won't even feed one at the EuroSpar!

Now I understand why HP are giving up on Consumer Hardware...

2011-08-27T19:45:00.048+01:00

Tricky choice - new ink cartridges for my old HP printer - £53
OR
A new printer/scanner/copier/fax with WIFI+USB and a built in (simple) web connection - for £39.

The HP DJ5550 will be 9 years old in September and it has started to make nasty clicky sounds and sometimes refuses to print unless you take the colour cartridge out (stressful when you really need to print that RyanAir boarding card) so I parted with my £39

and what do I get inside the box...

Quite a lot of bits and bobs. This printer was originally on sale for £99 but everywhere it now costs just £39. Its a brilliant bit of kit, prints fast and high quality and HP support it on Linux - so installation took about a minute.

In the blurb that came with it they say "you can print wirelessly from your Iphone or Ipad" - and then it all makes sense.

HP have to sell me kit at a loss (I am told that a typical multifunction printer costs £200 to manufacture/market/distribute) and the only revenue stream they have is the ink - which from me won't be much at all.

BUT

Apple can sell their hardware at a nice profit and then have multiple and ongoing revenue streams through ITunes and Appstore and Cloud eventually even replacement of internal battery ($86 to fit a $5.99 battery). At one point their rake off on newspaper subscriptions was going to be 50%.

So I can see why HP intend to "Do an IBM" - but are they too late?

An evening in Dublin on the DART or I went for the Craic and came away with underpants

2011-08-18T22:45:00.000+01:00

I have been coming to Dublin for several weeks now - but never closer to the centre than Coolock.

The Dublin Area Rapid Transit - is pretty swish and pretty rapid - does not appear to follow the timetable much though. Just 20 minutes from my seaside hotel to Tara Street and the centre of the cultural/tourist district.

I think we may be in Ireland

There certainly were tourists and they were certainly well catered for - packed bars and packed restaurants, the periodic thermal blast from glowing patio heaters (for the smokers) and the jingle-jingle-jiggy-jig-jig of Celtic music from open doorways.

But not much for the solo traveller looking for a quiet pint and a quiet meal. There was however a Marks and Spencer - so my "in case of lost luggage" stash was added to in the form of a pack of granddad-style white briefs.

The bar in Temple Bar

On a side street I found a quiet and just about to close cafe - where I had a rather nice parsnip salad with vegetarian lasagne and a long conversation with the proprietor - from the accent I assumed she was from Dublin - but no, from Baile Felix in Romania where I will be in two weeks time for the ARDF championships

World's Simplest ARDF Receiver?

2011-08-08T21:34:00.001+01:00

LED is dim on 2m and does not show up clearly in the photo - It works a lot better on 80m - but not bad for an active component count of one

(Thanks to Ken M0AET for design and construction)

A short trip over the mountains and down the Llŷn

2011-08-07T18:25:00.074+01:00

A final blast in Black Saabath before the big rebuild...

Red = Dull, Yellow = Pleasant, Green = Engage Turbo Mode!

I have never walked the Nantle Ridge in anything but 10m visibility hill fog...

Mynnydd Drws y Coed from Y Garn

...Looks like I'll have to make another visit...

Trum Y Ddysgl

I should have believed yr.no and not Met Office Mountain Weather Forecast which said the cloud would be above the summits...

View NW from Y Garn

View S from Mynnydd Drws y Coed

View SW from Trum Y Ddysgl

View SW from Trum Y Ddysgl - 30 seconds later

Time to bug out - on my way back down I met www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk - behind whom I had been stuck passing over the Berwyns (the URL is emblazoned on the rear of his car) - it is the Y Garn fell race - and it turns out I vaguely know some of the runners. I mention to one of the marshals that I am now just and orienteer and he asks me what my call sign is "A lot of you orienteers are radio amateurs" - and yes he is a retired, ex-military ARDFer and former record holder for the Nijmegan

The Llŷn is a very special place - and unfortunately a bit crowded in August - so I stopped just for a nostalgic walk along the special pebble beach at Aberdaron - to add a few more to my collection (from 35 years ago). History for this area is fascinating - read about it here

Jasper on Aberdaron Beach

Sand Martin Colony - on Aberdaron Beach

Stranded Jellyfish and Pebbles on Aberdaron Beach

Fronoleu Hotel

After fruitless search for a garage that a) sold super-unleaded and b) was open I ended up in Dolgellau at the Texaco garage - who told me where I could get the fuel I needed - but the next day

So I thought I will pop in the Fronoleu for a meal and then camp at Dinas Mawddwy and hit the garage that DID serve the correct sort of petrol when it opened.

However I fell in with some Dutch tourists (worst sort, bad influence) and it took so long for our (spectacularly good) meals to arrive it became far to late for arriving at campsites and, by now, it was raining and there was a bottle Lagavulin in the bar... so I took the last room at the inn...

Local Welsh Lamb with Redcurrants in a pastry parcel with gravy - sublime!

A proper breakfast

This means my Volvo would be banned if I had more than two passengers

Resting before driving over the highest pass in North Wales

From Wikipedia:

The Bwlch y Groes is also known as the Hellfire Pass, and was used between and after the wars by the Austin Motor Company and the Standard Triumph Motor Company to test prototype cars and their performance during Hillclimbing.^[2] The southern ascent of the Bwlch y Groes, which is approximately 1.7 miles long with severe gradients throughout (steepest 1 in 4), was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race.

A tough climb for Black Saabath - so a little rest was in order to let the engine cool down

Super Unleaded and £1.42/litre but boy was I glad to see this garage

I was giving a talk at work today and Ed said "you remind me of someone..."

2011-08-04T20:20:00.000+01:00

Hmm - I am not sure

Phenomonology...

2011-08-01T18:05:00.002+01:00

Flying Ant Day III...

Hot, Humid and still

This year in Bournville it is 1st August

2010 12th August
2009 5th August

You Have Failed: Too Dumb to Use the serf (oops self) service checkout...

2011-07-03T17:14:00.000+01:00

Perhaps it is the 'pressure' - of folks behind you in the queue or not wanting to make mistakes but my first experience with Sainsbury Self Service Checkout was humbling...

the nice computer voice says:
"Press Start, Select Own Bags, Place bags in packing area, unexpected item in packing area call attendant! "

For some reason the computer does not like the bag I have brought from home...

Attendant places small scrap of paper on laser scanner and removes and replaces my bag. I start scanning

"beep, pizza, beep, wine, beep unknown item! unknown item, unknown item, unknown item, call attendant,"

At last it completes and asks me to pay...

I think they need to work on the user interface - no single person got through the entire process without the long suffering attendant needing to 'attend' - he says " - work or home - its all the same...I get nagged all day by this computer, and then all evening when I go home"

The Pizza and 1/2 price wine will be consumed in 10 minutes - while I am watching Goodfellas (my consultant surgeon neighbour has an impressive collection of bloody Mob Movies)

Classifying the Nation's Hidden Art (Crowd Sourcing)

2011-07-03T16:23:00.000+01:00

In between chores I am entertaining myself classifying art works (yes I know I have no training or talent for this)...

I am struggling with this one "some paint, some more paint, some more paint of a different colour"

Few few of the paintings are on public (and any sort of ) display. Some are really very good - (not) strangely for me it is "transport" and "seascapes" that seem to have the most emotional impact.

You can have a go to at... http://tagger.thepcf.org.uk/user/login/classify

Begwns & Hergest Croft

2011-06-25T22:10:00.062+01:00


Orienteering at Begwyns

What a strange place is Begwyns - a fun drive out in Black SAABath, fried breakfast on a laneside near Hay-On-Wye followed by a mammoth score event on The Begwyns. Known to the local running club as the Best Turf Underfoot Known To Man - this a fantastic open common loved by runner, walkers, riders, archaeologists and orienteers alike, but strangely unknown to Google Maps and even Streetmap misses by a couple of miles (location map here)

Not a big turnout and even though I over-committed - I won

Afterwards a swift and twisty drive* to Hergest Croft Gardens - for a nice toasted sandwich and a creme tea. The gardens are still lovely, so is the arboretum and the wild wood (and a bit brambly) but all so very very quiet - is it the recession?

*I discovered that turning sharply left is followed 20 seconds later by a VERY strong smell of petrol... hmmm, the fuel filler pipe is at a very shallow angle a design flaw?

I strongly recommend a visit - the Black Dog of Hergest not withstanding


No idea what this is - probably Chinese and really quite pretty

Abies Delavayi -definitely from China

And every cone has a diamond!

A doubly lonely Sciadopitys verticillata - surrounded by big bully trees and the only member of it genus. It is a "living fossil" and has no leaves - flattened stems fulfilling the necessary function - I guess it went through a period of desert living before ending up somewhere wet again - like that tree I met on Kauai

Taxodium Ascendens - or Swamp Cypress - no knees though as it is growing on dry land.

At last I get to see a handkerchief tree flower


Davidia involucrata

Why you now need a different password and a different ID for each account

2011-06-22T18:15:00.003+01:00

You can't trust even the biggest companies to have sensible security.

My electricity supplier decided to get serious with using the web - what started as just a trivial "send us your meter reading" ID was migrated to be an "account management" ID - with bank details and direct debits and address and mother's maiden name and so on. All very useful stuff to know.

Problem was most of the website was updated before they migrated me (or told me about the new system) and suddenly I was being asked for a 12 digit number I did not have. No problem - the help line was very helpful - the agent was able to access all my details, and my ID, and my email address and my password in plain text - which were all emailed to me - in plain text.

No one ever needs to see a password! Possibly generate a reset but never see the password. Really really stupid. Even more stupid to send the password in an email.

A doubly big problem if you use the same email/id and password on more than one site! Really stupid to trust call centre staff with this sort of information.

So I set about changing all my IDs and passwords, which went fine until this stupidity

I changed my password and then it sent it to me! Maybe there was a pending "request" - but good sites send you a reset link or a reminder 'phrase' - not the actual password. And this from a legal advice site as well.

And what do I do about services that are no longer available - because of expired membership, subscription or "gone out of business"? The data is still up there - even if you can't access it - someone else can.

I don't care is someone hacks my UKSAABS ID or password - but if this gives them a clue to what I use for more critical sites - very bad.

This needs some thought

Unique IDs are tough as most sites use email addresses, unique passwords it will have to be - what a pain.

[Update June 26th - I found out (but only via the BBC news) that Travelodge (UK) have been hacked and had customer data stolen and on Friday I got an email from a computer game maker warning me that customer data associated with a 10 year old game had been compromised. So that is "small games company 1/major corporate with whom I currently do business 0)]

[Update July 20th - and now I am receiving spam mail directed to the email address I only use for Travelodge - and still they have not warned me that they have lost identity data]

Good Times at Breakneck Bank

2011-06-19T17:21:00.002+01:00

A really sunny day at the, much delayed, Harlequins Breakneck Bank orienteering race. The forest has never been better - mature and runnable - but there are ominous signs that felling is about to commence (new earthworks and upgraded access)

Far too many pictures of XH558 Flying @ Kemble

2011-06-18T19:48:00.004+01:00

Click the picture for a larger version...

XH558 on the ground at Kemble

2011-06-18T18:00:00.004+01:00

Sensibly XH558 was the very first thing your saw on turning into the carpark...

hawker Hunters - 60 years old - at Kemble

2011-06-18T17:10:00.003+01:00

Myślałem, że jestem rozumiany Polaków...

2011-06-16T23:46:00.002+01:00

"A Warrior's Beverage" - Lt Worf Stardate 2011.06.16

In my local Polish store - a choice of carrot-raspberry-apple or carrot-banana-apple - and I thought I understood the Poles. It tastes OK if you follow it up with a glass of vodka (or six)

Hollycombe Steam Collection - incl Steam Powered Swings

2011-06-11T21:29:00.000+01:00

"The Hollycombe Steam Collection is a collection of steam-powered vehicles, rides and attractions based near Liphook in Hampshire. The collection includes fairground rides, a display farm and two railways."

You haven't lived until you have been in a steam powered swing

Walker Chair o planes

Ohhhh... makes me feel nauseous just to look at the photo

Kirstie seems to be enjoying the experience

Van Leer - Passfield - Bramshott - 40 years on.

2011-06-11T20:52:00.047+01:00

Driving towards Hollycombe we came across a sign to "Passfield Business Centre"

this was where my father worked from 1961 until 1970. It was the R&D site for Van Leer, developing fibre drums; To test durability they built a "Fibre-Henge" - a scale model of the better known megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain - the weighted down trilithions were left outside for a couple of years. I remember Xmas parties and bonfire nights and my dad getting censured for some, rather right wing, views expressed in the centre newsletter ("Drumbeat") - eugenics I think - but remember the Swedes were doing this until 1975 On the access road is a small birch forest - where I remember assisting with "sap tapping" - though I did not get to sample the (eventually) alcoholic product

Later in the day we stopped off at Bramshott Junior Boys School - now converted to a rather nice set of houses - though at £600K for a three bedroomed property - it should be nice! The school building was originally a pub - close to the main London-Portsmouth road. About 500 years old we were told. I was there in the school year 1969-70 - which meant I missed Boris Karloff by just a couple of months - yes really!

The owner was working in the yard - formerly the playground and we had a nice long chat about:

The garage - the former outside loos - where I got snowed on at Xmas 1969

The playground where the entire school engaged in monstrously violent games of "British Bulldogs"

The now living room was my first classroom - a Victorian extension to the original building and where I was banned from using ink and forced back to pencil after an unfortunate blotting paper and inkwell incident

The sheds - where the older boys sold out-grown football boots to new oiks

The bomb-craters - probably lime or marl pits on reflection

There were photos of the semi derelict school post closure (mid 70's) and photos of boys with long hair and short shorts - sadly not of my year though.

I saw Senna...

2011-06-08T21:59:00.003+01:00

We were almost the same age...

This was the silver age of Formula 1 - today's drivers seem, if only by comparison, characterless automatons.

In the late 90's fell asleep during a Coultard/Haakkinon chase - that was the end of F1 for me.

I saw this movie at the oldest working cinema in the UK... The Electric stunning film - if you were watching F1 in 1994 - go and see this. Brilliant, Really Brilliant. If you were not - then go see this movie to understand what it was all about

While you are at it - listen to Stevie


The Venue


Captain has another "new" car

Missed out on Olympics Tickets? Don't worry...

2011-06-05T20:16:00.000+01:00

.

A short drive down to Bourton-On-The-Water to see nephew Martin play county cricket (and playing up an age band as well) - unusually for me I did not bring rain. It turns out the Anderssons got no tickets at all in the London 2012 ticket 'lottery' and a decision is being in the process of being made to leave the country for the duration.

There is an alternative - Mr Robert Dover's Cotswold Olympicks - which I missed by a couple of days (visiting Dover's Hill for a little post-cricket jog) - celebrates its 400 year anniversary in 2012:


The Stadium

At last I have internet enabled my phone - and with the correct Google Voice Search App all I need to say is "Dovers Hill Olympics" and by the magic of GiffGaff and its "Unlockapedia" there is all is. I have put my name down for the Shin Kicking

Closer to home we have the Much Wenlock Olympics - officially recognised by the IOC!

I have a surprising amount of mint growing in my garden

2011-06-04T17:40:00.001+01:00

...OK there is always mint sauce, mint jelly or Moroccan mint tea but the very best use for mint is...

Can you guess what I'm making? (there is a clue here)

Though perhaps jogging 2km to the shops and spending £20 on "makings" just to use up a bit of surplus wild mint is not wholly sensible...

One reporter described eating organic cucumber as being akin to Russian roulette

2011-06-04T17:34:00.004+01:00

I can confirm that attempting to blow ones brains out with a primed Cucumis sativus is not going to work at all - although I am not taking any risks with this surprisingly inexpensive green monster...

Number 1 - Its British

Number 2 - No way am I going to cook cucumber but I have a Swedish Recipe that uses a lot of vinegar (Ph 2.5 to 3.5) which should do for Mr E C. Although E Coli has can be primed to be acid tolerant (how else would it get through your stomach) the literature seems to look at survival in simulated "gut" fluids and at 37oC - acid is going to hurt it more while it is actively doing stuff and all its little enzymes and organelles are busy exchanging fluids. Unfortunately the recipe calls for refrigeration - which won't support growth but won't necessarily kill the little blighters either. The latest science points to the new bug having an amazing single adaptation that lets it bond to "salad leaf surfaces" and "the human gut" - so I am going to peel and hope.

Nice Day In the Office

2011-06-03T09:05:00.009+01:00

My walk to work today was bliss - roads quiet (schools are out), birds are singing and 90% of my route is through park or woodland.


My Nokia C5-00 struggles with "white balance" and "colour intensity"

Cousin Matty made me a desk ornament - now I can see who is sneaking up behind me!

Halfpenny at War

2011-05-22T17:14:00.002+01:00

Out for a spin in Black SAABath I came across:

Not often you meet a one of these in rural Staffordshire

uhhhh - even more unexpected

That's more like it

A WS18 - my uncle carried one of these around for much of the war and for a bit of a fast-stroll up a beach in June 6th 1944 - this one still works complete with headphones and choice of hand held or throat-mike. It weighs about 30lb - but there is also the generator that your buddy has to lug around for you.

Made In West Bromwich (like some of my family)

2011-05-22T16:50:00.000+01:00

its a Jensen (not "Jenson" as in "Button") 541

SSSI @ 27 Kingfisher

2011-05-21T13:23:00.000+01:00

I have been colonised by smooth newts - this one is playing-dead just outside my backdoor; it was hiding under a log pile. Looks like my plan to re-engineer garden water features will have to wait until I can provide a temporary pool for the newts

Out the front salsify planted ten years ago has successfully self-seeded and colonised my neighbours garage...

Front strip is looking very green - the plants are all self selected - those that have survived and re-seeded are looked after - no effort put into the weak or unhappy...

So its lemon balm (nice for tea), salsify (nice for salads and soups), hops (nice for beer), ladies bedstraw (nice for pillows), land cress (spicy in salads), sweet woodruff (nice in milk puddings), sweet cicely (nice with rhubarb) and assorted tulips, fritillaries, alliums, meadow cranesbill, iris, crocus, strawberries, mallow, poppy, oak, birch, salad burnett, crocosimia and some other flowers I cannot identify. The olive tree was destroyed by next doors builders.

The Queen is in Dublin and I am in the Restaurant

2011-05-18T21:57:00.001+01:00

I nipped in to the restaurant at the beginning of my run this evening - it was set up with two huge tables and just one tiny one in the corner with just room for one chair - which I reserved and they were happy to reserve for me - I know this place and I know that it meets my first three rules of eating out (see below) and I know that as a single guest I will get served quickly (those at the big tables won't notice 5 minutes delay).

Rule 1: Never eat in a restaurant that revolves or floats

Rule 2: Never eat in a restaurant that is more than 10 metres above the ground (include in this "you need to take a cable car to reach it" and any restaurant with a particularly nice setting, view or overlook)

Rule 3: Never eat in your hotel dining room (I know this to my cost)

So it is Bon Soir to the waiter and Dobry wieczór to the waitress. Also a good sign - the big table is occupied by ex-pat French - discussing the menu with the head waiter...


This is remoulade of Dover Sole - on the menu because the sole sold so well they did not have enough left for "mains" this evening

'Alibut with celeriac puree

Creme Brulee (sublime), A Whiskey and my favourite travel book - where you will find the three rules

So it was €70 on the plastic and Dobranoc and handshakes all round and see you in two weeks....

...and my oh so cool overseas colleagues, who ignoring my advice, thought they could swan in to a Malahide restaurant on a sunny evening without booking and at 21:30 ended up eating tired plastic packed BLT sandwiches from the Eurospar minimarket next door

Friday 13th and we certainly know we have arrived

2011-05-13T19:33:00.000+01:00

Another dash from Coolock to the airport - no queues at check in, no queues at boarding pass check, no queues at security and certainly no waiting to get into the business class lounge (thanks Barry).

Spectacular views over Ireland - but thunder clouds in the distance. More of the same as we approached BHX - and heavy rain. I suspect that the pilot, aware of the risk of wind shear, came in fast - we floated for half the runway before slamming down hard and then full speed brakes and thrust reversal (it was rather wet out and we passed all the taxi-ways but the last).

This elicited a dry announcement from the purser...

"Well we certainly know that we have arrived in Birmingham, where the time is..."

Once again BHX sent a bus for us - 150m transfer to the terminal took 15 minutes as we had to wait for the very last passenger to disembark and then there is only one small door into the terminal.

Things are getting a bit tense...

2011-05-12T20:40:00.000+01:00

I knew there were still 'historical issues' between the UK and Ireland - but it is a shock to realise just how close to the surface they are - as the Queen's visit gets closer some of 'English' are having trouble knowing just how to handle some of the statements and attitudes. Dignified and quiet embarrassment perhaps - I know the English have a lot to answer for but continual references to and reworking of old injustices is not very grown up.

Folks tell me that they worry about violence - or rather the amazing levels the Garda will go to head off any unpleasantness - which would make traveling into Dublin not worth the hassle. And of course, next comes O'bama...


Lenticular clouds over the Clwydian Hills - downwind from the Carneddau

The grand side of the Grand

We never had this in Chester

Amazingly this recipe suggests that Chester cake is "...is a good way of using up stale cake." - cake recycling - that is a new one on me - I have never known cake to go stale in any place where I have been living

At last a really really nice 'call centre experience'

2011-05-07T10:28:00.001+01:00

I first heard about National Counties from Uncle Robert. Founded as the Fourth Post Office Mutual Society in 1896, it was renamed as National Counties in 1972 and its membership no longer limited to Post Office staff.

They have remained mutual, only have one branch, they only do personal savings and residential mortgages. Their ISA rates have been consistently competitive. They have never been bailed out by the government.

Most things you need to do can be done through the website or post but on both occasions when I have had cause to call I have got through directly to a real person (in less than two rings) and that person is based in the UK and we understand each other first time. No "press #5 to speak to an agent, #6 if you have lost the will to live", no music on hold, no "I will have to check with my supervisor", no dodgy low bandwidth connection to a crowded Bangalore sweatshop.

Amazing!

Adventures in cooling tunnels (aka another trip to Dublin)

2011-05-06T21:32:00.000+01:00

Mostly this week I have been crawling around in chocolate cooling tunnels trying to work out where all the cold air is going but on Tuesday I waved out of the window in the general direction of royalty...

This was Tuesday after "the wedding", the arrow marks where Wills and Kate should be, providing Flt Lt Wales reported for duty as, err..., reported.

Once more in the Grand Hotel, Malahide - which is no longer really that grand in the intended meaning of the word - it is rather big and has a good gym and pool and there are excellent runs along the beach and around Malahide Castle Demesne.
Not too happy with the hotel itself, I have been spoiled during my time in Poland, but it is the "list" hotel for Kraft/Cadbury and going somewhere else would require a separate taxi ride just for me.

After issues on my two previous visits to the hotel restaurant and with room service being given an hour and a half and still then being 45 minutes late I am not eating there again. On Tuesday we disagreed over exactly what the strange smell arising from Potatoes Gratinee was down to (I can't write it here for fear of legal action) so off again to the Seabank Bistro - this time for John Dory and to confuse the manager's girlfriend with my rather dodgy Polish pronunciation.


John Dory with a rather excellent parsnip mush and bits of red pepper

With a starter, glass of wine and Crème Brûlée + Whiskey - €62 in total - so Thursday's meal was "Chicken and Tikka" sandwiches (€3) from EuroSpar (manager from Gdansk) followed by a cup of tea made in my hotel room.

I spot the pattern here - its dead (except for Sir Tim) heroes of communication - but why Tara? Was there a famous Mr Tara dabbler in electromagnetics? Was Tara Hill the site of an early radio station? Google does not give answers except the "Tri-State Amateur Radio Association"

Danby Lodge and Clarke's Pool Meadow

2011-05-01T13:51:00.000+01:00

Speaking with a friend after a very tough "Short Brown" at Danby Lodge in the Forest of Dean I was recommended to visit Clarke's Pool Meadow...

50,000* Green Winged Orchids (*allegedly) also lots more rare plants - most of which I remember/recognise but few can I name.

Well worth the trip

Petersfield and Irises - Heath Pond 40 years on

2011-04-26T23:00:00.002+01:00

Following my sat nav from the south coast to my fathers home I got a sense of Deja Vu...

I've been here before...

On checking the map - yes I have - Heath Pond, Petersfield

and this is where more than 40 years ago I manned a checkpoint on one of my father's treasure-hunt-rallies.

The clue, when solved, was for the competitor to locate an iris and bring it, with other 'treasure' to the finish of the race.

My task was to hint heavily to anyone raiding the yellow flag iris lining the pool margins that there was another, more convenient and ecologically sound means of presenting "An Iris" to the marshal.

I have not been back to Petersfield since we moved to Chester in 1970

Agincourt - Not English but a Spanish Victory?

2011-04-26T20:26:00.040+01:00

Horror of horrors - it was Spanish Yew that made the bows that won the victory at Agincourt (and Welsh archers to boot). I learned all this at Kingley Vale, the most extensive stand of yew trees in Europe.

I had spotted something strange last year on my way down to caravan with the Dunbars. Google confirmed - it was a wood composed entirely of yew trees - a freak of changing land use practice had let offspring of ancient yews spread all over a hill side. There are plenty of yew trees in the UK (our third native species of conifer) but always an individuals. I spent a happy summer in the 1990's sticking yew trees on the first Postensplain map

Only to have Colin Spears (Bonnington Trophy winning chairman of the BOF map group) have them eliminated on the next version. In memoriam friend Russ planned a blue course as follows:

5.6km 200m climb 19 controls

1   74 Yew
2   33 Yew
3   56 Yew
:
18 45 Yew
19 100 Yew
Navigate 200m to finish

Kingley Vale must have been impressive even in pre-history - the many burial mounds on the overlooking ridge command views north and south over Sussex and Hampshire.

Ancient Yews on the valley floor

Impressive but not unique (http://www.ancient-yew.org/)

A stand where all the trees are yew - that is special - sadly not very friendly for orienteering

Saved for the nation by...

Arthur George Tansley

In amongst the yews were many strange and rare plants - Butchers Broom

and some form of vine or liana that I have not been able to identify...

and a local variety of Whitebeam

sad that this ability to identify and name plants, taught me by my botanist grandmother, no longer has any practical use

An idylic afternoon of Cricket and Pang

2011-04-25T21:53:00.000+01:00

Simon is playing cricket for Berkshire Gentlemen against Bradfield College - about the poshest place I have ever been - the school is really a whole village and has amazing sports facilities - looking at player names written in gold on the pavilion ceiling - from 1852 up until the present - thinking how many went from the playing field direct to the battlefield, especially in 1914-18. "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eaton". Behind the trees is the river Pang - a beautiful chalk stream with watercress beds and all - very nice little jog up towards its source and back just in time for the final over.

OK - I was tempted - but it was just a little too steep

Nero is not amused

2011-04-25T21:36:00.000+01:00

Nero is not at all happy with the new kitchen - especially as WE are allowed to eat in there but HE is not

A late trip to Reading Station

2011-04-24T23:52:00.000+01:00

...to wait for the last rain from Exeter and a nephew who has been on a six day camping trip with three friends from his scout group...

I guess the scouts have changed since my day

If its Easter then it must be National Trust

2011-04-24T21:15:00.001+01:00

This is Hughenden

Home of Disraeli

The Tea and Scones were acceptable

G-ZAPZ

2011-04-23T14:15:00.001+01:00

What a nice livery - Titan Airways - executive charter and "helping out other airlines at short notice"

Back home for Easter with Teena Marie

2011-04-22T21:49:00.001+01:00

Lunch at DUB - colourful and tasty but this lot cost €15.05 - thats $22 or £13

Its only a 35 minute flight from Dublin to Birmingham - not quite as long as it took to board the plane and taxi out. The captain introduced herself at Teena-Marie - which I thought was a bit informal and brought visions of...

1980's Motown soul singer of the same name

Sadly as we cruised over Llandudno the somewhat clearer "en-route" announcement name checked the captain as "Tina Murray" - my mistake

Impressive Tracklog and "Do you think Heston knows?"

2011-04-21T21:17:00.035+01:00

The tide really went out a long way today!

Malahide was heaving with late evening diners - everywhere seemed full but I managed to get the last table at

The Greedy Goose

It has a rather interesting "tasting menu" format - no starters, no mains - as much as you like off the menu in any order - the soup was broccoli based unfortunately so I had Chana Masala, Baked lemon sole, mushroom and leek "cornish pasty" lemon and herb sauce and bits of duck in a pastry parcel aka Oven baked duck parcel, stir fried vegetables, spiced plum compote

I wonder if Heston (The Fat Duck) Blumenthal knows about this though?

Only downside - the acoustics are terrible - meaning that that the sum of all the many conversations rise to a painful level - so next time I visit it is ear plugs or hope they have installed more soft furnishings

A tough day in the office/on the beach

2011-04-20T22:28:00.000+01:00

After a long day in the office mucking around with chocolate...

an hour in the gym and then a run along the promenade at Malahide...

Its a spring tide (again) - so another run out to the sea and back - its about a 1.5km - and the tide is 4m - so I ought to be able to beat the sea back in case I have the timing wrong.

The sea is out there somewhere


A little of bit of water "came in behind me"

No real challenge though as I checked it all out with a fisherman - if he was safe in thigh waders then I should be fast enough in my Inov-8's

On the way back to to the hotel there was a wonderful smell of fish - the "Seabank Bistro" -

I booked a table, had a rapid shower and was back in 20 minutes - starting with Seafood Chowder (wonderful with properly cooked veggies) and then Sea Bream with fennel and lemon balm sauce and "champ" as a side (even better - a really very nice fish and my camera phone with its oh-so-clever but pretty limited extended focus lens does not do it justice)

starter and mains + a glass of wine - €50 - just the wine was €11 - how do the Irish afford this?

Ireland's largest lingerie section... Apparently, I read it somewhere

2011-04-19T18:13:00.000+01:00

Another Monday - another 08:10 to Dublin

There are compensations however

and then watching Father Ted - a continuing attempt to get my "ear in" to the accent - In this episode 8 priests are trapped in the Ireland's largest lingerie section (http://www.dublinks.com/maps/Clerys-979)

You may be able to watch it here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foFXj7pEj4g - depending on where you ISP breaks out onto the internet.

A very short trip to Dublin

2011-04-11T22:14:00.002+01:00

A short notice 8 hours in Dublin - so much for my "no more business flights" - it was really strange when the plane turned West instead of East out of BHX. I got to see the Cadbury Factory at Chirk and my old school and house in Chester before it clouded up over Snowdonia - and all for only £400 return - economy (coach!)

For an essentially bankrupt country Ireland looks stunningly affluent indeed - and certainly still expensive.

The only detectable sign of the slowdown was the echoing empty spaces at the brand new "Identikit"* Terminal 2 at DUB - zig-zag lines for 400 at pre-security boarding pass check - 3 staff and only one punter - me. As one of the gate assistants said "nice terminal, shame we will be paying for it for the next 50 years". By we I think she meant "We Europeans" rather than "We Dubliners". In the shopping & bar area it was pretty busy though - mostly the bar, where I successfully "guessed in one" the nationalities of Wojciech (Chef from Wroclaw - we agreed the broth was not a patch on Zurek) and Tibor (Hungarian barista, we discussed the pronunciation of Szeged and my favourite wine - Tokaji)

Something tells me I will be seeing a lot of this terminal over the next few months.

*Is this Mother Teresa airport in Tirana? Warsaw Chopin Airport? Oslo Airport, Gardermoen? I don't know they all look the same BUT Dublin is certainly the biggest!