Sarah in Aberdeen

Glaciers

2011-12-31T19:33:00.000Z

Ngozumba glacier
From moraine bank at Gokyo, approx 4800m
Looking south

This glacier is melting. University research scientists from the US and Norway are studying it to see how and how fast it is melting. The melt water is forming a lake which the moraine may not hold back forever. If the moraine dam bursts the water will flow down into the Dudh Kosi threatening villages and towns a long way down.

A BBC news article on this research is here, and makes for interesting reading.

Dudh Kosi, below Namche

The Dudh Kosi valley is the main route up from Kathmandu to the mountains, and includes Lukla and Namche Bazaar. Hopefully, as most of the settlements are built on the valley sides (to avoid the worst of the spring melts and monsoon floods) many will escape. However, history records the potential damage - a glacial lake outburst flood in 1985 destroyed numerous bridges and houses and a hydro plant at Thame (a few miles north west of Namche). See here for an aerial photo, and here for further information on that flood and other future threats.

A BBC audio slideshow with images from Glacierworks is here, and illustrates the extent of the melting. The scale is difficult to appreciate, even with their shot of a climber. In my photo above the glacier is around 2km wide and the ice cliff visible is probably over 100m high, but it looked like you could just pop down and wander about.

Transport 2

2011-12-23T11:12:00.000Z

Once above Lukla there are no roads. There is no way of driving into most of the higher valleys in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal. This means that if you want anything taken up there it has to be carried, and if it's a lot of stuff then it has to go by yak train.

Big, hairy and smells of yak.

Domesticated yaks come in a variety of colours. The dark brown colour like the one above is pretty standard, but they also come in shades of brown, white, beige, piebald and skewbald.

Lower down, that is from Lukla to the Namche area, your stuff won't be carried by yaks, but by dzopkios. These are a cross between domesticated yaks and cows and are much better suited to the lower altitude. They are a little smaller than yaks, but you still don't want to meet one on a bridge.

Dzopkios (munching on our sign, under my bedroom window)

When you do encounter a dzopkio or yak train on the path, you get out of their way. They're pretty docile, but they're very powerful animals with pointy horns that only concentrate on where they're being driven to. People have been knocked down mountain sides and even eviscerated by yaks that have accidentally bumped into them.

Dzopkios carrying our kit bags up to Namche

Yaks are driven in groups of about six, usually by one driver. The drivers for our trekking parties were all men. The women I saw driving trains seemed to be connected to their own cottage industries, carrying their produce between villages. The drivers encourage their animals along by whistling as they walk with them. This is almost as constant a sound on the trails as the bells the yaks wear around their necks. Yaks that misbehave are shouted at first, or given a smack on the behind if they don't listen.

It's advisable not to end up following a train as they kick up a lot of dust. The drivers wear scarves or buffs covering their nose and mouth. One of our group leaders pointed out to us that this is why it isn't a good idea to use a hydration bladder with an uncovered bite valve. The main constituent of the dust is dried yak poo. After a couple of days everything I owned was covered with a thin layer of dust, and smelled of yak. Where yaks pass through town though, the poo is collected and dried. It is valuable both as a fertiliser (every house has a veg plot) and as fuel. In Sagarmatha National Park it is forbidden to cut wood for fuel to prevent deforestation. This means that yak poo is now used for heating fuel, rather than fertiliser, leading to problems with the supply of vegetables.

Thirsty yaks

Transport

2011-12-20T22:44:00.000Z

To get into the mountains from Kathmandu, you can fly or drive and walk. Most people fly. The drive to Jiri and walk from there adds an extra six days to each end of your trip, and most westerners don't have that time. Our trip was organised to maximise time between 3000m and 5000m for race acclimatisation. So we flew.

The Kathmandu - Lukla flights were suspended for a week because of bad weather not long before we went out to Nepal, so we were hoping that it would improve. The weather was good enough to clear the backlog, but fog was still plaguing both airports.

The day we were meant to fly Kathmandu airport was fog bound. We arrived at the airport at 6am and waited until 2pm for the flights to be cancelled. They don't fly after 3pm anyway, because it gets cold and dark before a round trip can be completed. We spent an extra night in Kathmandu and tried again the next morning. We were lucky, the fog lifted after we'd waited just over an hour.

Once the flights are running, everything is done at a run. Hurry to the bus, hurry from the bus to the plane, plane's taxiing almost as the last person sits down. Hand luggage goes on your knee, there's no lockers and under seat storage is forbidden.

We flew with Agni Air in little twin engine short take off and landing planes (Dornier Do228), six flights in total for our group and all the kit. The route climbed up over a mountain pass and then along the valleys level with mountain tops.

The reason for needing short take off and landing (STOL) planes becomes clear if you google Lukla Airport. It has been named World's Most Extreme Airport by several TV shows and numerous You Tube clips. The runway is short and steep. There is a cliff at one end and a retaining wall holding up half the town at the other. The approach is directly towards the mountainside.

The planes land, stick the props in reverse and make (what feels like a) handbrake turn on to the apron, following the yellow lines. It's then hurry, hurry again as the plane has to get back to Kathmandu for the next load.

Kit for Nepal

2011-12-12T20:14:00.000Z

When we got the kit lists for the Everest Marathon trip we were promised that it would be cold. At least minus 10 C at night, and colder higher up. This to be balanced by a daytime temperature twenty to thirty degrees higher! Well, they got the day time temperatures right. However, we had very mild weather - minus 10 was the extreme, but we got it on the first camping night which worried some of the folk from warmer climes.

So, for everyday wearing:
Icebreaker 150 short sleeve crew (4-5 years old) or Helly Hansen Prowool long sleeve crew (last season) - depending on altitude, the sun may be hot but the air temp drops as you go up
Rab Treklite trousers (4 years ish old). Windproof, stretchy, hardwearing. No zips on the bottoms so I could turn them up. Perfect.
Lowe Alpine Dryflo underwear (at least 5 years old, can't find the same now to replace them)
Smartwool womens light Hiking (3 years old) or Teko womens midweight (from the rep this summer) Hiking socks
Bridgedale coolmax liner socks (couple of years old)
Mizuno Wave Harriers (last season's model bought this summer on sale) - the dust goes through them something shocking, but very comfy. I wouldn't recommend a goretex lining, it might keep the dust out but I reckon that same dust would wear holes in it pretty quick.
Buffs and cotton hairband - one or two to cover the neck and use as a hat/parting covering
Julbo Nomad Sunglasses (5 years old) - you really need a Cat 4 lens.

All of these were good. This is what I wore every day for two and a bit weeks. Washing of tops, sock and underwear was done in accessible rivers, once for the icebreaker, a couple of times for underwear and socks. The only things that smelled were the buffs, but I can't remember the last time I washed them before the trip. The problem with washing was getting stuff dry. If you timed it right the sun would dry things quickly, a bit late in the day and the sun would disappear behind a mountain and your washing would freeze. Full sun, on average, was roughly from 8.30 to 14.30 with daylight about 6.00 till 18.00.

I carried every day:
OMM Classic 32 - it did well, but I might have been better on the longer days with something more structured. Quite a few people had gone for the Osprey Stratos/Sirrus, which might have been preferable. However, the external pockets on the OMM 32 were fantastic for carrying all the bits and bobs such as gloves, buffs, water bottle, windproof jacket, suncreen etc that I wanted on the move. For once I was not the Faffmeister General of the trip, I felt pretty slick and competent in comparison to a lot of people.
Waterproofs - TNF Heathen jacket (free from a colleague after product training - she said she hated it!!!) and Mountain Hardwear Epic trousers. We were advised to take waterproofs, but I never used them. There were, however, a couple of days though when the clag could easily have been just that bit damper.
Montane Lite Speed jacket (5 years old ish). The wind's cold when the sun drops behind the hills.
Berghaus Extrem smock - pertex outer and microfleece inner. This is so old I can't remember what it's called. I think I've probably had it since about 2003. I took it in preference to a Vapour Rise as it's a larger cut for layering.
Rab Photon jacket - this is my stand out piece of kit from the trip. I am so glad I bought this, best gear decision in ages. I wore this everyday. It's comfy, cosy, sized to layer, has big pockets with fuzzy linings. My one gripe is that the primaloft doesn't go over the outside of the pockets as well as the inside.
Nike running gloves - thinnies worn on a couple of chilly mornings.
Mountain Hardwear powerstretch gloves - never worn. Brand new for the trip.
1 litre nalgene - I acquired this when the shop I work in moved premises. It was laying under the ground floor till, just looking for a new home.
Compass and whistle - Silva compass dates backs to orienteering at school age 14, orange plastic whistle of similar vintage.
Foil bag
Panasonic Lumix waterproof camera - comes with extra silicone bumper that acts as a handy dust guard. The battery was fully charged when we left home and never needed charged out there. Did take it to bed to keep it warm though.
Petzl Tikkina - free from Lyon Outdoor training course, given to sherpa/kitchen team at end of trip..
Alcohol gel, loo roll, 1st aid kit, suncream, lipsyl.

This sounds like a lot, but it's pretty much my standard Scottish day bag. The weather was fairly similar to a crisp clear winter day on the Cairngorm plateau. You could walk in short sleeves but you could also get cold and sunburned simultaneously.

Between Machhermo and Gokyo at approx 4600m.
Contrast me, and the man who does this for a living.

Each trekking day we arrived at a lodge. We slept in tents provided by the trekking company Mountain Experience and pitched by the Sherpa teams, but had rooms hired in the lodges to eat in. The lodge rooms all had a stove and we were catered for by teams of Nepali trekking staff, so fairly luxurious camping really.

Evening kit:
A change of top - I had a second Prowool and the Everest Marathon tshirt ( from All We Do Is)
Rab Powerstretch zip top - lovely, comfy and warm. Worn every evening.
Paramo Velez Adventure trousers - these were the luxury spare pair.
Teko men's size small midweight socks (from the rep at product training last Feb.) Because in my head at least larger socks are warmer.
Scarpa ZG boots (5 years old ish). I found these too hot to walk in every day, but just right for keeping my feet warm in the evenings. There were a lot of people wearing Salomon Quests. Overall the big footwear brand in our group was Salomon.
Rab Photon - with it's big pockets full of (R) Chlorine dioxide tabs, alcohol gel and loo roll, (L) Diary, pencil and tikkina, (inside) camera - keeping the battery warm...

At Pheriche, wearing Rab.

Extras:
Icebreaker 200 leggings - worn on the nights I slept in lodges at Phakding, Namche and Dughla, but not in the tent. Lodge bedrooms are generally unheated.
Rab down jacket (again so old I don't remember what it's called, probably an ancestor of the Ascent) - I used this as a pillow one night, but never needed to wear it.
Two pairs thinny gloves - always have spare spare gloves
Dix Amor mitts - never used
Pod and Exped dry bags - now loving the lightweight cordura dry bags from Pod
Bloc sunglasses
1litre platypus - used once on a long day.

I hired a sleeping bag Mountain Experience. I got a Mountain Equipment Glacier 1000. Very warm and comfy, but I'm glad the yaks got to carry it.

Some photo editing to do

2011-12-09T14:42:00.001Z

Off Far Away

2011-11-12T16:00:00.000Z

We are going to Nepal tomorrow! We're going for the Everest Marathon - he's competing, I'm marshalling. Wish us luck!

(Especially with the Heathrow security queue)

WBN 2012

2011-09-14T22:04:00.000+01:00

The new World Book Night list is out, so time to count off how many we've read again.

So, blue I've read. Purple I've heard as an audio book or seen as film/tv adaptation.

It seems that these lists always evolve in my favour. Perhaps my reading habits are becoming more populist.

1 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
Read at school, and bought for myself after I left uni.
2 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
I think I read this, but can't remember clearly. I may be confused by the film/tv adaptations I've seen. Anyway, Jane Austen doesn't do it for me, but I'd choose her over any of the Brontes.
3 The Book Thief Markus Zusak
4 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
Seen more than one film/tv version.
5 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger
6 The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien
I've now seen two of the three films, and still don't want to try to read it.
7 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
Love this, still funny many times over.
8 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
Found this very very dull as a teenager. May be I should try it again?
9 Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
10 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Have this as an audio book.
11 American Gods Neil Gaiman
12 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
13 Harry Potter Adult Hardback Boxed Set J. K. Rowling
I have the standard versions though.
14 The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
15 The Hobbit J. R. R. Tolkien
Made me decide never to read any more Tolkien.
16 One Day David Nicholls
17 Birdsong Sebastian Faulks
18 The Help Kathryn Stockett
Heard this on the radio then read it.
19 Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell
Scary stuff.
20 Good Omens Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
21 The Notebook Nicholas Sparks
22 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson
23 The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
I liked it, but don't see the reason for the fuss about it.
24 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
Should try this again.
25 Little Women Louisa M. Alcott
26 Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
27 The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
28 Atonement Ian McEwan
Better than the film, but hard to follow.
29 Room Emma Donoghue
30 Catch-22 Joseph Heller
Have to concentrate on this when you read it. Another I should read again.
31 We Need to Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver
Heard it adapted for Radio 4.
32 His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
33 Captain Corelli's Mandolin Louis De Bernieres
Some one borrowed my copy and never gave it back, otherwise I probably read it again, but don't want to so much that I'd buy a new one. Awful film.
34 The Island Victoria Hislop
35 Neverwhere Neil Gaiman
Was on tv when I was a teenager.
36 The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
37 The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger
I don't think I've ever quite figured this one out. Holden Caulfield confuses and annoys me.
38 Chocolat Joanne Harris
39 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro
40 The Five People You Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom
41 One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
42 Animal Farm George Orwell
43 The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett
44 The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde
45 Tess of the D'Urbervilles Thomas Hardy
I have no desire to read more Hardy, but glad I did read some.
46 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
Loved Roald Dahl as child, still like the wicked humour. I really dislike all the film adaptations of his books.
47 I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith
48 The Wasp Factory Iain Banks
49 Life of Pi Yann Martel
50 The Road Cormac McCarthy
51 Great Expectations Charles Dickens
52 Dracula Bram Stoker
53 The Secret History Donna Tartt
54 Small Island Andrea Levy
55 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
56 Lord of the Flies William Golding
Scarier left to imagination than on film.
57 Persuasion Jane Austen
58 A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving
Heard it adapted for Radio 4.
59 Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson
Funny enough not to read in public for fear of giggling.
60 Watership Down Richard Adams
Quite scary.
61 Night Watch Terry Pratchett
62 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
63 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon
Must read this again.
64 Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke
65 The Color Purple Alice Walker
66 My Sister's Keeper Jodi Picoult
67 The Stand Stephen King
I know I read this, but can't remember it.
68 Cloud Atlas David Mitchell
69 The Master and Margarita Mikhail Bulgakov
70 Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
Heard it adapted for Radio 4. I think.
71 Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
72 Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
73 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer
74 The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde
75 Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell
76 The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
77 The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
78 The Princess Bride William Goldman
79 A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
80 Perfume Patrick Suskind
81 The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas
82 The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy
83 Middlemarch George Eliot
Same as for Hardy.
84 Dune Frank Herbert
85 Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel
86 Stardust Neil Gaiman
87 Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
88 Midnight's Children Salman Rushdie
89 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling
90 Shantaram Gregory David Roberts
91 The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
92 Possession: A Romance A. S. Byatt
93 Tales of the City Armistead Maupin
94 Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami
95 The Magus John Fowles
96 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne
97 A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
98 Alias Grace Margaret Atwood
99 Norwegian Wood Haruki Murakami
100 The Wind-up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami

Hackley Bay

2011-08-10T21:31:00.001+01:00

A lucky break in the weather in July for the annual Cosmic BBQ at Hackley Bay. The bay is on the coast at Forvie, a National Nature Reserve with a lost village.

Celebrity cycling

2011-06-27T19:39:00.001+01:00

I wonder how many how many of the red top reading types swooning over Pippa Middleton's rear view would be dismayed to realise how she got it?

By Order of Me

2011-06-23T16:23:00.000+01:00

I went to see this a few weeks back (as you can tell, by the weather) on the way home from work. It's an installation on Broad Hill, by the beach in Aberdeen. Embiggen the first photo to read about the project.

Training

2011-06-23T13:25:00.001+01:00

I've been sent on a training course at Glenmore Lodge to learn about products distributed by Lyon Equipment.

These include the brands in the pics below and some others - Petzl, Ortlieb, Jetboil, Julbo, Aquapac, Exped, Light my Fire, Beal and La Sportiva are supplied to my work.

I got to play with some kit that I haven't had chance to in the shop - we just don't have the facilities to, for example, take the Jetboils to bits or light them, dangle from ropes to see if harnesses fit properly or try out ascenders.

I learned some new stuff, and refreshed some old stuff. I now have had a go at ascending and descending ropes using some of the Petzl "brown box" products. I've made fire with a steel and tindersticks. I've got a list of what the different Julbo lenses actually do. I've seen the new Jetboils that are smaller and lighter (good) and found out that the new ones come with pot supports as standard - so you can use them as a stove (also good).

I've been fed incredibly well, had a nice pint of Trade Winds in the bar and managed to get two runs in.

Obituary

2011-06-05T20:32:00.000+01:00

These are, were, my Jamboree shoes. They came with the uniform package given to UK IST members going to the World Scout Jamboree in Thailand in over the New Year 2002/2003.

They are Salomon Exits and I have used, abused and loved them for the past nine years. They have walked, run and scrambled through various bits of England and Scotland, town and country. They have been fab. I have decided that I will not be replacing them - the current Exit model isn't a patch on them and I haven't found anything else I like sufficiently. Well, maybe the Mammut Redburn or the Berghaus Cuesta II , if I can find them for cheap...

In terms of hillwalking footwear, I will miss them - there is kind of a gap between my running shoes and my boots. What finished off the Jamboree shoes was leading hillwalking groups for a week on Red Rose last summer. They were perfect for the walks over the likes of Loughrigg and Wansfell. And scrambling wise, that rand on the toe and heel used to be really sticky, perished now though and going brittle at the joint with the sole unit.

Sadly, these lovely shoes are now consigned to the bin. In the battle against the moth invasion my wardrobe has had a cleaning and dead shoes have no place in its future.

Mammut!

2011-05-02T20:49:00.000+01:00

Spring has sprung

2011-04-20T15:33:00.000+01:00

Winter flowering pansies

Rockery

All of sudden in the last week or so of warm weather the garden has burst into life. It's all I can do to try to keep up with the weeds...

Scouting

2011-03-28T22:01:00.000+01:00

Guardian: Brega, Libya: A crowd watches as a victim of the fighting is buried

Being thankful for the good our young people get from Scouting, and that they will never have to do this.

These days I are

2011-02-21T19:17:00.000Z

drawing this

Bit chilly...

2010-12-22T12:09:00.000Z

Our traditional winter visitors are back. Devouring the hebe (under the mound of snow).

The fennel is making frosty christmas stars.

And I am learning the joys of ironing for warmth and typing in gloves.

Snow

2010-12-06T17:14:00.000Z

So, yes, it's snowed some. And now it's frozen.

Dinnet

Top of the field at home

Home

Coal shed icicles

To my neighbour

2010-11-28T15:08:00.002Z

...shovelling the snow off your shed roof on to my flower beds is not what I consider nice behaviour. Helping to clear the lane does not entirely make up for the squashed plants.

On a nicer note, food is now so scarce the bluetits are more hungry than they are scared of cameras.

To the woman

2010-11-22T19:34:00.001Z

riding a bike round the highlands for Children in Need on De a Nis just now:

Get a bike that fits you! You're folded double and hanging off the back of it!

GMC

2010-11-04T12:51:00.004Z

No, not the american cars. This

81 people entered, maps gone to printers, beer delivery arranged...

Winter?

2010-10-20T10:50:00.002+01:00

So, it appears the weather has skipped directly to winter, without passing autumn...

That's not frost, folks.

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 6

2010-10-14T14:36:00.007+01:00

August: To Cork for a Wedding

After being married for six years I finally met the Irish half of his family. There are a lot of them. His aunt was getting married, which was the excuse for a family gathering.

We flew from Aberdeen to Dublin and drove down to Cork on the newly completed motorway. It's kind of like a Scottish motorway, you know, only two lanes each way, but with toll barriers. Can anyone tell me why it's cheaper to leave Dublin than arrive in Cork?

We arrived in Innishannon after 11 to find a large part of the family leaving the hotel bar. Which was lucky as we had no idea how to find the B&B and had to follow his parents along the little windy roads - the surfacing of which made Aberdeenshire look good...

The wedding was on the Friday afternoon so we went into Kinsale in the morning for a look around.

The wedding was held at the Innishannon Hotel, which is quite pretty and right on the River Bandon.

Are civil marriages new in Ireland? I heard quite a few of the cousins saying that they had never been to one before.

There was quite a lot of football talk, one of his cousins is a sports writer in Mayo, the groom (if I remember correctly) is related to a former Kerry manager and played for them himself, but the family is Cork. (Yes, we have one of the Cork names).

We were also reminded that my other half is the last of the male line... No pressure there then.

On the day after the wedding we went with his parents to Glengarriff, where his paternal grandfather was born. We stopped in Bantry to buy a picnic lunch, then visited his great uncle who still lives in the family house at the top of the glen, and went up to Barley Lake.

There was then a detour to see the tunnels on the Kerry road and a stop for fish and chips which left me in a state of stress as we were meant to be going into Cork in the evening to the bride and groom's house party. We were late.

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 5

2010-09-30T17:46:00.011+01:00

August: Sailing to Campbeltown

Another trip in the boat. Long weekend.

Friday Port Bannatyne - Lamlash (Arran). Some wind.

Holy Isle, Lamlash Bay

Saturday Lamlash - Campbeltown. No wind. Saw Eleonora. Realised how near Northern Ireland is.

Attempted to anchor, but failed due to very soft mud and large quantities of weed. Provided amusement for Sailing Club. Gave up and used the pontoon.

Campeltown

Eleonora, Campeltown Bay

Sunday Campbeltown - Millport. No wind.

Millport Bay

Arran skyline from Millport

Monday Millport - Port Bannatyne. No wind. Mainland dominated by Hunterston power stations.

Arran in the morning

Hunterston

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 4

2010-09-21T17:00:00.001+01:00

June: LAMM

My other half's partner injured himself, so we went and did the LAMM together. He was meant to be doing the A class, we did the C "for fun".

This year the event was in the Arrochar area, from a field just by the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, across the river from Fyne Ales (who supplied the beer).

The C course started from the Rest and Be Thankful Car Park and took in Ben Ime and Ben Vane on the first day. The mid camp was in upper Glen Fyne above the Lochan Shira reservoir, and was quite nice on the saturday evening, but a wet midgy drizzle fest on the sunday morning. The second day included Beinn Bhuidhe and finished back at the base camp.

Mid Camp Sunday Morning - pic from LAMM Photo Competition

We completed the course. That is about all there is to say about it. I had a very sore hip and my first experience of catching a toenail in the end of my shoe (disproportionately sore). Long live ibuprofen. We also made a bad navigational error in the clag on the second day and I can clearly understand how someone came to fall badly on the crags in the same area (above Glenfyne Lodge, control point on Newton Hill 422 coming down SE from Beinn Bhuidhe). We were probably on course, but got confused as to how far down we were and contoured around eventually relocating off a control 200m higher than and 1km west of ours.

Still, at least we got our beer for finishing.

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 3

2010-09-07T18:47:00.011+01:00

March: Orkney and the North

A road trip in the van up the north east coast to Orkney and back down the north west coast.

Cromarty

Duncansby Head

The most NE point of the mainland

Italian Chapel

Lambholm, Scapa Flow

Yes, it is a Nissen hut, but a very very posh one

Ring of Brodgar

Hoy

Smoo Cave, Durness

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 2

2010-09-05T12:21:00.005+01:00

June: Sailing to Arran

Want to take part in the Glen Rosa Race? My other half did and he decided that the best way to get there was by sailing from Bute, not on the ferry like everyone else. Alright, not everyone else - there is another Cosmic equally daft who also sailed there in her boat.

We sailed from Bute on the friday and went straight to Brodick and anchored in the bay. Our fellow Cosmic had also anchored there after sailing from Kip, and we had dinner on their boat. They have a barbecue mounted on the cockpit rail and being 33' to our 26', room to use it.

Glen Rosa (Goatfell) seen from the sea

Our boat, Brodick Bay

On the saturday we went ashore in the morning. I went into Brodick and the runners went to register. Glen Rosa is quite a long race timewise for the length of it, being unmarked and over rough ground. It was an SHR Championship race this so attracted quite a crowd. There was also registration on the ferry and a special bus laid on.

I went back in the afternoon to see the finish. The finish was at the top of the Brodick Castle garden, and I was glad to have my Volunteer Card as it's £5.50 to get into the garden there.

After the runners had recovered and rehydrated, we had ice cream and then returned to the boats for another bbq tea.

On the Sunday we sailed back to Bute. To begin with off the coast of Arran we hardly had any wind, but after using the motor to get out into the middle of the Clyde we found some. At one point we had the boat doing 7kts. We also saw the Navy out playing with their new(ish) toy round the Cumbraes.

Things I have done this year and failed to blog: Part 1

2010-09-01T15:20:00.007+01:00

May: Sailing
We chartered a boat from Isle of Skye Yachts with his sister and a friend from his Day Skipper course.

We had several plans in mind, but being wind dependant ended up choosing a circumnavigation of Mull. Our route was as follows:

Ardvasar (Skye) - Rhum - Tobermory - Loch Spelve (Mull) - Iona - Bunessan (Mull) - Staffa - Treshnish - Coll - Eigg - Doune (Knoydart) - Ardvasar
(Overnight stops in bold)

The first day we were quite ill - I was very envious of my sister-in-law's constant vomiting as I felt like death on a stick but wasn't actually able to throw up at all. In the end I wedged myself into the 'Gin Seat' at the back corner of the cockpit and went to sleep. Hence we went into Tobermory marina. We used moorings at Coll and Doune, but anchored everywhere else.

Drama of the week was snagging the anchor in the Treshnish Isles. We stopped for lunch and thought we were far enough away from the tripper boat pontoon, but clearly not as we caught on one of their seabed chains. Luckily, it wasn't too deep and it was sunny - so in he went and freed the anchor manually.

Anchoring at Eigg was a bit interesting. When we stopped we had 0.0m reading beneath the keel and we were rather close to the ferry slip. However, it was low water and the ferry doesn't run every day. Eigg is quite interesting for being one the first community buy outs and for having its own power generation scheme.

I'd recommend Doune. There's a restaurant there, but no road. If you don't fancy walking a mile(ish) from the nearest one, it's best to sail. The food was plentiful and delicious.

Loch Spelve

Our boat, Iona

Staffa

Stromness

2010-07-18T22:26:00.002+01:00

From our holiday in March. Pier Arts Centre, Stromness.

Sea Cliffs

2010-06-08T13:44:00.005+01:00

While my other half and his friend went climbing I amused myself taking photos of the pretty flowers (casually forgetting I had one of their ropes on my back...).

Hybridisation in action

2010-06-05T18:42:00.006+01:00

Last year we had two types of aquilegia. This short Columbine type with big flowers

and this tall traditional type with small flowers.

This year we also have a medium height type with medium size flowers.

Dave Gorman

2010-03-24T23:58:00.002Z

Just been to see Dave Gorman's stand up show. Very funny and worth the £20.

The message of the show tonight:

Turn up on time and don't use your phone.

(He made us promise not to publish any spoilers, but I think that ad lib bit's okay.)

Who needs Norway?

2010-03-01T18:58:00.001Z

This week I are mostly

2010-02-09T14:46:00.001Z

hatching this...

Best description of race rules ever...?

2010-01-14T13:02:00.001Z

Aboot i'runnin' aboot:

Fit ye're tryin' ti dae:

Ti ging roon on 53 mile “Fling” roadie alang i' Southern pairt o' the West Highland Way fae somewye ca'd Milngavie ti Tyndrum afore yir time runs oot. An' it's nae jist i' folk running themsels, there's i' club competitions an' a', an' a special een far ye hae four folk, een aifter the ither. Now a'body's got ti be ower 21, nae swikin'. I' “Fling” is mint ti' be deen athoot only help at a'. The folk that's pit a' this the gither'll drap aff buggies that you've made earlier, as lang as ye mind ti pit on yir proper race number, a' the wye alang the roadie at the checkpoints. Kitbags wi' little ticketies on'll be teen ti' the end o' the roadie at Tyndrum near 'at afa fine Green Welly Stop, an' bussies, thit ye've got ti' hae said yer gahn on (and pit yer haun in yer pooch) afore the day'll tak ye a; back to Milngavie far ye can get the trainnie. Course, if ye wint ti hae yir ain folk helpin' ye, that's yir ain look oot.

Club Competition

Ur's nae end ti the number o' chiels ye can hae in yer clique. Fooiver lang it taks fur the first three (M or F) gahn by themsels fae each club'll be added igither on a bittie paper ti gie i' club’s time, so ere's nae need for folk runnin' ti dae onything ither than pit their ain name doon, as lang as ye pit doon fa' ye're wi. If yi wint ti be richt clivver an'pit in mair than wun (M or F) team it's nae skin aff oor nose, jist mak sure we ken a' aboot it and fa' yir spikkin' aboot.

Fae Born2Run Click fae english

Ben Nevis

2009-12-15T14:20:00.005Z

This weekend the weather forecast was good, and my other having been driven half demented by not having been to the hills for a while, we went to Ben Nevis.

We ascended the Ben by Number 5 Gully to Carn Dearg. My legs were not quite ready for 450m of front pointing, and I was quite aware of it being a very long way down to be balancing on nine little metal points.

Having topped out with daylight to spare we went to the summit to enjoy the view and a cup of tea.

We then descended into the setting sun via the tourist path.

We cooked dinner in the van at the Visitor Centre car park and made free with the facilites (which are quite well heated). My apologies to the gentlemen who wished to use the toilets while we were washing up. One at least had the sense to go in a cubicle.

We headed to Ballachulish on Saturday night and parked the van at the carpark for Sgorr Dhonuill, Sgorr Dhearg and Glen a Chaolais. We followed the signs and did Sgorr Dhonuill first, but in hindsight it might better to go the other way round in winter and ascend the frozen, scrambly scree bits. The views to Ben Nevis and Glen Coe were fabulous.

Happy Lancashire Day!

2009-11-27T17:17:00.006Z

TO: THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASTER

GREETINGS!

Know ye that this day, November 27th in the year of
our Lord Two Thousand and Nine, the 58th year of
the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
Duke of Lancaster, is Lancashire Day.

Know ye also, and rejoice, that by virtue of Her
Majesty's County Palatine of Lancaster, the citizens
of the Hundreds of Lonsdale, North and South of
the Sands, Amounderness, Leyland, Blackburn,
Salford and West Derby are forever entitled to style
themselves Lancastrians.

Throughout the County Palatine, from the Furness
Fells to the River Mersey, from the Irish Sea to the
Pennines, this day shall ever mark the peoples' pleasure
in that excellent distinction - true Lancastrians, proud
of the Red Rose and loyal to our Sovereign Duke.

GOD BLESS LANCASHIRE AND

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN,

DUKE OF LANCASTER.

(Just slightly afraid that in my ultra-organisedness (it won't last) I may have written Merseyside on my Dad's Christmas card...)

Garden, autumn

2009-11-17T16:06:00.001Z

Taken today.

Deeside, autumn

2009-11-17T16:00:00.002Z

Approaching Lyne of Skene, looking towards Deeside.

Donside, late summer

2009-11-17T15:57:00.003Z

Photos taken a while ago when I was out for a cycle. Looking towards Bennachie from the back of Kirkhill.

RTPI President on Aberdeen planners

2009-11-17T14:49:00.002Z

From Aberdeen City Council website

The president of the UK Royal Town Planners Institute has praised Aberdeen City Council's planning department for the positive impact it has had on the city's developments.

Martin Willey was impressed by the quality and level of development, not least that reflected by the number of cranes in operation, which he witnessed when he visited Aberdeen this week.

Mr. Willey said: "Planning can and does make a real difference not only to the fabric of a city, but to the lives of those who live and work in it as well. I was impressed by the amount of high quality, well designed development I saw during my visit to Aberdeen, where it is clear that business is booming, even in these difficult times.

"From what I have seen and heard, Aberdeen's planners have a great track record of talking with people to engage them in the planning process and really listening to the public's views on how the city should be shaped for the future.

"Recent projects such as the newly-opened Aberdeen Sports Village demonstrate that kind of detailed engagement in action – and I'm glad that visit to the city has provided me with many examples to add to my collection of best practice from around the world. Well done Aberdeen!"

Among the Aberdeen developments Mr. Willey learned of during his time in the city are:

* Marischal College, which is bringing an iconic but long-neglected city building back into use, dealing with conservation issues associated with the redevelopment work;
* the award-winning Malmaison Hotel, which received recognition for its architectural design - finalised with input from Aberdeen planners;
* the Union Square shopping and leisure development, which has made a contribution towards the conservation-led improvement of the Green, as part of its planning conditions.

I would just like to say (in a hollow and sarcastic fashion) Ha.

With regard to the comment re Marischal College, Ha, double Ha and bollocks. I still don't understand how the City Council can be both Applicant and determining Authority for the planning applications. And I don't see how a facade job can be considered to be "dealing with the conservation issues". It is not 1995. Facadism should be long passé.

Lego

2009-11-10T09:42:00.001Z

Pittsburgh Summit Spouses

2009-10-16T14:21:00.004+01:00

Belgian Waffle asks us to consider how far we have to go in gender equality in relation to this photo (For names see here).

Immediately, we notice that Angela Merkel's husband is not there. Joachim Sauer is a Professor researching in quantum chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin and does not often attend public functions. Not even her inauguration this year.

Also not in attendance is Nestor Kirchner, husband of Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina. Cristina was elected as Nestor's successor. So, should he support her as much as she supported him in her role as First Lady, or should he stay in the background?

A third First Gentleman could have attended, if India had sent their President rather than their Prime Minister.

These women are, for the most part, well educated and had fairly high power jobs. However, the information I can find seems to suggest that most have given up their own work to support their husband and his political party, along with some charitable or governmental work. Only two seem to be labelled as mothers - Svetlana Medvedeva (Russia) and Nompumelelo Ntuli (South Africa), though many have children. I can only find clear information to show three First Ladies working in their own right: Thailand - Dr of and lecturer in Mathematics, France - singer/songwriter, Australia - MD of a Welfare to Work Emploment Agency. I suppose, though, if you choose to take on the role of a First Lady there isn't time to work as well.

But, the question remains. Why is it that these well educated, successful women are the First Ladies, not the Heads of State? Why does gender still matter?

Many of their husbands began their political careers at least 20 years ago. The times maybe changing, but it might take just as long for current politically ambitious women to work their way up. In 20 years will things be different?

OMM Training

2009-10-01T13:52:00.004+01:00

My sister in law convinced me that doing the short score at the OMM was a Good Idea. Having gone out for a five hour run with her at the weekend I'm now considerably less convinced.

While my other half was doing the Two Breweries race (between Traquair and Broughton in the borders) we went for a run over Broad Law. We were staying at the Tweedsmuir Outdoor Centre, so ran straight from there. Our route took us through the woods to the trig point on Garelet Hill (680m), then descended straight off the side of it (400m ish descent in 1k) down to cross the river on the road. We then tried to run up the road - and failed, it's quite steep - alongside the waterfalls and followed the cairns up to Cairn Law and then Broad Law (840m). We then came off Broad Law past the large circular mast array and back to the forest tracks via the S side of Great Knock. We came out onto the road at Hearthstane and then picked up the track on the old railway line to get back to Tweedsmuir.

Sister in law descending Great Knock

After finishing our run we went to Broughton to see the others finish theirs. Not many Cosmic runners this year, but one took the prize for 1st F50. Some of which we have in our fridge - she doesn't drink beer.

Harvest

2009-09-17T00:07:00.004+01:00

Our potato harvest. Hopefully we got them up before the Blight set in too badly. We had a couple of mushy ones, but will have to wait and see if they survive in storage. We have three varieties this year, white, pink and stripy. Not sure if the stripy ones are a cross of the other two.

Our tomatoes definitely have Blight. They look just like the image on the RHS page. We shall have to cart them off somewhere and burn them.

There are also three of our five parsnips in the pic too. They've grown well, but not a great germination rate...

Painted Lady

2009-09-16T23:59:00.002+01:00

We have many of these this year. We also have Red admirals and Peacocks, but I haven't found any willing to be chased with a camera yet.

Holiday

2009-09-16T20:30:00.012+01:00

Staying in Skerries seemed like a good plan when we booked it. However, the morning we arrived we found out that the rail bridge had collapsed at Malahide a week earlier and hence there was no train to Dublin. We took the bus from the airport via Swords, so hadn't been stuck in the city like the American guests who arrived late and very flustered. The disruption meant we spent quite a lot of time (and euros) at the mercy of Dublin buses. Thankfully they were running extra express services through the Port Tunnel - as the local bus took some time to get to Skerries. There was supposedly a replacement bus service running south from Skerries (though we saw no evidence), but no replacement service running north for some reason.

Anyway, Skerries is nice. A sort of seaside town cross commuter belt place. The area is dotted with numerous Martello Towers looking over the Irish Sea beaches, to make sure that the Irish didn't indulge in co-religious aiding and abetting and help Napoleon across.

We stayed at the Redbank Guesthouse, which has a very swish website, and lovely food. The attached restaurant is quite expensive, so we only ate there once, but the food we had was delicious and proper portions. The owner, Terry McCoy, seems to be quite well known as a seafood chef in Ireland.

On the Sunday we went down to Malahide to go sailing with Terry. As the train wasn't running this cost us a fortune in taxi fairs, but was a good day out. We sailed around Lambay, pulling into a small cove to look at the gannet colony. A large bull seal kept treading water close off the stern watching us, but wasn't interested in cream crackers. There were races in progress from Rush as we motored back, including one for Mermaids - a local type of boat. Back in the marina we had lunch made by Terry.

In Malahide we also had a walk around the castle grounds and a coffee and cake in the teashop, but it was rather pricy to go in. We stopped in at an art show, and I was inspired and disheartened at the same time.

To guide us around Dublin we downloaded some walking tours from the VisitDublin website. These were written and read by local artist and historian Pat Liddy. We found them interesting and the ones on Georgian Dublin and the Northside took us to places we probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. We used the one on the Guinness family to take us from the City Centre to the Guinness Storehouse. I've been to the Storehouse before, with Uni in 2001. This time though I could be interested in the Guinness, rather than the treatment of the building. Apparently I still can't drink a whole pint of Guinness.

As we walked past City Hall on one of our tours we saw the first Velibs being installed. The scheme was launched this week.

On our last day we went to the National Museums and the National Gallery (They are free and have cloakrooms for luggage). My other half doesn't normally display an interest in art, but he did seem to be interested in the National Gallery, if only to disagree with me on the depiction of light in the sky in various paintings and to keep asking me why I don't paint more. He also seemed to like the portrait gallery. I find that interesting for the back stories as well as the paintings.

I did notice when we went into the Benson and Forsyth extension to the Gallery. I felt it was very similar to their extension to the Museum of Scotland, at least internally.

I once commented on Belgianwaffle that Tesco in Scotland promote Scottish produce. She had written that in Ireland they seemed to be cutting back on Irish products. I now wonder whether they did that because Ireland has Dunnes. We bought our lunch there one day, and they seem to have Irish produce pretty well covered. There isn't a particularly Scottish shop like that in Scotland. Except perhaps Peckhams, but they don't operate in the same market.

Holiday

2009-09-04T11:41:00.002+01:00

I am finally getting to go away some where! We are off to Ireland for the weekend, to stay in Skerries on the coast just north of Dublin. It looks rather pretty and the guesthouse looks nice on its website.

Just slightly worried by the prospect of flying with Ryanair. And by the the leaks in our house which appeared last night. I'm not sure if we need a new roof, gutters, windows or all three... How much of the world's resources would I use up if I left the dehumidifier on?

Viral Video

2009-07-17T13:05:00.002+01:00

Apparently United break guitars...
From the Guardian's Viral Video page

This weekend

2009-07-13T23:00:00.004+01:00

On Saturday I went to do the Meall an t-Suidhe hill race in Fort William (prizes in the comments box for phonetic pronounciation of the hill it goes up). It's a short race - 5k - and a steep one - evil steep. It was also very hot. Needless to say, I did rather badly as I boiled on the hill and had to stop and sit down. I was saved by a nice lady from Lochaber who was carrying a wet pactowel with her and wrang some stream water down my neck.

I now have very sore quads and knees, but I have completed one of the Scottish Champs races for this season and it's good practice for next weekend.

The last two days have been spent in removing the green from my kitchen (The units were all green on Sunday morning). Two days and four coats of paint later, it looks like this. I am pleased.

Barra

2009-06-19T18:24:00.005+01:00

A couple of weeks ago my other half did his Day Skipper course with a company based on Barra. I went out to join him for weekend and can highly recommend it. Barra and Vatersay are lovely, all white sand and blue sea.

I was meant to fly over on the saturday morning, but the conference I was meant to be at on the Friday was cancelled so instead I had a lovely train ride from Glasgow to Oban, then a sunshiney ferry trip up the Sound of Mull and across the Sea of the Hebrides. It was nearly a disaster as I discovered there's no O2 reception on Barra. Luckily he happened to walking past the ferry terminal as I arrived, so I properly surprised him.

We camped on the beach at Castlebay, as all the B&Bs were full, but you can camp almost anywhere as long as you ask - there's no official site and there are toilets in the Community Hall.

On Friday night we had tea at Kisimul Cafe (presumably named for the castle in the bay), which is a cafe by day and an Indian/Italian/sea food restaurant by night. I recommend the scallop pakoras.

On saturday we walked over the hills in the middle, past the Madonna on Sheabhal (Heaval) to the north of the island, then out to the Otter Cafe which doubles as the waiting room for the Eriskay ferry at Aird Mhor. About 6-7km in all. Had a nice toastie and cup of tea then caught the little bus back to Castlebay, changed to the other little bus and went down to the Vatersay Community Hall. This is on a narrow stretch of the island with big white beaches either side.

We walked around Vatersay on the marked trail, which takes you round the south part of the island in about 4km. The views to the outlying island are quite spectacular.

Two wrecks are commemorated on Vatersay, the Annie Jane (saling from Liverpool to Montreal) and the Catalina (flying out of RAF Oban).

Having hitched back to Castlebay, we went for a beer then dinner at the Castlebay Hotel. The food is much more traditional but just as delicious as the cafe.

Sunday was spent travelling home, as the ferry was at 9.20. This is where Barra is different to other Hebridean islands - it used to be the 'Catholic' one. Therefore there are sunday ferries and the Co-op in Castlebay is open in the afternoon.

Vegetable Patch

2009-05-31T14:56:00.005+01:00

This is our veg patch.

From front to back of the photo we have:

Bed 1: Sweet peas and nasturtiums (not strictly veg, but nasturtium leaves are salad), 3 parsnips, broad beans, tomatoes, onions and parsley.

Bed 2: Asparagus (2 shoots, but you can only start eating it in the third growing season, so not until 2011), spinach, 1 carrot, tomatoes and onions.

Bed 3: Red onions, garlic, tomatoes, 1 random carrot (I think it's a carrot, but we didn't sow carrots in this bed), garlic and onions.

Bed 4: Potatoes.

The neighbourhood cats killed off the carrots and parsnips by using our nicely sown beds as litter trays.

The tomatoes are there as I had an error of germination. Last year none survived, this year I planted more and they all did. So, we're experimenting to find out if tomatoes grow outside in Aberdeen. They are in a warm spot, the wall faces west and holds the heat quite well and gets the sun most of the day. We've six in the cold frame as normal.

The orange and white thing? That's a Grampian Orienteers control marker kite, which was left behind after the Summer Series event I organised on Perwinnes Moss (part of the Scotstown Moor Local Nature Reserve and SS SI just over the field south of our house).

Sewing

2009-05-30T21:11:00.005+01:00

Today, I made a skirt.

I used google to find a pattern and adapted it slightly. The pattern came from a Craftster member (see reply 3). I followed her instructions for working out the waist size and bottom hem width, but didn't put the middle panel upside down and added darts to accommodate my hips (thanks mum).

I think it's come out alright, if a little shorter than I meant - but it's summer so I'll convince myself that's okay...

A distinct lack of sea legs...

2009-05-26T16:15:00.002+01:00

We went to Bute at the weekend to launch his dad's boat. That accomplished on Saturday evening, he insisted on taking me sailing on Sunday morning. While I wasn't feeling too bad on board, it took me until Monday lunchtime to stop going up and down...

Saturday run

2009-05-02T22:32:00.003+01:00

Today the club run was at Millstone from the Donview Car Park. There was lovely sunshine again. I've picked the good weather weekends to go out.

The photo is the view of Mither Tap from the top of Millstone. The Bennachie range ridge stretches out of the left hand side of the picture to Craigshannoch and Oxen Craig. The whole range includes nine tops and has numerous trails for running, biking or even walking your granny.

Plants

2009-04-28T16:08:00.002+01:00

I have been busy planting things in the garden.

So far I have planted

Ixia - tall white flowers from bulbs started in pots
Oxalis - red flowers with quatrefoilish leaves from bulbs started in pots
Anemone - mixed colours, but they haven't come up in the pots unlike the previous two, so I've shoved them in the ground for next year.
Agapanthus Donau - lilac I think. A root in a bag kind, but they've grown well in the pots

Lupin - white, from seed from a bought one.

Clematis Jackmanii - purple, famous, my dad has one.
Clematis Texensis Duchess of Albany - a posh name for pink clematis
Pulsatilla vulgaris rubra - a dark red alpine. I saw them on gardeners' world and thought they were pretty.
Sedum acre aureum - I presume the 'aureum' part of the name refers to the yellow tips and flowers
Lithodora diffusa - Blue alpine. I may have made an error with this one, BBC gardening says it's tender. I fear it may be doomed.
Hieracium maculatum leopard - a sort of hawkweed with yellow flowers and maroon and green speckled leaves
Pieris - what my neighbour calls a flame bush. A shrub with green leaves with red new growth.

I've also got a chocolate cosmos in a pot doing nothing yet, and some sweet pea and nasturtium seedlings in the propagator.

Veg wise, I have spinach, tomato and chilli seedlings to be dealt with. I planted out the broad beans at the weekend and the over wintered cabbage has well and truly bolted.

Garden

2009-04-24T19:11:00.009+01:00

Inspired by Uphilldowndale (who takes wonderful photos), I have been playing with my camera and bothering the flowers...

These tulips came out of the same bag of bulbs. The first one is the only one that has come up the colour I was sold. The 'white' ones are also looking suspiciously red. I've no idea why there are three yellow ones. I can't even remember if I planted them...

This wallflower is proving defiantly biennial...

We've had a profusion of white flowers - Amalanchier, saxifrage, hyacinth.

And a good showing of my favourite blue grape hyacinths.

Though I may have to try taking a photo of these on a sunnier day, as the blue isn't showing up quite as blue as it actually is, despite my taking about ten different photos playing with the aperture etc. I'm clearly in need of more practice.

What we did on Bute

2009-03-22T19:45:00.004Z

A regular feature of visits to Port Bannatyne is a game of petanque. There is a proper petanque piste, a club league and a committee to oversee them.

The park overlooks the new marina, which is beginning to take shape - the posts for the moorings are in now and I think they're aiming to open for the Easter holidays.

The village seems to be picking up a bit. Several of the tenement blocks are being refurbished, and a new 'multi-user' path is being made on the old tramway to Ettrick Bay. It might attract some of the tourists out of their coaches between there and Rothesay.

Saturday run

2009-03-22T19:38:00.005Z

For once, I went on the Cosmic Saturday Run (Given the soreness of my left ankle and shin that may have been an error.). We went to Clachnaben for the race preview. I've never done the full route, and still haven't. It is quite a long way and the heather is quite tall. However, some men were seen burning patches around the grouse butts on Mount shade, so it might be better for the race itself.

I wasn't keeping up with the others so missed the traverse on the first hill and ended up wading through thigh deep heather to get back to the ridge. I returned through the lost valley between Mount Shade and Clachnaben, along the main path to the Glen Dye quarry car park and back to Greendams along the road. That was further than I thought...

A unusual view of Clachnaben, from the lost valley at the bottom of Mount Shade.

Glamaig

2009-03-20T17:20:00.001Z

Me, some Cosmics and the bloke off the telly...

Ferry, Cross the...

2009-03-14T17:59:00.003Z

Kyles of Bute, actually. Away to the In Laws for the weekend, involves a ride on the wee ferry at Colintraive.

Clever Bluetits

2009-03-11T12:44:00.003Z

Our peanut feeder is a sort of rectangular one (short sides and top in wood and long sides and bottom in mesh) with a flap over a hole at one end to put the peanuts in through.

The Blue tits have worked out how to open this flap (it swing on a single nail) and lean in to get the nuts.

I like xkcd

2009-03-10T12:28:00.002Z

A visitor

2009-02-12T15:20:00.003Z

Not quite fairies at the bottom of the garden, but she'll do.

(Do excuse the state of my phone's zoom)

Is that it?

2009-02-05T11:27:00.003Z

(Mrs Neighbour must want to go out - Mr Neighbour is shovelling their path)

This week I are mostly drawing

2009-02-04T12:05:00.003Z

this..

Snow?

2009-02-02T12:47:00.003Z

Roads

2009-01-23T11:01:00.002Z

I was musing on the state of the roads in Aberdeen last night and I've come up with a theory.

I think the City Council can't afford Aberdeen and have decided to let the holes in the roads continue to open up until the city's swallowed whole and they don't have to worry about it anymore.

Either that or they're too chicken to ask First.

Been to see the men again...

2008-12-22T16:29:00.005Z

We've been down to Crosby with my mum, for a walk on the prom and a look at the men. The prom at Crosby is built up with the rubble removed from Liverpool when the bomb sites were being cleared in the 50s and 60s. My mum says you can still find nice pieces of 30s tiles laying amongst it.

It was a bit misty and drizzly (I can't think of an english word for dreich), but the cloud lifted just enough to see the Wirral and the windmills on the docks and in the bay.

Mither Tap

2008-12-18T21:42:00.002Z

A couple of weekends ago we went for a run around Bennachie. Bennachie is a range of tops and a plateau, with walks and bikeable trails all around it. I took this picture (phone camera) from the top of Craigshannoch looking towards Mither Tap. Mither Tap is an ancient descriptive hill name. Mither is a local word for mother, I'll leave you to look at the shape of the hill to figure the rest out. There's a fort and a tor on the top, and the views over Aberdeenshire are spectacular on a clear day.

While I should be working...

2008-12-09T13:33:00.002Z

Messers Magpie and Blackbird are disputing ownership of the front garden. The dispute takes the form of turns of walking purposefully about the frozen lawn.
Mr Magpie has the edge, in regal pose and stride length...

New Bird

2008-11-30T15:09:00.006Z

One of these just flew into our patio door. T'internet confirms it's a female Blackcap, who have brown caps. I've never seen one before. She flew away after a minute, so I think it was only her pride that was hurt...

The photo is from the British Trust for Ornithology website and was taken in Newmachar, which is just a few miles up the road from me. So maybe I should keep my eyes peeled for some more. And my other half swears blind he saw a lesser spotted woodpecker on the telegraph post yesterday. However, he has trouble telling a bluetit from a sparrow, so I'm not sure if I should believe him.

Edit: 15/12/09 The BTO link to the pic broke, so I've inserted a random flickr one.

Kelpies at Falkirk

2008-11-24T13:05:00.008Z

I'm still not convinced that having a pair of enormous kelpie heads operating a lock on the Forth-Clyde canal is a good idea. I always thought kelpies were malevolent beings, with a taste for drowning and eating people. Perhaps people don't believe any more, or, I suspect more likely, just don't know their own folklore. The photo is of the maquettes currently on display (from Falkirk Council website).

Stonehead made me think about this the other day with his tale of an each uisge and now the story in the Guardian reports on the next phase of the sculpture work.

It seems that the idea of a water horse spirit - in varied guises from downright evil to a bit mischevious, slightly different for each cultural group - is (or was) a widespread northern european belief. Some of the differences appear to be driven by the location of the people. For example the Kelpie of the Scottish lowlands prefers rivers, while the Each Uisge, the northern Gaelic variety, haunts lochs. Coastal peoples, such as the Manx and Cornish, have salt water versions. The Ceffyl Dwr of Wales appears in both fresh and salt water - it also doesn't appear to eat people, but will kill them.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. The idea that so many of the Norse and Celtic cultures have such a similar belief intrigues me. I like it. I don't like the kelpies on the canal. That worries me.

Self Unemployment

2008-11-11T22:24:00.003Z

Things take a while to set up, don't they? It turns out I can't register as self employed until I begin working as such, which seems a little odd, but who am I to question the wisdom of the Inland Revenue?

I opened a business bank account today, but won't get an account number for a few days - which I need to fill in the forms to pay my National Insurance when I do register with the IR. Mind you, Class 2 NI for self employed people is considerably cheaper than Class 1 Employers contributions (11% of salary). I wonder what that'll do to my pension (if pensions exist in 40 years time...).

Then there's the business insurance and professional indemnity, for which I have to fill in a 6 page form just to get a quote. I'm a little worried that they might then refuse me because I'm not qualified by any particular professional body.

Nothing's easy, is it? But I was expecting it to be worse. I don't know how, but just worse.

Oh, and we still have no heating. But the plumber is coming in the morning, so fingers crossed...

What have I been doing since August?

2008-10-26T13:45:00.003Z

Well, I thought I'd blogged more recently than August, but apparently not.
So, since then I have

had a sort of unofficial blogmeet at Ben Nevis with Mr Uhdd
run in the Comrie Relays
run at Morven (and wasn't last)
been made redundant (construction always goes first in a recession)
got part time contract work in building conservation with some one who'll help me with my MSc thesis (so may be the redundancy will turn out to be a good thing)

(edited for spelling 24-11-08)

OMM (and, oh my, it's been a while...)

2008-10-26T13:28:00.002Z

So, I'm willing to bet that the conditions at the OMM were not quite as bad as the media are making out. I'll get the story later when my other half gets home - he and his sister spent the night in her car having made it back to the car parks. It must have been bad for the event to be called off for the first time in its history, but the competitors are required to be prepared for spending a night out in wild country at the end of October.
(See also UpHillDownDale for Mr Uhdd's version of events).

Dufftown Highland Games

2008-08-09T19:41:00.003+01:00

On 26th July we went over to Dufftown for the Highland Games, mainly because he wanted to run the Ben Rinnes race but also because we'd not been to a games before. I wasn't daft enough to try to run this one, so opted for tea and strawberries and watching the heavyweight and lightweight events in the games field.

The race takes about 2 hours for the winner. There was quite a collection of hillrunners other halves waiting for the winner - we'd all spotted that there were 4 guys up from Bowland and Calder Valley and I was wondering how good they must be to make the trip up. It turned out that one of them was rather good. As we were waiting in came reports of Sean Bolland, who held his lead to win. Last year's winner, Brian Marshall, came in third.

That night we went to Tomintoul. We stopped at the A'anside Studio and bought some prints then went to The Clockhouse for dinner. It was really nice food - I think we should go back.

On Sunday we went mountain biking from Cock Bridge to Fords of Avon. It was a 35 mile round trip, but wasn't too bad as we took our time. We had a lovely big portion of chips at the pub and watched the baby housemartins in the herb pots.

Glamaig

2008-08-09T19:02:00.003+01:00

Right, I’ve finally got round to writing about Glamaig.

It was the first weekend in July and several (mad) Cosmics, including me, went off to Skye to run up and down a stupidly steep hill. Actually, there wasn’t much running done on the way up. As soon as you hit the bottom of the hill you’re walking. By half way up you’ve hit the scree and rocks and are mostly on all fours.

After the false summit, there’s a grassy rib then a path through the scree to the top. At the top were some nice chaps with water and a wee dram. Then there was the question of how to get down.

I took the immediately safer option and went back down the path and the rib. Unfortunately the rib ended in some rather steep crags and I really should have turned left on to the scree sooner. Once I was on the scree it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought and was the quicker way down. Earlier in the morning I’d picked out a big boulder and a couple of lochans as landmarks to aim for to get back towards the hotel from the bottom of the hill. I passed close to the boulder and ran into one of the lochans (lovely and cool). Eventually I picked up the path back to the road and ran as fast as I could to make my target time – with 40 seconds to spare.

After finishing we went back to the bunkhouse to celebrate a Cosmic’s birthday and then for the food and ceilidh included in the £3 (!) entry.

On the Sunday I went up Pinnacle Ridge to Sgurr nan Gillean with five other Cosmics. It was a really good scramble and I did my first proper abseil. Probably not the place to learn, but no one died…

Fledglings Part 2

2008-07-13T19:48:00.003+01:00

The sparrows have won the battle of the seed feeder. By force of numbers - they have produced a second brood. The magpies broke the tree in their attempt to join in.

On Friday evening I tried to write about Glamaig, but Blogger ate my post.

Fledglings

2008-06-23T16:24:00.002+01:00

Procrastinating while I should writing my thesis, I've been watching the new occupants of the front garden. The Great Tit and Sparrow families have fledged and are busy battling for control of the peanut feeder. So far the Great Tits seem to winning, but the sparrows nested in the back garden so maybe they have control of the neighbours feeder...
I wonder what will happen if fill the seed feeder as well. I've given up on the fat balls as the magpies have learned that they are strong (heavy) enough to rip the plastic netting and make off with whole ball.

Meme

2008-05-06T15:43:00.002+01:00

I saw this on GeePeeMum and thought I'd have a go. You're supposed highlight in bold the ones that apply to you, see how privileged your childhood was.

1. Father went to college.
He went to the College of Building in Liverpool after leaving sixth form when his headmaster refused to support his application to the University to study architecture.
2.Father finished college.
Not really. He started on the RIBA part 1, which was then removed from part time courses to be by degree only. He then started on the RICS courses to have the same happen. Then he got a full time job. So he actually has no formal qualification.
3.Mother went to college.
My mum went to University when she was in her mid forties, to study Environmental Science with QTS.
4.Mother finished college.
Yes. She graduated on the day of one of my A level Maths exams.
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
My sister in law is a med student. We’re mostly engineers of one sort or another.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
Middle class? Probably.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
Easily.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
I should think so. Books were the source of all knowledge. Don’t know something – look it up and learn for yourself.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
I’m fairly sure my parents taught me to read before I started school. I was lucky to be the eldest child.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11.Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
I went to ballet until I was 9, and then to gym (when it became clear to everyone else that I was no good at and hated ballet). I also didn’t enjoy gym (mean girls).
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
Yes, most average middle class white people are.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
I thought you had to be 18 to get a credit card. I didn’t have a bank account I could have a card of any sort for until I was 19.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
No. I had some help, but I had the full means tested loan.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
Comprehensive ex-grammar. Doesn’t exist anymore.
17. Went to summer camp
Does Guide camp count?
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels
Holidays were occasionally in rented cottages, but most often at my Nain and Taid’s house in Snowdonia.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
I had hand me downs from cousins, friends, all and sundry. Some stuff was new, from catalogues with spread payments. My mum had a sewing machine and a knitting machine. My parents had four kids to clothe. The only things bought new were shoes – one pair school black, one pair black plimsolls (white running shoes and hockey boots later), one pair playing out trainers, one pair wellies - and some school uniform.
As I got older (14+) I was given access to a savings account and could buy my own clothes, on the strict understanding that the money was mine to look after – once it was gone it was gone. I still have £150 in that account.
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
Absolutely not. I didn’t even get driving lessons until I was 23 and could afford them myself. My first car was my husband’s.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
A landscape by J. Williams. My Nain has a couple too, I think he was a friend of the family. My Dad painted a mural on my bedroom wall when I was born. A rural idyll, with cottages with roses, sheep in the fields, a smiley sun and a red bus for a radiator complete with self-portrait as a cheeky school boy on the back row.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parents owned their own house or apartment before you left home
My parents bought a wreck – it was all they could afford – in the early 70s. My Dad still lives in it and there’s still work to be done.
25. You had your own room as a child
After the age of 6 or 7 I think. My brothers then got the attic conversion my Dad did to share. My sister was in a corner of my parents’ room until her room was converted.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
Did British children ever have their own phone before mobiles? I didn’t have my own phone until I got a mobile in my 3rd year at Uni.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
I had the old black and white TV that we used as a monitor for the BBC Master computer we had when I was in Sixth Form.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
I had a Capital Bond bought by my Nain and Taid when I was born. That's not really a Fund, is it? It paid for me to go to Mexico with the Scouts.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
My first flight was to Mexico for the World Scout Moot in 2000. I was 21.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
Yes. Loads. Everywhere new we went there were museums, galleries, castles, National Trust properties etc. I grew up with trips to Steamport, the Maritime Museum, the Science Museum, Rufford Old Hall, Conwy and Caernarfon as regular events.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
As a child I never knew how poorly off we were. I knew we couldn’t have new stuff and that we would never have hundreds of pounds spent on us at Christmas and birthdays like other kids, but I never figured out what that meant really – I just thought it was because there was four of us. It’s only now that my Dad is letting little bits slip out. He raised four kids on the same sort of salary I'm on now, I'm perpetually amazed.
Anyway, our heating bills weren’t the same as other people’s. We had a multi fuel boiler and solar panels from the early 80s.

So, I don't think I was under or over privileged. Just sort of normal, in comparison to my peers.

Birds

2008-04-04T10:07:00.003+01:00

Off work today, with a poorly throat and inability to control my temperature, so I'm watching the shenanigans of the bird world outside my window.
Three Messers Blackbird are squabling over something, presumably the future Mrs Blackbird. All I can see them achieving is damage to the newly emerging blossom on my poor cherry tree - no lady blackbirds in sight.
There's a pair of Bluetits in the forsythia as I write and Mr and Mrs Magpie are looking like they're laying claim to the same tree as last year. Do magpies stay together? Or would it be the same male with a different female? Last year's baby magpies were adorable - playing together in the garden after they fledged - it would nice to have some more.
I can't see the Robins but I can hear them cursing each through the medium of song.

It didn't snow for very long...

2008-03-02T11:39:00.002Z

After being so excited about the snow, it didn't last. In fact there has been hardly any on the hills. We did manage to get out for a week with the Scouts around Cairngorm, but the poor snow and high wind weren't in our favour. There a few really nice days, but the sunshine was melting the surface of the neve.
We're going skiing in a couple of weeks to Morgins on the Swiss/French border. Hopefully they've had a more wintry winter.

Yesterday was St David's day and, as I'd predicted, the weather has been so warm we have daffodils in flower.

Exciting news of the moment! My sister has produced me a nephew!

And now I'm off to the bathstore to buy taps in the vague hope that his Dad has plumbing skills and we might have a functioning (if not finished) bathroom by the end of the week.

Snow!

2008-02-01T12:14:00.001Z

It's SNOWING!!!

What did I do next?

2008-01-17T08:59:00.001Z

After my brother's wedding, which was lovely, we headed back up to Scotland. We spent a night with our friends in Partick, then headed to Arrochar and Loch Fyne. The plan was to go up Beinn Bhuidhe above Glen Fyne, but we didn't leave Glasgow early enough and were beaten by the daylight.
Failing in the mountain climbing plan we went to Inveraray instead. Had a wander around and bought some very nice soap and candles from Purdies. We then got a phone call from his sister to tell us she didn't need picking up in the morning because she'd broken her arm falling off a mountain and was going home. We decided to go too and caught with her and the friends she'd been walking with on the Colintraive ferry.

We spent Hogmamay with his parents on Bute - their flat is now almost complete...

On the 2nd we went for a walk above Colintraive. We then went back to Cairndow to have dinner at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, but found it shut. After some toing and froing, we settled on pitching for the night at Butterbridge to go up Beinn Ime the next day. It was pretty cloudy all day and was starting to snow as we set off to go home. There was a lot of snow in Stirlingshire, but disappointingly little as we got nearer to home.

Having seen the snow, the following day we got up very early and set off to Braemar to ski at Glenshee. However, the road was shut. We took a turn round the Queen's Drive on our nordics, a large proportion of which I spent laying in the snow.

And that was our holiday.

Christmas is over, what next?

2007-12-27T23:31:00.000Z

It took us three days to get to Scarisbrick from Aberdeen. We stopped en route to take in a few hills, first at Drumochter then at Skiddaw, then finally in the Forest of Bowland. We slept in the Van, which is partially converted by having a bed/storage box built into the back of it. It wasn't too bad, except for the first morning when we woke up to find more ice on the inside of the windows than the outside.
We got to Scarisbrick on Christmas Eve and fairly promptly went out to The Ship at Lathom for Ormskirk Network's Christmas drinks. He made a disgrace of himself and won the prize for the best slow fall off a stool.
Christmas Day didn't really start until after lunchtime. We had dinner in the evening, goose not turkey, with my dad and my brother and his girlfriend.
On Boxing Day we visited a friend to recover some of his gear that he hasn't seen since Greenland. I then spent the best part of the afternoon hennaing my hair, to little apparent effect.
Today we have been out to Crosby to see Anthony Gormley's men (known locally as The Goonies my brother says) since they're still there. The tide was in, but as we started back along the beach to the van it was beginning to go out so some more of the men were coming out of the water. Several were wearing Santa hats.
Tomorrow is my younger brother's wedding in the Parish church in Scarisbrick. We're back off up north on saturday to get to Bute via Arrochar for New Year with his parents.

EDIT: I've added a photo of me coming down Skiddaw. That is the small path!

Scottish councillors reject Trump's £1bn golf course | Golf | Guardian Unlimited Sport

2007-11-29T16:54:00.000Z

Woo Hoo!

Out and About

2007-11-19T12:06:00.000Z

This weekend we went to the SHR race at Meall a Bhucaille and the 'do' afterwards at Badaguish. He ran while I went up Cairngorm, Alpine style (cafe to cafe)with some friends from the Club. It was a bit damp and windy, but we had a nice day out.

On Sunday 10 of us went to Inshriach to orienteer on the Map of the Month, well technically the map of last month but the controls are still out. It was a lot of fun, chasing each other round the forest in the rain. Somehow I hurt my hip - no idea what I did but it suddenly started hurting and now I'm hobbling like an old man...

We stopped at Inverdruie for lunch, meaning to go to the cafe in the Rothiemurchus estate shop but it was shut. So we went to the diner over the way then bought some venison from the shop for tea. It was very good.

More opera

2007-11-09T11:53:00.000Z

On Wednesday we went to see the Scottish Opera production of The Barber of Seville. I really enjoyed it - the casting was good, the funny bits were funny and the set was good. I think, that compared to the other productions we've seen this year, it is clear why this one was about £5 dearer. It's not hard to see were that money goes.

Before the show we went for dinner at The Square and took advantage of their split service to come back afterwards for dessert and coffee. I had an autumn fruit cheesecake for pudding, which was rather mauve, but so good.

Winter

2007-11-09T11:46:00.000Z

It snowed in Aberdeen last night. Not very much but it was still there this morning. Now the sun is out and it's a clear east coast winter day. The wind has dropped thankfully. Hopefully it will stay that way so I can rescue the garden. I was blown off my bike last night on my way home when I got hit by the crosswind at the end of my road. Luckily there was no traffic and I landed on the long grass on the verge, so I bounced.

Opera

2007-10-11T12:56:00.000+01:00

Last night we went to see a production of Carmen at His Majesty's in Aberdeen. I'm not a reviewer in any way, but I enjoyed it.

What interested me is the variety of people there. Opera is always supposed to be High Culture and not for the ordinary folk. I'm not sure this is true. The audience consisted mainly of average middle class types and students. Maybe this is because it was in Aberdeen. I expect the audience for an ENO production at Covent Garden might be different - or is that just perpetuating the prejudice?

2007-09-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

Riverbend made it to Syria.

Daft things fell runners do for fun...

2007-09-11T14:16:00.000+01:00

The first weekend in September was a busy one for the Cosmic Hillbashers. My other half went to do the Ben Nevis Race with two others. Some other Cosmics went to Applecross for the Bealach na Ba cycle race. Three Cosmics also went to the Braemar Highland Games, which include a popular hill race.

This week is...

2007-09-04T13:42:00.000+01:00

...Offshore Europe week.
This means there are some extremely large tent/sheds on the AECC car park and many, many oil engineers from all over the world. My other half has to attend his company stand for two days, which required the purchase of a new suit this weekend.
It was interesting trying to get into the Park & Ride car park this morning, conveniently located, as it is, behind the AECC. The Police Traffic Wardens were out in force - standing about in the middle of the road, trying to direct traffic and look important in hi-vis jackets. Interesting to watch the people who hadn't paid attention to the rearrangement of lanes on the roundabout and were being funnelled into the exhibition parking instead of the council car park...

Jamboree!

2007-08-29T16:29:00.000+01:00

This summer I went to the 21st World Scout Jamboree at Hylands Park in Essex. This year is Centenary Year for us Scouts and the Jamboree celebrated this big style. 40,000 people were in camp and a further 42,000 came as day visitors.
I went as a member of the International Service Team - 8000 scouts aged over 18 who go to the Jamboree to work. I was working on the design and build team, which was responsible for the build and take down of the Jamboree site. During the Jamboree, however, we were responsible for the flags, banners, monuments and signposts around the site. The main job was to raise and lower the 160 nation flags and the World Scout Flag each day.
The most memorable experience for me was Sunrise Day on the 1st August - when the World Organisation of Scout Movements celebrated the Centenary. We held flag break at sunrise, timing it to ensure that the World Flag was raised at local sunrise - 5.17am. For me, this was something really special and a great honour to be part of.

This really annoys me

2007-06-19T14:33:00.000+01:00

The G2 on the ongoing rows about the HPV vaccine.

I was given the rubella (german measles) vaccine aged 11. As far as I still understand it was on the premise that one day I would be married and have children, and, if during one of those pregnancies I caught rubella it would affect the baby.

I don't understand how this situation is different. It protects against a future chance of infection. The method of infection isn't important to me. It's a matter of protecting the child now against something that might occur in the future.

Busy busy busy

2007-05-29T09:36:00.000+01:00

I've been very busy recently. And so, somehow, again, a whole month has slipped by...
I've been busy Scouting, with the Centenary Camp to take our Cubs to and helping Aberdeen Network get on their feet and start running. I've been down to Gilwell for the pre Jamboree kit distribution weekend.

I've even tried to do a little work on my thesis (!) in preparation for Summer School next month.

A message from The Great Architect

2007-04-26T09:21:00.000+01:00

God writes in BD?

Non-believers, thanks for nothing. Eternally grateful I don’t think. Don’t bother invoking My help the next time it all goes pear-shaped. If you WANT it to go pear-shaped you can always buy some of that expensive design software from the Gehry Corporation, can’t you? You snivelling distracted heathen dabblers.

Architecture and I go back a long way. Ask your old pals the Freemasons. Who created the universe? I did. Who am I? The Great Architect. I didn’t ask to be called that. I would have preferred Tecton, Master of The Galaxies. Or The Omnipotent Spatial Masterplanner. Almost anything else to be frank, I’m just not that keen on The Great Architect. Makes me sound like the managing director of Jehovah + Partners, some turgid outfit doing modular housing in the Thames Gateway.

Which reminds Me. I know an interventionist God is a bit passé these days but the next practice using “+” instead of “and” in its name, or deploying a row of lowercase bullshit with “:” in the middle... well. Upon them will be visited a most calamitous vengeance. And this is not Arb speaking here — I am God, so watch it.

Architects have traditionally been accused by their victims of playing Me, which is ridiculous. If people stopped to think for a moment about the logistics of social engineering they would realise it is money, not architecture, imitating Me. And in terms of infrastructure I think you’ll find the righteous paths are chosen by the county council.

While I think of it, I’d like to take this opportunity to disown a poem currently circulating on the internet in which God’s Architecture is a snowflake. In no way is this architecture. Snowflakes are essentially a feat of engineering. Obviously I take credit for that too. A snowflake conforms to My laws of physics.

One of the questions I sometimes ask Myself is how should architecture serve Me? Unfortunately, I’m dealing with defective software here. In My experience, which is pretty extensive, architects are overwhelmingly secular. It goes with concepts like urban and rational. These days, when one of you is outed as a believer — Quinlan Terry for example — they’re treated with pity and derision. Firstly for being God’s Architect, secondly for not being Gaudi or Pugin. So what? I’m allowed only one architect at a time? In My mansion is an infinite volume of epic space. Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough.

You won’t, though, will you, because the smart thing these days is sustainable paganism. I may not be revered any longer, but you’re all perfectly relaxed about this new green religion. Oh, brilliant — Earth worship. I thought you’d done with that, ages ago. Please. The Earth is just a big fat clod. Yet apparently it must be appeased, and feared. “O wrathful Earth, do not choke us all or boil us. O great Gaia, spare us and we will mend our ways. And could you put in a good word for us with your mate the sun god Ra? Or whatever he’s called this week?” You thick ants.

I acknowledge there has been some cracking architecture done in My name throughout the ages. Temples, churches, supermosques. Lovely. Houses of Me. Thanks. Good job.

Except I’m not corporeal, am I? I’m everywhere and nowhere baby, as per Jeff Beck’s classic party floor-filler, Hi Ho Silver Lining. So at the moment, yes, I’m definitely “at home” in, say, Ely Cathedral. Gorgeous nave. But I’m actually “in” social housing too. You know, that haunting stuff you recoiled from, guiltily, when you glimpsed it the other day out of the train window. Don’t even bother pretending you didn’t. I am God. I AM your conscience.

I know Mies van der Rohe once said I was in the details. And I know he’s everybody’s favourite modernist autocrat. But to be honest he was more interested in the luxury end of the market than theology. No, I am in the POINT of a building. I don’t just mean spires either, you scuttling idiots.

Anyway, listen, take care.

Starchitect talks sense?

2007-03-14T13:23:00.000Z

Frank Gehry blogs for the Guardian about designing a new Guggenheim for Abu Dhabi.

The talking sense part? This paragraph:

"I'm really excited by the level of intelligent engagement by the local leaders in Abu Dhabi although there's still a big discussion to be had about the planning of new buildings. What they want from the architecture, by me, by Zaha Hadid and others, is a "string of pearls", stretching to the water to form a new "cultural quarter" to attract tourists; but, there's a bit of tendency to want a nice new building from each of us without enough thought about how they'll all hang together. I'd like to be more involved in the urban planning, but that's a lot to ask; you can't just say, especially when you've just arrived, hey, I'd like to redo your city."

So often it appears that these starchitects don't have enough concern for context. Or perhaps they're not allowed to. I suspect the practices are handed a plot and have very little input on its surroundings. We see that in competitions we've entered at work - someone else has done the masterplan and we get given a plot number to design a building for (especially with housing developments).

Gehry ought to be concerned about the setting of his building. A poor setting will detract from it and poor access will deter visitors. His client won't be happy.

PMA

2007-02-22T11:23:00.000Z

I think I've figured something out.

Now I've passed my driving test I can drive. I think to myself "I've passed my test that means I can drive".

Before I'd passed the thought was ore like "I haven't passed my test - I can't drive".

Maybe Linford Christie was right about that Positive Mental Attitude stuff after all...