11°C, grey but dry and calm.
Rode the Jake along the Ribble estuary. The ground was softer than last time but some sections were too broken up to ride
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3251440075
This was a recovery ride after a persistent cold. It’s not fully cleared and nearing the end of its third week. I despair at the longevity of this one. Despair? I’m downright annoyed about it.
12°C, sunny.
Recovering from a particularly stubborn cold, so I plodded in on the hack bike to town. Google lists 2 record shops which I fancied a browse. You get the best out of shops like that if you get to know the staff. The best ones will find records that think you’ll like. Today, both shops were shut. I’ll try again on Saturday.
I ‘bobbed into’ a couple of second-hand shops too. They were friendly places, one guy offered to make tea and made it clear that the offer was open to customers too.
As soon as I got home, I took fastballs out to the garden feeder, a sudden bursting flutter from the end of the garden is not familiar. The heron is back. That’s a very big bird to land in my garden, and a big bird to take wing to escape. It escaped between two houses heavily gaining altitude. How to Use protect my much loved frogs? Maybe a net over the pond? I’m not using anything that could injure that magnificent bird, but at the same time….
Fine, 12°C, blustery sun.
100 years is a significant anniversary, one century ago, WWI came to a sudden end.
We marked the day with a trip to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall to see the lad perform in a choir.
Music: the performance was split in two across the interval. Before, each school’s choir performed and presented readings.
School orchestras can be slightly wobbly performers; for me, that’s a source of charm. Strings and brass seem to show this quality more than others. Usually, voices are spot on. Readings were delivered wonderfully, with clarity and measured pace.
Poppies: one moment stood out for me. The Last Post and 2 minutes silence are to be expected really. But then something spine tingling happened. The edge of your vision was caught by fluttering shapes. Red poppy petals slowly fell to the floor, sometimes, whole flower heads. It’s ironic that the most poignant moment in a concert was silence. That was a beautiful moment that afternoon.
The second half was taken up by a grand performance of Mozart’s Requiem. A strange choice, I thought; it was written over 150 before the Great War. I didn’t see what it offered of relevance to this day. The Requiem is a long drawn out dreary piece that left many in the audience browsing through their copy of the programme. With so many composers of the early 29thC who relate to the birth of modernity, why Mozart? The choice was probably a comprise selection to satisfy the 8+ schools who took part. Mozart undoubtedly has innovations to offer in the context of his time, but the modernist shift was far more fundamental. For some, Mozart represents the conformity and obeyance that led to the WWI disaster. One level, his Requiem represents poor taste.
It was lovely to see Birmingham.
You can forget how attached you are to a town until a later return: much has changed, new buildings and more going up.
Why is this, I wake at 02.30, wide awake so get up for my usual night-time herb tea. Back to bed for more ceiling staring. I don’t get it, I’m not stressed, don’t have any worries and it’s been 12 hours since the last coffee. What’s going on?
Here is the plaster in the kitchen. And here it as was a week ago:
I suspect that the heat may have played a part it that plaster becoming detached. This is where the boiler used to be mounted and those pipes carry very hot water. I’ve not decided how to box in the pipes. Should they have insulation.
Is this a cold causing sleep disruption? the current cold has hung on a while just entering its third week. I’m so frustrated by this.
14°C, white cloud and a S breeze
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3233791615
While not entirely recovered, I managed to tap out 84km the feeling of emptiness is a result, I’d say, of an inadequate meal last night. It’s a particular feeling and I know my meal yesterday was low on carbs.
10°C, sunny and dry. Cold start.
The cables needed a bit of adjustment to get the index right. Winter is coming so I will have a day changing cablesets on a couple of bikes. This one has suffered from the effects of sea salt.
7°C, grey with a cold N breeze.
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3228261259
Hiking with some old friends in the Dark Peak area of the Pennines.
This was a day and route of variety: moorland, forest, ridge and a few hours of night walking. Firstly, we headed into Alport Moor and then descended amongst the strangest landforms, a mixture of landslips, landslides and what looks like gorges. It’s a real puzzle trying to unpick what happened to this terraine.
The descent from here took us back to rural farmland and into darkness. The last leg was nearly 2 hours of night walking. We had a good system running here which I shall pass onto kids. I led in front route finding on the ground and Carl followed with the map in hand. This works better than me holding the map because holding it up in the head-torch. destroys your night vision
Here we are, the traditional Blair Witch shot on a night walk.
In all, this qualifies as a Quality Hillwalking Day, a valid entry onto the Mountain Training logbook. That makes 150 in my book.
15°C falling to 0°C under clear sky.
Gold Qualifying expedition, Brecon Beacons. Long drive in fine conditions, rolling mist filled some fields near the coast. That reminded me of some of the early season trips this year. In in the tent now as the air rapidly approaches freezing. It’s going to be a cold one! I met my two groups earlier and they seem lovely.
DofE 16.1 Friday: sorting out a lad who woke feeling and looking rather ill took so much time this morning. He was so pale, he looked almost green. I was ready to pull him out and the other staff agreed. The school wanted to try warming him up and persuade some food into him. Their approach turned out to be right. After the warm minibus ride to the start point, they set the group towards an old railway line. My plan was to drive to a point half way, walk in and intercept the trail on foot. The valley held a temperature inversion, fog pooled in the bottom like a sheepskin rug. It was very dense once you descend into it, cold too. It did burn off quickly, a photo opportunity missed, I can’t stop when I’m working. It took too long to decide on a parking spot. This area has a terrible reputation for car break-ins.
I got up there and saw no groups. Even walking a few km SW revealed nobody. That’s good really because he must be okay. So, off to the next checkpoint after walking for about 4km.
In the evening we inevitably cooked in the dark, no problem with that. The nearby woods attracted the most tawny owls I have ever hear in one go, at least five. There was a barn owl calling in the valley too. Another call in the mix I didn’t recognise, the night sky is clear too.
DofE 16.2: Fan-y-Big and Cribyn.
Drove round to the finishing campsite and walked up to the Bwlch next to Fan-y-big. One of my groups was there and were planning an addition to their route because they wouldn’t be out long enough. I suggested more time spent on their aim. Eventually they decided on the path NW of Cribyn. It’s a narrow ledge which should be spectacular.
Then I went up the summit to find my other group. They were visible from the Bwlch, clearly making navigation decisions so I guessed where they’d be. Sure enough, they were relaxing on the summit.
From here, I went to the summit of Cribyn, not because I needed, to just to bag it. From there to the bwlch the other side so i could re-trace the route my group 2 had taken an hour earlier. There was damage from a landslide half way along.I hoped the gold group were okay. If they weren’t, I’d find them. I didn’t.
DofE 16.3: the alarm it set for 05.40 to give time to organise groups and myself. We’re relocating, so the tent has to come down. However, above blazed the stars in Orion, Gemini and Auriga. Before dawn, before breakfast, I gazed through binoculars. This was a chance to see clearly without light pollution. Sirius and all of Canis Major was visible down to the horizon. I’ve never seen it like that before. Twilight would soon show.
Back up Cribyn. Leaving the tent to dry, I set off after 3 groups who had started. The other staff reassured me that it’s okay to overtake them to man the summit.
Here they come.
Here was another spectacular day, crystal clear and deep blue above, from the vantage point, the very top of Sugar Loaf mountain can be seen in the distant east. From here, I watched the two groups climb the north ridge. They were so thrilled to get to the top; many selfies were taken.
DofE 16.4: last day, a simple walk up the Taff valley. Weather was cool but bright and dry; good for us then. Debrief would be 2km from the finish to prevent a rush to board the coach. Debrief is payback, I know I get money for this job but feedback from the kids is a kind of pay. They were lovely too, grateful and charming. I got a sense that they will genuinely develop a love for the hills, their kit will be used again.
A day spent house-making. The old cooker is out, the new one in place. Radiators are ready and waiting for the plumber.
Soon to be hidden under wallpaper behind a radiator is this sketch.. Drawing over polyfiller is not as easy as plaster. The texture is too rough which made subtle marks difficult to achieve. Perhaps a hard grade of pencil would suit better.
11°C, still with bright sun.
Rode the Racelite possibly for the last time before winter.
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/3200059993
It took some warming up, but the usual rule worked – 1/2 hour or 8 miles, whichever comes first. 35 miles is a but short for a Sunday ride so I did some intervals.
In all, the ride was just a shade under 50km.
Micycle 