I try to go walking every weekend now (mostly on a Sunday if I can). Although I’m working again now, I learned how to organise an adventure for £5 while I was unemployed, and I continue to “invent” new ones.
The Wirral Coastal path, runs from Hamilton Square to West Kirby and is about 12 miles. It ends where the Wirral Way begins, so the 2 can be combined to make a smart 25 mile walk.
A return ticket from Chester to West Kirby, costs £4.40. You get off the train at Hamilton Square, do the walk, and get back on the train at one of several stations, upto and including West Kirby. Bottle of water, flask of coffee, home made packed lunch, all in for less than a fiver.
I met up with my companions, Amelia and Tony. We arrived (well some of us did !) at the last possible minute before the train left. A misunderstanding about who was bringing what, made a re-distribution of gear a necessity (subsequently, on a windy day, I was cold for most of the route, as I had to lend out my Hagloff jacket).
Setting of from Hamilton Square, we walk along the water front, with spectacular views of Liverpool. After about a mile, you have to head inland, as one of the docks, is an international port (or as international as Ireland gets) and as such, is a secure facility. Its just a shame that you cant walk the whole way along the waterfront.
Once we leave Seacombe ferry port, the route changes, and landscapes like the one above form much of the rest of the route, with Sand-dunes to the left, a path down the middle, and a beach to the right.
It being a coastal path, it’s pretty flat. Unlike the Wirral Way though, there was virtually no cover, so although it was dry all day, when the wind came howling, you had to take it on the chin.
As you can see from this picture, we could either walk along the concrete path, or along the sandy beach. Luckily, I had my old trainers on (walking boots on concrete is about the best way to get impossibly blistered feet I know off).
As we get close to New Brighton, we see Fort Perch Rock (a Naval fort, built during the Napolionic wars). I wanted to go inside, but it was about £4, which I thought was just too expensive.
We tried to find somewhere to sit and eat our sandwiches, but it was really windy.
We reached New Brighton, which to say the least, was a surprise. There must be about 20 chippy’s in close proximity. Some sort of “poncy” theatre, which looks completely out of place. A strip club, which didn’t look out of place at all, and a fairground (which reminded me of all the reasons I don’t go to fairgrounds).
Moving on, we left New Brighton behind, and the beaches opened up before us (there were loads of people wind surfing and stuff like that).
We decided not to walk all the way to West Kirby, and instead, catch the train back from Moreton.
For eight years, I worked at a company, with one of its offices in Moreton. I frequently got the train back, which was a ten minute walk along a straight road. Just near the the station, the road climbed to a steep hill, and I always wondered for all of those year’s what was on the other side.
As a walked along a familiar looking road, inland (the opposite direction) and climbed to the top of the hill. I realised that the road to the Train Station, continues on to the beach.
The logo of this website, is someone (me actually) sat on a sofa, with a mountain behind him. The idea is that someone is relaxing, and adventures becons close buy, but he doesn’t see it and doesnt realise just how close it is.
I must have had several hundred lunch hours when I worked in Moreton, and never realised an interesting beach walk was 10 minutes away.
Well, anther cracking day out, and it was great to see that Travel “War Dog” again, Tony.
I’ve started going walking each weekend. Frodsham is only about 12 miles from Chester. The Sandstone trail starts there, and since Tony and I are looking to do the full route in a couple of weeks, a short “recky” walk seemed sensible.
16 minutes from Chester by train, Frodsham really is a traditional pub and tea house village. We set off straight away, and walked up the hill. The trail is very varied and winding, and runs through a forest. The weather was superb throughout the whole afternoon. As we ambled along the trail, we passed several of the dells and caves.
I wore my normal attire of walking trousers, t shirt, jumper and waterproof jacket (which between the 4 of them, can accomodate almost any UK weather) I also had my packed lunch, flask and last but not least, my old trainers.
After walking around for a couple of hours, we headed for the Sandstone Obelisk, the overlooks the whole of the valley bellow.
I ate my sandwiches, looking at the view out accross the valley. Spectacular.
Frank and I originally walked the Sandstone Trail, about 5 years ago (it was 38 miles, done over 2 days). A brill day out. I’m really enjoying getting back into walking.
Well, its that time of year again, and I’m another year older.
I’ve just started a new job, so it wasn’t possible to take my actual birthday off on the 7th of May (I usual spend the day relaxing, and use it as a sort of half year review of my plan for the year).
The day following, was a Saturday, so I rustled up all my friends from Chester and throughout the UK. I had already worked out an itinerary. As suspected, it all went a bit to cock, with people phoning from venue’s where we should have been and weren’t, and at one point my phone went dead so some guests couldn’t contact me (apologies to those affected).
The picture above, was taken by my reliable friend Steve. There were lots of other people around, throughout the day, and many of them, I don’t normally see that often, so that was excellent.
A particular favourite venue, was the recently opened Commercial hotel (I go there on Tuesdays, to attend their comedy night).
Although I had a good time, I was in pain most of the day (a trip to the casualty department on Sunday morning, and a helpful consultant, has resolved the problem).
My guests, awarded me, the privilege of sitting in the really comfortable chair, in the front room of the Commercial. A chair that was temporarily dubbed the Birthday Throne.
What can I say. I have had a lot of bad luck, but things are really starting to turn around now. It was great to be able to relax, and not have to put on a happy face, when in reality, I was quite worried. This time, I looked contented, because I really was (apart from the trapped nerve in my back !).
As mentioned in another article, I have started to recycle and give to the charity shop with a vengeance. Before I go to the charity shop, I just thought I would offer out the present charity “portfolio” in case anyone is interested. I have an old golf ball, 10 blank mini disks and a meditation cassette, if anyone wants them.
Thanks to everyone that came, I really appreciated your company, and had a great time.
Well, all systems go for my birthday next Saturday the 8th. Full details here.
On my first Inter-railing trip, I took a book called Living Dangerously, it was the autobiography of Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Ran is one of my life hero’s, and I was delighted to read recently, that he will be visiting Chester on the 24th of June. Full details here.
I’ve added 2 things to 17 things I like, so its now called 19 things I like.
Speaking of Mountaineering, a chap I did my mountaineering training with is on expedition for 21 days on Baffin Island. Mike “Twid” Turner and 2 of his fellow climbers will be mountaineering in the daytime, and sleeping in hanging tents at night (oh, and in between, they will have to avoid wild bears).
The cool thing is, they they have a sat phone with them, and will be answering questions each evening. You can find out about it and possibly ask them a question (I will be) here.
I only have about 25% of my hearing (In my youth, I went on lots of longs walks, with a cassette walkman screaming in my ears. It provided me with all kinds of inspiration and ideas, but at a price.) if you want to get an idea of what the world sounds like to me, click on this.
You may remember, that I did some work with Antique Pine Imports, with the intention of learning about joinery. Whilst working with Matty, we listened (in my case under duress) to Radio 1. The outcome, is that I can’t stop humming “she said” by Plan B. Torture !.
I said recently, there wasn’t much that was funny about British politics. I’ve change my mind, after watching this and this , done with state of the art animation for foreign audiences.
Seriously, its important to vote. I’ve stood in Nelson Mandela’s cell where he worked for 27 years to restore democracy to his country. I’ve stood in Wenceslas Square in Prague, where Jan Palach set himself on fire as there was simply no other way to protest for democracy and be heard.
Warren Buffet once said “If you’ve been at a card game for 30 minutes, and you cant work out who the patsy is, you are the patsy !”. British Politics is a bit like that. The parties all seem the same, the expenses row has shown many politicians to be corrupt and the economic problem looms so large, that you wonder if anyone can fix it. But if you don’t vote, then you literally are the problem, not a symptom, whatever you tell yourself.
I remember being on a train once, and it was very late. I was annoyed, and talking to a passenger next to me. I explained that the ticket had cost £90 and the train still didn’t run on time. The passenger replied that he hadn’t bought a ticket, he had sneaked onto the train without paying, but he was still annoyed. The passenger sat across from me, turned to him, and said if you don’t pay, you don’t get complain !.
If you don’t vote, you cant really complain afterwards.
I’ve been watching a series by another of my life heroes, Stephen Hawking. Into the Universe, explores all sorts of things that you normally see in science fiction, in a grown up but interesting way. I’ve said many times that we cant possibly be alone in the Universe, and that I hope we make contact with Aliens in my lifetime.
I’ve always believed that once Aliens are discovered, the fundamental reality that we aren’t alone will bind the human race, more closely together. Startlingly (but subtly put) Hawking reckons that we should be cautious of meeting up with Aliens of superior technology and almost avoid letting them know of our existence.
He points to the example of the native North Americans as an example of what could happen to us !. I certainly hope not.
I went to see Iron Man 2 the other evening. Money is tight, but I use my Tesco vouchers to buy Cinema tickets, which works out quite well.
One thing that really annoyed me, was how they now have a sign saying you cant take your own food and drink into the Cinema. I can get 2 bottles of Coke from Wilkinsons, for 99p. They charge £2.40 for one. Things bought from the Cinema shops, have a special sticker on them. Everything else isn’t allowed !. I think that its a liberty, and I’ll be surprised if its legal.
Anyway, on to the film. Firstly, the scene in the trailer, with Pepper Pots (which interestingly, is my mum’s name (I mean the surname, is her family name. Her first name, is Vera, and she is really nice. I’d be embarrassed if she was called Pepper !)) throwing the helmet out of the plane, never actually happens in the film.
The action and effects were everything I expected. They had opted for a few big action scenes, which left a lot of the film free for character development and plot twists (its just a shame, that they didn’t actually use it for this purpose, as far as I could see 🙂
My main disappointment, was with the continuity. In the first film, as he escapes from the cave, he turns to his dying friend, and says come on, well get out of here, and you can be with your family. He replies, my family are dead. Ill be with them soon, and you realise that he had never intended to leave the cave. With his dying words, you hear him say, don’t wast your life Stark. A billionaire arms dealer, he returns home and vows to change.
He does change for the duration of that film, but in the 2nd one, he’s back to his old ways.
Other silliness is the love interest with PP, the fallout with his best friend, and dealing with his illness. All handled with enough Ham and Cheese to provide Britain’s workforce with lunchtime nutrition for a year.
The ending is pretty cool and the audacious scene, where he builds a particle accelerator from heating pipes and creates a new element, almost makes up for the pointless congressional hearing scene at the beginning.
I’ve always been a real fan of the Iron Man franchise. Its not like a normal superhero series. He hasn’t been bitten by a spider, or escaped from a doomed planet, he’s just an engineer, however gifted, who builds a machine that can protect the innocent and fight tyranny (or that’s what the original comic book was about).
One scene in the first film, really connects with me. A fictional group of villagers are being held at gunpoint in Afghanistan. How many times in real life, have you switched on the tv, and seen something terrible happening on the other side of the world. If your like me, you felt stricken, hoped that things turned out okay, but inside you knew that you were powerless and that probably things would end badly.
What if you could get into your suit, fly there and make things right. There wasn’t a single scene in the second film like that.
It was my 2nd trip to the Cinema that week. On Tuesday, I finally got around to watching Be Kind Rewind at the Little Theatre, with the Chester Film Society. I have been on their mailing list or nearly 4 years, but finally got around to going.
I was really impressed. Like everything that the traditionalist’s do here in Chester (including the sponsored walk), it was done properly, and organised with military precision. They even had a small bar, so Glenn and I had a drink, then went upstairs to watch the film.
They had a really smart setup, with a large screen, good audio and the film on DVD. One thing I did like, was a short film, shown before the main film. It used to always be this way when I was growing up, and encouraged many young directors. We realised at this point, that it was the last film of the season, and they actually conducted an AGM before the main film.
Glenn and I (who aren’t members, it must be said) had a quick look at the budget, and listened intently to the plan for next year, the fact that the Olympics has wreaked havoc on grants from the arts council, and other important matters. The main point I wanted to raise, was that Carling, in their bar, was only £1.40 a pint, and that I would like the price to be held into next season. I couldn’t find the confidence to actually say that, so I’ll just have to hope.
It wasn’t the best film, I have ever seen, but it was enjoyable. The main thing I remember of the experience , was how enlightening it was to sit and watch a film, with about 80 other people who had all come out that evening just to watch the film. There was no talking, mobiles popcorn or any of that rubbish.
I’ve previously cooked Ainsley Herriots 30 min Sunday Lunch (featured in in 17 Things I like ) but I decided to have a go at a propper roast.
It took me 2 hours (well, it took the Cooker 2 hours 🙂 and this is the finished product, just before the Gravy came out.
I recently had lunch at Chez Jules (I used to go there frequently, but it occurred to me, that I hadn’t been, in nearly 2 years). The food was just as good as last time, I’ll definitely be going back (shame this picture, taken with my IPhone, doesn’t do the 2 hour lunch justice).
I decided to bob over to the Chester Food and Drink Show.
I had been a few years ago, but it was much bigger this time, newly sited at the Chester Race Course. One thing that did please me, was I remembered my Chester Residents Card, so I got in for only £4 (and extremely nicely off them, they let Amelia in for £4 as well).
I was a little disappointed, as I thought most of the suppliers would be from the Cheshire area. Right at the back, was a farm section and it was really small.
I decided to treat myself to an Ostrich Burger. Amelia caught up with some old friends (they used to ride horses together or something) so I decided to seek out an old friend as well. I found Frodsham Ales (locally based a few miles from Chester) and bought a pint of their “Iron Man” Ale.
This years the theme was Food and Drink and Lifestyle. I didn’t think much of the lifestyle section.
Another idea, was that you could pay £20 and get 4 days full access to the event. It also meant that you could camp at the event for free.
That might not sound like a particularly good idea, but think about it for a minute. That would effectively give you 3 nights accommodation in Chester. That’s probably the cheapest way to visit and stay in Chester that I know off !.
Meanwhile, Amelia and the Hoorays had moved on and found a nice pub.
Years ago, I worked in Corporate IT. One of the things that attracted me to working in such a pressure cooker environment, was international travel.
After nearly 8 years, while working for Corning, I was scheduled to visit their head office in Hickory.
Put simply, Hickory is a town in the US, that makes a lot of wooden furniture, hence it being called Hickory. Its also one of the most boring places in the world (where do you think the name “Hick” town comes from ?).
Well, the new bar that’s opened-up on the water front, is called Hickory’s. All I could think about was a depressing week in America with work.
Also around 8 years ago, my brother took me to a new sports bar in Manchester. They had booths, with personal table’s that you could book, and you could be served food and drink while you watched Football or whatever with all the atmosphere of a “bar” game, but none of the interruptions.
Always a bit slow to catch up, Chester now has one in Hickory’s. They also do traditional smoked BBQ (whatever that is). It may turn out to be popular with visiting Americans.
A couple of random events happened to create this picture.
My friend Dan was criticising a TV program, and commented that he would rather watch mega-structures.
I had the house to myself, I was channel surfing, I saw mega-structures on the listing and started watching it. This week it was about the Petronus Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
I became fascinated with the Towers and Kuala Lumpur, and added them to my bluelist.
A year later I was standing in Kuala Lumpur. I wandered around for ages to find the right spot to take the picture.
I needed someone to take it for me. I waited for 30 minutes, until some young girls came by. They didn’t speak a word of English, and it took 7 goes (even with a simple digital camera) to setup the shot.
This is a photo taken in Tiananmen Square.
The chap in this picture, had travelled by bus for 4 days, to visit the final resting place of Mao Zedong, or Chairman Mao as he is known better, in the west.
He asked to be photographed with me, because quite simply, he had never met anyone, before that moment, who wasn’t Chinese !.
As I joked at the time, if I’d known the picture would have such significance to him, I would have lost some weight in advance of it 🙂
He and his wife had an old style film Camera, which his wife used to take their picture. The photo above, is actually her 2nd attempt with my camera. This is the first. She mistook the lens as a viewfinder, and photographed her own face !.
In the 8 things I hate section of this website, I am critical of Liam Gallagher. As I put it, we are all ambassador’s for something, and as a fellow and proud Mancunian, he offends me. Whenever I travel, I try to remember this, (I mean, that Im an ambassador for my country. I don’t go around apologizing to strangers for Liam Gallagher’s existence!).
It goes the other way too. If someone if visiting YOUR country, then they are a guest, and you should act as an Ambassador for your country, at home as well.
What has this got to do with anything. Well the pictures above, would have been impossible to take, without the friendly assistance of passers by.
In the last couple of days, here in Chester, on several occasions, I have seen a wife or husband posing for a photo while the other takes it.
I pause to watch what happens, and see dozens of local people just walk past them. I walk over, and ask they if they would like a picture together. I have done this all over the world, they never decline. Its what they wanted all along, they just didn’t like to ask.
The next time you see a group of tourists/foreigners, whatever you want to call them, capitulating around something with a camera, why not offer to take the picture. Even if they don’t need your help, they will be delighted that you offered your time to help them.
A few years ago, I was in Dubai. I had been looking forward to it immensely, but to be honest, it felt a bit empty.
The thing is, everyone raves about it, but as a travel destination, rather than a holiday retreat or a business venue, I couldn’t think of many new things to do, once you had been there 48hrs.
One thing that did interest me, was the ski slope in the desert, and the Burj Dubai Tower, which was under construction.
Once completed, it would be just shy of half a mile high (its actually taller than that now).
I read the other day, that it had finally been completed.
I saw this Chart, showing its relative hight.
I’ve stood in front of the Petronus towers, and all I can say is, if a building is nearly twice THAT high, it must be inconcievably large.
On opening, it was renamed, the Burj Khalifa Tower. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan has been responsible for bailing out Dubai financially, so I wondered if it should really have been called the “Thanks for getting us out of the Sh1t tower” ! (but then I can say that, I’m in a country with relatively free speech !).
Don’t know, if Ill go back to Dubai (although I imagine it is/will be a lot cheaper) but I’m still drawing up a 2nd bluelist for when times get better, and a building that can bee seen with the naked eye, 54k away, must be a sight to behold.
I’ll be writing personal Christmas emails tomorrow to everyone, but if I don’t get time, or some other problem, please accept my best wishes for Christmas and New Year, to everyone reading this.
If there is one thing that makes me want to scream at the moment (apart from climate change and X factor !) its the phrase used to describe the decade. The noughtie’s. Utter crap. It should be called the Zero’s, and sounds like something that children would say.
Anyway, those good old Boys at BBC News have published a list of 11 photos that define the decade. I don’t like the royals being in 2 pictures out of the 11, think the David Cameron Photo is hilarious and liked the simple picture of a girl standing in the rain.
They also have an A4 sheet you can print with slogans and logo’s of the decade. You can download it here (I’ve printed it and put it up in my room, its quite good).
The final Dr Who episode The end of time, with David Tennant will be shown on Christmas day. Most people (well me) believe that David has redefined the character and program.
Anyway, to go along with all that, they have produced a new logo. I think its rubbish, but what do I know.
For people who have watched the Dr at some point on Saturday evening, throughout the last 4 decades, you can look up your favourite logo here.
As an atheist, I don’t believe in God. Put simply, I don’t believe in a supreme being who controls everything.
There is a technique used by Tony Robbins, for when someone says I can’t/it can’t be done, etc. After a pause, Tony says, but if it could, what would it look like, how would it work etc. (you get the idea).
I tried this on myself, and asked, if God was real/existed etc., what would he be like ?.
For those that don’t know (the kind of ignorant people, who read the sport section of a newspaper, rather than the travel section) Simon Calder is probably the best know travel journalist in the UK.
Unpretentious, practical, and yet passionate about travel, he defines the simple pleasure’s of adventure by his very personality. I was delighted to see a video about things to do in Chester (my home town) made by him, you can watch it here.
A few things have happened recently on the travel front.
BA are not playing to their strengths. What I mean is they sell quality. They can cut their prices, sure but they will always (quite rightly) cost a bit more, because of what they offer. Someone once said to me, Ryanair are cheap, but how many of their cabin crew can re-start your heart (God forbid you would need).
On a BA flight, everyone on board has been fully trained, for every type of emergency. Although I think they have done great things to get people out flying, I’ve never been taken in by what I call the budget airline myth.
I have always believed that if you could fly BA or KLM or whatever for £20 over the price of Easyjet, most people would do it. Sadly, for BA, I don’t think we will ever get to find out. Whether the strike goes ahead or it doesn’t, nobody in their right mind is going to book summer holiday flights involving BA.
Ironically, there is nothing to say there wont be strikes with other airlines, its just that in most peoples minds, the die is cast.
Eurorail. I read about trains breaking down, people being stranded overnight freezing. Toilets not working and young children vomiting on themselves. Limited water and no food for 10 hours. Put like that, Easyjet, seem like Platinum class on Emirates !.
I was supposed to go to Paris on Eurorail, some years ago, but there was a fire at the time and we ended up going by coach/ferry.
The main criticism people make (and its exactly the same on a “normal” train, when it breaks down) is a lack of information. Nobody is told what is happening, what is being done etc.. Someone needs to take responsibility for this debaucle otherwise, people will just stop using Eurorail and fly !.
I recently read about a film called Invictus (the superb Morgan Freeman, is tipped to get an Oscar for it).
The film is about Nelson Mandela, and the South African Rugby team and how he used the team as a vehicle to unite the country.
I was interested, as I had the privilege of watching a Rugby Match, in a pub whilst in South Africa. I was struck by the cross section of people, who were made up of every race, tribe and cultural group within the country (SA has 11 national languages) and their instant connection, once the match began.
I’m looking forward to watching the film, and for those that don’t know, Invictus is the name of a Poem by William Ernest Henley, which Nelson Mandela memorized whilst imprisoned at Robben Island (I saw Nelson Mandela’s cell, and spent time in his small garden, within the prison, where he wrote A long walk to freedom ).
In these difficult times of recession and uncertain futures, I thought I would put it up here for people to read.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning s of chance
my head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley.
Several times while I was visiting the country, I heard Robben Island described as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, with all the other ones…
For those that are interested, these are some of their names.
