| The weekend |
[Dec. 6th, 2009|09:31 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  awake | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Celtic Legend - sweet rosemary | ] |
Sunday draws to a close, steadily busy each night with work although the weather tonight is milder and hardly a breeze over the sea.
Looking ahead, I'm off for Xmas and if anywhere near Salisbury again, I was tempted to try and catch the mid-winter sunset at Stonehenge maybe? |
|
|
| windy... |
[Dec. 6th, 2009|07:20 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | The Merry Thoughts - pale empress | ] |
Rather a chill wind in the night, not the sort of weather for wandering around outside checking line-work from A3 size drawings... |
|
|
| night-shifts |
[Dec. 3rd, 2009|05:08 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | awake | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Celtic Legend - sweet rosemary | ] |
Back at work on night-shifts after delays on the helicopter departure time, moved cabin again - so living out of a bag (no change on the last couple of weeks then, apart from a lack of scenic countryside).
At least Twinings string-tag Earl Grey tea-bags have returned, rather than the unbranded floor-sweepings we've suffered the last few months.
Sleeping surprisingly well during the first day in bed and up now for food before night-shift and planning a few things and events for when back home for Xmas... Friday 18th. December for the Mediæval Baebes at Sheffield, then Goth & Alternative at Wendyhouse, Leeds on Dec. 19th. |
|
|
| travel... |
[Dec. 2nd, 2009|12:09 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Montrose Scotland | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Wolfsheim - the sparrows and the nightingales | ] |
Leaving Chester with enough time for a relaxed late lunch in Harkers before the 400 mile train ride north, I end up delayed an hour and a half at Edinburgh where there is normally around 10 minutes between connections. (Aberdeen after midnight now...)
Another 400 miles on top of last weekend's near 1000 mile traversal of part of the south of England.
Thursday: a lunch time departure from Chester to Brighton with a brief stop off for refreshments around Banbury after an earlier route change from Nantwich across to Shropshire to the M54 due to the M6 being partially blocked. Otherwise a reasonable journey apart from crawling pace on the M25 and getting to Brighton around 6pm.
New Model Army and their support were rather good and for once I didn't feel like I was the oldest person at a gig. Enough time for a quick drink afterwards in Gin Gin then time for me to retire for the evening before the next day's drive.
Friday: after a fine cooked breakfast at the hotel, on the road above the South Coast to Dartmouth, skirting north of Southampton, a short detour up to Salisbury - to replan lunch on the hoof, because the fine Deli I called at was empty and had been reposessed. Leaving the Defender on the Market Square short-stay - a dash into Cafe Monde for coffee and a light bite before scenic A-roads south westerly towards Blandford Forum and Dorchester. By now a fine morning had turned into an early afternoon of torrential rain - squashing ideas of a stroll around the Cerne Abbas Giant along the way.
Onwards to Exeter and down to Paignton and the elusive A-road to the ferry.
As darkness fell, the Landrover was squeezing down steep narrow lanes to the Lower Ferry (approx 6 cars capacity) at Kingsweir for Dartmouth. On the Dartmouth side the roads were even narrower, but only a short drive / squeeze to the car park of the guest house and a stroll along into Dartmouth for food. The New Angel did an excellent pheasant breast washed down with a glass of wine.
Saturday: commenced with a mammoth cooked breakfast and a wander around Dartmouth, then folk-tales accompanied with harp music and a film show.
The evening was most pleasantly rounded off with a masked ball and other entertainments - concert harp at the beginning of the evening from the talented Elizabeth Jane Baldry and the main music for the ball from The Daughters of Elvin.
Sunday came and went with foul weather overnight and throughout the day - I got to Cerne Abbas on the way northwards, but rain put paid to walking and any decent photos. Onwards and homewards via Winchester and Oxfordshire, with yet more rain - otherwise a rather fine weekend. |
|
|
| Home... |
[Nov. 30th, 2009|09:34 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  content | ] |
| [ | music |
| | New Model Army - vagabonds | ] |
Back home in Chester after a rather fine long weekend in Southern England, despite the rain. |
|
|
| A long weekend |
[Nov. 26th, 2009|12:06 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | M6 | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
| [ | music |
| | BBC Radio 2 | ] |
On the road again, tonight it's New Model Army at Concorde 2 at Brighton, then a long weekend along the South Coast / South Downs to Dartmouth for folklore and a masked ball and back north Sunday / Monday via Hampshire...
Last weekend saw a fine night on Saturday in Leeds for Wendyhouse, although not leaving a rather wet and grey Chester in time for any daytime shopping and noseying about in Leeds.
From Leeds it was straight down the M1 and across Northants and Oxfordshire and a few hours of sound sleep in the Landrover below Uffington White Horse.
A leisurely Sunday in Oxford, then Monday dodging the rain at Waterperry Gardens and Tuesday at the recently refurbished Ashmolean Museum. One travelled leisurely back north along Oxfordshire's roads before the M40 (and giving up on Xmas shopping at 'Bicester Village' and having a couple of hours in Banbury instead). |
|
|
| Another week vanishes behind the sofa... |
[Nov. 21st, 2009|11:41 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Celtic legend - swet rosemary | ] |
Yet more rain at the start of the week, that has now passed to strong gusts here in Cheshire.
Wendyhouse tonight in Leeds for a fix of Goth / Industrial and 80s music and culture, then travelling south to Oxfordshire - although not to view a Tax Haven that has appeared in the news... A pleasant bridge over the Thames at Oxford that I took the StrangeRover over a few years ago.
I'll probably end up towards Uffington White Horse, although camping might be a bit wild. (Loosely topical, as I've just read A book of Dreams by Peter Reich - used as a basis for Kate Bush's Cloudbusting song and video - the latter was filmed on the hillside).
Then, I'll be taking the StrangeRover 2 through Oxford's City streets (Grand Cafe etc.) for a day or so there, maybe looking in on the recently refurbished Ashmolean Museum if I'm still down there on Tuesday.
Back at home, a couple of local drives out and strolls across Chester - the River Dee quite high (flood alerts at Bangor-is-y-Coed and Conwy) and a couple of old ruined watermills have their races thundering as well as the weir by the Old Dee Bridge.
Enough time between the rain for a couple of spells in the garden, with Last.FM on the laptop and some ground cleared away and hornbeam hedging removed and replanted at a better level. (Up the road from me, a patch of open land has had an overgrown hawthorn hedge layered in a really manner).
The last couple of days has seen the final trees with leaves now turn from any remaining green to yellow, brown and mostly drop away. Some spectacular red on my ornamental acers and the walnut tree is just hanging on to it's golden-brown foliage.
Time to order some more fruit trees - I'll give tentation a try, after eating some rather pleasant Waitrose ones early autumn... |
|
|
| last week... |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|10:13 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | sleepy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Syrian – Hypercube | ] |
A pleasantly relaxed week off - although a little too wet outdoors to get much done, so more relaxed than expected.
Not quite fitting neatly with my views on land-fill, outside I have an 8 cu. yard skip for permanently removing a chunk of garden - the problem with a brown-field site is how well (or not) the previous land owner / developer has bothered with clean-up and site preparation. Consequently another load of poor soil, cinders and brick-ends are part way to being removed for hedging alterations and tree and shrub planting in the grand scheme of things...
In these dark winter evenings, one has indulged in dining at some of Chester's respected establishments. (Apart from Telford's, there didn't seem to be much on musically). At Joseph Benjamin I picked up a pamphlet for local produce and places - one I'd missed was The Brewery Tap in the historic Gamul House on Lower Bridge Street. It's been there a year and (more fittingly) replaces a former Pizza Express in a fine Jacobean Great Hall. It's run by a local micro-brewery (under the name of Spitting Feathers) and specialises in local produce.
Saturday morning (after yet more rain) saw a trip to the Farm Shop at Hawarden Castle for a festive food fair... |
|
|
| The news |
[Nov. 10th, 2009|03:30 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cold | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Cauda Pavonis - nine to five freakshow | ] |
The recent changes to digital TV caused me a bit of faffing around, as The BBC channels had defaulted to the local Welsh rather than BBC North-West.
This was an even bigger problem for Father, who speaks no Welsh at all and responded in a very Anglo-Saxon style when I handed over a beginners phrase-book...
The garden has taken a bit of a back seat due to cold and dampness. Although a load of leaves shredded and composted from off the lawn for now and quite a few tree seeds to plant.
A pleasant Sunday spent at Ness Gardens - autumnal, but interesting - particularly a hill-top clump of eucalypts and a collection of Sorbus (mainly rowan, but also the whitebeam variants).
Meanwhile, a trip to the doctor's for a minor skin complaint brought up the subject of Swine Flu - apparently Crohn's disease means I'm a 'vulnerable person' and will get an immunisation invite in due course - but due to being on immuno-suppressants they don't know if i should or should not have the jab or not?
Bright Star was soporifically pleasant and interesting, despite it's theme being the untimely death of the young romantic poet Keats. |
|
|
| home |
[Nov. 6th, 2009|11:05 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Spandau Ballet | ] |
Not sure this one will be flying off the shelves for Xmas: London Wallpapers? Although I know a surprising number of folk who'd be glad of it...
My first couple of days on dry land haven't exactly been very dry - ankle deep in leaves outside, but the trees not quite denuded enough to compensate for the grey skies through the windows.
For Thursday, a rather relaxed and pleasant long lunch in Chester at Joseph Benjamin and a stroll back home along the canal - before the rain started again.
A visit from my folks for Friday lunch time and in the afternoon - a dusting down of the drawing-board for hopefully some progress on plans for the south façade, proposed west wing and a new drawing room here at One's seat, as well as minor landscaping within the grounds.
A week ahead at home - mainly odd jobs about the place and entertaining, then a look ahead towards minor travels and days out before a grand excursion around Southern England at the end of November before one returns to work.
Looking even further ahead towards December - I travel back to work a day earlier on the Monday between Xmas and New Year - conveniently English Heritage are having a Tudor history event for a few days around then, so I might break the train journey up a bit for a few hours up the West Coast Main Line... |
|
|
| Homeward bound... |
[Nov. 4th, 2009|10:25 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  accomplished | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Abney Park - Airship Pirate | ] |
Clear skies, calm seas - chopper on it's way and contingency for the trains south past Montrose.
Home by nightfall...
:) |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Nov. 2nd, 2009|11:18 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  curious | ] |
| [ | music |
| | VNV Nation - illusion | ] |
An interesting looking film out Friday: Bright Star...
"London 1818: a secret love affair begins between 23 year-old English poet, John Keats (Ben Whishaw), and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an out-spoken student of high fashion. This unlikely pair begin at odds, he thinking her a stylish minx, while she was unimpressed not only by his poetry but also by literature in general."
That is of course, if I'm home by Friday - news reports suggest that the north of Scotland is cut off. Rail and road services have been disrupted between Aberdeen and Edinburgh (and other delays at Preston).
Meanwhile, I need to look up some live music for the next couple of weeks and odd nights out (Ironically over the last couple of days, a few online flyers have suggested some good New Year's Eve Goth nights - but as well as having just missed the winter Whitby, I'm working over New Year).
The Galley / Catering Crew out here made a fine themed effort for Hallow E'en though :)
One full day and a bit to go...
Basic Itinery for the next 4 weeks off:
A week at home / Cheshire / North Wales
Manchester / Sheffield / Leeds / Derbyshire / Peak District
Oxfordshire / Uffington / bits of The Cotswolds
Brighton (New Model Army performing at Concorde 2)
South of England generally
Devon (Dartmouth - masked ball)
Knightshayes Court
Salisbury / Winchester / Bristol / Gloucestershire / Shropshire |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Nov. 1st, 2009|07:48 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Kate Bush - cloudbusting | ] |
70 knot gusts of wind out here today, the last Sunday lunch of the trip and a quieter day after Friday morning's early 5:20 wake-up due to an accidental deluge release, shutdown and re-start...
Reclining in the cabin early evening - I caught some of Countryfile. There was a feature on the Chillingham Wild Cattle (The background of the web page is a copy of a print of Edwin Landseer's famous painting, of which I obtained an old large print in Whitby last April).
Hopefully the winds will suppress any hint of fog and subside in time for Wednesday's helicopter home. Reports from which suggest I'll be gathering a lot of dead leaves up (although shredding and mulching them back onto the garden).
The Landrover should have had it's 'make-over' by the time I'm home (Ifor Williams metal hood at the rear sprayed green, together with what was a white roof and rubberised paint in the pick-up tub).
Looking at journey options for down south at the end of November, I'm tempted to make a detour between Brighton and Dartmouth to have a nosey at the Cerne Abbas Giant. |
|
|
| look ahead |
[Oct. 29th, 2009|09:11 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Celtic Legend - sweet rosemary | ] |
One is missing the Whitby Goth Weekend this autumn, (away with work).
Steadily busy here on our remote island - I haven't seen the outdoors apart from on a cctv screen for just over a week now and six days still to go...
Looking far ahead, I'm off to a weekend of folklore and fairytale at Dartmouth at the end of November - with a masked ball on the evening of Saturday 28th. November.
Travel is still at the planning stages - although not a quick jaunt (800 mile round trip over a long weekend), I've booked a ticket to see New Model Army at Brighton on the evening of Thursday 26th. November, before traversing England's south coast or South Downs to Dartmouth (via the imaginatively named Slappers Hill, Devon).
View Larger Map
Return travel home will probably take in Winchester Farmer's Market on Sunday 29th. November, followed by any other distractions northwards - depending if I head up the A34 to Newbury / Oxford or cross-country to Salisbury and Marlborough... |
|
|
| Monday |
[Oct. 26th, 2009|09:35 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | The Mediæval Bæbes - Scarborough Fair | ] |
A quick flick through the TV in the cabin on Sunday night brought up Countryfile (older viewers will remember this as the BBC Farming programme) - as it is now a 'diverse' countryside programme it also includes some farm diversification and this week had a farm that did Hallow E'en 'scare' tours and another that specialised in sheep's milk for a nearby cheese maker in Lancashire. I must confess an enthusiasm for smoked sheep's cheese after an impromtu picnic with ingredients garnered from a food festival on Winchester Cathedral Green. Apparently sheeps milk / cheese is easier on the digestive tract, as sheeps milk has smaller fat particles (as well as more calcium)...
Monday had a subtle backdrop of BBC Radio Two. With Zoe Ball standing in for Ken Bruce, William Orbit gave the "Tracks Of My Years" - Although I like a lot of stuff by him, I was surprised to find I wasn't amazingly inspired by the tracks of his choice...
A couple of hours later, my ears picked up to Visage with Fade to Grey and Spandau Ballet shortly afterwards.
Tomorrow I move cabin for a couple of nights (apparently, visitors on a stop-over necessitate an accommodation move around).
Looking ahead, I've booked a ticket for The Mediæval Bæbes performing at Sheffield Cathedral on Friday 18th. December. :)
Meanwhile - the next spell of four weeks off to fill too... |
|
|
| The weekend |
[Oct. 24th, 2009|08:54 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Ayria - My Revenge on the World | ] |
The weekend arrives on our remote island. The CCTV screens suggest grey skies outside and a wintery ambience and choppy waves some days...
We are also into 1-to-1 sessions for reorganisation in the new year with the option to indicate a preference for 'selective' voluntary severence, stay within the 'central' operating area of our business (not necessarily present location) or to transfer to the southern sector.
It is very similar in structure to exercises I've been through within the last two employing companies within the same parent group of companies. It'll be interesting to see from the second quarter of 2010 as to who ends up where. At 40 years of age and 24 years service, the 'unknown' potentially enhanced pay-off might have been an attractive option - but my preference for now is to hopefully stay within my present group.
I'll also be missing this October's Whitby Goth Weekend - although one awaits with interest as to what is happening for the April 2010 event(s)? |
|
|
| Wednesday |
[Oct. 21st, 2009|12:03 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 57.00 n 2.00 e | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | awake | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Kate Bush - cloudbusting | ] |
Back at work after a delayed train to Aberdeen last night, a 5am wake up, 6am check-in (with quickest baggage check ever) - then hanging around in the helicopter for ages at Aberdeen before chewing it's way through a head wind off-shore.
Oh well - just two weeks to go... |
|
|
| Back to work... |
[Oct. 20th, 2009|02:59 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | calm | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Rainbow - since you've been gone | ] |
A rather pleasant weekend catching up with a few folk...
To London on Friday afternoon, taking the sedate Wrexham / Shropshire / Marylebone to London train - then a relaxed Friday night dining at Ping Pong and a couple of drinks in the Devonshire Arms at Camden.
Kew Gardens on the Saturday - why I have not been before I do not know?
Only managing a quarter of the way round really during the day.
The tree-top walkway is quite good and lunch in the Orangery shows historically the lengths people would go to to grow things in England with respect to expense and buildings.
An orchestral start to the V12, 27 litre loco striking up at Marylebone on the Saturday night and Sunday at home for a few hours before travelling across The Pennines for VNV Nation at Corporation, Sheffield.
(just as well I avoided the M56, as a stray ostrich catastrophically collided with a lorry...)
Aryia, the first band on (from Canada) were quite good, although VNV milked their encore(s) a little - a good night all round and some Xmas shopping commenced during the Monday morning at Sheffield.
Lunch in The Blue Moon Cafe and the train back home to Chester.
Back up north this afternoon for another two weeks on an exclusive private island... |
|
|
| The weekend |
[Oct. 13th, 2009|08:35 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | BBC Radio 2 | ] |
Finally one has achieved relatively normal sleeping patterns after last week's night-shifts.
Thursday saw a hospital appointment for a check up on the Crohn's - 'stability' is assumed at it's present state and the various inconveniences and secondary symptoms are just part of the of the condition - although reverting back to muscle and nerve medication was hinted at short term (which I'd prefer to avoid).
A relatively quiet weekend - rural and pastoral with a foray into Shropshire, although Sunday's trains were replaced with a bus between Shrewsbury and Chester.
A little bit achieved in the garden - definitely autumn, but the ground being rather dry allowed a little bit of ground work without any mess. Must pot on a few more trees and saplings...
Tonight I'm off to Aberdeen on the sleeper for a day up there on Wednesday (computer based process simulation).
Next weekend I'm off to London for a couple of days and back in time for VNV Nation playing Corporation in Sheffield on the Sunday night. |
|
|
| Goth Rock and The BBC |
[Oct. 8th, 2009|02:58 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Chester England | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Iron Maiden - run to the hills | ] |
Mentioned in a BBC website article, the Eiganharp disrupts my Yamaha tenori-on aspirations - although at around £4000 it would be a touch disruptive and discordant on the bank balance...
Back home after a pleasant lunch between trains at Edinburgh's Fruitmarket Cafe.
Into Chester this morning for 9am, having woke just before 3am as the body tries to adjust from night-shifts. |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
strangerover's journal