"In your hands, the birth of a new day... " (Limahl)

31 March 2007

Geocaching, Travel, Trackables

Bobbin along travelbug


Peterwell (traditional cache)


Falcondale Lake (traditional cache)


Soar-ing high (traditional cache)


DIM NOFIO (traditional cache)


Just Passing (traditional (micro) cache)


Started from home early in the morning with a list of 7 possible caches.

Unfortunately, I started off by going to two caches where I had expected interesting geocoins to be. Unfortunately, neither of the geocoins were to be found. Very frustrated by the inabilty of geocachers to log their trackables out of caches promptly. I'm less likely to sweep for geocoins in the future.

Got off the mark with two caches during the day near to where I was working. Glad then to head out over the mountain road to Llyn Brianne - one of my favourite places in Wales.

Soar-ing high cache is located next to one of my favourite places of worship, Soar y Mynydd chapel.

Formally, Soar-y-Mynydd (left) is a Calvinist Methodist chapel - one of the most austere brands of nonconformist religion.

However the chapel is miles away from anywhere in the geographical centre of Wales, and has an open-door policy 24/7. So, and as the notice says on the door, I tend to regard the chapel as a neutral 'house of God' rather than any particula religious tradition.

Struggled to locate the "Dim Nofio" cache, on the banks of Llyn Brianne, and had to hurdle two fallen pine-trees to get to it, cutting my hand in the process.

Luckily, I found the "West end cafe" in Llandovery (left) where I could reflect on the day's activities. A friendly and charming "greasy spoon" which welcomes geocachers.

My final act of the day was to find the "Just Passing" geocache - a micro hidden behind barriers on a lay-by between Merthyr and Brecon.

I replaced the sodden micro logbook with a fresh, official Groundspeak micro log that had been kicking around the house for a while.

29 March 2007

Liechtenstein 1-0 Latvia

Those who know me will be well aware of my fascination with football and small countries (and even micronations - though that's another story).

One person who actually brought these two topics together is Charlie Connelly. He wrote a book called Stamping Grounds which traced the fortunes of the Liechtenstein football team.

Unfortunately, Liechtenstein failed to win any of the games covered by Connelly's intrepid adventures. If I recall, the book did not cover the momentous 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland which effectively put an end to Jack Charlton's illustrious reign as Ireland's manager.

However, I was delighted to read that Liechtenstein managed to beat Latvia in a European qualifier last night. Mario Frick, star of "Stamping Grounds", scored the only goal of the game.

Having read 'stamping grounds' I know exactly what the victory will mean to the principality's struggling football authority, although the Liechtenstein media coverage in of the shock has been characteristically underwhelming. This report in Liechtensteiner Varterland is the best I could find.

Charlie Connelly's other books include 'Attention all shipping', which is based on the brilliant idea of visiting every area of the BBC Shipping Forecast. Personally, I found the book a bit slow and disjointed.

However, I've just been given his other book, "In search of Elvis" for my birthday and I look forward to seeing if I enjoy this as much as I did "Stamping Grounds".

28 March 2007

Early blossom in Cardiff




Wessex


The old "kingdom" of Wessex is a fascinating area of these Isles. I have always felt that the place has a certain "vibe" to it which is hard to pinpoint - and one which is more subtle than the traditional annual congregation of hippies at Stonehenge.

Wessex was one of the main early kingdoms of the territory which is now known as England. A literary vision of Wessex was recreated in the novels of Thomas Hardy.

However - despite boasting an Earl, a water authority and a railway operator, Wessex has failed to establish itself at all as a political or administrative entity.

Like Kurdistan, the ancient Wessex kingdom is now scattered across several, more recent creations, i.e. the more familiar counties of England - Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire, or the South West Regional Development quango.

Anyway, we stopped at Shaftesbury on the Dorset / Wiltshire boundary and eat at the Mitre Inn. I'm glad that beefburgers were off the menu because I was treated to the most wonderful seafood salad (pictured).

I then embarked on a misjudged detour across the Salisbury Plain before struggling home at dark.

Lulworth Beach Cafe

I forgot my toiklet bag at the B&B so we had to make an unintended return to Lulworth Cove before heading back home.

This gave me a chance to take some sentimental shots of marine bric-a-brac. Also a chance for a final cuppa at the delightful Beach Cafe which is situated almost on tiop of the slipway. Finally, a peaceful few minutes on the beach at the Cove.

Portland "Monstrous carbuncle"?

Portland Bill (traditional geocache)


Portland Bill was interesting as a geographical expression, but very little else.

Three lighthouses could be viewed on the bill. One of these is a Bed & Breakfast. Another is a bird observatory. The impressive active lighthose is pictured here.

Given that the cafe - a monstrous carbuncle - on Portland Bill served the worst cream tea on record, The Portland Bill geocache was a bit of a saving grace.

I used the cache to dump my travelbugs collected at recent geocaching activities in the midlands, the Cotswolds and south Wales. The Portland Bill geocache also marks a new southerly extremity of my geocaching career to date.

Monkfish Fillets


After Corfe Castle, we headed out to Studland which is a markedly different coastline on the eastern side of the Isle of Purbeck, characterised by white sands - though didn't get any spectaular snaps to blog.

UIn the evening we went to the restaurant at the Lulworth Cove Beach Hotel. Pictured are my Monkfish fillets in parma ham.

Swanage Railway

An unexpected treat was seeing a steam loco pass through Corfe Castle station on the Swanage Railway.

Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle has a model village. We stayed in the safety of the tea rooms in the delightful courtyard.

Celebrations as Nobby.nobbs permits first "Earthcache" find

Dorset Series Earthcache (Kimmeridge)


Had lovely day on Kimmeridge Bay. Went to the Marine Centre then found some superb fossils.

On my return home, I discovered that Kimmeridge Bay is a geocaching "earthcache". These are co-ordinates that lead the geocacher to a site of geographical significance.

Many thanks to the cache "owner", Nobby.Nobbs, for allowing me to "discover" this cache retrospectively.


Durdle Door


Durdle Door on the South West Coastal Path

Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove (Traditional Geocache)


Lulworth cove, with the microcache in the foreground.

Geological details of the various areas of the Dorset Coastline can be found on this excellent series of websites hosted by Southampton University.

20 March 2007

Y Smotyn Du / The Black Spot

I was intrigued to come across the website of someone going by the pseudonym of Buenaventura Durruti (after a Spanish anarchist who resisted the Franco regime). The website is called "smotyn du / black spot".

As I have noted before, the "Black Spot" is a very specific area of southern Ceredigion, the traditional heartland of Unitarianism in Wales. Buenaventura's website actually notes that the "Black Spot" was a derogatory term applied by Methodists towards the local Unitarians.

Duchy Originals lemon biscuits


In the absence of the Island Bakery lemon melts from work, I've taken to HRH's very own lemon biscuits.

The only problem is that they are a bit TOO lemony - almost as if the lemon rind (which I detest) has been left in. However, this can be neutralised by dunking the biccies in one's tea.

I've brought a second packet this week.

Around Anstey

iTraveling around Leicestershire gave me the chance to take some evocative snaps of the area where I grew up. I like to call in on the area once in a while to make sure it's still there!





Pic. 1: Old John Looking over Bradgante Park, "Old John" is a folly on top of a hill which offers splendid views of Leicestershire.





Pic. 2: The "twentyrow", Anstey. Situated on the edge of Anstey village, I grew up on this street. Specifically, in the second house from the left.





Pic. 3: "Memory Lane" (?!) Actually, a public footpath from the twerntyrow to Bradgate Park. This path conjurs up all sorts of memories about going to play football in the nearby field.




Pic. 4: St. Mary's Church, Anstey. This is where I went to church as a boy, and sang in the choir.

This place probably explains my penchant for traditional church hymns even though, as a dissenting unitarian, I have lost touch with Anglican church doctrine.

19 March 2007

The Task Fosse

Motorway Mayhem M1 J21 Leicester Forest East (traditional cache)


13 Counties view (multicache)


Motorway Mayhem M5 J9 (traditional cache)


Mr. Squishy travelbug


It was mid-afternoon by the time I left the Post Office tea room and I had to decide what to do next. I could have returned into Leicester and ambled around, but decided it would be more pleasant to head home early, and take in the wonderful Fosse Way - and the prospect of an enticing multicache in the Cotswolds.

I picked off the Leicester Forest East cache fairly easily and decided to head south down the M1. Unfortunately, I did not know that the junction I was aiming for had no entry to the road I wanted. So had to carry on as far south as Northampton before leaving the motorway.

An unexpected cross-country run across Northamptonshire then followed. I haven't seen much of this county before and I found it surprisingly pretty and less flat than I had imagined. My route took me round Daventry, another historic town I have not seen before. It's larger than I thought.

Pic. 1: Fosse Way

Soon I was over the county line into Warwickshire, and anticipating meeting up belatedly with the Fosse Way. This road has fascinated me since Maalie informed me of it a couple of years ago. It's a real treat for the historical geographer - an incongruously straight B road linking Exeter, Bath Spa, Cirencester, Leicester and Lincoln. A real antedote to the 21st Century stress of driving. I stopped for a lengthy break just after joining the Fosse Way to take some pics.

Soon enough I had made it down to Moreton-in-Marsh where I turned westwards towards the Broadway tower and the site of the 13 Counties view multicache. I'm not persuaded that 13 counties can be viewed here - it also depends on whether one is counting traditional counties or the new-fangled unitary bodies in England.

Pic. 2: the 13 Counties View geocache - on the Cotswold way - with the Broadway Tower folly in the background.


Nevertheless, a stunning cache - and only my 3rd ever multicache - based on clues around the Broadway tower folly. Delighted to stumble across the Cotswold Way which I will probably return to with K in the months and years to come. Lots of geocaches here too! Found Mr. Squishy travelbug in 13 Counties view. It reeks of cannabis so I'm going to give him a bath in Tesco's non-bio.

Got stuck in Cheltenham Festival traffic in the Vale of Evesham but made up for it by finding a superbly hidden micro on the outskirts of Tewkesbury. Then home.

Bradgate Park


Good Old John (Traditional cache)




Lady Jane Grey's Cache (Traditional Cache)



Moving Target #1 Travelbug



Bouyed by our success in the City Centre, Maalie and me added to our carbon footprint by driving out in our separate cars to Old John at Bradgate Park. We found the two traditional caches that I had printed out. Maalie could claim credit for the eventual find on both of these. I even had my hands on the Old John cache and discarded it, bofre Maalie realised that it was in fact the cache - in the form of a John Smiths beer bottle!


After this find, we went our separate ways. I retreated to a new tea room in Newtown Linford, on the site of the Post Office.

The Post Office tea rooms has just started up - I promiosed to give them a plug on my website. They do excellent food, very friendly and quick service.

Top of the bill was the full range of sponges - I had chocolate cream sponge myself. It will have to compete with the more established Jade's, but I found the Post Office tea rooms to be a much more efficient regime altogether.

One final note - I retrieved the Moving target travelbug from Good Old John geocache. The travelbug forms part of a cryptic clue to a geocache located in Berwick upon Tweed - which leads, in turn, to another cryptic "moving" cache.

More on this - and the rest of my round trip - tomorrow. Must dash.

Leicesteryou, Leicesterme, Leicesterday


Magazine Gateway - Historic Leicester Series (Traditional cache)

Leicester Castle - Historic Leicester Series (Traditional cache)


Santa Rosa, Philippenes Unite for Diabetes Travelbug



Arrived Leicester at 9.45 after a journey of just over 3 hours. First stop was the canal. In previous times, I would have walked along the canal from the city centre to Filbert Street (now Walkers Stadium) to watch Leicester City.
Pic. 1: Grand Union Canal

In more recent times, the canal became an important site for Maalie's swan research, as captured in the photo. Can't tell if it's ringed or not.

The first geocache of the day was the Magazine Gateway cache. This was a small micro cache hidden behind a gutter pipe on this historic monument. Very pleased to get off the mark in Leicestershire. Grabbed the Diabetes travelbug.

Pic. 2: Brucciani's
Then went in to the city centre for the main task of the day, to collect notes about Bruccianis restaurant. My aim is to develop the piece I have drafted in the Creative writing class.
Bruccianis is quite an unremarkable restaurant, but it is part of Leicester folklore. Of particular intererst to me is the lemon split, my own favourite and mentioned by Sue Thownsend in the most recent Diary of Adrian Mole.



Pic 3: Iced lemon split

There are two Brucciani's cafes, both within a hundred metres of the clock tower in the city centre. Had tea and a baguette in the smaller of the two, before meeting up with Maalie to the larger of the two restaurants for my tea and a lemon split.

We left Bruccianis and I took Maalie to the Magazine Gateway cache. Then we both went on to the Castle cache - another thin micro. Maalie unecesarilly trampled into the flower beds whilst I located the cache on the railings.