Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Good WoW - Alport - The Miners Standard

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A good turnout for WoW - Helen, Brian, Reg, Denis, Mike, Roger and myself and we went to a favourite location of ours. Alport and Bradford Dale.

I have a favoured parking spot near the bridge at Alport, from where it is only a few yards to take this picture. The cottage illustrated borders the weir where, just to the right of the picture, is the old Mill.

Helen and Mike walked down to the Mill and there is a building opposite it with scaffolding. Helen says it looks like an old lime kiln in the process of renovation. That will be fun.

I stood on the bridge looking towards the Mill edge of the weir and, with my lovely 70-300mm VR lens, managed to capture the water cascading over the mill-race. Thanks to the lens saving three stops I was allowed a fairly fast shutter speed, thereby keeping the water looking like water and not going all blurry.

The walkers managed quite a long walk and, when they arrived back at the bridge, we adjourned to The Miners Standard at Winster for our chip-cobs, and quite excellent they were too.

The Miners Standard is a great pub, log burning stove, good welcoming seating and tables, and it dates from 1653. A witty notice proclaims 'Pub of the year 1653'. If you open the link you will learn that the pub name comes from the measuring dish used in the valuation of the lead-ore which the miners had extracted.

My new mobile phone still does not work properly. I have patiently waited for the 24hrs to elapse, whereupon the 'fixit' performed by Orange should have taken effect.

The end result is that I cannot receive calls, voice or text, and it isn't as a result of 'boggering about' with it. It never has worked and I think tomorrow I shall return to Carphone Warehouse and get my money back.

Comments

jill ...... Welcome back. We have missed you. And you are right about the naughty chair ! I suspect that I am one of the candidates and, on the occasion in question, could only plead tiredness for my fractious interlude. Mind you it fell well sort of a tantrum so perhaps I could be excused the naughty chair on this occasion. Perhaps a double dose of Calpol would have done the trick.

What a lovely lengthy comment. A joy to read and so informative. It was really good to read all about your activities.

Without doubt you seem qualified to write a definitive guide to Hotel Teas and The Grosvenor House Hotel sounds good - pity about the missing sugar-tongs and slop-basin though - definitely should lose 3 points out of 20 I would have thought.

Why not you do the Hotel Teas in London and I'll do Chip-cobs in the East Midlands ?

Glad to hear that 'normal service is now resumed'.

bungus ......... Pleased that the wife of your wildlife guru has had a snap published. Only problem is, I think 'Practical Photography' a waste of money, and I'm not keen on seal pups either - they always look like turds.

Re gorilla-pods. I have as yet no personal experience. I would only trust a DSLR on it, if the camera strap was firmly round my neck. It always is anyway.

Re currants. My Dad used to grow both red and black currants and I vividly remember them being draped in old net curtains to deter the birds.

4 ticks ...... The BBC's 'use of English' sins are not too widespread in my opinion. I can't speak re the TV or Radio 1 or 2 or local radio because I seldom watch or listen. I'm pleased to say Radio 4 is comparatively problem free. As an avid listener I find it a pleasure to hear decent well written items and the news-readers - Peter Donaldson, Corrie Corfield, Brian Perkins and, of course, the peerless Charlotte Green need apologise to no-one about the quality of their English. Just a personal opinion of course !

I accept what you say about king-sized beds but I think Y and I will stick with our separate rooms. My snoring, and irregular sleep patterns would make the nights intolerable for Y. And in anycase we both feel there are advantages to a little privacy when you get into your 70s - if not younger. Y says that many women (if it wasn't for the risk of hurting feelings) would prefer their own room anyway. The aristocracy have always done it. And what's good for ..........

Keep on blogging ! ..........

Quotation .............. This seems appropriate ..........

"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level"

Quentin Crisp

The link is another bit of YouTube so if Quentin Crisp annoys you please don't open it.

That train must be due for another appearance




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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

DIARY
Jessica and her classmate Hayley had just come out of a lesson in Politics.
They told Sandra that for homework they had to write an essay,
“… but it must include something about the men in the cupboard.”

Went to Newark Market yesterday to find the Newark & Sherwood DC stall with energy saving plug-ins which automatically switch off the standby of the computer and its peripherals.
“How much?” I asked.
“They’re free,” the reply.
“Can I have seven, please?” For a moment he took me seriously.
I also got more free light bulbs (4had arrived by post the day before), some useful info and a cloth shopping bag.
I nipped into Aldi and Morrisons while there and then on to The Royal Oak with an old friend Alan who lives in Ratcliffe and who took along his accordion, which got some laughs. A young barman also played the guitar and sang rather nicely. Also among the entertaining company was Scottish lorry driver F****** Rob who went out to catch his bus which didn’t stop for him. I could not possibly repeat his judgment on the driver in this family magazine. The naughty step would collapse. Naturally, there was a great deal of sympathy for his plight.

COMMENT
Nice picture of the - for want of better description – ‘chocolate box’ variety. (I think we agreed that the term is not derogatory).
But I am not touched by the water picture.

There does not appear to be any bread with the chip cobs (and far too many chips!).

Oh dear mobile phone.
I was glad to get back to my very basic model.
I don’t want to take photos or talk to anybody or anything like that.
All I want is to send and receive text messages and have an alarm.
Good luck.

I am sure you are right that 'Practical Photography' is a waste of money, but I wouldn’t pay over a pound for any magazine (although Ann did get paid £40 for her submission).
I think you are unkind to seal pips, which are delightful creatures.

4Ticks:
‘Bad’English annoys me too (as you may have picked up).
Unfortunately, it seems that different things annoy different people.
I try to tell myself that it is a living and changing language and always has been. But I often don’t listen.
The following (BBC News online) badly constructed sentence irritated me recently.
"But Mr Mugabe blames Western sanctions which target him and his chief supporters for wrecking Zimbabwe's economy."
As it has two conflicting meanings perhaps it was intended to suit both sides

According to my fishmonger (James of Pershore) the only fish available in 20 years will be the Pangassius (or Irridescent Shark) which is actually a catfish.
It is the easiest fish to farm, is not subject to diseases and eats just about anything animal or vegetable except fish more than half its own size.
I have tried it and find it quite acceptable (the price is right too) if somewhat lacking in flavour. It does not yet appear to have reached supermarket slabs unless under another name.
Worth a try.

I have always been able to sleep on pretty well anything (bare soil to feather bed) but for some weeks after my op I did appreciate a single bed with a memory foam mattress - my usual, double, bed being very firm.
But I bought a 2” memory foam ‘topper’ (most memeory foam mattresses only have 2” anyway) which has worked splendidly to soften sleep.

Surprised by the cake. Mine, made in a 7” tin as specified, was about twice the height.

They tried to tell us that digital TV would be marvellous.
It isn’t.
What will happen when we can no longer revert to analogue – that is what I want to know.
I was quite happy with just 4 channels. Now I find it annoying, on the rare occasions that I want to watch a film or football match on 5 or 32, I frequently cannot get it.

I have been to the park at Wollaton but have never entered the hall.

I generally think fruit is the best value garden crop (apples, plums, raspberries, gooseberries) but consider strawberries too much trouble and have never had a crop of blackcurrants worth harvesting.
And (also) I have not seen a bullfinch for decades.