Monday, April 06, 2009

Another Walk ! - Codnor Park Res - 57F 2mph S

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First things first and Picture 1 is one of Reg's very successful panoramas. The subject is the Headstocks at Clipstone Colliery. They are impressive aren't they? And famous for being the second highest in the world. The linked page shows an aerial view and tells you about it.

Picture 2 is Bob's 'Collage'.

Some, if not all the constituent pictures, were taken from the top deck of a bus travelling through the village.

As Jill hints in her comment, she will soon be Chiswick's leading authority on the Mining Industry.

This morning Y and I went for a walk at Codnor Park Reservoir and we both enjoyed it. The weather wasn't brilliant and the light wasn't exactly Californian but the fresh air was welcome. We heard and saw many birds, but nothing to top yesterday's tree-creeper.

Much of the wooded area was carpeted with 'celandines' which I personally consider more subtle than buttercups. The yellow is softer and the flowers more sophisticated. I note on the linked page however that the Royal Horticultural Society describes it as 'this invasive weed'. Well ... I suppose it is, in ones garden, but out in nature I rate it as 'delightful'.

Picture 3 (mine not theirs) illustrates.

I've still got PC problems but I've decided to shelve any remedial action till tomorrow. It is working well enough to function.

The blood-clinic rang to amend my warfarin dosage because the level is up to 4.7 again. It's doubtless due to the increased dosage on Fentanyl patches, previously mentioned.

My responses to your previous comments

David .... Glad you all had a good 'boating' time and the Topper Buzz does sound like fun. On the linked webpage it certainly looks fast and stylish. Just what you want.

Re Swarkestone Bridge Ancient Monument I can add nothing to the linked site. I was amazed to learn that the structure dates to the 14th Century ! Now that is going back a bit.

Bob .... Are Moorhens feet not webbed ? I've always considered them primarily water-birds.

BBC4 is an excellent channel I think. They are prepared to experiment. The editor's blog can be interesting.

I think the Humph/Barry Cryer 'horse' joke is superb. Y liked it too.

Yvonne ..... Excellent comment ! I knew about your long-standing athletics interest. And haven't you also mentioned 'speedway' ? The Sports Desk' will have problems keeping up with you.

I would love to have seen the Ashes Test with Miller and Lindwall. The only one I might have preferred was the one with the injured Dennis Compton soldiering on to a century.

Jill .... I certainly have never seen a 'wryneck'. I've managed a wrysmile now and again though.

We are all so glad you are soaking up all the mining stuff. They will be telling you about chucking packs on, and top-end supply gates next. Not being a miner I can only assume that 'headstocks' derives from the 'head' of the shaft which goes from the surface all the way down to the deepest bit of the mine.

It is truly amazing that do-gooders extend their stupidity as far as the relationship between sheepdogs and sheep. I agree with you that the new method of herding (or should it be flocking?) seems much more stress inducing.

Rob .... You know by now that I am with you 100% about spelling. What people have to say is far, far more important. In Shakespeare's time there was a much more casual approach. And is some modern teacher about to criticise his use of English.

With regard to Y and the 'offside' rule. Don't tempt providence. She'll 'google' it or 'wikipedia' it.

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Quotation time ..... I'm assured this was actually said by a commentater.....

"Ronaldo is always very close to being either onside or offside."


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"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"


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8 comments:

David said...

Our little outing on sunday was real fun. Helen and I were only messing about but overtook the race leaders!! They were not best chuffed. Obviously if we were racing for real we would end up at the back of the field? as our Buzz has a very different Plymouth yardstick (handicap system) to the wineglass dinghy sailed by the pros. Hope your medication is sorted soon.

bob said...

Appointment for aptly named end-oscopy day after 30 April (so, if you hera me calling “M’aider”...)

I haven’t come across Celandines in the wild but I prefer Wood Anemones to Bluebells (less brash).

Could your blood levels be at the whim of Clipstone headstocks?

Moorhens’ have talonlike feet. They are waterbirds.

Watched Book Quiz on BBC4 tonight. Only answers I (nearly) got were ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’, ‘James & the Giant Peach’, Ted Hughes and one other!

Bedser took 14 wickets in first 1953 Ashes test.

‘Pithead’ baths?

Spelling still pretty erratic in
C19. People often misspelt own surnames.

Ronaldo quote as good an explanation of ‘offside’ as you’ll get!

Yvonne:
I’ve FA interest in football.
Rugby? I prefer League to Union.
Do either have rules?
I know they’ve something called ‘offside’ but it’s obviously less simple than the FA version.
Didn’t Graham also play for Harlequins?

Jill:
‘Industrial archeology’? Not quite; SOME headstocks still operating!

Are you sure New Zealand shaggy sheep story isn’t 5 days old?

Rob:
Anyone supporting Ferguson theory of sportsmanship is better not being too critical of another team’s Machiavellianism!
But that other Italian looks more than promising – Norman Whiteside?

Jill said...

Celandines - we have got some in the garden, I love them and they are certainly not weeded out. In the park there was coltsfot, which I also like, have tried to pinch a bit and plant in garden, but not successfully.

All the headstock photos - when we were in Cornwall we saw abandoned tin mines with what were called wheel houses, that seemed to fulfil the same function, but perhaps the tin mines were nt so deep? They were certainly not such big structures.

Are there still operational coal mines in your area? Sorry for my ignorance...

I seem to have seen many tv dramas about tragedies at the pit in the past...but they never explained much about the workings of the mine. I always thought working at the coal face must be one of the worst jobs in the world. I am speaking as one who had to be escorted out of those caves in Cheddar Gorge, though!

The Ronaldo quote reminds me of the Raymond Glendinning one at the Boat Race ' I can't see who's in the lead, it's either Oxford or Cambridge'......

Hope they can get your blood levels sorted....

Unknown said...

Rob: Apart from referees and linesmen (who do it with diagrams ...), don't we all have our own simplified version of the offside rule? So that we can shout 'offside' when it's the other team, and 'that was never offside' if it's our own!

David and Helen: all this sailing sounds like really good fun (I speak as a white-water rafting veteran .....). We must come and watch you some time.

Reg said...

1953 Schoolboys could afford to go to Test matches If I am correct the event refered to was at Trent Bridge and 'I was there' We saw nearly all of both sides bat on one day (Sat.) Suppose we could google the score card from somewhere.
Jill-- I think the remains in Cornwall are the engine houses the 'headstocks would be close by. There are two working pits in Nottinghamshire, Thoresby and Welbeck at present. Harworth is 'mothballed' and may be opened again in the near future.
Rob -- Of course my spelling of Stealers is correct I'am Notingham shire born and bred, them from Sheffield can do note right.
Did you know Dennis is back from Spain?

Unknown said...

Hello, sorry I havent been on for a while, I've been catching up with stuff and this time of year is always so busy! Im off to the dentist at 12:30 to have two teeth out, apparently I have a small mouth and big teeth!Whats quite suprising since I talk alot. I have to have six out all together, OUCH! Though it'll be all worth it when I'm sixteen. I love the pictures of the headstocks, they're so tall.

David and Helen: Glad you had a nice time sailing. Sounds like you had alot of fun! Hope to see you sailing when we're down in Dorset. ( I heard that you might becoming )

Pete said...

Graham, a bit late I know but thanks for the great canal photo and also thanks for your kind comments on my site. Hope they get your blood sorted soon. Keep up the good work....

Anonymous said...

Re headstocks, I was chatting to a fellow dog walker at Brinsley headstocks the other day and he said that they are the only survivor of their type (?) but that the body which decides about 'listing' says they can't be listed because too many bits have been replaced over time so they're no longer 'original'. That seems a bit mean, but at least they're now being restored.

I love yesterday's sheepdog joke. I had to show it to Julian as he actually used to watch One Man and his Dog when it was on TV!