WordPress sent me my annual report on how I've done as a blogger. It threw up some interesting stats: Of the 11,000 views of my 93 posts this year, the busiest day was May 14 with 188 views. I posted 608 pictures. However, I'm not sure how this number has been affected by me recently … Continue reading 2012 Blogging in review
Category: Miscellaneous
Various stuff and general musings
2012 in Pictures and Memories
2012 has been a bit of an odd year and after taking 8 months off in 2011, this year was always going to be a little more work focussed. However, I never expected my current assignment to last into the summer, let alone make it to the end of the year. Whilst this kept me … Continue reading 2012 in Pictures and Memories
A Short Walk on Bodmin Moor
I'm just back from a week's family holiday in Cornwall, staying in a cottage on the edge of Bodmin Moor. So it seemed rude not to at least attempt a walk on the moor... With my usual gift for just missing the optimal weather, we turned up in Cornwall for a week of lashing rain, … Continue reading A Short Walk on Bodmin Moor
Yorkshire 3 Peaks TweetMeet
The sky darkened and rain streaked across the carriage window as the train drew further north. Not a good sign. Time to put some faith in the weather forecast, which had remained consistent over the last few days, promising largely dry conditions with the odd shower and light breezes. Not perfect, but certainly sounding better … Continue reading Yorkshire 3 Peaks TweetMeet
A different planning perspective
You know what, I have a walking trip coming up fast and I'm struggling with my planning for it. Â Not struggling to come up with a plan - not by a long chalk. Â My struggle is with my trying not to plan it. In exactly two weeks time, assuming things go ok work-wise, and that … Continue reading A different planning perspective
Daydreaming
Each lunchtime I take a walk, both for the exercise and to get what passes for fresh air in the centre of London. It’s a walk of about 3 miles, which is about as long as is decent for lunchtime. The terrain isn’t particularly challenging of course, but what it lacks in ruggedness it makes … Continue reading Daydreaming
Favourite Fells Reflections
Now that my readers have had a few minutes to get over the shock from my last post, and the announcement that Eagle Crag is my favourite fell, it's time to close this thread of posts out. Â I'm sure that some readers were hanging on to the last post hoping that I would also love … Continue reading Favourite Fells Reflections
Happy Days
Today's been quite special, as it's exactly one year since I walked out of the permanent job I'd had for getting on for 15 years. And I'm surrounded by reminders of how right that decision was. 12 months ago to this minute I was in a bar in Canary Wharf surrounded by about 40 colleagues … Continue reading Happy Days
Becoming part of the food chain
Today I nearly became part of the food chain, when a hulking great beast tried to eat me. Â Here's how it happened... Ok, I have exaggerated slightly above for literary effect, but the story itself is true. Â I woke to an outside temperature of -2C and then it started raining. Â Great. Â An iced-over driveway meant … Continue reading Becoming part of the food chain
Moving it up a level
With vague plans forming in the latter part of last year to do a coast to coast walk (note "a" not "the") and for my main trip to the Lake District in 2012 to be the Far Eastern fells, it's become clear that 2012 could see me step up a level in my walking. Â In … Continue reading Moving it up a level
The Ghosts of Past Walks
I seem to have started the year off focussing on the negatives - first a post entitled "Failure" about walks that have gone wrong through the weather, navigation or even, cowardice. Â Then the follow-up, "Despair" got darker still and talked about my worst ever day hillwalking - the day I came closest to chucking it … Continue reading The Ghosts of Past Walks
A Year in Tweets
This year I really started to get into using Twitter to record my walks, network with other outdoors types and pass comment on the issues of the day. Â Here's a selection of the least bad: Joined new gym today & had facilities all to myself. Only downside was rain & the 7 mile run to … Continue reading A Year in Tweets
Hey, that went a bit quick!
Ok, I know it's not the slightest bit original, but I felt the need to write a year-end wrap up of what's happened this year. Â I've tried it before in less eventful years, but this year I'm really looking back at a year quite unlike the previous one, and looking forward into next with barely … Continue reading Hey, that went a bit quick!
Jim’ll Thicket
Now then, now then, first things first. Â An apology for the title of this post. Â And an even bigger apology for the pun and tenuous association with the actual subject matter! (Sir) Jimmy Saville who died this weekend was known for his brightly coloured shell suits and big chunky jewellery. Â And his chair which seemed … Continue reading Jim’ll Thicket
Fottur til Preikestolen
Imagine the scene - standing on the edge of a flat table of rock with nothing but a 2,000ft drop straight down to the fjord below... We were coming to the end of our two week cruise up and down the coast of Norway. Ahead of us lay Norway's oil capital, Stavanger, and we'd not … Continue reading Fottur til Preikestolen