Where Have You Just Been?

[Tizer]

Yes, there's normally nothing that isn't natural other than the tarmaced lane, the small English Heritage tourist information building at the end of it and the castle remains plus some modern timber walkways and hair-raising steps for visitors to cross the chasm. Until this work started there were archaeologists digging on the island but they had to stop too while the overhead stuff passed. We couldn't even continue walking down the lane until the hopper had passed. The landscape there is craggy and uneven, not much `flat' to stand things on, but at least it's all based on slate and volcanic rock. The chasm came about when in the distant past a fault line occurred and the headland slid towards the sea.

[Stanley]

Same technique used for building the Hoover Dam and many more inaccessible structures.
Makes you wonder how the original builders of the castle managed.......

[chinatyke]

Same technique used for building the Hoover Dam ...

I saw that twin cable set up at the Hoover Dam. They told us that they still use it for maintenance and replacements of the 2000 tonne generator sets.

[Stanley]

I'm impressed.....

[PanBiker]

Colne, using my nice bus pass. I got the M1, Barlick to Burnley which goes over the Ranch and via Earby. Lots of stops so very useful. I got off opposite The Crown as I was going to Boundary Mill, there's a footpath down to the store through the Sports Centre car park. Managed to find myself some new trainers that will suit my orthotic. Anyone that goes to Boundary and has not been for a while, they have refurbished all the inside and moved all the ground floor departments and tills about. Anyway, mission accomplished, I got the bus back from The Crown as well, only had to wait 5 minutes as they are quite regular. Cost nothing for the bus of course (thanks LCC), 5,000 step bonus on a nice sunny day as well.

[Tizer]

Harking back to my Tintagel Castle photos, I hear that English Heritage is getting criticism from some quarters for building a new bridge across to the island. EH says it's bridge is designed to fit in with the surroundings and to satisfy safety regulations. They can't please everyone, and especially not fans of King Arthur!

[Tripps]

Cost nothing for the bus of course (thanks LCC)

One of my guests said something similar last week. "We have a Socialist Council, therefore we get free bus travel".

It surprised me therefore to find that LCC in fact has a Tory majority. In fact I find that the National bus concession scheme is run by the Government - Dep't for Transport - in conjunction with Local Authorities. So the Tories have no choice but to implement it. I guess that being Tories, they would love to be nasty, and stop it if they could.

PS. - just had a nosey at the M1 bus route. Looks like a good service every half hour. I notice in Burnley the 'Tim Bobbin'. I thought that was unique to Milnrow and that he was some sort of local Teacher/dialect writer. Perhaps he had a bike? It's a pub of course

Tim Bobbin That looks like real grub - added to bucket list.

I'm still wearing regularly the two Gabicci shirts I bought in Boundary Mill when I visited five or six years ago.

PPS. Coudn't resist it of course Here's the story of Tim Bobbin. I think he's been kidnapped from Milnrow. I remember the pub there was at the bottom of a very very steep hill up to Hollingworth Lake.

[Stanley]

I spent a lot of time in Milnrow when I was doing Ellenroad and they certainly believe Tim Bobbin is theirs!



My steeplejack Peter Tatham and Daniel Meadows in the Tim Bobbin in 1970.....

[PanBiker]

Came back yesterday from our holiday let on the Llyn peninsular. We were in a 250 year old farm cottage above the hamlet of Rhiw midway between Abersoch and Aberdaron. The cottage was on the hillside and accessible via an unmade hardcore track and then through a gate and partway through a field and another gate to the property. 600 ft ASL roughly the same as Barlick but a winding climb on unclassified narrow lanes to get to and from the hamlet. No mains sewage or gas, just electric, no WiFi so fairly well off grid so to speak. Fantastic panoramic views over the whole of Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth). It was 6 miles from Abersoch and 4 miles down into Aberdaron to the nearest shops.

On the whole the weather was kind, just one showery and blustery day when we missed the beach and drove up to Pwllheli for the day. All other days were on the beach, we sampled Aberdaron first but then settled on a daily trip up onto the beach at Porth Oer (Whistling Sands) just a couple more miles the other side of Aberdaron on the West Coast of the peninsular. There is a National Trust car park there and they open up an adjacent field if it gets very busy, The beach which is a sheltered cove has a cafe set back at the approach lane onto the beach. It's light soft sand gently sloping to the sea, the bed of which is shallow, (no more than waist depth) for a good 50 ft or so out from the shore, rock pools at either end of the cove, perfect for kids and adults alike.

The rural unclassified roads once you get to the other side of Llanbedrog on the peninsular were perfect training for the recently re-licenced driver. Mostly single track with passing places, winding, climbing and descending. No one going any faster than 30-40mph. You certainly learnt the width of your vehicle pretty quickly but you could tell the definite townies who in many cases were completely out of their depth and didn't seem to know where reverse was on their Chelsea tractors or where the passing place was that they had just passed!

We were in the Spar shop one day in Aberdaron and a woman rushed in asking for directions, she actually looked shell shocked, very fraught anyway, hubby was parked outside in a stretched 4 WD jobby with built in overkill with 27ft caravan on the back. They were looking for a site run by Mr and Mrs Evans! They had no idea where they were or how they could turn round as it transpired that they had overshot by about 6 miles! Son of Spar shop owner pointed them in the right direction back from where they had come with a small two mile detour to turn round. We were on our way back to the cottage and they were being sent the same way so we made sure we got up the single track 1 in 3 out of the village before them.

We were packed up and exited the cottage just before 10 am yesterday. All good until a delay due to an accident on the approach to Carmarthen. Locals were detouring round back lanes but we just stayed with the flow, only took about 20 minutes to get through. It was fine until we got the other side of Bangor then we got intermittent torrential rain showers along the coast road. Faired up again before we hit the M6 then chucked it down again for a while. Arrived back home around 3 pm so not bad for the 170miles or so with a delay and an odd stop for food and watering.

A nice break and the grandchildren loved it despite no connectivity for their tech.

[Stanley]

Sounds like the holidays of my youth Ian.
I'd say lack of connectivity was a plus! Just imagine the relief to those who live on the end of the connection 24X7. I'll bet it doesn't stop in the holidays. Wouldn't do for me I'm afraid.

[PanBiker]

Cottage had electric but no WiFi and no mobile phone signal although a curiosity of propagation gave you an intermittent signal in the garden. Probably due to traffic on the lanes! Only present for a matter of seconds each time my phone received a text or whatever. I switched it off and put it in a drawer until we came home. At the top of the hill above the cottage there was a repeater station, looked a bit like what "big ears" used to look like on Elslack moor. Probably same usage for bouncing stuff around the valleys.

One fantastic bonus was that most mornings on the sunny days we were treated to a lone Spitfire practising loops, stall turns and barrel rolls directly overhead. Too high to see markings but must have been a private aircraft I reckon. If you own a Spitfire and the means to operate it why would you not fly it at every opportunity? It always flew off South from the peninsular after the session, it was up most days, magic!

[Tizer]

Was it in silver colour? If so it could have been the Silver Spitfire limbering up for its world trip! Silver Spitfire

Did you get to Nefyn or Morfa Nefyn on your holiday? I went there on an undergraduate trip to learn more about seashore ecology. The peninsula is renowned for its coastal biology and geology. Great for rock pools!

Spitfire...on the other hand, could it have been a model Spitfire? In 2016 there was one flying at an annual event on the Lleyn Peninsula. LINK

[PanBiker]

According to the flight tracker on the site, they set off from Goodwood and flew up the East coast and are now in Iceland. Ours was always flying just a bit too high to see any markings, saw it three times from the cottage and once from the beach during the week. Always heard it before you saw it.

Contemplated a run up to Nefyn but the kids liked the Whistling Sands which was a lot handier.

[Tizer]

Our posts crossed...I've just been in the garden. A group of Spitfires was present at the start of the Silver Spitfire's journey and I think it was Goodwood.

[Stanley]

Just blown away ten minutes on the cockpit pic in the Silver Spitfire link. I think I can see my compass just forward of the throttle lever on the left.

[plaques]

Excellent day at Gawthorpe Hall Padiham. Part of the Heritage weekend so access was free but even with an entry free it would have been worth it. Plenty to look at and read up on. Being much of a 'bricks and motor' person there was a lot of interest in this 1601 building although much of it had been renovated to a very high standard. Really must go again with a camera that do it it justice. Big Kev comes to mind.

[Big Kev]

My son lives just around the corner from Gawthorpe Hall, it's a lovely place but I've never been inside. It has always been closed when I've been, I must go again.

[Stanley]

I only visited once but remember a very large refectory table in the main hall. Amazing planks of oak (Two I think) for the top. Just imagine pit-sawing them!

[plaques]

It must have been over 20 years since I was last there. The number of rooms now open is probably X4 to what it was then. Rachel Kay-Suttleworth was big into lace and embroidery, three rooms full of her stuff. (Sue). To give it justice it would take about 4 hours to really get round but there again I tend to button hole every guide that I see. Add a bit more time if you like taking pictures. I would say about 100+ would do it. The Hall closes 31st October for the winter.

[Stanley]

My response earlier was wrong, I was thinking about Townley Hall! Sorry, it was a senior moment.
I know Gawthorpe well from the days when David Moore managed to get access to it for Nelson and Colne College.

[Big Kev]

My response earlier was wrong, I was thinking about Townley Hall! Sorry, it was a senior moment.

I believe the aforementioned table is one of the very few pieces of original furniture left there...

[plaques]

Sunday, Took a walk round Towneley Hall grounds but didn't have enough time to go inside.
This may be relevant :: “A £5 annual pass allows 12 months’ access to Towneley Hall, which is recognised as one of the north west’s leading tourist attractions, and all its wonderful history.”
Burnley Corporation purchased Towneley Hall and 62 acres of parkland from Lady O’Hagan in 1902, for around £2 million in today’s money. At the time the hall was empty and most of the oak trees in the woodland had been felled. The hall and surrounding park was subsequently restored and is now a popular visitor attraction.

I think over the years Burnley have been able to buy back some of the Items that were sold off before they acquired the Hall.

[Gloria]

We went to Bank Hall at Bretherton which has had a lot of work done on it, it looks a lot more loved than it did when we last went. They have an interesting website and Facebook page which shows how much has been done.

[Stanley]

At one time Vera and I took the kids to lots of the old halls. I always liked the dark oak interiors. Then when I was working with Dr Ed Furgol at Pendle Heritage he did some research and discovered that most of the old panelling was natural wood colour when first installed, what we see now is years of ingrained smoke from candles and fires plus the fact that oak does tend to darken a bit over the years. Ed also found that the Elizabethans were heavily into colourful tapestries and scatter cushions. If you bear this in mind when you visit one of these old timber halls and imagine a Scandinavian look it changes your view completely. Originally they were light and bright with comfortable seating!

[chinatyke]

Just got back from Nanning city on the high speed train. 250 km/h even through the tunnels and smooth as silk, a great way to travel. We went on Wednesday for the end of our tenant's lease. Then we thoroughly clean, do any necessary repairs and redecoration, and generally get the apartment ready for letting again. Today we re-let it for a minimum of 2 years, so a very successful trip. We met up with friends for dinner on 2 evenings, a hectic time and we're plumbed out and ready for bed.