Aborted Trip
It was time to get on the move so we packed the van and headed for Millers Dale, Derbyshire. A nice walk along the River and plenty of sounds for Pat to try out his new recorder. He's been looking for a new recording machine for about 6 weeks, that will record Birdsong, coastal sounds, speech, just about anything in the natural world really and finally found the right item in Middlesex. This was one time where we definitely were not going to save post and packing!
After more searching he located one in Nottingham and we called to collect it, we sat in the lobby on red leatherette couches, were given a cup of tea and generally looked after extremely well. The trouble was, it didn't work so next day we were back, another cup of tea and the engineer kept the recorder and our Microphones to check the whole system out. A third trip on Monday, no tea this time but welcomed liked one of the family. Disappointingly he couldn't find anything wrong so we had a refund. It was a pleasure to deal with such a friendly company where the customer is important even though we'd not bought anything.
After a few days searching the net, Pat found the answer to the problem, it was our microphone and without getting too technical it needed more than phantom power, No I don't understand it either.
So a fourth trip to Nottingham, by this time the receptionist was getting suspicious
and shouted through the locked door that she wasn't going to let us in, you see it was in an old area of the city and the door was on an electrical latch, the kind where you have to speak into the intercom. We finally got in and re ordered the recorder. Pat checked it out in the lobby while we waited for the engineer to come and talk to us. That was the mistake because we left without taking the box and leads with us. We were back at Hucknall before we realised and had to do a U turn to get straight back. This was getting embarrassing and we were hoping that our friendly receptionist had gone for lunch. It was not our lucky day, she sat waving her arms at us 'go away' she shouted. With a great deal of hilarity she let us in, only to then remonstrate with us about our mobile phone being turned off! With the box safely tucked under his arm we left her grinning like a Cheshire cat, well we're entitled to be daft, we're retired.
Where was I? oh yes Millers Dale, it was too windy for recording and too dull for photography and we weren't in a walking mood so went straight past and onto Anglesey. I seem to think we've done this before!
We camped close to the Newborough Forest and next morning we donned winter coats, windproof trousers, walking shoes, hats, gloves and scarves ready to tackle the footpath we'd seen a few yards down the track. We thought it might stay amongst the trees rather than lead us out onto the exposed beach. One thing for certain was it was less windy and warmer than the beach! It led us straight to a bird watching hide and we must have walked about 300 yards. It had taken us 15 minutes to ready ourselves for this epic trip and in the end looked like to overdressed pumpkins! I insisted on at least looking through my binoculars while we were there and was curious to see two Shovellers milling around in a circle and at intervals putting their heads under the water both at the same time. We think it must be a courting display of some kind but what are they doing when their heads are under the water?
We left the suicidal Shovellers and drove across the island to Cemlyn Bay. Today we had it to ourselves, it was so cold and windy, about 35 mph but we were determined to walk a little way. The bay is backed by a shingle bank about 35 feet high which protects the small fresh water lake from the sea. There is the ever present sign telling you not to walk on the shingle bank but in this case it's to protect nesting birds and as it's the nesting season we were very good and walked along the beach. It was so cold and windy that it was not really a pleasure even though the rocks that we had to scramble over made it interesting. We made our way back to a building that turned out to be from the 16 century with 18 century extensions but I couldn't find any more interesting facts about it. With it's 20 feet high brick seaward wall it looked like an old fort.
The outhouses which were closer to the beach looked derelict but the first floor rooms, reached by way of an outside staircase, had good solid wooden floors and all the muck had been swept to one end. Not sure whether it was for a legitimate cause or other wise!
We didn't stay too long here because the car park apparently had a nasty habit of flooding at high tide and today there was a good on shore wind!!
The Anglesey coastline must be one of the prettiest in the country, it's rugged, rocky with sandy bays. The cliffs aren't the highest in the land but let's face it on 200feet high cliffs all you can see is the sea, here on the 20 to 50 feet high cliffs you can scramble down to the waters edge every 50 feet or so and quite safely walk along the rocks without any fear of being cut off by the tide.
Where rocks give way to farmland it's a gentle change, the turf is cropped short by grazing animals (one of the fields we crossed suggested cows with a bull, thankfully we didn't see him or hers) leaving plenty of opportunity for spring flowers. We found the Spring Sqill, a short spiked plant with small globular, purple flowers covering it's stem, there were violets, daisies and Celandines which make a beautiful contrast with the grey outcrops of rock The rocks in turn are covered with lichen, beautiful bright yellows and rust red with a touch of grey/green all topped off with Stonecrop. This trip the Stonecrop was still in bud giving the whole thing a maroony haze but a few days of warm weather and it will be a dazzling white. Sadly I don't think we're going to see it this time. The Gorse this year is plentiful and in full bloom. The golden yellow is clean and vibrant and on a good day would give the sun a run for it's money!
That night we found a lovely quiet place to park up, it was a dead end road with a only two cars parked. They were fishermen and we saw them fishing from the rocks, hidden from the wind I might add. It was still bitter and we got really cold on our evening walk to the cliff tops. Needless to say it was a short walk. about 10 o'clock, Pat opened the door for a last look around, the fishermen's cars had been replaced by one with a big sign on top that read 'POLICE'. We decided to go out and show them that we weren't dangerous but they had already checked us out. They'd got our names, address and decided we were harmless and wished us a pleasant evening. We slept soundly, well it's not every night you get tucked in by the local constabulary! When we checked next morning we were about 200 yards from the back of the Nuclear Power Station!
Friday was still as windy and cold so we went into Holyhead to try and hide from it and find some knitting needles. I'd brought a handbag pattern that suggested a circular needle but I'd ended up with about 15 small skeins of wool hanging and forming one unholy mess and the nylon kept twirling itself in knots, so a pair of ordinary needles were needed.
The RSPCA shop assistant was really impressed with our Tilly hats and asked if we were twins (same coloured coats), she had a good laugh with us and apologised for the cold weather, apparently it was the coldest it's been all winter oh and she thought we were the same age, I wanted to cry but Pat was delighted.
We parked at the fish docks where the swell in the harbour was enough to upset my stomach and while we were there a huge catamaran, Stenna Line, reversed in! Now this van is 6' 6'' at the wing mirrors and our drive is 7 feet wide and I still manage to zap the drainpipe. The catamaran is about 65 feet wide with a 75 feet harbour entrance and the Captain reversed it in at 3 times the speed I reverse and I couldn't see any wing mirrors to help and I bet he's not got a reversing mirror, his brakes won't be as instant as mine but he's not got any drainpipes to worry about. I still think I'll stick to the van though!
It was still cold, cold, cold with no end in sight and we'd about had enough so after lunch we stowed everything in it's place and headed home back to the warmth of the midlands. No problem, there's a wool fest I'd like to visit in a weeks time, it's at Builth Wells so as the saying goes 'We'll be back'.
After more searching he located one in Nottingham and we called to collect it, we sat in the lobby on red leatherette couches, were given a cup of tea and generally looked after extremely well. The trouble was, it didn't work so next day we were back, another cup of tea and the engineer kept the recorder and our Microphones to check the whole system out. A third trip on Monday, no tea this time but welcomed liked one of the family. Disappointingly he couldn't find anything wrong so we had a refund. It was a pleasure to deal with such a friendly company where the customer is important even though we'd not bought anything.
After a few days searching the net, Pat found the answer to the problem, it was our microphone and without getting too technical it needed more than phantom power, No I don't understand it either.
So a fourth trip to Nottingham, by this time the receptionist was getting suspicious
and shouted through the locked door that she wasn't going to let us in, you see it was in an old area of the city and the door was on an electrical latch, the kind where you have to speak into the intercom. We finally got in and re ordered the recorder. Pat checked it out in the lobby while we waited for the engineer to come and talk to us. That was the mistake because we left without taking the box and leads with us. We were back at Hucknall before we realised and had to do a U turn to get straight back. This was getting embarrassing and we were hoping that our friendly receptionist had gone for lunch. It was not our lucky day, she sat waving her arms at us 'go away' she shouted. With a great deal of hilarity she let us in, only to then remonstrate with us about our mobile phone being turned off! With the box safely tucked under his arm we left her grinning like a Cheshire cat, well we're entitled to be daft, we're retired.
Where was I? oh yes Millers Dale, it was too windy for recording and too dull for photography and we weren't in a walking mood so went straight past and onto Anglesey. I seem to think we've done this before!
We camped close to the Newborough Forest and next morning we donned winter coats, windproof trousers, walking shoes, hats, gloves and scarves ready to tackle the footpath we'd seen a few yards down the track. We thought it might stay amongst the trees rather than lead us out onto the exposed beach. One thing for certain was it was less windy and warmer than the beach! It led us straight to a bird watching hide and we must have walked about 300 yards. It had taken us 15 minutes to ready ourselves for this epic trip and in the end looked like to overdressed pumpkins! I insisted on at least looking through my binoculars while we were there and was curious to see two Shovellers milling around in a circle and at intervals putting their heads under the water both at the same time. We think it must be a courting display of some kind but what are they doing when their heads are under the water?
We left the suicidal Shovellers and drove across the island to Cemlyn Bay. Today we had it to ourselves, it was so cold and windy, about 35 mph but we were determined to walk a little way. The bay is backed by a shingle bank about 35 feet high which protects the small fresh water lake from the sea. There is the ever present sign telling you not to walk on the shingle bank but in this case it's to protect nesting birds and as it's the nesting season we were very good and walked along the beach. It was so cold and windy that it was not really a pleasure even though the rocks that we had to scramble over made it interesting. We made our way back to a building that turned out to be from the 16 century with 18 century extensions but I couldn't find any more interesting facts about it. With it's 20 feet high brick seaward wall it looked like an old fort.
The outhouses which were closer to the beach looked derelict but the first floor rooms, reached by way of an outside staircase, had good solid wooden floors and all the muck had been swept to one end. Not sure whether it was for a legitimate cause or other wise!
We didn't stay too long here because the car park apparently had a nasty habit of flooding at high tide and today there was a good on shore wind!!
The Anglesey coastline must be one of the prettiest in the country, it's rugged, rocky with sandy bays. The cliffs aren't the highest in the land but let's face it on 200feet high cliffs all you can see is the sea, here on the 20 to 50 feet high cliffs you can scramble down to the waters edge every 50 feet or so and quite safely walk along the rocks without any fear of being cut off by the tide.
Where rocks give way to farmland it's a gentle change, the turf is cropped short by grazing animals (one of the fields we crossed suggested cows with a bull, thankfully we didn't see him or hers) leaving plenty of opportunity for spring flowers. We found the Spring Sqill, a short spiked plant with small globular, purple flowers covering it's stem, there were violets, daisies and Celandines which make a beautiful contrast with the grey outcrops of rock The rocks in turn are covered with lichen, beautiful bright yellows and rust red with a touch of grey/green all topped off with Stonecrop. This trip the Stonecrop was still in bud giving the whole thing a maroony haze but a few days of warm weather and it will be a dazzling white. Sadly I don't think we're going to see it this time. The Gorse this year is plentiful and in full bloom. The golden yellow is clean and vibrant and on a good day would give the sun a run for it's money!
That night we found a lovely quiet place to park up, it was a dead end road with a only two cars parked. They were fishermen and we saw them fishing from the rocks, hidden from the wind I might add. It was still bitter and we got really cold on our evening walk to the cliff tops. Needless to say it was a short walk. about 10 o'clock, Pat opened the door for a last look around, the fishermen's cars had been replaced by one with a big sign on top that read 'POLICE'. We decided to go out and show them that we weren't dangerous but they had already checked us out. They'd got our names, address and decided we were harmless and wished us a pleasant evening. We slept soundly, well it's not every night you get tucked in by the local constabulary! When we checked next morning we were about 200 yards from the back of the Nuclear Power Station!Friday was still as windy and cold so we went into Holyhead to try and hide from it and find some knitting needles. I'd brought a handbag pattern that suggested a circular needle but I'd ended up with about 15 small skeins of wool hanging and forming one unholy mess and the nylon kept twirling itself in knots, so a pair of ordinary needles were needed.
The RSPCA shop assistant was really impressed with our Tilly hats and asked if we were twins (same coloured coats), she had a good laugh with us and apologised for the cold weather, apparently it was the coldest it's been all winter oh and she thought we were the same age, I wanted to cry but Pat was delighted.
We parked at the fish docks where the swell in the harbour was enough to upset my stomach and while we were there a huge catamaran, Stenna Line, reversed in! Now this van is 6' 6'' at the wing mirrors and our drive is 7 feet wide and I still manage to zap the drainpipe. The catamaran is about 65 feet wide with a 75 feet harbour entrance and the Captain reversed it in at 3 times the speed I reverse and I couldn't see any wing mirrors to help and I bet he's not got a reversing mirror, his brakes won't be as instant as mine but he's not got any drainpipes to worry about. I still think I'll stick to the van though!
It was still cold, cold, cold with no end in sight and we'd about had enough so after lunch we stowed everything in it's place and headed home back to the warmth of the midlands. No problem, there's a wool fest I'd like to visit in a weeks time, it's at Builth Wells so as the saying goes 'We'll be back'.
posted by Marilyn | 24.4.08
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