Yay, it's cheery Friday.

[RIP]

I'll have to return to see the finished article! Unfortunately will miss you this year Bob as Mrs P meeting her chums elsewhere .

[Verena]

I was considering insuring my bike and perhaps having a brief pootle but given that we woke to snow yesterday, I decided against bothering. Instead I will busy myself with the seemingly never ending list of tasks which require attention while I watch the droopy daffs and lambs head-butt each other. That may not sound especially cheery but it's the kind of day that makes me content.

Generally pootling about and feeling contentment whilst doing it sounds like a very good and generally underrrated thing

[Verena]

This was my cheery Friday - sunshine, shorts, no jacket, up, WOW what views, down when my stomach started rumbling for some brekkie, and just in time before winter returned once more

IMG_20240329_105851 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

[Verena]

Sitting on a National Express on our way to the Eurostar for a Netherlands river cruise through the tulip fields, with my parents.
Third time lucky I hope, with COVID and my dad being poorly getting in the way before.

Apparently they have bikes on board that we can use to explore, not the ship obviously, but the places where we'll be stopping....

[Dave Barter]

On my way to the smoke to see my daughter then The Meffs then Bob Vylan

[Bearbonesnorm]

then Bob Vylan

A little envious. Enjoy.

[Lazarus]

Bob Vylan

Seen them live as well and an interview here

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/ ... -hypocrisy

[Hyppy]

Bob Vylan

Ah, now there's a cheery Friday double: New album released today! https://soundcloud.com/bobbyvylan/sets/ ... -the-sun-1

[Dave Barter]

Bob Vylan

Ah, now there's a cheery Friday double: New album released today! https://soundcloud.com/bobbyvylan/sets/ ... -the-sun-1

Trains did their best to try and ruin it but I seem to be approaching London. I’ve got tickets to the launch party thanks to Hollys choice of boyfriend.

[pistonbroke]

Just left the Notary clutching a large cheque for the sale of the Catalan finca we moved to nearly 9 years ago. Sold to a young Dutch couple who hopefully will have as much fun as we had there. We were getting tired of maintaining the 200 almond and 50 olive trees as well as enduring the winter weather in the mountains. We have moved to a little house in the village which is groaning under the contents of 2 houses until we find a suitable place nearer the sea and with less land. Only welled up once when I presented the new owners with the keys, otherwise happy days.

[Dave Barter]

Bob Vylan

Ah, now there's a cheery Friday double: New album released today! https://soundcloud.com/bobbyvylan/sets/ ... -the-sun-1

I cannot tell you how good this gig was. Met The Meffs afterwards. Feck me there is hope for music. And as for Bob Vylan …. mind blowing

[Hyppy]

Bob Vylan

Ah, now there's a cheery Friday double: New album released today! https://soundcloud.com/bobbyvylan/sets/ ... -the-sun-1

I cannot tell you how good this gig was. Met The Meffs afterwards. Feck me there is hope for music. And as for Bob Vylan …. mind blowing

Sounds like a top evening out, Dave. And evidently all done by a sensible time too.

[Bearlegged]

A very happy Eid al Fitr, particularly to Shaf, but also to everyone else who celebrates.

[RIP]

Go on then....

Just packed the horse for a trip over to my chum Jezzer, with whom I shall attend "London Calling" The Clash tribute band at Bedford Esquires, then, in the best gigpacking tradition (3rd this year), kip out afterwards. Might have a curry and a beer.

So that should be jolly.

"The Clash released their acclaimed second album Give ‘Em Enough Rope in 1978. It went to #2 in the UK Charts.
London Calling, the world’s premiere tribute to The Clash, will be paying homage by playing the album in its entirety in sequence. They will then go on and play the best of the rest including all the hit singles and more such as Should I Stay or Should I Go, Rock the Casbah, I Fought the Law, White Man in Hammersmith Palais, Complete Control, Clash City Rockers, Train in Vain, and, of course, London Calling".

[sean_iow]

Was it Joe Strummer who when told that Rolling Stone magazine had named London Calling the best album of the 80s said.... "Didn't it come out in 1979"

[RIP]

If you can remember the 70s... no, the 60s... you weren't there .

[whitestone]

Staying on the music theme, today's my last Paul McCartney day.

The younger readers might not get the reference

[RIP]

Off we go. 1degC tonight apparently. Bit nippy for April here. Wonder if we'll get another -4 on WRT. Note handy 'poppadom deck'.

[Alpinum]

Just smashed my hip into rock during a fun day out riding with an old friend in great weather; cold wind, snow flurries.
Snowstorms rolling across the very wintery mountains, it all feels very alive and the views are stunning. Green lowlands, snow curtains hammering the white mountains, wind creating snow banners on the pointy summits.
Now in the train home my back is locking up more and more from the impact.
Just when I started to get rid of some of the pain of former injuries.
And it's not even evening yet

[macinblack]

Walked into Boots this afternnon and collected my prescription. "Put your card away you old duffer," they said, "You don't pay anymore."

Hadn't thought much about my birthday at the beginning of the month but this put into perspective.

[thenorthwind]

According to an old GPS track I found, today marks the 10th anniversary of the first time I used a bivvy bag.

Of course, the obvious way to celebrate this would have been to go out for a bivvy, and I did have half a mind to, but in the end wasn't in the mood...

In more cheery news, not going out will give me more time to pack for a week in the Cairngorms (car) camping and riding from Sunday

[fatbikephil]

Staying on the music theme, today's my last Paul McCartney day.

The younger readers might not get the reference

You 65 then Bob?

After yet another hectic week at work (HVS in climbing terms, only just managed the crux move this afternoon to get me to 'top' i.e home time.) Had some restrained fun on the new machine on the way home, now relaxing with beer

[RIP]

One for the Iceland afficionados.......

I notice that on this day 5 years ago, Dick Phillips passed away. One of the foremost UK experts on Iceland, a keen walker he was also a member of the Rough Stuff Fellowship, so very much "one of us". In fact he was a founder member of RSF. In 1958, he and three other loons made the reputedly first unassisted cycle crossing (*) of the central high plateau of Iceland - Sprengisandur - which he downplayed: "we just happened to be the first people to do it".

(*) edit: I've done a bit more research, seems a bloke called Horace Edward Stafford Dall did it on his own in 1933 on a 3-speed Raleigh roadster! Incredible: http://www.cyclingguides.com/resources/ ... celand.pdf. "Hedinn Huskuldsson, who was nine years old at the time of Dall's arrival remembered him clearly: 'He emerged from the wilderness well dressed with polished shoes and a tie, as if going to a job interview in Reykjavik". Reckon us Boners need to up our sartorial game!

I've still got my jumper similar to that one!



He organised many walking tours of Iceland after that. I actually met him once whilst on a trip of my own in the mid-1980s. Well I say met him, I was sat in the middle of nowhere minding my own business when a tour rolled up with him one of the leaders I think. I was at Askja, an enormous volcanic crater with several "sub calderas" one of which was "Viti". This had a hot lake which it was said you could swim in but it was at the bottom of a steep cliff which I certainly wasn't going to descend on my own (potentially getting stuck and being blown sky high when the thing next erupted!). Anyway, they dragged me along and I had a much-needed hot bath including a nice mud pack. Long time ago and only a few words but I vaguely remember Dick being intrigued that I'd got there from here by sea, then I joined a few of them down in the hot bath. The other corner of the lake was far too hot to bathe in apparently.

I've just read a bit more about him and it seems he was also a leading light in mining circles, particularly the Nenthead area where he lived. Would have loved to have met him in the pub. Ah well.

Minding my own business.....



The huge caldera, Viti...



Got someone to take a piccie of my mud pack! Blimey, I've even got some hair.



Sigh, great days. I've gone all wistful now.

[RIP]

In other, not cheery, news, I heard they were closing the Welshpool base of Air Ambulance, combining it with Caernarvon, and basing it somewhere on the north coast instead. Rumour or......?

What with the state of national services these days, wouldn't be surprised if you now get put through to 111 instead.... "can you tell me where it hurts?"... "I'm stuck at the bottom of a mineshaft on top of Plynlimon with a broken leg and could do with a bit of help please".... "where's that?"... etc etc.

[Bearbonesnorm]

In other, not cheery, news, I heard they were closing the Welshpool base of Air Ambulance, combining it with Caernarvon, and basing it somewhere on the north coast instead. Rumour or......?

There's been a stay of execution Reg.