Recent content by ColinJ

A friend of a friend lived in a yurt on a local hillside. He had done a deal with a local farmer to do unpaid work on the farm and in return was allowed to erect the yurt in the corner of a field. It was very well hidden by trees and bushes so you could barely see it unless you went into the...

It looks nice! I will be cycling along the towpath from Thrupp to Oxford in a few weeks time. A friend of mine has a boat at Thrupp so I will be riding over from my sister's house in Leighton Buzzard to see the boat and have a chat with him. I am travelling back from Oxford by train. The...

I walked over from Keld to the village store in Muker in a snowstorm one day in late October. I loaded up my basket and went to the counter but was told to put most of the produce back ... It was out of the holiday season so all of the perishable goods and the newspapers had been bought to order...

Presumably they are like the windtops worn by cyclists? I find windchill much more of a problem than lack of insulation. A decent windtop to keep the wind off your torso is a big help. I have a very lightweight windproof gilet (sleeveless jacket) which packs down smaller than a medium-sized...

This subject comes up for informal bike rides fairly frequently. I think the reality is that no matter what you think, and no matter what bits of paper you get people to sign before the activity, if something bad happens then it is possible that the legal profession could get involved and you...

My dad saw lightning hit the ground in a field full of cows once. Every single one of the animals died! A farmer stood nearby survived. The thinking was that the electricity surging through the ground found it easier to take a shortcut through the animal rather than passing through several feet...

I don't get up to many trig points but I happened to spot one this afternoon on part 2 of my Boxing Day walk. Part 1 was round Centre Vale Park in Todmorden with my stepdaughter, her mum, husband, and dog. After that we were heading to Hebden Bridge and decided to go by 'the scenic route' over...

I usually do the newspaper trick and at this time of year I put the paper-stuffed wet shoes/boots fairly close to a warm radiator. I liked the tip (on the site linked to by Drago) to blow air over wet footwear with a fan - I hadn't thought of that one. I think I'll give that a go in future...

I gave up and cheated. Google Image Search said that it is .... .... snow! Probably! :laugh:

I forgot to post my photo from my stroll on Tuesday. The town itself isn't much to look at but the hills in the distance are more interesting. @Rocky will know them from his Pennine Way walks which cross that hillside.

I think that I will give it a miss!!!! :eek:

Sharp Edge, Blencathra? (A friend of mine sent me some photos of him scrambling up it and I added it to the long list of appealing but scary ridges that I would stay away from! :laugh:)

Ah, no - I was watching in horrified fascination as my project manager did it. I couldn't believe that he was actually going to force his finger through the gap in the fan grille, but he did! If it hadn't been pretty nasty to see, it would have been funny ... I asked him why he had done it and...

Great photos y'all! I really must get into more serious walking before my knees and hips get too sore to allow me to. I don't have any problems with my joints when cycling but I get enough aches and pains from walking now to know that I probably won't be walking over too many mountains in my...

Cheers! When you are talking to a colleague and you are leaning against a rack of electrical equipment which has an array of big cooling fans at the back, do NOT absent-mindedly poke the grille on one of the fans with your index finger ... Unless you think it is fun and fashionable to have...