Up,Up, and away….at last!

A previous post  told of the postponement of a balloon ride for Daughter’s 40th birthday, accompanied by Lady of the House. After a number of attempts to re-arrange it, we at last heard from her that Saturday was to see it all come true.

At 11pm on Friday night she confirmed the good news that a morning flight would take place from Biggar near Lanark….the bad news was that we had to be there by 7 am!

Biggar is a pretty little town in the middle of the south Lanarkshire countryside, and working backwords it was established that Lady and I would have to be up by 4.30 am to pick up daughter at 6!…..and with another hour’s drive to Biggar!

But you know what happens when you have to be up very early….you don’t sleep very well, and I was awake at 3.45 am and at my cereal by 4am!

The journey there all went to plan and we arrived at the site on a lovely autumn morning with a layer of mist and low cloud. Even then there was some doubt about whether it would take place because of the wind speed limits and the low mist.

All was OK’d and the laborious task was started to unpack the balloon from a bag the same size as you see the round hay-bales in. It was a bit like unwrapping a tent, but of gigantic proportions! The noise of the fans and then the burners, to expand the envelope was ear-damaging, and the sight of seeing the pilot walking about inside the balloon, checking for leaks, as it was being blown-up, was somewhat surreal!

There were 16 passengers tightly-packed into the wicker basket….fat people would not have been able to clamber into the basket, never mind sit down with any degree of comfort!

I had been taking a video record of all the preparations, and was taking some final still photos before they took off. I turned round briefly to get the video out again, and when I turned back, they had lifted-off and were rapidly rising into the clouds!  The pilot was obviously not prepared to descend and rise again, just for me to get some more shots!….but hey, that’s just life!

My intention had been to follow the balloon by road, keeping visual contact, but I never saw it again, even when the sky was a perfect blue! I drove around some of the beautiful Borders roads, with my eyes gazing upwards. I had to admit defeat however, and return to Biggar. A mobile phone call told me that they had landed safely, and allayed my fears that they had disappeared into some kind of Bermuda Triangle in the sky!

IS THAT A NOOSE I SEE BEFORE MY EYES? 

Theywere brought back for champagne and a chat about the events which happened when they spooked a herd of animals, and the farmer’s reaction!…but that’s another story!

But what do we give her for her 50th?

Why go abroad?

 

Lady of the House, and I have just returned from a marvellous weekend …and under 3 hours by car! I have blogged before about Northumberland, the wonderful scenery, and the endless stretches of empty sands.

This time we stayed at the miniature port of Craster, with a tremendous view over the harbour both from the bedroom and dining-room of our lovely little Bed and Breakfast. ‘Harbour Lights’ looks over the port and is within sniffing distance of the famous Craster Kipper Smokehouse.

Mine host and hostess were in education and both retired to this little haven of tranquility…..so the kiddies’  loss is the tourists’ gain.

But with the wonderful weather we went off to see the massive National Trust property, Cragside House, Gardens and Grounds, with a seven-mile drive round. It had been built by a Lord Armstrong who was a very successful engineer, and who had put electricity into the house using water power. A full-day visit, which includes a labyrinth.

Barter Books is a great place for book-lovers. It is a second-hand bookshop par excellence, and is built in what had been the old railway station for Alnwick.

It’s amazing what you can do in a few days in one small corner of England!!

To relive our weekend, and get some more details about the above, click on…   www.harbourlights-craster.co.uk 

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-cragsidehousegardenandestate

www.barterbooks.co.uk/

www.kipper.co.uk 

UNCUT

I usually like my lawn neatly cut, as it contrasts well with my ‘wilderness’ borders. However a couple of weeks ago I loaned my lawn-mower to Son, for his extremely-large grass area, and so my lawn went uncut! 

Good sun with the occasional light shower provided perfect growing conditions. I was intrigued by the number of daisies, buttercups and various grasses which appeared rapidly…..they were actually quite pretty. There was a total difference between the morning scene when the blooms were all shut, and it all looked a bit dull….but when the sun appeared, suddenly they all turned towards it and opened up to provide flashes of white and yellow….a glorious sight. It took us back to visits to Austria, where great swathes of countryside were left to produce wonderful areas of natural habitat.

So maybe, just occasionally, you should leave things to nature!

Now…there’s beauty!

 

If anyone has lingering doubts about visiting Scotland, have a look at http://scotlandinthegloaming.blogspot.com  Got the link via http://porcelainrose-glo.blogspot.com …..thanks

‘…over the sea to Skye’

Probably one of the most famous of songs about Scottish history, it tells of the flight of Bonnie Prince  Charles Edward Stuart, by boat, to the Isle of Skye off the north-west of  Scotland. A great help at this time was Flora MacDonald, and the gap, (only a few hundred yards) between mainland and the island has always been symbolic and treasured by those who wanted to remember the historical significance.

We had only once before been temptingly-close, when we visited friends many years ago at Dornie. However this Easter saw us going across the wonderful short bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin on the island. At one time after the bridge was built, there was a punitive toll imposed, which kept many visitors away, but following public reaction, the bridge became free to cross in 2004.

It had been damp on the four hour drive going north (only 200 miles), with a fiercely-cold wind, but the welcome at the Strathgorm B & B near the village of Broadford more than made up for it. We dined that evening at The Claymore, a coothie pub/restaurant with many languages (Polish, German, Swiss, French, Japanese, Italian, and even a few English folk!) in evidence from the packed tables. A short walk to see the lights of the harbour, and acquisition of some of the local beer and Isle of Skye whisky blend followed, before a cup of tea, home-made cake and a chat with the owner of the B & B rounded off a rather tiring day!

The wind was un-abated during the night but the view in the morning over the sea boded better, and a hearty breakfast of porridge, bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, coffee,  etc set us up for our first venture. For those who don’t know, there are two main round-trip travel routes on the island. They are both leaf-shaped, and our first day was to take the road to the northern peninsula. From the flat lands at the south of the island, we drove into what are called the Cuillins… a massive range of dour dark mountains with deep valleys. But what is wonderful about them is the views they afford. Every turn in the road gives a new vista of water, deep fjords under hills vanishing into the distance, in a blue/grey haze. We were so lucky that with the ever-present wind, the appearance of clouds was followed very quickly with a watery sun, and then with bright blue skies and an un-imaginable clarity of light.

After but a few miles further on, the hills give way again to a flat area in the middle of the island, where we come upon Portree, the major town of the island. A busy little harbour has multi-coloured houses and shops, as is more commonly seen in Tobermory (or Balamory, for the young ones amongst you).

Uig is another small village on the peninsula, boasting a ferry terminal….so essential for the life of the area. Almost at the northern end of the peninsula, we visited the Museum of Island Life and the grave of the afore-mentioned Flora MacDonald. We then had a superb run down the east coast past the Old Man of Storr, part of a series of jagged peaks which require further investigation at some later visit.

We ate that night at a specialist seafood restaurant ‘The Creelers’…..not really surprising, as Skye is surrounded by such wonderful food. And we slept very well that night!

We were joined for breakfast on Easter Sunday morning by a young Japanese couple, and were surprised that many words such as bacon, sausage, mushrooms, and tomato are words which appear in Japanese usage! Off this time to the western peninsula with Dunvegan Castle as the place to visit. It has wonderful grounds, especially the water garden, and an hour’s walk in the heat was enough for tired legs.

In complete contrast, we wanted to see the small village of Stein, which lay down a steep slope to a peaceful beach. A dozen white-washed houses, a pub and the Stein Restaurant provide a place to refresh oneself in tranquil surroundings. On the way back we called-in at Staffin pier where they were filming an advert for a new Bently car.

Sadly we had to return south on Monday, but not before visiting Plockton, with its palm trees due to the heat of the Gulf Stream, walking in Balmacara Woodland Garden, seeing again the mountains called the Five Sisters of Kintail, the Great Glen to Fort William, Glencoe…and all before getting into a traffic jam in the Pass of Leny before Callander!

650 miles travelling in the most concentrated beauty imaginable. Not exactly the most restful weekend we have had, but unforgettable!….and even if Prince Charlie had never gone there, I think it would still have the charm and beauty we witnessed recently for the first time.

A grey Scotland

I drove some 250 miles yesterday, with a friend, to visit a few chuches in Argyll, one of the loveliest areas of Scotland.

It would have been, but when we started at 8.30, it was dull with lowering clouds. Even when crossing the Erskine Bridge about 9, we could just see the Clyde Estuary below (usually a wonderful, long-distant vista). Loch Lomond was wind-swept with few boats venturing out. Much of this road is new and wide, but when approaching Arrochar, we are suddenly into a tree-lined narrow twisting road which requires a lot of concentration in the driving. Puddles and fallen leaves were predominant here.

Tyndrum, with the famous ‘Green Welly’ shop, led us north to mysterious Rannoch Moor, which would be a perfect setting for a prehistoric film with dinosaurs etc, rising from deep brackish water. Eventually, as the rain and wind worsened, we descended through the very narrow gorge to the infamous Glen of Weeping, Glencoe . To Scots (and in fact, the whole civilised world), it remains as a reminder of what one person, or government, can do to others….formally-accepted murder.

The village of Glencoe sits in a marvellous setting, but seems uncomfortably close to the water level. Global warming and the rise in sea levels that it poses must be an obvious long term consideration for the inhabitants.

But we were here to see two buildings in the neighbouring village of Ballachulish (famous for its slate quarry). A store house which was used as a very early Episcopal church, and the magnificent, (and very proud) St John’s Church which was built in 1842, and extended in 1888.

It holds the Communion vessels which were reputedly used by the Jacobite troops, on the night before the fateful Battle of Culloden. The building is badly in need of repair and has a Restoration Fund.

Our Choir, Angelus Singers http://angelussingers.wordpress.com (click the link) are helping to raise their profile by singing Choral Evensong there in March, so this visit was essential. It was of course freezing in the church as the rain continued to hammer down , but Highland hospitality in the local Tourist Information Office helped to warm us up.

We then headed through Rob Roy country via Appin, to the Church of Scotland building dedicated to St Oran at Connell. It was a subject of a previous posting ‘A little Gem’, and was no-less-lovely this time (The Header picture is of the sanctuary). Although it is Church of Scotland, we have been tentatively asked to consider coming as a choir to sing  the Anglican Service of Evensong for them!

The day’s work complete, we headed back through wonderful countryside, just visible in the gathering gloom. Maybe it had been a grey day, weatherwise, but none-the-less I wouldn’t have swopped it (except, maybe for a sun-drenched beach and a glass of beer!!).

Here comes Autumn!

We live quite close to a Site of Special scientific Interest (SSSI), which is a wild area at one time used for peat-cutting.

It has been allowed to remain in its original state with paths crossing it to permit people to walk around in relative freedom. Because of the perpetually-damp state of the area, a mist can hang over it at certain times, which must be reminiscent of the great English moors.

This morning we had the first evidence of the mist moving over our back garden, with the resultant silence.

Yes Autumn has arrived!

Getting back to normal?

I’m looking forward to tomorrw night when Young Lady of the House, and Daughter, return from their sojourn on the sun-kissed beaches of Cala San Vicente, no doubt tanned and relaxed.

I managed to get a lot of work done in the garden when the weather was hot, and the normal cleaning and hygiene necessary in any household was carried-out to normal male-standards…but I have a feeling that they may be subject to some criticism. I never really came to terms with the vast amount of thinking and physical work which the household requires.

I ate on three nights with Son, and two kind families offered hospitality so I did not require any great cuisine to keep body and soul together……thanks are due to them!

So it will be with joy in my heart that I welcome the ladies of my life back to the fold. Not just because I love them both to bits, but I am happy to hand over the reins of the household again, and Daughter can take away Benji the hamster to his own home

My last day of freedom (or solitude if you wish) will be a trip to the beautiful area of Tighnabruaich in Argyll, and then last minute shopping and tidying before heading to the Airport.

BUT WATCH HERE FOR WHAT HAPPENS ON SUNDAY!

Scotland the Beautiful (again) !

I had to head north on Wednesday to the Highlands of Argyll, to the town of Lochgilphead (at the head of Loch Gilp, believe it or not!) and then the interesting little sheltered yacht haven of Ardfern. Local residents had advised that the wind and rain they had recently might prove a hazard on the route, but I felt my journey was necessary, so set off in the drizzle, but the weather improved as did the scenery.

Much of this area had been used for commercial foresting and great swathes of the countryside had been covered with towering firs. As I have been travelling up here for decades, I have seen them growing from young saplings to the majesty which they eventually achieve. As a by-product of this, however, the trees themselves can sometimes become the scenery, as vistas are precluded by the darkness of the forest near the road. What a wonderful surprise it is then, when coming round a corner, to see that an area has been cleared giving a clear view of the lakes and hills beyond.

Whilst the cleared area may sometimes be unsightly for a couple of years, Mother Nature takes over and the natural flora can return.

Might this be a good theme for thinking about life….or is that too philosophical for this time of the day?

Time to leave Summer…

As a child, I wrote a small poem about the countryside where I lived. I especially liked this time of year and spoke of the trees shedding their foliage…….

……’ the leaves come whirling round and round,  laying their cornflake carpet on the ground’.

Clever, wasn’t I?        Lakeland poets….eat your heart out!

WELL, CAN YOU DO BETTER?