Leaving early in the morning for a couple of days in Wales. I’ll try to post something, but I don’t know if I’ll have Internet access or not. If not, back Wednesday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This must be one of the simplest recipes there are, and especially welcome in the hot weather we’ve been having lately. And, everyone, almost certainly, has the ‘makings’ to hand:

 

1. Make some coffee

 

 

2. Allow to cool, and store in fridge for an hour or so

 

 

3. Put some ice cream in a large wineglass and pour coffee over it.

 

 

So simple; you couldn’t really louse it up, could you? Oh, yes, you could!Anticipating a hot day today, I made the coffee last night. Lorraine made her sandwiches to take to work early this morning. No problem so far … BUT she used garlic sausage to make the sandwiches, then put the remaining sausage back in the fridge. I know, she should have put it into a plastic bag, but she was in a hurry.

It was easy enough to make some more coffee … and, much as I like garlic, I don’t think garlic-flavoured coffee will ever catch on.

Should keep the vampires away, though!

Kodak announced on Monday that the famous Kodachrome colour slide film will be discontinued after a 74-year run. The first commercially successful colour film has been eclipsed by the popularity of digital technology, the company said in a statement.

 

 

 

You can read the full story here, at http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2009/06/photogalleries/kodachrome-color-film-discontinued/index.html ; there’s some excellent photos on there, too.

When Kodachrome was first introduced in 1937, photographers were able, for the first time, to shoot quality colour pictures with 35mm. cameras, rather that hauling around a bulky and heavy Speed Graphic or a Rolleiflex. Since then, most of the colour pictures in the National Geographic Magazine were shot on it.

Here, I have a confession to make. I very rarely used it! The Kodachrome film we got in the UK was process paid, and you had to send the film off in the provided mailer to have it processed. For some reason, I preferred Kodak Ektachrome (or its successors … it changed its name several times!), which you could take down to your local lab to be done. However, a few years ago, I switched to Fujichrome, before abandoning slide altogether.

To view slides, I had to set up the projector and screen; now, I just burn the pictures I want to show on a CD, and can have a slide show on my computer. Indeed, some DVD players will allow your picture CDs to be shown on a television screen.

I have Kodak to thank for that, too. In the 1990s, they introduced the Photo CD. You sent off your best slides, and they scanned them to a CD for you. You were supposed to buy a box, which would show your pictures on the television, but customers quickly took on board that they would work, and be manipulated on a computer just as well … so they quickly withdrew the box, and ceased their slide-scanning service, too.

But, by then, I could produce my own quality scans of slide or print, or, indeed, take publishable pictures with a digital camera … all things I thought, such a short time ago, would never be affordable in my lifetime.

I still have those early Kodak CDs … here’s one of my favourite pictures from one.

Monday is usually a day for my ‘Trip Diary’ entry, but, since I just ‘got back’ from Spain, maybe this would be a good time to look ahead at what’s to come.

Next week, I’m off to Snowdonia for a couple of days. I’m going to review the new Hafod Eryri restaurant, nearly at the summit of Snowdon itself. I’ll be travelling up the mountain by way of the Snowdon Mountain Railway and, if there’s time afterwards, I’d like a ride on the Llanberis Lake Railway and visit Dolbadarn Castle and the Slate Centre.

August is the Big Road Trip. My brother-in-law’s visiting from Brisbane and he and his wife want to see the English Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall. But, the only thing we have firmly booked is hotel accommodation in Edinburgh for the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th, and tickets for the Tattoo on the 8^th.

In September, I’m booked for another Vaughantown programme. This one’s at a new centre I haven’t been to before, at Salamanca. I have a slight misgiving about it being close to the city centre; will the ‘country house party’ atmosphere we’ve enjoyed at other Vaughantown locations be reduced, or even lost altogether? We’ll see. Whatever, I should get some good pictures and video … although, at the moment, I only know one thing about the place:

A sea serpent from Salamanca

Bit a hole in a warship and sank her.

It ate up the crew

(as sea serpents do)

And then picked its teeth with the anchor.

 

I don’t know if there’ll be Internet access at any of these places, but, if there is, I’ll post if I can. There won’t be a ‘Trip Diary’ entry next week, as I shall be in Snowdonia; after that, it’ll continue with visits to one or two places in southern England before starting on Wales. Other blogging will continue as usual … if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise!

It’s nearly fifty years since they retired Joe Bleasdale’s steam roller. I remembered him saying to my Dad how pleased he was to be rid of it. No longer did he have to get up early in the morning to light the fire and raise steam in the boiler. He just had to jump on his new diesel roller and turn the key, and he was off.

But, just before Joe himself retired ten years later, he was mourning the loss of his steam roller. Any fool can drive the diesel roller, he grumbled, even the ‘lad’, who, he said, was a couple of cans short of a six-pack. But, to drive a steam roller, you had to know what you were doing.

Happily, the steam roller is still around, rescued and restored by an enthusiast near Kendal. People still like to see them at shows and such … steam rollers, traction engines, showman’s engines and steam lorries. All lovingly restored and carefully inspected; they have to be … you don’t want to be near a steam engine when the boiler blows!

And, the older people think back to the days when they were a regular sight on our roads and farms. I remember one that used to visit my Grand-dads farm when it was needed to power the thresher or the saw bench; Grand-dad never learnt to drive, and there wasn’t a tractor on the farm until the middle 50s.

But, they do forget that the poor old engineman had to be up with the lark, to light the boiler!

I know, Kevin MacLeod’s ‘Waunobe March’ on the accompanying video is getting a bit over-used. But, it has the ‘steam organ’ quality I wanted, so I hope I’ll be forgiven this time.

Wow! Take a look at this!

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/06/23/iss-has-best-balcony-seat-for-volcanic-eruption

 I’ve written in praise of the Aussie Pie in several places, and it’s often the first thing I buy when I visit there, and feel a little peckish. But, what I failed to mention is you don’t have to go to iconic establishments such as Harry’s Café de Wheels, in Sydney or Balfour’s Pie Cart in Adelaide. You can just about buy one anywhere.

And, as I found the other week, ‘anywhere’ includes the English seaside resort of Bournemouth!

There’s a kiosk called ‘Jumbucks’ on the promenade, at the approach to the pier. I was prepared for disappointment, though. After all, only the other day, I’d thrown a so-called Melton Mowbray pork pie away half-eaten. And, in several places, I’ve had a crust filled with a tasteless mush that had the cheek to call itself a Cornish pasty. In both cases, though, the genuine article is worth walking miles for.

But these pies are the genuine … or should I say ‘dinkum’? … article. One bite of the ‘Aussie Rules, and I closed my eyes and was transported to the many places I’ve enjoyed pies. Probably the favourite was the Mary Ann Reserve, at Mannum, on the River Murray, where we were waiting to board the Murray Princess, and trying not to share our pies with an over-importunate pelican.

No pelicans at Bournemouth, though … just the firm crust, the succulent gravy and real diced beef. And, to prevent burning your fingers, it even came in the Dinkum Pie Bag.

　

Madrid. 13^th March 2009

Once more, Friday night found me at the Locandita.

When I visited the previous week, I didn’t take part in the activities, because they were well under way by the time I arrived. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I spent the time talking to Mike Monroy, who’d issued the invitation and the owner of the bar, also a member of Toastmasters International, whose plaque can be seen on the wall.

Although I’m in no way a qualified teacer, I like helping people to learn English … if I was completely xenophobic, I’d say it helps me, because it means I don’t have to learn foreign languages. But, I’m not … I like learning other languages because it gets you talking and listening, rather than just listening t the lecturer.

This time, I arrived at 148, Calle Fuencarral in plenty of time, and was able to join the others in a basement room. One activity I particularly liked was the one where we formed small groups, to be given a subject to discuss. The subjects chosen called for us to discuss ideas in English, of which I approved because so many people think they can speak a foreign language, when really, all they can do is state facts (exchange pleasantries, order food, ask for directions, complain about the hotel room, etc.)

I was reminded of my friend Didier. ‘Si tu peux discuter des affaires politiques avec un français, tu peux parler français’ (If you can talk politics with a Frenchman, you can speak French)

SO:

Gordon Brown es un ano de caballo!

I can speak Spanish!!!

Visitors frequently come to this blog asking question  ‘Are there any buses from Bournemouth to Stonehenge?’  Up to now, they wouldn’t find an answer here, but I believe in telling visitor what they want to know, rather than what I think they want to know.

  The answer is, there is no direct service, but if you catch the Wilts and Dorset X3 service from Gervis Place, it will take you to Salisbury, where you can transfer to the Stonehenge Tour. (http://travelrat.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/stonehenge-bus-ride )

The journey to Salisbury will take about 90 minutes, and will cost no more than £7.50 return. That’s the price of a Wilts and Dorset ‘Explorer’ ticket, which is good for the day, and will permit you to ride any W&D service as many times as you like. But, be advised this ticket is NOT valid for the Stonehenge tour!

Most of the buses on the X3 route are new, and are painted in a distinctive livery for that route. Also new, also painted in a distinctive livery are the open-top buses on Route 50 to Swanage (http://travelrat.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/bournemouth-bus-ride ).

These buses are, actually, ‘half-decked’; the front half of the top deck is enclosed, and only the rear half open. And, they’re ‘convertibles’, in that a roof can be put on for use in winter.

 

For further information about timetables, etc. go to www.wdbus.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once more, this comes to me from Margaret Dickinson, my ‘Sign Spotter in the North’ My first thought was … what the hell? No speedometer that I know of, not even the state-of-the-art digital one in my car and, as far as I know, even a speed camera, gives fractions of a mile per hour.

Then, I though … is this a bit of psychology at work? Would a motorist be more inclined to keep his speed at a reasonable level in the car park that he would if the sign simply stated 10 mph?

Answers on a postcard, please ….

For another really ‘cheesy’ article, my latest effort is at http://globalfoodie.com/?p=602