Skip Cottage

Blue Skies and Concrete Roads

2012-01-14T13:50:00.001Z

In the walks I make around Skip, this is my favourite tree, especially in winter. The old beech was looking great yesterday.

Locals around Wamphray no longer drive in straight lines. Most have learned where the worst of the potholes are and weave to avoid them. I have to pass this one most days and I keep forgetting about it especially after dark!

The best 'roads' in the area are in a most unlikely place - on the moorland accessed by the minor road that goes over to Boreland from Wamphray Bridge.

These concrete 'roads' are more than sixty years old, dating from World War 2. I'm rather fascinated by their history. Apparently, there was an artillery range up on the moors, said to be used by tanks. I've tried to find out more information. The helpful librarians at the Ewart Library in Dumfries were able to confirm the existence of a range (called the Gillesbie range (?), after the big house near Boreland), and I was able to look at a map which showed the existence of a 'trackway' on the moorland. This may have been to allow moving targets to be shot at.

I've yet to discover more details about the use of the range despite local enquiries, and searches on the Web. I'll keep at it.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, that I went investigating. This is looking north from Winshields Hill. (Or should it be Windshiels, the name of a nearby house.)

These buildings date from the 1940s. But the forest plantation on the left is where the secret is hidden.

Here is the current satellite view, courtesy of Google maps. The looped route of the 'trackway' can still be seen.

I wasn't expecting to find evidence of any 'trackway' after all these years. Indeed, the trees have all been planted since the war ended. But here is the evidence. It makes sense that the trackway would be in a ditch, sunken from view, with the targets, whatever they were, held aloft.

Certainly, the line of the sunken trackway is quite evident. It's a bit of a spooky place I have to admit, but I did have a close encounter with a rather splendid fox which looked at me rather curiously!

Here is another concrete road on the south edge of the plantation.

End of a good day.

Photos © Skip Cottage, except as indicated.

Welcome sun in January

2012-01-09T15:04:00.004Z

It is so nice to see a little sun at this time of year. This is looking north from Skip. There was encouragement then to make an inspection tour of the garden, really for the first time this year, aside from a quick check to see if there had been any storm damage last week. I was curious to see if there was any signs of growth, this winter having been so mild.

Many would consider me old-fashioned, but I still like heathers and have a number in the garden. This Erica is just coming into flower.

How do I tell these crocuses in this container that they are very early!

And this double primrose has a couple of white flowers!

No sign yet of snowdrops in the garden, but do you see what I see along the roadside?

Aren't they beautiful!

Looking round the garden though, there is so much work that has to be done, and could be done, in the months ahead. I wonder if 2012 will be a good year. First priority will be to clear away all the debris from last year, but there is time yet for this. And anyway, the curling season is at its busiest!

Photos © Skip Cottage

What does 2012 have in store at Skip?

2012-01-04T15:38:00.007Z

Happy New Year! It's the fourth of January already, and we've yet to see the sun at Skip in 2012. It's been a bit blowy in Annandale, but fortunately we missed the worst of yesterday's storm which hit the Central Belt so badly.

This winter continues to be very wet. Indeed I cannot think of one wetter in the ten years I've been here. I bought this Korean Fir as a small plant when I was setting out this part of the garden. It was well worth the trip up to The Tree Shop at Cairndow. It is a handsome tree, and seems to like its position. Lots of cones!

I've only made one resolution this new year, and that's not to procrastinate. I'm very good at putting things off. For example, I just never got round to posting about one enjoyable outing last summer, which saw me in England's only 'temperance pub' in Rawtenstall, see here. Dandelion and Burdock cordial gets my vote every time!

Rawtenstall was the start for a day on the East Lancashire Railway. Great fun. This is Bury station.

Steam too! BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4 Tank was on loan to the East Lancs Railway last year. Here are photos of its rebuild prior to that.

80080 runs round at Heywood.

My day ticket on the railway covered a visit to Bury Transport Museum. I was enjoying the training so much, that I nearly missed this out. I'm glad I didn't.

What an interesting place, with fascinating exhibits, and - as importantly - friendly and helpful staff.

The museum encourages children. I discovered this wardrobe and basket containing lots of period costumes for dressing up. There being no-one about, I had to take a photo. Just who is the big kid behind the camera?

Fingers crossed that I can keep well enough to look after the garden this year, and continue my explorations of our heritage railways!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Season's Greetings

2011-12-22T15:41:00.002Z

Winter arrives

2011-12-08T20:57:00.004Z

This was last Monday. The first snow of the winter.

The standing stone has an umbrella of a large beech tree.

The overwintering sheep may well have been puzzled by it all!

Three days later, and it's all change again. Rain, high winds. The foreground is the garden. In the background is the River Annan.

The 'flood plain' is now a real lake. Indeed, when I came in this afternooon water was beginning to cover the approaches to the Jocksthorn Bridge.

Here's an unusual view of Skip. The white blob in the background is the cottage, and in front of that is the north facing slope of the garden. In the foreground is a flooded field, complete with waves! Now if the cold weather was to return I would have my own local curling venue. Grand Match anyone?

Photos © Skip Cottage

Rallying Past Skip Cottage

2011-12-05T14:39:00.002Z

Not a lot happens, usually, on a Sunday morning at Skip. Yesterday morning was a bit different. The little back road that passes the cottage echoed to the sound of historic rally cars as the Roger Albert Clark Rally visited Wamphray on the way between the special forest stages.

I have to say that I watched most of the cars passing from the kitchen window, but I did venture outside to capture the occasion.

It got a bit dark as a shower moved in. Perhaps I can say that the visitors were not seeing the Parish at its best. Great to see classics out in rally mode! The list of entries is here.

This is Peter Smith of Driffield in his Escort Mark 1 coming up through the beech trees from Newton Wamphray village.

Actually, this road is the line of a Roman Road which came north from Carlisle. I wonder what the legionnaires might make of all this. They say that, on a cold dark night, you can hear the tramp of their feet. Presumably these ghostly sounds will have been swept away now by yesterday morning's activities!

Tim Pearcey of Harrogate with his RS 1800 passing the standing stone at Skip.

It was quickly back inside to a warm fire when it started sleeting! Great fun though. This was the last day of the rally. You can read all the reports here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Island in the stream

2011-11-29T20:56:00.005Z

November 29, 2011, was wet! This is the Jocksthorn Bridge which spans the River Annan and allows access to the Parish of Wamphray, and Newton Wamphray village. It was built by Dalziel Bridge Co Ltd, Motherwell, in 1908.

Looking downstream from the bridge today. Skip sits on a little knoll in the trees to the right of the village hall which can just be seen in the middle of the photo.

Looking upstream from the bridge, the river is already over its banks.

This was the view from the edge of my garden. The river is on the far side of the trees!

Looking north from the garden, showing clearly the role of the lower field as 'flood plain'. The story is that the river used to run around the bottom of the garden. Indeed, that would explain all the sand I find there. But when the nearby railway was built in the mid-nineteenth century, the river was straightened and diverted to its present course.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Autumn Sunset

2011-11-05T19:10:00.003Z

I just had to grab the camera when I saw this sunset at Skip yesterday!

Pic © Skip Cottage

Autumn at Skip

2011-10-27T11:16:00.004+01:00

Autumn is here. Skip has seen its first frost, and the summer containers are a sorry state. The leaves are fast accumulating.

The garden has been largely ignored for the past couple of months. One word describes how its been - wet! The countryside around about is sodden.

Has the year outside been a success? I think so. My attempt to grow some veg was somewhat more successful than last year. It was a good year for potatoes certainly. I even enjoyed the taste of home grown carrots just last night.

The colourful Acer is a star in the garden at this time of year! I've not been too fit this past couple of months, but hope to be back to 100% by the time spring beckons and the new season work has to begin. I can't say I'm looking forward to the winter months, but the time spent earlier in the year making sure the woodshed is well stocked has ensured, I hope, that things will be snug and warm inside! No gallivanting off to foreign climes this winter, that's for sure. And hopefully all the pipes will stay intact this time. I wonder if we will get another severe spell, and whether we will be curling outside again?

Pics © Skip Cottage

At the Riverside Museum

2011-09-20T19:03:00.011+01:00

I've been looking forward to my first visit to Glasgow's new transport museum. I remember visiting the first one in the old tram depot in Albert Drive in 1964. Then, after the 1985 Air Canada Silver Broom World Curling Championship in the Kelvin Hall, the museum moved into that space in 1987. I was a regular visitor.

There has been lots of publicity about the new Riverside Museum since it opened this summer. I'd certainly heard some negative comments, but I tried to have an open mind as I drove up to Glasgow today. Would I be disappointed?

In fact, I think it is absolutely first class! I love the design of the building, and there's just so much to see inside. The place is stuffed with exhibits. Yes, it's very different from what went before, everything seems jumbled up, but once I got my head around that, I just loved the place.

Here are just a few of my personal highlights from today.

You will not be surprised that this Class 15F South African locomotive, built by the North British Locomotive Works in Polmadie in 1945, tops my list!

Old friends. I liked how I could sit in the bottom deck of the tram and listen to an AV presentation on how women conductors were recruited during the first World War, and soon thereafter, women became drivers too.

More old friends...

... with better access than before. This is the cab of Glen Douglas, HR 103, built in 1913.

I was pleased to see that this Triumph Mayflower was on display, even if it was on a shelf halfway up a wall. First car I ever owned, and I was so proud of it back in 1965!

I found this exhibit fascinating, showing as it does an early dirt track bike with the story of George Pinkerton, 'From rhubarb farmer to spitfire pilot'!

Happy memories of visiting the White City in the sixties as a speedway fan!

More steam power!

I can hardly believe this steam powered car!

They've done the old street very well...

... with memories of 'The Subway' and this early cable railway carriage, and exhibit on how it operated, before the whole system was converted to electricity.

This was my number one 'find'. The subway carriage has become a cinema where you can watch a back projected 28-minute period wartime drama, with 17 actors and 36 extras boarding and alighting at the various underground stations. Absolutely first class, very well done indeed. Read more about this here.

Top marks to 55degrees, the multimedia production company which put this together, although I see that the company now appears to be in liquidation (here).

I am already looking forward to my next visit, to explore other aspects of 'transport' at the museum, and to see if I can figure out why a stuffed zebra is on show next to the upstairs cafe.

Pix © Skip Cottage

Tour of Britain in Wamphray

2011-09-12T11:28:00.009+01:00

Yesterday, September 11, 2011, the Tour of Britain cycle race came through Wamphray Parish in Dumfries and Galloway!

The cyclists and their entourage would come right down Newton's main street. The most exciting thing to happen in Wamphray since the great flood of 2005? Certainly. I wanted to be there to record the occasion.

This was the presence on 'our corner' as we waited for the cyclists to arrive on their way to Dumfries from their start in Peebles. The weather was not pleasant. Indeed, conditions for the riders were described as 'brutal' by the commentary team on the ITV 4 highlights programme in the evening.

Never mind the cyclists, the Tour is a delight for motorbike fans. It was very impressive to see the organisation that goes on ahead of the race as police and marshalls ensure that the route is made safe. And the banter with the police who stopped at 'our corner' was great fun.

Two cyclists had been in a breakaway almost since the start at Peebles.

That's Russell Hampton of Sigma Sport in front with Pieter Ghyllebert of the An Post Sean Kelly team.

Here comes the peleton.

HTC High Road. Would I be able to pick out Mark Cavendish as the 90 some riders hurtled past?

Several of the Sky team together.

That's Cav, second from the right, I'm pretty sure. I would have loved to have been in Dumfries later to see him being led out for the win by his teammate Mark Renshaw.

A bike change for one rider in the distance, as the HTC Highroad support car comes past. These photos don't really show the speed that the cyclists and cars were going by.

Working hard to catch up on the peleton.

Sky support. Well turned out, even to the number plate!

Bringing up the rear. I note there was a crash at St Ann's bridge. That put Jens Voight in hospital and out of the race, see here. Driving my car in the conditions, and seeing the race highlights later, I have never doubted that professional cyclists are tough customers. They are.

It was over all too quickly, but it was well worth being one of many who watched the race pass by. It was interesting too to see the highlights programme, following roads that I know well. Unsurprisingly, there was no coverage at all going through Wamphray. You saw the riders leaving Moffat, then they were at St Ann's, then in Dumfries. But they WERE here. Wamphray was indeed on the map yesterday!

(As I write this on Monday morning, looking out on the foulest of days, I hear that today's stage from Kendal to Blackpool has been cancelled. I'm not surprised.)

Photos © Skip Cottage

Excitement in Wamphray

2011-09-08T16:09:00.004+01:00

It has to be the most exciting thing to happen in Wamphray Parish since the great flood of 2005! Stage 1 of the Tour of Britain cycle race, from Peebles to Dumfries, will take the old Carlisle road out of Moffat and come down the main street of Newton Wamphray village. Not quite past my front door, but close enough. The advance warning signs have been up for some weeks.

The sixteen teams of cyclists will cross the Annan at the Jocksthorn Bridge and come up this little hill past the Manse Hotel and the Red House B&B, to take the back road over to St Ann's Bridge on the road to Dumfries. On Sunday, I don't expect the hill to be lined with huge numbers of drunken cycling 'fans' in fancy dress, doing their best to get themselves on camera and getting in the way of the riders, as we see so often in coverage of the Tour de France on the big climbs. Muppets.

Now, where is my Elvis outfit?!

Big Trucks

2011-09-04T12:59:00.006+01:00

Study the photo above, and work out where I am! I suspect you are really something of a petrol head if you know the answer!

I'm in Leyland, Lancashire, as you will know if you recognised the photos as the covers of the old Leyland calendars. Incidentally, very little is known about the artist who painted these, William Lambert, or even who all the Leyland Lady models were. It is said that the models were all local lasses. The staff at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum would like your help if you know anything.

My father did an apprenticeship at Albion Motors of Scotstoun in the 1920s. That's maybe why I have an affinity for trucks, the bigger the better. (It also gives me an excuse again to share this Kendel Carson link, here, or indeed a live performance here.)

The BCVM is well worth a visit...

.... with lots to see, and a very friendly welcome.

I certainly did not expect to find an Edinburgh horse-drawn tram!

I was rather taken with the examples of steam-driven trucks, as above...

... and here. Steam, yes!

Better than any advertising hoarding, this Bedford Green Goddess was on show at the entrance to the museum.

Pics © Skip Cottage

BOGOF at the Citadel

2011-08-21T20:14:00.006+01:00

I am usually happy enough with one steam locomotive at a time, but yesterday there was double pleasure with two Black Fives at Carlisle's Citadel Station.

First in was 45305, LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 5305 (British Railways no. 45305) which was built by Armstrong-Whitworth of Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1936. She spent most of her life based in North-West England. 45305 survived to the last month of steam on British Railways, August 1968. Life in preservation is described here.

Yesterday, 45305 was pulling The Railway Touring Company's Cumbrian Mountain Express - Liverpool-Shap-Carlisle-Settle-Liverpool.

It was an opportunity to spend time with old friends, such as Pamela, not to mention Patricia, Julia, Christina, Victoria, Diana and Florence. It's the way to travel.

There's always a lot to watch. The locomotive parks the carriages, then runs round through the station and gets turned round for the return trip. It picks up the carriages again ...

... and yesterday loaded the passengers at Platform 4, before setting off on the return leg.

Meantime, Black 5 44932 was a replacement yesterday for 46115 Scots Guardsman on The Railway Touring Company's The Waverley excursion York-Settle-Carlisle and return. Double fun!

On the Annandale Way

2011-08-10T15:16:00.007+01:00

What with all the work on the house, and garden, this summer, I've had little time to get out walking. Yesterday was beautiful though, and with no steam trains near at hand to go and photograph, I took the opportunity for a wee walk.

I've talked about the Annandale Way before, see here, and here and here. Yesterday I explored a short stretch south of St Ann's.

The Way here traverses pleasant farmland.......

.... and is not much travelled. Just head across the field towards the gate in the distance. It defeated my photographic skill, but - even though it was early afternoon - I was surrounded by lots of young housemartins flying all round my head as I walked across the field. Quite magic.

I first encountered the sticky seedheads of burrdock in the 1950s, on walks with my uncle and dog (Gyp) on the outskirts of Dumbarton. I've discovered today on the internet that it was around that time that Swiss engineer George de Mestral was inspired by the burrs sticking to his clothes, and even his own hunting dog, to 'invent' fabric loop and hook fasteners, aka Velcro. And you can read all you need to know about this here!

The Web is a wonderful thing, unbelievable to think it is barely twenty years old.

Lots of old oaks and beech trees in Annandale, looking resplendent at this time of year.

Many trees in the area suffered in last month's storms. This old beech has lost a limb, but is fighting on. I almost wanted to give it a hug!

The local inhabitants were curious to see who was invading their privacy yesterday!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Being busy

2011-08-05T18:54:00.007+01:00

Every year I find space for a container or two of Livingstone daisies. Rarely do I see them smiling like this, but it does make the effort worthwhile when the sun does shine!

Usually though - through rain and cloudy skies - the flowers don't open.

The garden is petty lush as we reach August. Unfortunately much of the growth is weeds, and since I've been very busy inside, I'll not show any other pics of what it looks like!

I did spend a day in the Yorkshire Dales recently. Here is the proof - on a walk above Hardraw, near Hawes.

I was visiting my friend Brian Alderman, now resident in the Dales and here practising for the Burtersett Show with a neighbour! It may not be curling, but it is an equally frustrating pastime! You have to get the ping pong balls into the cans.

Brian has painted this outdoor curling scene for me. Redecoration of Skip after last December's disaster is coming on, sufficiently to begin getting things on the walls again, and this painting has pride of place. (Brian has a website here, and his contact details are therein, should you fancy commissioning your own unique painting)

I've not had a lot of time for trainspotting.

But here was Black 5 (LMS Class 5MT 4-6-0) no 44932 pulling the Fellsman excursion last Wednesday, from Lancaster over the Carlisle-Settle line.

Some 842 of these locomotives were built, and eighteen have survived in preservation. I was interested to note that 44932 was built at the Horwich Works, near Bolton, in 1946, the only survivor of the 120 built there.

The log train from Kingmoor to Chirk passes the Black 5 standing on Platform 3 at Carlisle.

These steam excursions to Carlisle certainly bring lots of visitors to the town. The Fellsman on Wednesday had a full complement of some 350 passengers.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Steam Addiction

2011-07-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday night I caught the Monster Moves programme on Channel 5, which told the story of the move of two British-built Stanier 8F class 2-8-0 locomotives across Turkey from Sivas to Izmir, ready for shipping back to the UK. Great programme, and great story! Read about it here.

Watching the TV programme made me realise that I hadn't had my steam fix this month, so yesterday I hopped on to the train from Lockerbie into Carlisle to await the arrival of the Fellsman, Statesman Rail's regular Wednesday excursion from Lancaster to Carlisle over the Settle line, see here.

The steam charter was pulled by a favourite - LMS Royal Scot Class 6115 Scots Guardsman (see here).

Quite magnificent!

The old and new side by side at Carlisle's Citadel Station.

There were not too many people at Carlisle yesterday to see steam in action on the main line. There was however a class of primary school children, from the local Brook Street School. Two things. I thought it was great that their teachers had brought them along to see the train, and I was very impressed at how well they were organised and looked after. I was also very impressed with the attitude of the train staff, who answered lots of questions with patience and enthusiasm!

Everyone of the kids (all 25 or so) got the opportunity to see in the cab - I was most jealous, but then remembered how I used to stand on the platform at the St Enoch station in Glasgow, circa 1959, looking pleadingly at the drivers in the hope of getting a brief visit into the cab!

On the right is Mr Welsh, teacher in charge of the group. Well done to him!

I hope all the children enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the locomotive pulling away. I know I did!

Photos © Skip Cottage.

Unexpected visitors

2011-07-01T09:47:00.008+01:00

I left the front door open the other day and was surprised to find these two swallows paying a visit. I have certainly noticed plenty of swallows around recently. I suspect they are nesting close by but I haven't figured out where they call home.

These two seemed in no hurry to leave - perhaps because the porch is home to lots of insects!

It was a case of grabbing the camera and seeing if I could capture a memento of their visit! Looking at the tail streamers (on other pics) I surmise that one was an adult, with long streamers, the other a juvenile, or possibly the female, with much shorter ones.

The two of them perched one last time on top of the open door, and then they were off!

Swallows apart, the star of the garden at the moment is this Rogersia, in full bloom.

This old peony is a star too. It is one of the few things in the garden that I've not planted, being a left over from previous occupants of Skip. Despite its beauty it seems to be as tough as old boots! And it has a spectacular perfume.

Hardy Geraniums grow well at Skip. This certainly is one of the showiest.

My efforts with vegetables in containers have been successful, at least these International Kidney potatoes have done OK.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Classics at Moffat

2011-06-26T16:35:00.009+01:00

Many of the roads around Moffat are like this - scenic and quiet. But this is the A708, the road that goes over towards Selkirk past the Grey Mare's Tale and St Mary's Loch. It has to be one of the worst main roads in the whole of Scotland. Not that it isn't scenic. It is, but in places it is really poorly maintained, especially recently after two hard winters. But if you like potholes big enough to swallow a little car whole, enjoy.

The road hasn't seen much improvement in over fifty years, so when the Moffat Classic Car Rally comes to town, the cars are right at home!

Yesterday's fun run set off from Moffat's main street.

The cars were headed on a clockwise circuit up the Devil's Beeftub to Tweedsmuir, then past the Talla and Megget reservoirs, to join the 708 back to Moffat. It's a lovely run, although there was not much sun yesterday. Last year the cars were sent round in the opposite direction.

Some beautifully turned out cars!

I have a soft spot for the Reliant Scimitar, having owned one - my very own 'classic' - in the 1990s.

I had a Sunbeam Talbot Mark 3 in the 1960s when I was a student. Happy memories! This is a beautiful example.

Out on the road, you could chose to be in company ....

... or enjoy the solitude!

You know the backroads well if you can recognise where this old AA box is! (It's at Cappercleuch.)

Did I say that the A708 gets quite narrow at times!

The main rally event was today (Sunday). The weather was somewhat unpleasant at the start, but it was great to watch cars arriving at the showground in Moffat, trying to identify them as they drove in to the field.

Don't forget your brolly!

There are prizes to be won of course, but this Wolseley 14/44 gets my vote!

Around 1000 cars were on view.

I always liked the Triumph 1300, and indeed I owned one. But it was not the happiest of involvements. Nice to see this one today though.

I passed my driving test in a Vauxhall Victor 101 Estate just like this one. See nostalgia!

The Moffat Rally has lots more than just cars to look at.

I particularly liked Jen and Joe Davies' can collection. That's just a small sample above. It made me realise that collecting wee curling stones is perhaps not as peculiar as all that.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Between the June showers

2011-06-13T21:23:00.007+01:00

In between the showers last week, I managed to get a few photos of the garden in the first week in June. It certainly does not feel like summer here. There's been lots of rain and very cool nights.

The garden though is very green. This is looking down to the bottom level.

Here's a shot looking back up the garden, with the pond in the foreground.

Here's more of the pond, looking towards one of the little acers, which was one of the first trees I planted in the garden.

This Rogersia gets the prize for the most rapid growth. It was so late in coming through that I did wonder if I had lost in in the cold of last winter. But this was not the case!

The yellow day lillies in the background started life as a packet of seeds some years ago!

There seemed to be lots of space in this raised bed when I commented on it back in April (here but you'll probably not recognise which photo it is!) when I planted some new perennials. These will take a while to get established, but the Alchemilla mollis at the front likes this situation.

These poppies too started as a packet of seeds, and have spread well!

I should probably add that the blackbirds have fledged, and the parents do not seem to have started again this year, at least not in the same nest.

And that the garden came through the big storms with no damage.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Hail the garden in May

2011-05-25T22:03:00.012+01:00

It made me smile today to hear a radio presenter saying how warm and dry it was! It does show just how blinkered you can be if you live in the south of the country. The above pic was taken yesterday morning. The forecast warned of 'showers'. I was outside and it suddenly got dark, very dark. I made it inside, just, before Skip was battered by the worst hailstorm I've experienced in years.

It had been very windy the day before. Fortunately no serious damage around the garden that I could see - except that one of the bird tables was blown over. Lots of trees down through Dumfries and Galloway though. And the West Coast main line was shut after a tree came down near Gretna.

I'm sure the containers will survive the hail. A few minutes later the sun was out and it had all disappeared.

The garden is looking really nice, despite the cold, wet weather. It's amazing how much growth there is at this time of year! The white shrub, colour co-ordinated with the hailstones, is a little azalea which went went in some four years ago and seems to like its situation.

Here's another pic of the narrow strip on the south side of the house. The yellow shrub next to the white azalea is Sumbucus Canadensis 'Aurea' which I bought in a small pot in a sale for next to nothing when I was trying to populate the garden without spending much money several years back. I lucked out with this purchase, as it's a lovely feature, but is really too big for the spot it's in. I've already had to prune it right back. Getting things in the right place is a continuing problem for me!

My three troughs came through the cold winter. The one in the foreground is made from a polystyrene fish box. It's in the 'old curling stone sanctuary'. These old stones have found a loving place to spend their retirement! I'll always find a place at Skip for any old, unloved, stones. Let me know if you find any in need of rescue!

Clematis Broughton Star is so reliable. I added a later flowering clematis one a week or so ago. We'll soon see if I've got it in the right place.

More photos of the garden if/when it gets warmer and sunnier!

What about the birds? I can confirm that the blackbird eggs hatched and the parents are working hard to feed the four (or it might be five) chicks.

This is a favourite visitor to Skip Cottage garden, a great spotted woodpecker. Very timid though, and difficult to get its photo. I was lucky to get a couple of pics the other day.

"Who's a pretty boy then?" You can just see that it has a red patch on the back of its head, which tells me it's a male.

Springwatch is back next week!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Our Speaker Today

2011-05-19T10:36:00.007+01:00

I was in Glasgow yesterday, to meet Allan Gaw, a friend and former colleague, for lunch and to discuss future plans for our book Clinical Biochemistry: An Illustrated Colour Text, which hopefully will go to a fifth edition in the years ahead.

I was early for my appointment and took the opportunity for a stroll along University Avenue and Byers Road. The West End was my stamping ground for many years, but I haven't been back often since I retired. I stood outside the Boyd Orr building in whose lecture theatres I had 'entertained' 200-plus classes of first and second year medical students for most of my career. The building (above) still dominates University Avenue. As I took the photo, memories came flooding back. Happy times!

It must surely have been more than a co-incidence when later Allan delved into his briefcase to give me a signed copy of his new book, Our Speaker Today: A Guide to Effective Lecturing. You see, I had been one of Allan's lecturers way back when he was a student. Turns out I was one he remembered (positively) and he has - embarrassingly - included a very touching acknowledgement! He is currently Director of Operations of the Glasgow Clinical Research Facility.

I read the book last night. I haven't laughed so much when reading a 'text book' for a long time. It really is excellent, containing perfect advice for those having to give lectures and presentations. He doesn't shy away from pointing out what makes a poor lecturer, and what contributes to a bad lecture. And therein lies much of the humour. Allan, the consummate medical educator, has lectured all over the world for twenty-five years and draws on his immense experience.

If you have to give talks, and have never been taught how this should be done well, then read this book! It should be required reading for anyone early in a career that involves speaking in public. Particularly relevant is advice on using PowerPoint. It is available from Amazon, see here, and can even be bought as a download for your Kindle or other tablet. Even if you give presentations on a regular basis, you might recognise yourself as a Seagull, Tart, or Spencer Tracy!

As Allan says, "Please don't read this book if you already think you are good enough. You probably aren't, but with that attitude I am not sure I can teach you anything. DO read this book if, no matter how long you have been giving talks, you think you may have something to learn. That openness to new possibilities means we can work together and all the mistakes I've made don't have to be repeated by someone else."

After a long career, I too recognise in the book all the mistakes I made at one time or another in front of a class. It was certainly an entertaining read to be reminded of them! Allan says these mistakes don't have to be repeated! For the lecture and presentation attendees of today, I wish that could be true.

Pix © Skip Cottage

Serious Photography

2011-05-17T08:25:00.004+01:00

I enjoy my camera, although I'll never be more than an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to photography. I know what a good photo of curling looks like and I'm always trying to take better and better when I cover the circuit for Skip Cottage Curling.

I appreciate too the more artistic aspects of my hobby, and I'm always willing to learn more. I was delighted recently to receive an invitation to attend the 'degree show' of the students on the commercial photography course at Gray's School of Art at Robert Gordon University.

Having taught students for all of my working life, I do miss them (on occasion) in my retirement. I admire their enthusiasm and creativity!

I had met Rebecca West, a photography student at Gray's, when she attended the European Curling Championships in Aberdeen in 2009. She had obvious talent, and I had wondered how she had got on in her course since our paths had crossed. So I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend a show of work put on by all sixteen students on the course. It was a brilliant evening and I was really impressed by the standard of all the displays.

Above is Becky with the eight black and white photographs she has on show.

I am sure she will have a big future ahead. Success to you, Becky!

The Photography Degree Show is open to view for the next couple of weeks at Gray's School of Art, Garthdee, Aberdeen.

Photos © Skip Cottage

The emotional rollercoaster that is the wood shed

2011-05-13T19:37:00.004+01:00

This year's April showers have arrived late this year, and working outside in May has been a case of trying to dodge the worst of these. Some of these 'showers' have been quite unpleasant. The other day it was thunder and lightning. Today it was hail stones!

If the showers look to be passing over quickly, I usually take shelter in the 'woodshed', that outbuilding at Skip which is, I must admit, somewhat quirky. Many things at Skip are quite quirky, but the 'woodshed' probably deserves status as a listed building!

The shed is full of junk, of course. In one shower, I took the opportunity to sort out all these various pots!

Part of the shed does indeed store wood for next winter.

Last summer I didn't use the shed much. You see, it was occupied. A pair of blackbirds had set up home. The female tried to raise no fewer than three batches of young. I think some of the first brood fledged OK. I found dead chicks from the second lot fallen from the nest. I could not believe it when all the eggs in the third batch hatched, but sadly the female, for some reason, didn't come back to the nest and they all died.

I noticed traces of a new nest last month, in a most inappropriate place, in a gutter. This was during the dry spell. I cleared away these early efforts, and thought I had persuaded the birds to nest elsewhere!

Not a chance. Sheltering from a shower this week, I had the feeling I was being watched. Look behind the hosepipe in the picture above!

Not only was there a beautiful nest, but it had five eggs. Since then, the female has been sitting on them. And I've been creeping in and out of the shed. I just hope it's not going to be the same catalogue of emotions as last year.

When is Springwatch on the box this year?

2011: A Steam Orgy

2011-05-04T19:57:00.009+01:00

The North York Moors Railway is celebrating 175 years of the Whitby-Pickering line this week, and this is being done in style, with multiple preserved locomotives in steam and working, see here. For me, more used to catching one at a time, to be surrounded by so many steam locos was great fun! Above is early morning at Grosmont.

Sir Nigel Gresley at Pickering.

Quite a responsibility, I would have thought, to be in charge of the railway's flagship locomotive.

If you are a fan, then where better to have your lunch!

There was lots going on. This is a Standard Class 4, but is it really 76084? (No, that loco is still being restored. This is 76079 running in disguise!)

On the left is Southern Railway's S15 825/841 (it has the frames of the earlier loco), a 4-6-0, sits ready to pull the afternoon departure to Pickering.

All sizes were on display. A design which lasted for more than 50 years, this LNER J52 would have been originally used for shunting and station pilot duties in the North-East.

Now, they say that size isn't everything, but I do get excited by the big Standard 9Fs, all 2-10-0 of them, built to haul freight!

92214 was built in 1959.

Ready to haul a late afternoon train to Pickering.

What a sight! And moments later I was back as a wee boy again enveloped in steam and soot as it pulled past the platform end! Magic.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Is it too early..... ?

2011-04-25T21:28:00.015+01:00

My geans are in flower, although the display is all too brief.

More tulips!

The rhododendrons are beginning to flower. This was the first one I planted some five years ago: Elizabeth.

This went in last year: Cunningham's White.

The wall is now repaired and a new path laid.

On a visit to a garden centre last week, I saw pots of this little white vinca on sale for £7 each. It grows at Skip like a weed. It is one of the plants which came originally from Meikle Burntshields where I used to live, having been 'boarded out' with friends when I was abroad.

Lots of activity, pricking out and potting on!

I have lots of space, so I have a variety of things I've divided, or needing to be potted on.

I usually buy some plug plants or small plants early in the season, so that it's not too expensive to fill containers. These have been growing on, and I've been hardening them off. Some are ready to go into the containers.

Is it too early? There's still a risk of frost.

But I couldn't resist getting this one done. The fleece is on hand though, and the weather forecast is studied each day!

The recent spell of good weather has made it a real pleasure to be out in the garden. Things are growing so quickly. Especially the weeds - but that's another story.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Bed Improvements

2011-04-17T21:21:00.006+01:00

I don't have many tulips in the garden. These started life in a container last year, and dug into this spot when they had finished flowering. They obviously like it here!

You can see where they are in this pic of the lowermost level in the garden. Note the bed behind the patch of tulips.

This bed has a retaining sandstone wall, and is the sunniest, and driest in the garden. Over the years I've struggled to get this bed to my satisfaction. Even if the perennials I planted survived the rabbits, then it was often the case of the wrong plants for the conditions. The geraniums like it, and some day lilies are well established. Alchemilla mollis too, although it seems to grow everywhere! A trip to the garden centre was in order last week, and the gaps are now filled in. I wonder how things will develop this summer.

The daffodils are beginning to go over, but yellow is still the predominant colour. I just love how the garden changes with the seasons. There's a pic of the same spot in early February here!

Photos © Skip Cottage

First Steam

2011-04-16T19:51:00.003+01:00

This was the sight at Lockerbie Station this morning as the (busy) First Transpennine DMU pulls away bound for Manchester Airport. Emerging from the up loop is LMS Class 7P 4-6-0 no 46115 Scots Guardsman.

Here is the locomotive, with its support carriage, pulling away headed for Edinburgh Joppa, having begun its journey at Carnforth earlier.

Don't you think it looks splendid! The locomotive is set to pull the Day 2 leg of the Railway Touring Company's Great Britain IV from Edinburgh to Inverness via Aberdeen tomorrow, see here.

Pics © Skip Cottage

April sun

2011-04-14T19:20:00.006+01:00

There were three days last week when there were blue skies over Annandale, and it was a delight to be outside. I managed into the garden on two of the three days. I loved it. I do so enjoy pottering around in my outside rooms. Earlier this week I set out again to do just that, and get on with all the jobs that need doing. But it was so cold, a real lazy wind, and quite unpleasant. Yes, it's April.

Here's a few photos I took last Friday. The earliest blossom in the garden is usually on this Ribes sanguineum.

The daffodils were at their best.

I love this one. I'm not very good at labelling things around the garden. I wish now I had done so when I planted these bulbs a couple of years ago. Anyone know what these are?

Much of the enjoyment I get from the daffodils at this time of year are NOT from bulbs I planted myself. These are growing 'wild' on the verge just opposite the cottage. Someone in the past has planned for the future, and I am grateful to whoever it was! Note 'my' standing stone.

I have made a 'spring resolution' this year, and that's not to spend all the time working in the garden. Yes, the battle against the weeds and to make improvements goes on, but it is nice to jump over the fence ....

... and sit by the River Annan, watching the world go by!

It made me smile to see this little clump of wild primrose growing amongst the roots of a large beech near the river.

So, here's the allotment. I'm joking of course! This view of Skip across a newly ploughed field.

Photos © Skip Cottage

April 2011

2011-04-04T20:13:00.006+01:00

April's here, and the daffodils are getting to their best.

I was given this white pulmonaria as a division by a friend. I suspect it is 'Sissinghurst White'. What a pretty thing it is!

My favourite in the garden at this time of year is the Glory of the snow - Chionodoxa. I must plant more of these bulbs around the garden.

It will be a while yet before the big beech trees which line the road come into leaf.

This is my 'wild' north facing slope. I've thinned out some sycamores and have a few ideas to improve this part of the garden. We'll see!

Having watched the Beechgrove Garden tonight, I'm thinking I've been lucky with so little damage in the garden at Skip over the winter.

Walls Down at Skip

2011-03-23T11:55:00.005Z

The spring garden clearup is well under way now at Skip. The severe winter has taken its toll in a number of places. The garden is on a number of levels, and I have several dry stone retaining walls. My first efforts at building these eight years ago were not all that successful. Attendance at a local dry stane dyking course in Ae Forest got me pointed in the right direction. I'm a long way from being an expert, but I do enjoy building and repairing the walls around the cottage. However, my days of lugging heavy stones around the garden are probably over!

I think the problem that occurs with the retaining walls is that water accumulates behind the facing stones, freezes and expands, pushing them out.

Since all the stone was already there, it was not a difficult job to rebuild this small run of wall.

But this collapse may take longer to make right.

On other things, I'm pleased to say that the frogs eventually found the pond. Wood is all cut and stacked for next winter. And the daffodils are coming. But only one or two clumps are beginning to flower. Things are definitely late again this year, as indeed they were last year. Two years ago, this is what the garden looked like.

Incidentally, the blog is two years old today. Happy Birthday to Skip Cottage!

Photos © Skip Cottage

First yellow

2011-02-28T20:06:00.004Z

What a lovely day today, the last of February. Blue sky, no wind, definite warmth! I'm under no illusions that winter will be with us for a while yet, but it was good to spend time in the garden again, anticipating the year ahead.

Mind you, looking out over the beds, there just seems so much to do! I know from experience that keeping on top of the weeding, especially getting these perennial weeds away early, is important. I expect that the grand plans will be put in order - and maybe abandoned altogether - once the spring clear up really begins. My efforts at growing some vegetables last year was not too successful. Should I try again?

Much of today's work was getting wood cut up and in store for next winter. Inside there was time to get some seeds planted and some plug plants potted on. It will be a couple of months yet before these go outside into containers.

The snowdrops are at their best.

These are near the pond. No sign of any frogspawn this year.

It was a lovely surprise to find this little clump of crocus tucked behind two old curling stones. Yellow is my favourite colour. So it's good to see that the daffodils are pushing up around the garden.

Note to self. Plant more yellow crocus elsewhere in the garden in the autumn!

Pics © Skip Cottage

February Snowdrops

2011-02-10T19:50:00.005Z

February 10, the sun was shining, and there was even the hint of some warmth! The garden is looking very sorry for itself. Sometime soon it will need to have its early clear up.

No sign of any frogspawn in the pond yet. I wonder how the amphibians survived the very cold weather, or if they did?

There are welcome signs of a new season. See these little white patches in the foreground?

I've never planted snowdrops in the garden, but someone did in years past. I love how they just suddenly 'appear'!

This lot are just coming through the leaf litter.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Keeping warm

2011-01-31T19:59:00.004Z

The cold winter appears to be passing as we reach the beginning of February. The evenings are just beginning to get a bit lighter. The past three days have been - relatively - mild, and I've been able to inspect the January garden.

I can report that there's not much growth in evidence, yet. But these early snowdrops are making an effort to come through.

The ugly box in the background hides the oil tank for my central heating. This ran non stop in December and early January as the cottage dried out after its soaking. As you know this was successful, but expensive. The fastest thing moving at Skip was the level of the oil in the tank! Given that heating oil has doubled in price since last year, I admit that I just cannot afford the luxury of central heating all the time now the emergency is over.

Fortunately I have alternatives and when I'm at home a woodburning stove keeps the main room of the cottage warm and comfortable. I have a chainsaw and trestle, and all the gear, to keep a good stock of firewood. That's been the job these past three days. The odd tree and wayward branch has come down, and been chopped, stored in the woodshed, hopefully to provide warmth NEXT winter. And why is it that I always find myself singing this song?

Sycamores grow fast, and have been pollarded in the garden before. These two trunks in the foreground are now stacked away. I've decided to leave the really old rowan on the left, but it is definitely in its silver years! The multiple trunks of the sycamore at the bottom will provide wood sometime in the future too.

I have a number of trees growing on in pots to be planted out in this north facing slope soon. I would really like to carve a path through this part of the garden this year. Perhaps I should make that the main task for 2011.

Given that the room has bare concrete floor and bare plaster walls at the moment it has the feel of a bothy! The stove adds to the effect. Mind you the flat screen telly makes it a very high class 'bothy'!

Today though the stove had to be lifted as the hearth stones (of Corncockle sandstone) had been laid over the laminate flooring. All have to come up. The stove meanwhile is away having a service!

In case you are wondering, I inherited the rather unique fireplace!

Wallpaper purchase is imminent, and the way forward is now apparent.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Kent Weekend

2011-01-25T20:50:00.006Z

I left my problems at Skip Cottage far behind me last weekend and took the train to Tunbridge Wells in Kent. (See Skip Cottage Curling for the reason.)

I do enjoy long train journeys. The Carlisle - London leg was on this Virgin Pendolino, here at Euston station.

I certainly agree with this train's nameplate. The journey was fast, comfortable, and on time, and long may such progress continue. With my Senior Railcard too, it was indeed value for money!

What was certainly not value for money were my three nights at the Travelodge, Tunbridge Wells. Unlike most of the hotels of the brand, this is a renovation of an old hotel called the New Wellington. To put it bluntly ... it is a dump. If you are thinking of staying there, don't. It has the charms of Fawlty Towers. I had prepaid for breakfast, but when I went down at 07.30 to have something to eat on Saturday, I was told that nothing was available until 08.00. When I said politely that I had to be away from the hotel before then, the receptionist said, "That's a pity!"

The place creaks like mad, paint was flaking off the bathroom walls, and there's little soundproofing. I now this because I believe one couple enjoyed their stay. No, I know this to be true. They were in the room above me on Sunday night. I heard every bed spring, every groan, every........ I'll not go on. But the earth certainly moved for me, and I was just trying to get some sleep.

I should of course have realised from this dangerous broken step at the front entrance what lay ahead.

Still, life's not always plain sailing, and I cannot say that the Travelodge experience spoilt my weekend which was so much fun in other ways. Let's just say I won't be staying there again, ever!

It was interesting to ride on Southeastern trains. Here drivers chat whilst waiting for problems up the line to be resolved.

Back on home ground now, at Carlisle's Citadel Station. Here's the First Transpennine Express from Manchester Airport to take me the final leg to Lockerbie.

Pics © Skip Cottage

The fans have left

2011-01-18T23:03:00.005Z

New garden ornament, the aftermath of all the burst pipe damage!

Bare walls - but good news as of yesterday. Skip has been declared as dry as its going to get, and the dehumidifier and fans have all been removed.

I can't stand the silence!

This wall got really soaked from the burst pipe in the loft.

A sad pile of wet books sit on the bare concrete floor. There really is nothing else to do but bin them.

Still, with the house now dry, I'll be able to start the process of getting back to some sort of normality.

Skip has fans

2011-01-01T14:39:00.004Z

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2011 will see you all warm, dry, healthy and prosperous. Me too, I hope!

The pic above was last week with Skip still in the grip of the cold spell. Now that there has been something of a thaw, the efforts to dry out the cottage are continuing apace. As I write this, there's a big dehumidifier working hard, and no fewer than six big fans are running at full blast in various rooms and the attic. If you see Skip Cottage flying past outside your window, that will be the reason!

The road to Skip from the south has these old beech trees, here looking good after a frosty night.

This big beech is at the bottom of the garden with the Annan just behind.

This is the road leading down to the village with 'my' standing stone just visable in the field on the right.

Pics © Skip Cottage

December 24, 2010

2010-12-24T20:08:00.005Z

This is the Kirk Loch at Lochmaben today. I am standing on the ice which is covered by a couple of inches of snow. What a peaceful scene. Or was it? What could be happening to disturb the solitude of this perfect winter's day?

I am sure you can guess. Go here for the evidence.

Photo © Skip Cottage

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T21:28:00.002Z

This was Skip garden yesterday. A Merry Christmas to you all!

Burst pipes and wee curling stones

2010-12-20T22:47:00.005Z

This Days Inn hotel at the Johnstonebridge Services on the M74 is just a couple of miles or so from Skip, and it was my home for a week. I arrived home from Champery to find the cottage with no electricity and no heating... and burst pipes in consequence.

I cannot speak highly enough of the kindness of the staff at the hotel - helpful in the extreme, and with lots of sympathy. Full marks all round.

Actually, this view of Annandale is from my room at the hotel, not that I was in much mood to appreciate it! With the heating back on, the drying out started, and the loss assessor's visit duly made, I moved back into Skip today to begin the clear up. Fortunately the bedroom was untouched!

Just one pic to show what greeted me in the sitting room. You just have to imagine the inch of water on the floor, and the bookcase of wet books! The paintings are originals from my time in Southeast Asia, and the oils at least are OK.

Still, emptying the display cabinets of my wee curling stone collection today was interesting - one tends to forget just how many I've collected over the years. That's them packed away - I suspect it might be a while before they are on display again.

The floor comes up tomorrow, and the paper comes off the walls. Then the clear up begins in the office.

Who said life was simple!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Champery-Monthey

2010-12-11T17:05:00.005Z

In my week at the European Curling Championships I used the little train which runs between Champery and Monthey as often as I could.

It was snowy and overcast much of the time.

The two carriage train leaving Champery station.

Here's a little single car waiting one evening at Monthey to take me up the valley to Champery.

One day though, the journey was absolutely spectacular. This pic, and the one below, were taken through the train window.

I'm on the train as it descends to Monthey in the valley below.

Now, my challenge for tomorrow, is to catch the 06.00 out of Champery on my way home!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Travels in Switzerland

2010-12-04T18:23:00.002Z

I took the train from Geneva Airport this morning to Aigle, where I changed to this local service up the side of the valley to Champery! What a spectacular ride.

This was Champery today. Apparently 'Death by Icicle' is not an uncommon phrase to be written on death certificates! Just look at that blue sky!

I wish.

Photos © Skip Cottage

December at Skip

2010-12-02T19:32:00.003Z

While much of the rest of the country has experienced major snowfalls, Annandale - Scotland's secret paradise - has had barely a sprinkle. This was early this afternoon.

It was a lovely wintry scene looking over the fields.

The garden is carpeted.

So who are these visitors?

The male pheasant was camera shy, despite my best efforts. But his two girlfriends didn't seem to mind my presence.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Snow in November

2010-11-27T08:30:00.003Z

I'm 'working' this weekend at the Edinburgh International Curling Championships. Fortunately, I am staying close by to the Murrayfield rink. Next to the zoo, in fact. I wonder what the animals thought of the weather this morning?

Snow in November. Really! Is this a harbinger of another really cold winter, with lots of curling outside? Hope so.

A Misty Evening

2010-11-19T17:08:00.003Z

How nice it was to see a little of the sun today. The lack of wind made it very pleasant to be outside. Winter is coming, as this mist rolling in seemed to be telling me this afternoon as the sun had set.

Autumn

2010-11-05T18:16:00.004Z

Autumn is here. The leaves are piling up and getting moved (irregularly) onto the leaf mould pile!

Last year, see here, one of my Acers gave a spectacular display. Not so this year, although the general autumn colour has been first class. I am pretty sure I didn't miss the bright red display. I hadn't realised that there could be such a difference year on year.

These are the old beech trees lining the road to Skip.

The standing stone near Skip.

A grey misty morning in Annandale!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Glasgow

2010-10-28T20:31:00.003+01:00

A shopping expedition to Glasgow on Wednesday found me in Buchanan Street. At first sight, a new statue. In fact, it was full marks to a street performer. Made my day!

Mind you, just walking through Glasgow, the city where I was born and spent most of my working life, is always street theatre. Take this banner, hung high above Buchanan Street. Nothing special about this, you may think.

But when I pan out, you see the rest of the story. £5 Meal Deal indeed! Glaswegians are indeed natural comedians.

Party Time

2010-10-24T16:02:00.003+01:00

David and Fiona Hardie threw a great party last night in the Easterbrook Hall at the Crichton in Dumfries, David celebrating his fiftieth!

Unusual and enjoyable entertainment was provided by Masquerade Productions, a highlight of the evening.

Apparently I enjoyed myself!

Photos © Skip Cottage, the pic of me taken by Alison Whyte!

Lockerbie Town Hall

2010-10-07T20:02:00.005+01:00

Lockerbie's town hall was built in 1880, in baronial style, from red sandstone quarried locally. The clocktower makes it the most imposing building in the town.

It is in the news because it has been closed to the public after structural problems were found. Apparently safety concerns were raised following an inspection by steeplejacks at the end of September, and Dumfries and Galloway Council's structural engineer took the decision to shut the building after seeing their report on its condition.

An area around the building has been cordoned off.

It must be an exciting job having to erect scaffolding around such a building, as in this photo I took yesterday!

Pics © Skip Cottage

First frost

2010-09-30T21:08:00.005+01:00

Michaelmas daisies are a sign that Autumn is here. Much as I would like to, I cannot claim these for my own garden.

They grow on the roadside verge, just opposite Skip. I guess someone in the past has planted these, and they have thrived. I have a darker blue version, not nearly as prolific!

Despite everyone telling me (even the Beechgrove Garden the other night) that heather/conifer gardens are somewhat old fashioned, I remain a fan. This summer I've been replanting many of the heathers which had been looking a bit tired. Given the relative unpopularity of heathers these days, most garden centres don't stock a big selection. To get what I wanted (a yellow/bronze foliage Erica carnea) I stopped off at the Speyside Heather Centre near Dulnain Bridge when I was up north recently and today planted out five Ann Sparkes plants to fill the space I had earmarked.

The white mound is the centre of the pic is one of my all time favourites - Calluna Vulgaris Kinlochruel. How this heather got its name can be found on the Heather Society website here.

Wamphray experienced its first frost last week. I had an early start one day and had to scrape the car windscreen. It could not have been too severe, as the non-stop begonias are still not stopping, and these great value colour plants are usually the first to tip over when it gets cold.

The leaves on the big beech trees around the house are just beginning to change colour, and it won't be long until I'm hoovering them up for the compost heap.

Dull, miserable, cold days, and I thought it time to start feeding the birds again. I usually stop doing this over the summer months. This week the feeders have had a good wash, and a couple of new ones purchased. I have two 'stations' at different parts of the garden. These feeders I can watch from the conservatory.

I wonder how long before the local birds find them again?

This station I can watch from my bedroom window. I called in to my favourite garden centre to make my purchases yesterday. The staff were setting out displays of Christmas decorations and gift items. Eighty-five days to go, see here. Merry Christmas everyone!

Rails North

2010-09-16T19:17:00.008+01:00

I had the opportunity for a few days break, and that took me north. Here, the evening sunshine lights up the mountain top looking over Loch Morlich.

Of course, by the time the morrow came, the weather wasn't quite as good! Riding the funicular on Cairngorm was one of the objectives of the weekend, and I must admit that I enjoyed the experience.... despite the conditions.

Entering the highest 'underground' railway station in the UK!

All about the mountain and the funicular is here.

My main aim was to spend some time on the Strathspey Railway. I had a great morning. 'J94' class 0-6-0 saddle tank, No. 68030, pulled us along to Broomhill and back to Aviemore.

Recently restored Caley 828 was in steam running footplate experience trips, here just coming in to Boat of Garten station.

The Strathspey Railway is a well run heritage line, with friendly staff, and I really enjoyed my day. I hope the plans to extend through to Grantown-on-Spey will be successful.

I had the briefest of visits to the Whisky Line, the Keith and Dufftown Railway. This is Dufftown Station.

No steam here, but this DMU was running last Saturday. More on the line's rolling stock is here.

I was rather taken by this Pullman carriage, a static exhibit at Dufftown! I look forward to another visit sometime in the future.

The holiday was not all rails. There was the opportunity to meet up with some old friends, as well as a chance to take in the new visitor centre at Culloden, which is every bit as good as the publicity. And here I am, washed up on the beach at Dornoch!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Into Autumn

2010-09-02T16:24:00.006+01:00

This time of year, as my thoughts turn more and more towards the curling season, the garden usually gets completely away from me. Especially so this year!

However, it is still possible to point the camera in directions which avoid the weeds, and there is still a fair bit of colour.

New additions to the garden this year have been some old fashioned pinks. My uncle was a keen gardener and carnations were among his favourites in his garden in Dumbarton. I had forgotten just how fragrant this family is. You'll need to take my word!

Yellow is still my favourite garden colour. I was given this yellow daisy-type perennial, which I have assumed is a Rudbeckia, but I may be wrong. One thing I'm not good at is labelling my garden plants. That should probably be my New Year resolution!

Inula magnifica does live up to its name!

Poisonous it may be, but this Aconitum is certainly happy in the corner where I planted it four years ago.

The wildlife pond even had a touch of colour recently!

The achievement last month was getting the outside of the house painted - one wall at a time, dodging the wet and windy days. Every year I think I should have something growing up this west facing wall, although this corner does catch the wind. Any suggestions?

Photos © Skip Cottage

Another Brief Encounter

2010-08-26T19:00:00.007+01:00

I am a big fan of the Carlisle-Settle line. Here I am last Sunday at Appleby-in-Westmoreland station. I've been here before (see here) and I was back again to take some more pics of steam passing through. Black 5 No 44932 was pulling the Railway Touring Company's 'The Waverley' excursion from York to Carlisle and return.

Actually, the locomotive was due to to take on water at Appleby, but it was running late, and the water stop was omitted.

Later in the day, I returned to a different station on the line, Langwathby. The old station building houses a very nice coffee shop/resturant, the Brief Encounter. It gets a Skip Cottage five star recommendation!

It was a lovely late afternoon wait for the train to appear, and well worth it. Click here for some moving pictures from both Appleby and Langwathby, or click on the image below.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Decisions, decisions

2010-08-23T00:05:00.001+01:00

Why this odd picture? Can you guess where it has been taken? That couldn't be a steam locomotive in the background, could it?

Actually, it's this little red car that I wanted to draw your attention to. My wheels for the next X years. The Nissan era is finally over. The last few weeks have been full of decisions for me. First was whether the time had come to change the car. The Almera had 87,000 miles on it (most related to curling in one way or the other). It was coming up to a big service and the road tax was due. I had planned to eke another year, and another 20,000 miles, but...

One on the scariest things that has ever happened to me was when the windscreen wipers on my first Nissan Almera gave up. Suddenly, completely! At the time I was overtaking a couple of trucks on the M8 in heavy rain, in 2004 I think it must have been. To this day, I don't know how I managed to get the car safely onto the hard shoulder. I was (almost) calm by the time the AA arrived, thirty minutes or so later! Wear and tear (aka old age) was the diagnosis. The car had done some 105,000 miles.

I was reminded of this when the rear wipers gave out on my most recent Almera a couple of weeks ago. That galvanized my thinking. Was it telling me something? Most of us don't change our cars very often, so when the time comes to do so, there are lots of decisions to make.

Needs must, so I knew that any new car would have to be (more) economical to run, and that meant going smaller. I'm not a big fan of the Micra, and after a good look around, I narrowed my choice to a VW Polo, a Toyota Yaris, and a Mazda 2. I'll not go into all the detail on how the decision was eventually made, but that's the result, for good or bad, in the photo above. A Mazda it is. All my savings are now gone, and the bank owns the rest! Ah well.

The actual experience of making the purchase was quite pleasant. After all these years, I finally met a car salesman that I didn't immediately dislike! The only thing against him was that he didn't know what I was talking about when I described my first car, bought in 1966. It was a Triumph Mayflower, built in 1953, which cost me £30, and was sold a year later for just ten pounds less. I was very proud of my first car!

You still encounter Mayflowers at classic car shows (see here), but I recall being on a bus in suburban Bangkok, ten years ago, and being hugely thrilled to see one still in regular use there. Of course, when I owned my Mayflower it was not considered a 'classic' car. 'Old banger' was a more apt description.

At a rough count, I think I've owned twenty cars since 1966. I've been trying to work out how many different cars I might have driven over the years, with no success. Hundreds, certainly.

Back to yesterday. The weather forecast was good, and a run in the car was in the plan. At least these days, one doesn't have to 'run in' a new car as one did, say, in the sixties! I looked for a day with not too much motorway, but something testing, and hopefully enjoyable. And so it was down to the A686 which goes from Penrith to Alston. The stretch from Melmerby over Hartside is a smashing bit of road, much beloved of bikers, and usually exciting to drive because of them!

I was not disappointed in my wee Mazda, and I think we are going to be very happy together. The CD player got a good workout yesterday too.

Anyway, Alston is home to the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway. I've visited before (see here) and I promised I'd go back later in the season when there was steam on the line.

Naklo was in steam for my visit yesterday!

You can read all about the locomotive here.

Briefly, Naklo is a 70 horse power, 0-6-0 tank type LAS locomotive, built in 1957 by Fabryka Lokomotyw Imf Dzierzynskiego, Chrzanow, Poland. The locomotive was imported from Poland, where it had worked at a sugar factory railway at Naklo, arriving at Alston in April 1988. It has been modified somewhat since then.

Candid shot of the driver enjoying his ice cream prior to the next departure. It was indeed an ice cream day.

Here's a little video I took yesterday. Or click on the image.

My next port of call was Langwathby. But that's for Yesterday Part 2, to come.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Brian Alderman Art

2010-08-13T16:38:00.005+01:00

No garden? No steam trains? What have I been up to this week?

Well, I've been helping an old friend, Brian Alderman, establish a web presence to publicise his work as an artist. His site has just gone live here: brianaldermanart.blogspot.com. It's a work in progress, but I think we've made a good start.

If you are a curler of my generation you will certainly know Brian. He curled with Graeme Adam, became a curling commentator (listen here), and was even the Royal Club secretary for a couple of years (see his pic here - although the moustache is long gone!).

He lives now in the Yorkshire Dales where he has his own studio. You can see some examples of his work painting local scenes here.

Check out the blog/website that we've put together, and contact Brian with your comments. He is keen to take on commissions too. And knowing Brian, I'm sure he would be delighted to see you if you are down Hawes way anytime soon.

Clandestine meetings with Pamela

2010-08-05T12:10:00.003+01:00

Trainspotters in the 1950s and 1960s would not have been without their Ian Allan ABC guide. There were a number of these booklets, covering different regions. I managed to find this one recently, and it brought back the memories!

The inside comprised mostly just lists of numbers. There were various ways to indicate that you had seen one of the locomotives listed. You could place a tick or a cross beside the number. You could score it out, or you could underline it, as above. I was an underliner, just as the previous owner of this guide! What were you? Suffice to say, this was in the days before highlighter pens!

The London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive was designed for hauling heavy freight, just as it says on the tin. Some 852 were built between 1935 and 1946. 48151 is in preservation and was at Carlisle yesterday. And here's a photo of the locomotive at work in the 1960s!

48151 is one of a group of locomotives pulling ‘THE FELLSMAN’ steam excursions every Wednesday this summer, from Lancaster over the Settle - Carlisle line into Carlisle's Citadel station. And very popular these excursions have proved to be!

The locomotive was carrying this nameplate yesterday. The Gauge 0 Guild is here!

Here is six minutes of video I took yesterday. It starts with a variation of the usual shot of the train pulling out of the station! And watch out for Pamela, who we met previously here! Somewhat blurry I'm afraid - I need more practice at all this.

Click here, or on the image below, to watch.

Other pics © Skip Cottage

My Puzzle

2010-07-29T21:47:00.009+01:00

I don't usually post pics of this part of my garden. It's a weedy wooded north-facing slope. I feel I should be doing something with it, yet each year I postpone starting anything major. I think the problem is knowing exactly what to do with it.

It's all been a bit of a puzzle for me, so that should be the clue to what this picture is of!

It's Araucaria araucana, better know as the Monkey-puzzle tree. It is the national tree of Chile, and is native to the south and central regions of that country. After WW2 it was planted frequently, and inappropriately, in suburban gardens in this country. It grows to 40 metres tall with a two metre diameter trunk. I was interested to see today, at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, newly planted examples of the tree.

The plan was to spend an hour or two at the gardens, to see if I could get some inspiration on what I might do with my own wild place. Mind you, it was a bit off-putting at the east gate, where these disinfectant mats had been laid to promote awareness of Sudden Oak Death, a serious plant disease whose spores can be spread on footwear.

The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is a fantastic place, one that I spend too little time at. Cedrus atlantica Glauca is the most spectacular and largest of all the blue leaved conifers and this is a fine specimen at Edinburgh.

Tree photography is something I have to work on! This is Cedrus deodara.

Easier perhaps to concentrate on shrubs. This hydrangea was looking spectacular!

It's a fine place, but today was not one for inside! Did I get inspiration? Not really, but it was a pleasant day out!

This is Britain's largest plant fossil, trunk of a tree (Pitus withami) which was growing some 330 million years ago. It was found at Craigleith quarry not far from the Royal Botanic garden where it is now exhibited!

I can't resist showing these next couple of pics. On my walk back I crossed over the Water of Leith where I spotted what I thought must be an early Festival Fringe installation. A small audience was watching this heron, which was seemingly unaware of us, just looking for its dinner.

Unsuccessfully, during the time we watched. Indeed, a local resident told me that he had often watched the heron, and had yet to see it ever catch a fish.

But we did see it having a scratch!

Photos © Skip Cottage

What do you think of the show so far?

2010-07-25T10:15:00.002+01:00

The comedian John Eric Bartholomew was born in Morecambe and took the name of his home town for the stage. He died in 1984, and the statue above was unveiled by the Queen in 1999. The title of this post was one of Eric Morecambe's catch phrases. The standard response from the Morecambe and Wise audience was, of course, "Rubbish!"

Read about Eric Morecambe here.

If you've forgotten 'Boom Oo Yatta-ta-ta' you can listen to the record here, and see the television sketch here. (And if you have time on your hands, search YouTube for 'Morecambe and Wise' and laugh again when they met the Beatles, and Andre Previn, and others!) Brilliant comedy.

In the fifty years since I used to holiday in Morecambe with my parents, I've only been back a couple of times. The town has been through difficult times certainly, but there are definite signs of regeneration and optimism now. This bit of beach has beautiful sand, although the view at one time would have been dominated by the Central Pier, long gone.

The famous Midland Hotel in art deco style, which opened in July 1933, has been completely renovated and it opened again in 2008. I had a look inside yesterday. Very nice!

The old stone jetty has been tarted up. Did you know that the building on the end was an old station, in use 1853-67 in connection with ferry sailings to Northern Ireland and elsewhere?

The jetty had an entertaining busker yesterday, in front of the life boat station.

This is just one example from The TERN Project, a collection of artworks along the renovated promenade.

Unfortunately this cafe/restaurant was not open at the time I was there. I did wonder about the name. The concept of Scottish-Thai cuisine got the juices flowing. I wonder if yam kao tort mars bar (salad of deep fried rice with Mars bar) would be on the menu?

Anyway, "What do you think of the show so far?"

The old Morecambe Promenade station is now an arts centre and pub, and houses the information centre where a very helpful gentleman was able to assist with my questions about the electric trains that used to run between Morecambe and Lancaster (an example here). And he was very polite as I rabbited on with reminiscences of holidays in Morecambe in the 1950s.

A big supermarket stands on the site of all the sidings behind the Promenade station, and has a large photograph on its wall of what it used to be like. The new Morecambe 'bus stop' station, for the ride along to Lancaster, has just three lines.

46233 The Duchess of Sutherland pulled The Railway Touring Company's Cumbrian Mountain Express yesterday, from Liverpool over Shap and back on the Carlisle - Settle line. Here is the locomotive at Carlisle's Citadel Station. I took some moving pictures, and these can be seen here.

Premier dining class. I like the detail - the romatic red rose table decoration!

Pamela, Pamela? Yes, of course you remember. It was in 1967, listen here.

We all got into position on Platform 4 to watch the Duchess pulling away, just as this yellow thing pulled up and stopped on the middle line, blocking our view.

This is Network Rail's 'New Measurement Train', also known as 'The Flying Banana'. This specialised train operates in the UK to assess the condition of track. It is a specially converted High Speed Train, consisting of two Class 43 power cars and rake of Mark 3 coaches. Apparently it can check the condition of all main lines in Great Britain in a fortnight! The train measures the contact between rails, wheels and the overhead electric supply line. Lasers and other instruments are used to make other measurements of the track geometry. The train captures video footage from the front and rear power cars, and video of the pantograph and wheel interfaces. The NMT was launched in 2003, though the vehicles are much older than this.

So the 'New' part of the name is something of a misnomer, and yesterday it looked absolutely filthy, a disgraceful condition for something with such an important function. Ironic really, as it stood beside 46233, from another lifetime, looking pristine by comparison!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Magic Roundabout

2010-07-22T12:47:00.009+01:00

The seed of the idea for yesterday's railway adventure was planted some time ago when I realised that I had never been in Glasgow's Queen Street Lower Level station! It germinated when I discovered that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport had a one-day ticket with flexible travel on rail and underground. I could then even discover exactly where Whifflet was, because, despite spending much of my working life in Glasgow, and seeing this destination on the journey boards whenever I was waiting for my own train home, I had never been there.

And the idea flowered on a rainy day in July (so no conscience that I was missing a day in the garden), and a rest day of the Tour de France into the bargain.

I trained up to Glasgow from Lockerbie (of course), and duly purchased my 'Roundabout' ticket. And for the next eight hours I travelled, not with any particular plan, on a variety of trains and lines in the Greater Glasgow area. It turned out to be great fun.

I got the Queen Street Low Level out of the way first of all, travelling out and back to Dumbarton Central. Dumbarton retains fond memories for me as that was there my aunt and uncle stayed - beside a railway line as it happened - and I visited often.

Then it was on to Motherwell, from the interchange at Partick, and from there to Cumbernauld (above), passing on the way that mysterious place called 'Whifflet'!

It was back to Queen Street (the high Level Station this time) and around the line to Anniesland via Maryhill, this being a new route for me. It passes through Gilshochill, one of these names, like Milngavie, designed to confuse those who are not native to the region, being pronounced 'Gilshyhill'. From Anniesland it was back to Glasgow Central Low Level.

Another line that I have often wondered exactly where it went finishes goes out to Newton. I now know! I returned to Mount Florida in torrential rain, and old stamping grounds on the Cathcart Circle (above).

Now, you really have to be a railway enthusiast (make that 'nerd') if you can answer correctly the question, "Which is the odd one out of Pollokshields East, Pollokshields West, Pollokshaws East and Pollokshaws West?" The answer is of course the last, which is the only one of the four NOT on the Cathcart Circle.

In my schooldays, just as the Cathcart Circle was being electified, friends and I used to leave school and run to Pollokshields East, rather than a nearer station, to get the train all the way round the Circle into Central Station!

And I once made the mistake of arranging to meet a friend at Pollokshields West Station. She failed to show, and I found out later she had been waiting at Pollokshaws East. In the days before mobile phones of course! Short romance that was. But I digress.

The new platforms in the main Central Station (above) are now in operation, where once there used to be car parking. My last ride of the day was along the Paisley Canal line, where my railway travel all began, that line serving Mosspark West (at it once was called, it's now just Mosspark) near where I was brought up.

It was home to Lockerbie after all that. A great day's adventure. How much did it all cost? Well, the Roundabout Ticket was just £5.25. Magic!

Pics © Skip Cottage

The garden in July

2010-07-14T13:02:00.009+01:00

For those who follow the progress in my garden, I apologise for the lack of updates in the past few weeks. I've been busy with other things. But I have been keeping on top of the maintenance - in other words, weeding - just. It is so easy to let it get away from you, and out of hand. And when the weather is poor, like last year, that's exactly what tends to happen in my plot!

New bark chips on the path have freshened up the bottom area of the garden. The white spires are from a favourite Rogersia which is doing well in this spot which only really gets sun in the mornings.

The pond looks as if it has been there forever, with this large clump of Astrantia in the foreground.

With the dry spell well and truly over, there has been lots of growth, but perhaps not as much colour as I would like. A number of dahlias, overwintered successfully for 3-4 years, did not come through this past very cold winter.

I mentioned before that I would need to do some major work on the middle level. That's now completed, with some new heathers, an azalea and a rhododendron successfully planted.

Here's a look from a different angle. The wlole area will probably be at its best in a couple of years time.

I decided to minimise the money spent on annuals this year, so these containers have been grown on from plugs and small plants. They are just coming to their best with surfinias, geraniums and fuchsias predominating.

I have been growing hostas in tubs for a couple of years now, and have a selection of varieties.

I don't have a big vegetable garden. This year I have lots of potatoes, chard, broccoli, cut and come again salad leaves, and mange tout peas. I failed to net my new strawberry bed, and the birds were well fed!

Pics © Skip Cottage

The Railway Children

2010-07-11T09:50:00.012+01:00

It was a case of stepping back in time yesterday, with a trip to the Keighley and Worth Valley heritage railway. This is the station at Keighley.

It's the attention to detail which makes the heritage experience so much fun!

It was diesel transport that took me up the short line via Ingrow West, Damens, Oakworth (which played a role in the 1970 production of The Railway Children), Haworth, to Oxenhope.

At Oxenhope there is a workshop and museum with static displays, including LMS Jubilee Class 5596 Bahamas which was built in 1935 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. Bahamas is in line for overhaul, see here.

The exhibits include these wonderful Pullman coaches, and if you look closely you can see volunteers hard at work polishing the interiors!

But this is what I was there for, or course. In steam yesterday was 47279, an LMS Fowler 3F 0-6-0T, the class usually known as 'Jinties'.

Here it runs round at Oxenhope to pull the train back to Keighley.

I stopped off at Ingrow West to visit the Vintage Carriages Trust's Museum of Rail Travel. What an interesting and enjoyable experience that proved to be! The Trust is not part of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, but a day rover ticket does give free entry to this museum.

Travelling third class could not have been very comfortable at the beginning of the twentieth century!

This is inside the first class compartment of the 'Great Northern Railway Lavatory Composite Brake', see here. The five occupants of the compartment had access to their own loo!

Further renovations underway in the workshop.

Then it was back home, on Northern Rail, via the Settle-Carlisle line, definitely one of the great railway journeys in the country!

Brief Encounter

2010-07-04T11:27:00.012+01:00

With the closure of the mainline platforms in the 1970s, Carnforth Station was allowed to become derelict and the buildings were set for demolition. But thanks to local efforts the Carnforth Station and Railway Trust was set up, and the town now boasts an excellent visitor attraction, see here.

The visitor centre has a great collection of photos, railway and other memorabilia. I can confirm that the Brief Encounter Refreshment Room does a mean bacon 'bap'!

Brief Encounter? Yes, indeed. Some of David Lean's classic romantic film Brief Encounter was filmed at Carnforth in 1945.

The visitor centre makes much of the Brief Encounter connection, rightly so. And you can actually watch the movie in the exhibition!

My own 'brief encounter' on Saturday was with 71000 Duke of Gloucester, pulling the HF Railtours Cumbrian Coast Explorer from Crewe to Carlisle over the coast line and back via Settle. Read about 71000 here. This is the locomotive driving slowly through Carnforth Station.

It was the first time that I had seen this impressive locomotive. This page has a photo of the loco in Woodham's Barry scrapyard before it was rescued. For those interested in the details, the Duke is one of a kind. The BR Standard Class 8 was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways. Only the prototype was constructed, at Crewe Works in 1954.

As I was waiting for my onward connection from Carnforth, I had another brief encounter, a close one, with a nuclear flask train on route from Sellafield. I mention this only as an excuse to show this video from 1984 illustrating the safety of nuclear flasks in the event of accident!

It was then on to Carlisle for a chance to inspect the coaching stock. I quote from the HF Railtours brochure. "Our train today will consist of 'The Great Briton' set of recently refurbished Pullman style carriages offering the utmost in elegance and luxury for the discerning traveller.

Passengers in Pullman Style Dining and First Class Plus will be seated at tables for two or four in reclining seats and air conditioned carriages. Tables for two can be reserved at extra cost. All meals will be freshly prepared by our on board chefs and served at seat, Pullman style by our liveried and attentive stewards. An at seat drinks service is available throughout the day from our comprehensive wine and drinks list. All tables will be laid with fine linen tablecloths and napkins, sparkling glassware, shining crockery, twinkling cutlery and of course flowers, recreating the style and sophistication of yesteryear."

I've never travelled Pullman, so I have never experienced 'twinkling cutlery'!

The chefs have their own coach!

The carriages stand at platform 3, ready for 71000 and its support coach to be connected.

Backing slowly into the station.

Ready for the trip home.

The still pics miss out on the sounds and excitement of seeing a locomotive like this close up. So here is a little piece of my own video of the train at Carlisle and heading off south. Enjoy. The YouTube page for a larger size is here. Or simply watch it embedded on the blog below.

Pics @ Skip Cottage

Moffat Car Rally

2010-06-27T14:36:00.006+01:00

Day 1 of the Moffat Car Rally, the biggest classic car event in Scotland. Yesterday saw some of the 800 or so entries assemble prior to a run in the countryside north of Moffat.

Rare to see these days, I was tickled to find this Vauxhall Victor 101 estate. This was my car when I had a holiday job as a sales rep in 1968!

Quite a spectrum of cars were on show yesterday.

The cars line up on the main street in Moffat before the run.

It was a beautiful day for the run up to St Mary's Loch and over to Tweedsmuir past the Megget and Talla reservoirs.

One of these days I might reveal why I have a soft spot for the Reliant Scimitar!

But the Sunbeam Talbot Mark 3 was undoubtedly the most fun car I have ever owned (1968-69). It gives me quite a thrill to see beautifully presented examples such as this still gracing the roads!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Moving pictures

2010-06-25T21:04:00.009+01:00

As those who follow my blogs will know, I enjoy taking photographs and they certainly add something more to my blog posts alongside the words. A still photo, such as that of Tornado above, is all very well. But there's something missing from the experience of being at the Citadel Station in Carlisle yesterday. For a while now, I've been wondering how easy it would be to add some 'moving pictures' to my posts. Yes, I've occasionally embedded someone else's YouTube video in a post, see for example Kendel Carson here.

But tonight is a first. This is the first time I've taken the video myself, and the first time I've completed an iMovie project. And it's the first time I've ever uploaded a vid to YouTube. Here is the result of my efforts. And its embedded below, although it's bigger (and better) if you follow the YouTube link. Apologies for what is very much an amateur production, but this has been my first step on a new road, and I've many skills to learn. Nothing like a challenge, though! Feedback appreciated.

Check out another enthusiast's great video of Tornado on the main line yesterday here.

Pic of Tornado © Skip Cottage

Tornado Watch 2

2010-06-25T10:44:00.007+01:00

The sign says, "Passing trains cause air turbulence!" Yes indeed. There was even a Tornado at Oxenholme yesterday.

Always interesting to watch the comings and goings on the West Coast Main Line.

Here it comes.

Going at speed, as it prepares for the run up Shap.

Tornado is so impressive when one gets the chance to see it passing so close and working hard.

Camera shake with excitement!

The locomotive was pulling The Border Raider railtour yesterday between Crewe and Carlisle, and return via Settle. Here 60163 rests at Carlisle.

What an impressive locomotive. Read all about it here.

A couple of hours later, Carlisle's economy having benefitted in the interim, the train is ready to depart south.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Chasing Tornado

2010-06-23T22:43:00.006+01:00

A1 Pacific Tornado had an interesting job to do today! Here is the locomotive sliding through Thirsk station.

In a genius of a public relations idea, the National Railway Museum used the new steam loco (see here) to haul the famous Mallard from the main museum at York, to its 'annex' at Shildon. Thousands turned out to watch!

Here the two locomotives shunt into a siding before entering the Shildon musem.

Mallard gets some help to be pushed into position. It will be a big attraction at Shildon, while renovations are made to the main hall at York. All about Mallard is here.

The museum authorities must have been pleased with the turnout. We were all kept back while the locomotives were shunted into place. Then, after the television and other official photographers got some time to get up close and personal, we were all allowed an intimate experience! Then it was back behind the barriers as Tornado, now watered, headed back south.

The locomotive was not due back to Crewe until the early hours of the morning, with a quick turnaround in prospect, before pulling a railtour tomorrow.

Favourite pic of the day, as cheering children get a great response from the cab!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Trucks, big trucks

2010-06-21T09:36:00.008+01:00

It was the 14th Dumfries Truck and Bus Show yesterday, organised by the Dumfries Transport Preservation Group. This is Frankie Boy's big Mack.

The worrying thing for me is that I remember quite clearly when some of these were common sights on our roads.

Taking a tractor for a ride!

It was a beautiful day for the show.

I'm not really a truck enthusiast, but what a great display!

Modern vehicles were also on view.

Lochmaben Transport's timber lorry, on the right, was beautifully presented. I think even the logs had been washed and polished for the show!

There was only one thing missing from yesterday's show - Kendel Carson. If you don't know what I'm talking about, have a listen!

A country music classic! Watch in a larger size, here.

Talking of classics, my main reasoning for visiting was to see the classic cars. There was a small display. Nice!

I got really excited to see these three old Rover P4s.

It brought back memories to be so close to this Rover 60. You see, I owned one like it. Real class. It was my second car when I was a student at University. It was probably best described then as an 'old banger' (it was some twelve years old in 1968), but I loved the leather, the freewheel, and the reserve fuel tank. It had a two litre engine. Sadly someone ran into the back of it when it was parked outside my house, and wrote it off. There is lots of information on all the Rover P4 models here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Ferry update

2010-06-20T19:36:00.004+01:00

In January I posted a little about the Renfrew Ferry which was then facing withdrawal (see here). The Renfrew Rose and Yoker Swan no longer ply across the river. SPT's Renfrew to Yoker Ferry sailed for the last time on Wednesday, March 31, 2010. There are pics of the final crossing here.

I wondered what was in place now, and yesterday I found myself driving along the M8, so made a little detour to find out.

The crossing is now being worked by this little ferry, seen here on the Yoker side, dominated by the huge slipway.

The service is operated by Clydelink, an associate company of Silvers Marine (UK) Ltd.

Island Trader is an aluminium 'landing craft' style of Robust Boat.

The company have plans to extend their services in the upper reaches of the Clyde, perhaps even linking Braehead and the new transport museum when it opens next year.

Pics © Skip Cottage

The Mystery of Garwaldshiels

2010-06-16T18:34:00.005+01:00

There really shouldn't be a beach here! My walk yesterday to do some Geographing in the headwaters of the Black Esk, took me past the reservoir of the same name. When I was here a year or so ago (see here), the reservoir was full. It certainly is not in June 2010, reflecting just how dry it has been in the past months.

It is a pretty place though, with fishing for brown trout.

The reservoir dates from 1962, and levels must fluctuate, to see these dead trees standing at its head.

A structure, probably a dry stane dyke, just peaks above the surface of the water. This caused me to wonder just what had been flooded when the dam was built and the reservoir established. Sure enough, there used to be a farm, Blackeskhead, on the river hereabouts.

On the principle that annual levels of rainfall will average out over the months ahead, I think I should start building my ark now!

However, one of the aims of yesterday's walk was to investigate further what I'm calling 'the mystery of Garwaldshiels'. This little bridge over the Black Esk upriver from the reservoir, made from two metal beams and a whole load of used railway sleepers, leads to an area on my OS 1:25,000 map showing a habitation called Garwaldshiels.

The 'mystery' is that there's nothing there! On old maps, further up the Black Esk, there is also a 'Garwaldshiels'. On newer maps this is what is now known as 'Old Garwaldshields', which I've visited before, see here. But what happened to this 'new' Garwaldshiels? More research is needed.

To my eye, I could see nothing to suggest the foundations of a house. But there is certainly evidence of habitation, daffodils, other bulbs, and this patch of rhubarb!

This little pool, where the Black Esk meets up with the White Hope Burn, was a fine place for an afternoon break!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Donkeys and other encounters

2010-06-10T00:01:00.003+01:00

Earlier this week I found myself thinking of a grand prestigious project which I would love to see come to fruition. My hopes are not shared by everyone. Some think it is just not required, pointless. The cost has grown, compared with original projections. And recently the whole project has run into a further major setback.

No, I wasn't thinking about Kinross and the proposed NCA! I was dreaming about the plans to bring trams back to Edinburgh.

Now, like many of my generation, tramcars played an important part in my formative years. I get quite nostalgic thinking about them. When the Reform Curling Club went to Latvia last year, many of us got rather excited about Riga's trams!

I decided I needed a tram 'fix'!

So where better to go than Blackpool, the city celebrating its 125th year of trams in 2010. There's an introduction to Blackpool tramway here.

Yesterday, the full tram route was not operational. Cleveleys to the Pleasure Beach was the extent of the run.

For part of the way the trams run on a dedicated trackway. Here cars number 641 and 642 pass each other. These are Centenary cars, single-deck, one-man operated, built by East Lancs between 1984-8. These are the most modern of Blackpool's varied fleet of some 76 cars.

Here's another (no 645) just north of Bispham.

I wonder if there were ever trams on New York's avenue of the same name?

Never mind the modern ones, the tram on the left is what I really remember!

It's one of the famous illuminated trams, here relegated yesterday for driver training duties. The various types of Blackpool trams are illustrated here. Sadly yesterday there were no 'Boats' or 'Balloons' running.

Actually it is possible to have 'driver experience' courses, see here.

Here's another tram being used for driver training yesterday. I just loved the L plates!

And here's another, waiting for the lights to change at Cleveleys. No 626 is an example of a single-deck car built by Brush in 1937. The header board says, "PRIVATE, to hire telephone ......"

There's a loop of track opposite the Pleasure Beach, so the trams were just running round to face back in the direction of the town centre and north to Cleveleys. There, the driver moved to the cab on the rear of the tram and drove it in the reverse direction.

There are lots of photos of Blackpool trams in the galleries here. And the Anniversary Week will be from Thursday, September 23, to Wednesday, September 29.

I once spent a day with friends a LONG time ago, riding all the rollercoasters (I seem to remember five of them) multiple times. And no, I wasn't tempted to do that again yesterday!

The weather wasn't at its best yesterday, not that it really mattered. The sands looked great and Blackpool Borough Council is putting a lot of money into improving the promenade. The Golden Mile hasn't changed a lot from how I remember it though. Except that I didn't see one 'Kiss me quick' hat.

Some of my earliest memories as a child are of donkey rides on the beach. See nostalgia! Wallow, wallow.

Photos © Skip Cottage

The garden in June

2010-06-07T10:44:00.007+01:00

Much of the garden is looking quite tidy and green in the first week of June. It has been very dry though. I will no doubt regret saying that. Hopefully we will not have a 'summer' like last year.

The last couple of weeks have seen a start made on painting the outside of the house, and progress made in revamping the middle beds. These were originally set out seven years ago predominantly with heathers and small conifers. Some consider this old fashioned, but I LIKE heathers and conifers. I lost a big hebe in the very cold winter and that was the impetus to make some changes. New heathers have gone in - and they will spread quickly if past experience is anything to go by.

It certainly all looks better than it did last month.

One of my raised beds is full of strawberry plants for the first time. A full report in due course!

The containers for outside my little conservatory are planted up, now the danger of frosts seems to be past.

There's a story about the poppies! Every year, in an effort to stock the garden cheaply, I've bought some packets of seeds. Two years ago I had a go with some poppies, thinking them biennials, expecting them to flower last year. The seeds germinated well, and I planted them on. No flowers last year, but this year I'm going to have a riot of bright red, to judge by the number of buds.

Understated, these are not! What I've been growing is Papaver orientale var. bracteatum, sometimes called the Blood Poppy or the Persian Poppy, and is in fact a hardy perennial. For one pound or so for the packet of seeds it has to be value for money!

Pics © Skip Cottage

Rainshaw Lake

2010-06-04T08:44:00.000+01:00

This week's walk took me again into the forest plantations west of Eskdalemuir (above). It's a fascinating area. I love the names on the OS map of the area. Names like Drowningdub Knowes, Black's Bog, Monkenshaw Doors, The Yoke, Kitty's Knowe.

The burns have interesting names too. There's the Poldanna Burn, the White Hole Burn, the Big Strushel Burn (and the Little one too), and the Upper Grain. Then there are various 'sikes'.

But the name that jumped out at me was Rainshaw Lake. It seemed to be a burn, which according to the map becomes the White Hole Burn, which itself is a tributary of the Black Esk.

My walk took me past 'Rainshaw Lake'. That's the headwaters above! It really is just a little burn. So the Lake of Menteith is not the only natural 'lake' in Scotland. No curling on Rainshaw Lake though. I wonder why a burn would be called a lake? Any suggestions?

I assumed at first that the name was just a mistake that had found its way on to modern maps. The National Library of Scotland has the first edition of the OS 6 inch to the mile map of Scotland online (see here). This map dates from the mid nineteenth century, and clearly shows the burn with the unusual name.

I like lichens, although I know very little about them. It was more than forty-five years ago that I met these organisms for the first time in my botany course at Glasgow University. There's lots of information about lichens here. I think this is may be Cladonia cristatella, sometimes referred to as 'British Soldiers' because of the red tips. I really wish I had a macro lens as it was really spectacular. Here the lichen is growing on the mat of a fire broom which has probably never been touched since it was left in place here when the forest was planted fifty years ago.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Let's do it again

2010-06-01T18:31:00.004+01:00

I described recently (here) the story of the blackbirds nesting in my shed. I hadn't got round to clearing away the old nest. Just as well. What I did not realise is that blackbirds may have two, three or even four broods! I have learned a lot about blackbird nesting from the RSPB website here. That's mum above, sitting on four eggs this time.

She didn't seem to mind me taking her photo today, but I think I'll adopt the same practice as last month, and just keep out the shed as much as possible.

And tune in to Springwatch for the next three weeks! Actually, the Springwatch website just happens to have a webcam on a blackbird nest, see here.

Pic © Skip Cottage

The empty nest and other stories

2010-05-25T17:28:00.006+01:00

Each year I usually find a few nests somewhere in and around the garden. For three years blackbirds have nested in my old shed. Sadly, the past couple of times with little success. This year, as soon as I saw the nest above being built, I decided to keep out of the shed completely, with only an occasional peek to see how things were going. I didn't want to mention it here on the blog, tempting fate after the disappointment of the past years.

Two eggs duly appeared, and I enjoyed having the parents accompanying me when working in the garden, singing away (the birds, not me).

The eggs hatched and one chick grew up. Then I discovered last week that the nest was empty. Had the chick survived? Later in the afternoon I found where it was - hopping about on the floor of Skip's porch, beside the central heating boiler, the drying clothes, and in and among the gardening tools I had been storing there, to avoid me using the shed!

What to do? Try to catch it? I decided to do nothing, and just leave the outside door open for a while. An hour later I watched as mother Blackie came to the door of the porch and escorted her offspring out and off down the garden path. Result! I wish it a long life.

On Saturday last I spent some time with curling friends Shari and Christian. What a lovely day. On Sunday I decided that a walk was in order and I duly set out, with my camera, to do some Geographing and continue my explorations of the area between Boreland and Eskdalemuir.

Although much of this countryside is covered with conifer plantations, not all of it is. Here I'm northeast of Boreland looking westwards towards the Great Hill, as it's called on the map! One doesn't encounter too many other walkers in this area, and if you like solitude this is certainly a part of Scotland to enjoy.

This stand of beech trees on the side of the valley of the Cow Burn is rather ancient. On inspection some are obviously very old, and indeed the little wood is shown on the 1860 OS six inch map.

What a pleasant walk along this path, beside the Cow Burn, on a hot day.

And this was where I was headed over to the next valley, that of the Black Esk.

Back in the garden today I found that two days of heat have brought the rhododendrons into flower.

This is a relatively new addition. Now, why don't I label things better!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Steam Dreams

2010-05-21T09:45:00.009+01:00

Do you ever have vivid, fragmented dreams? I do. In this one I was on a platform at the Citadel Station in Carlisle.

Why was I there in my dreams?

I was certainly dreaming about these post war times...

...when the country was driven by this stuff.

I seemed to be sharing the same dreams as these guys.

Food features a lot in my dreams!

First class elegance.

Even second class looked good.

Carlisle cathedral was founded in 1122.

This diesel locomotive intruded into my dream...

... as it pulled this steam locomotive backwards round the Upperby loop.

I'm pretty sure my dream was stimulated by seeing this loco in action recently, see here.

LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 no 60019 Bittern

Trainspotting is such a healthy environmentally friendly hobby!

This is where the phrase 'letting off steam' comes from.

And Bittern heads off south on the Carlisle - Settle line, pulling the Steam Dreams Cathedrals Express excursion.

As Bittern pulled out of the station I woke up and caught the 18.11 First TransPennine Express back to Lockerbie. As I sat down in my seat, the announcement on the train was that it was heading for Edinburgh and Windermere. Windermere? I thought for a moment I was dreaming again. Maybe I was!

Wide awake again
Or am I dreamin'?
Trains passing by
Worlds spinning
'round my head

Court Yard Hounds 2010 Skyline

Photos © Skip Cottage

Warm in the garden

2010-05-17T20:59:00.005+01:00

I think today was the first day this year that I've actually felt comfortable when working in the garden!

So what have I been doing since the daffodil days? There's been three main objectives. The first has been to keep on top of the perennial weeds. The second has been to sort out the problems that the severe winter caused. I lost a number of things. The third has been to move those perennials that are growing in the wrong place. When I took over the garden, it was great to receive lots of divisions and donations from friends. These went in anywhere and everywhere. Some have prospered in the conditions at Skip, some haven't. Lot's of things are in the wrong place. Time for action!

I planted some tulips last year, and these have been a success.

Here's one raised bed which faces south and tends to be dry. I've moved some things from here, and planted others. We'll see later in the summer how it has worked out. That's a geranium in the foreground, from a small division from a friend several years ago. Just one of many geraniums in the garden - they do seem to do well, standing up not just to the climate, but resisting attention of rabbits, mice and other wildlife!

One of the things I lost was a large hebe. However, these middle beds, dominated by heathers and conifers, are needing some attention after seven years, so that's an ongoing project for the next couple of months. A new white rhododendron has gone in, and some Calluna Vulgaris.

I've also replanted my three troughs. The big one here was originally a white kitchen sink, transformed with a WI hypertufa recipe!

Here's another trough that used to be a kitchen sink. It looks the part after some six years. Completely replanted last week. The new Lewisia is flowering away brightly.

This is just a polystyrene fish box.

Another progress update soon.

Photos © Skip Cottage

East to Berwick-upon-Tweed

2010-05-16T12:15:00.003+01:00

Paxton House, a mid-eighteenth century mansion in Berwickshire, was my destination yesterday. Co-incidentally it was also the destination for the Wigton Motor Club's 'Geordie Gallop'.

You can read all about the house and estate on the website here.

Paxton House itself is fascinating. Jackie, a volunteer guide, made the tour both interesting and informative. Here we are in the library in the nineteen century extension.

The main reason for my visit to Paxton yesterday was to see the Picture Gallery, which became in 1993 the first of the National Galleries of Scotland's partner galleries. The selection of paintings on show has been made to complement the history of Paxton House. Most are from the National Galleries' reserve collection.

There is a curling connection (the stimulus for my visit) and this will likely be a subject of a future post on the curling blog.

Curling aside, I learned much about the art collection from another knowledgeable volunteer Mary-Ann. Paxton is well worth a visit. Another of my recommendations! You won't be disappointed.

My next stop was at this level crossing on the main East Coast line near Scremerston, where there used to be an old station.

I was waiting to catch sight of LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 no 60019 Bittern, pulling the Steam Dreams 'The Coronation' railtour from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley.

Thanks to a fellow trainspotter John, who took the time to guide me to this excellent spot to watch the loco pulling away from its water stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed, I was able to enjoy Bittern working hard on the upslope north of the station.

It really made my day. I've always had a soft spot for these streamlined A4s.

I was interested to see 60019 sporting a double tender.

Pics © Skip Cottage

A Lockerbie Secret

2010-05-13T20:30:00.007+01:00

If any blogallies have been wondering about the garden, may I just say that work is progressing, albeit slowly. The weather has been so cold this week that little has been done outside. However, as you know, I like to explore and go out and about with the camera. So here's a post about one of Lockerbie's attractions, and perhaps its best kept secret, the Ukrainian Chapel at Hallmuir.

The photo above is one of the few huts which remain of the forty or so that made up the WW2 prisoner of war camp at Hallmuir Farm which housed both German and Italian soldiers. After the war, these prisoners were mostly repatriated, and the camp became home to a different population.

In May 1947, Ukrainian POWs arrived at Glasgow Docks from a camp near Rimini in Italy. Around 450 were brought to Lockerbie by truck and train and were marched through the town to Hallmuir Farm Camp.

Once settled, they were employed by the Ministry of Agriculture to work on the farms and forestry in the area. Unlike the German and Italian POWs, the Ukrainians could not return home. Ukraine had become part of the USSR, and it was made clear that on their return to the Soviet Union they would most likely be executed or sent to Siberia, because they had fought on the German side.

Sir John Buchanan Jardine, the landowner, donated one of the huts to the Ukrainians so that they could use it as a chapel. It was decorated by the internees themselves over a number of years, using their own skills and whatever materials that were to hand.

It is all rather beautiful and quite moving, not to say unexpected, as one enters the old hut. It was the first Ukrainian Chapel of its kind in Scotland and is still in use today. Services are held on the first Sunday of every second month.

This memorial is outside the chapel. There's a static caravan on the site, with information and old photographs. There's more about the Ukrainian Chapel here, and in this YouTube video here. It's a remarkable place to visit.

Photos © Skip Cottage