Posted by Geoff on 30 May 2011 | Tagged as: Archery
Geoff writes: too windy to fly, of course, so a day of house jobs, gardening, and finally something more interesting, archery, trying out my new bow some more. It is much better, much more accurate at greater distances; but I’ll still talk to them about getting a better one.
Posted by Geoff on 29 May 2011 | Tagged as: Archery
Geoff writes: well, as usual, it was very windy. It was also very, very cloudy in the morning, I couldn’t even see the Mynd, so that ruined Plan A, which was going walking in the Berwyns. So, after doing a few things around the house, the weather improved, the sun came out, and I went to the archery club to try out my new bow. It is a lot better than the old one, but I’m not absolutely sure it is the right one yet. I’ll try it again in the next few days, and if not, it’s a trip back to the shop to get a more expensive one.
No-one, as far as I know, flew on the Mynd today. It was very top end for HGs too, and I didn’t see any in the air, or at the parking as I drove past, and I didn’t want to fly on my own.
Posted by Geoff on 28 May 2011 | Tagged as: Archery, Miscellaneous activities
Geoff writes: it was flyable for hang gliders all day at the Mynd, but this week, I wasn’t that motivated to go and do some ridge soaring. Instead, I did what was planned for Tuesday – went to Wroxeter Roman city. This was the fourth largest city in Roman Britain, and is, I think, the only one which has no modern city built over it, being entirely in green fields. The interpretation and museum were pretty good, but what surprised me is how small an area has been excavated – just some of the basilica, the baths, and a market area. This is primarily a money issue, with most archaeology being rescue archaeology – done in advance of building work which would destroy the remains for ever. Given that the Wroxeter remains are under fields, not going to be built on, there is no rush to excavate; also, recent geophysical surveys have given a good idea of the extent and layout of the city.
Nevertheless, it is a shame more has not been excavated, and it’s a least possible that excavating more would attract more visitors, and at least partly pay for the work, as well as providing a better educational experience for visitors.
Still, even so, well worth a visit.
After that, I went to Bowsports to buy a new bow. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while – something a bit more powerful than the bow I’m currently using, which I’m not that happy with. Cheaper to buy from them online than in person, but at least this way I could try it out there and then. So I came away with a nice new bow.
Driving back over the Mynd, some hang gliders were flying, but, as I said, I wasn’t that motivated.
In the evening, went to see Nikki Rous with Wayne and Andrew. She is a brilliant singer and writer, who we have seen before. Tonight, she was playing, free, at the Lowfield Inn. They have free music every Friday, but I don’t think they advertise it at all well, and the couple of times we have been, the audiences have been very small. Still, it was a great night. If you ever get the chance, go and see her!
Posted by Judith on 27 May 2011 | Tagged as: Holiday
I’ve come up to Scotland for a bit of a ramble and to see family. The weather’s mixed, but at least it allows for walks along the seaside.
Posted by Geoff on 22 May 2011 | Tagged as: Archery, Miscellaneous activities
Geoff writes: whilst yesterday was windy, today was howling (and tomorrow is forecast even stronger, with gales of 70 mph). It was also very thermic, which added to the strong winds. Way to windy to fly, of course, so we went to the Midland Gliding Club open day. Like all gliding clubs, in Europe at least, they are suffering declining (and ageing) membership, and hoped to get more members through this. Unfortunately, whilst it was well-attended, the wind was too strong for them to take up people on taster flights, but maybe they will be able to do that later on this week or next. Presumably numbers are declining because of a) cost, b) people just aren’t as physically active as they used to be, and c) people are more selfish, and gliding involves a lot of co-operation to get off the ground (unlike paragliding and hang gliding, which seem to attract a relatively high proportion of selfish people – though still, fortunately, a small minority).
We then went to the archery field, where it was OK to shoot, since in this wind direction it is quite protected. I badly need a new bow, more powerful, and spent most of the time chatting to people trying to work out what to buy. I’ve plenty of time to look around this week, since the winds are forecast strong for the rest of the week.
Posted by Geoff on 22 May 2011 | Tagged as: Miscellaneous activities
Geoff writes: windy, definitely not flyable, but sunnier further to the south east – so a good day to visit my family near Cirencester. It was not a bad afternoon really, not least because we went to visit Bibury, a classic chocolate box English village in the Cotswolds – so classic, it was full of tourists even in mid-May, with Americans, Spanish, Japanese (on an Irish coach) and Germans – and those were just the accents we heard. But it really is a very pretty place, and you can understand why it is on the tourist trail.
The Cotswolds, of course, is a very, very rich area, and very patriotic. We passed one house in yet another classic chocolate box village which had a full size poster of William and Kate (the ones who just got married) stuck to their front door. Very bizarre. Unfortunately, we had no camera with us – a great photo opportunity missed.
Posted by Geoff on 21 May 2011 | Tagged as: Archery, Work
Geoff writes: a few days of windy weather now. Today was mostly dry, and got quite sunny later on, so it was the usual non-flying mix of work, house jobs, and then some archery in the evening, followed by a beer on top of the Mynd admiring the view to the east.
I say there’s a few days of windy weather, but apparently, according to some religious nutters in the US, the Rapture begins on Saturday at 6.00pm precisely. This is the time when all true Christians are literally raised up to Heaven, whilst eveyone else stays in the Hell below. So maybe Thursday was the last flying day, ever, for anyone.
Religion …. how anyone can take any of it seriously is beyond me.