Smoke free pubs

Well having encountered my first English smoke free pub this evening, I've got to say that this is undoubtedly the way to go. Sat down for a good evening with mates. Sure the music was still too loud for a fairly quiet Sunday evening pub with no chance of dancing, but to be able to go in, have an evening out, and come home, not stinking of smoke and having to throw your clothes straight in the laundry bin is a real step forward.

Reflection

Talk about a day for reflection. Today marks a decade since hand over of Hong Kong back to China, the smoking ban came into force at 6am and there's the fortunately failed terrorist attempts to consider.

Blair to believe in Pixies in favour of Elves...

... or this might just as well be what he's doing with his much talked about imminent conversion to Roman Catholicism. Choose your own flavour of make believe and largely archaic and pointless rules by which to lead your life. Whoopee. Perhaps this tells us a lot about our outgoing PM.

35 days later

What a difference a month makes. New job, flat and life more of less, although in some ways I'm picking up where I left off before my travels - back in the big smoke. I'm still in south-west London albeit in a different quarter, and my job is now in an area where I want to be. I'm only a few weeks in, in fact just a few days in if we're talking about the flat, so it's still early days with some amount of settling in to be done, however so far so good.

Often it takes some time and some contrasts to boot you in the right direction. I'd spent some months at home in the idyllic green and pleasant land of the lakes and dales, and while this was fine I realised it wasn't what I was looking for now. I had had misgivings about moving back to London but in the end it is the place where my friends are and the best opportunities lie in store, and in fact it's not so bad. So far it's going nicely and I'm enjoying the buzz once again.

What of this blog then? Well I suppose it will have to become the blog of an urban village, which is pretty much where I am. From one village of sorts to quite another. Change of scene but the story continues.

Chance encounters

During an afternoon of valley ramblings and photography I came upon a lady cyclist, pausing in a lay-by to check her map. Bound for John O'Groats, although not today I was assured, she had come from Slaidburn this morning and was heading as far as Penrith. Impressive going, considering I can hardly get up the road by bicycle, and it makes me wonder how many more interesting people are out there doing a whole array of activities, some mundane and some extraordinary.

Let loose on the motorway

Completing something at a different point in life to everyone else makes for an odd experience. I've recently done that with finally getting my hands on a driving licence, about 10 years after I first gave it a shot and, in hindsight largely due to a useless instructor and perhaps also the nerves of youth, after several failed attempts gave it up as a bad job. Now not everyone I know drives. There are still friends from Uni who haven't bothered yet and some who have similarly passed relatively recently, but on the whole driving is something which most accomplished ages ago and it's hardly given a thought these days.

Nevertheless on accomplishing a feat such as driving, however belated it may be, some thrill exists and celebration called for. Today I completed the last of my lessons, in this case some training on motorway driving, which given our proximity to the M6 is none too shabby a skill to have under the old belt. Now the land is potentially my oyster. No longer stricken by the possibility of weekend engineering works on the railways I can reach a good many places once out of reach. As an amateur photographer this is more than just a little exciting in prospect. Already I'm eyeing up potential targets for my lens that have hitherto been inaccessible: wind farms, panoramic views and the strewn remnants of a former industrial age all take my fancy.

Whether I'd go long haul with the driving is still to be seen. I have a lot of friends some hundreds of miles away and it'll still prove something of a challenge to reach them. Whether the train will continue to take the strain or not will have to be seen. I suspect it will in many cases, but the potential for flexibility in circumstances is a welcome addition. An upcoming trip to the Lakes with friends might benefit from my newly available transportation skills for one, and my parents are already making the most of being chauffeured about the countryside. It's all rather new and it'll take a while to work out just how much I'm wanting to indulge in this driving lark.

The most important factor is that it's available. Many options lay in store, and while by no means a cheap habit here in the UK, being able to drive will certain open a few new avenues that were previously well out of reach of public transport of my ability to trek there.

Eurovision RIP

The music of Eurovision has long been criticised but the very basis on which much of the voting in the contest took place last week really had plunged the whole event to new depths. At least the camp and kitsch, pop and pap elements of it could be enjoyed. Now however the fragmentation of Eastern Europe and their membership to the EBU combined with the equal vote that each country receives has potentially skewed the voting. A certain amount of voting for neighbours is expected, but when each of Serbia's tiny neighbours awards its song 12 points in what's being called 'bloc voting' any hope that songs win on merit are thrown out the window.

I can't say I care that the UK faired so badly, but the top-of-the-blocs entries dominating the scoring largely didn't deserve to be there. Ukraine had a fair shot with its ultra-kitsch and glam offer but otherwise many of the songs that received so many points were largely forgettable. For what it's worth I did vote for an Eastern European country - Slovenia, with their sensational operatic singer - although it seems the Slovenians aren't quite moving in the right circles to garner the sort of support expressed towards Russia and others.

No, I'm afraid the Eurovision, for whatever it might have been worth has become a shell of the contest it once was. Let the best song win, whoever that may be, but when that most basic of requirements - that of merit - is so blatantly ditched in favour of neighbourly political bias it's time to call it a day.

Related articles:
MP demands Eurovision vote change (BBCi)
Tactical voting the low note as Serbia wins Eurovision contest (the Australian)
Sozialistische Nachbarschaftshilfe (Die Zeit)
On Eurovision Night, everybody needs good neighbours (The Times)

The Russia to Japan Ferry

I've added a new page to the North Facing website providing an in-depth guide to travelling on the Vladivostok to Fushiki ferry. This ship takes you from the far side of Russia where the Trans-Siberian proper terminates, across the Sea of Japan to the land of the rising sun. Detailed practical information and photos about the ferry service are a bit thin of the ground online so this new feature is set to put it right! Please take a look!

Retrojets

Did you know there was such a thing as retrojets? I didn't until just now when I saw the term used in relations to the Lufthansa Airbus that is painted up in a classic livery for the airline. And that's largely what retrojets are; they're largely modern jets painted up in liveries of yesteryear. Some are quite striking, perhaps none so much as the Lufthansa A321 jet itself, although this sadly now repainted Varig 767 is another fine example, as is this monochrome photographed Mexican aircraft, while this modern American Airlines' 737-800 looks remarkably well suited to its retro paintjob. It only lacks the old fashioned aluminium engine cowlings! The photographer of this VC-10 in BOAC colours at Duxford wishes British Airways would make a retrojet of their own in such a colour scheme and I wholeheartedly agree! The VC-10 maybe long since retired from commercial service but seeing a modern jet in BOAC colours would make a real talking point.

Politics

We've been fortunate to have a couple of big elections in the past week. Thursday saw elections across the UK but most notably that in Scotland where there pro-independence Scottish National Party were threatening to cause an upset over Labour's lead, and upset they did indeed achieve, clinching one more vote than Labour. Talk of independence is unlikely however as the other 3 big parties are all committed to Scotland remaining a part of the UK, and between them their majority is considerable. Coalitions seem to be being refused by both the Lib Dems and Tories, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of ruling party and first minister we do actually get from all of this.

Yesterday saw the 2nd and final part of the French Presidential elections which saw Sarkozy win by a comfortable 6%. It's still to be seen how he pans out as President, but he's reportedly an Anglophile and pro-American, plus he was talking the friendly talk towards the likes of Algeria too. He wasn't acting so friendly however towards illegal migrants and those on state welfare, both of which will seemingly be targeted with hard line policies. Hard work is the Sarkozy's motto for France; let's see if the unions agree with him.

North Facing - my new travel website

I announced a while ago that my travel website is now North Facing, or more specifically northfacing.com. The site specialises in travel to the more Northerly countries of the world, but also includes broader features including overland travel from the UK. This is a 3-part guide with illustrated maps guiding you from the British Isles to Europe and then beyond to popular international overland destinations. Keeping with the overland theme I've written guides to The Trans-Siberian Railway which features loads of photos and information about the journey on-board, and also a guide to travelling on the train from China to Lhasa in Tibet, which similarly features practical information about travelling on this 48 hour journey.

The North Facing website has a brand new look which I hope you like. It's currently being tested out on the homepage and I hope to roll it out across the whole site very soon.

You may have also noticed that my main homepage at danielatkinson.co.uk is also undergoing a makeover. I decided a new look was well overdue and this is also something I'll be working on and rolling out in coming weeks.

Cheese - junk food?

The government has classified cheese as junk food in relation to their campaign on childhood obesity and the restrictions that will be placed on advertising to children.

Yes, cheese is composed of a high percentage of fat, but cheese is a fine natural product in which a great amount of time, effort skill and indeed art is applied. Junk food indeed! Ofcom have shown themselves up as being culinary heathens on this issue. Cheese *can* be fattening of course, but it doesn't make it junk. To even put it on the same level as the likes of MacDonalds whose food is designed to contain all that is bad in order to create addiction seems quite incredibly really. Cheese is tasty and perhaps somewhat addictive through being a fine, natural product and long may it continue to satisfy us.

Jaffa Cakes and Marmite is also being classified as junk food. On these I hold less of an issue. Jaffa Cakes, well as the name implies are a manner of cake. Indeed it was once proven to authorities that they are cakes and not chocolate biscuits in order to avoid VAT I believe. Fair do's really. Marmite, well I have forever failed in seeing what is in the slightest bit attractive of this foul substance. Thus I have no qualms in limiting its advertising coverage!

April

Isn't April brilliant? I must admit that in the 24 months since I'd last fully experienced an April in the UK I had quite forgotten just what a sensationally fine month it is.

Take for example its place in the year: It's early Spring, and as the month begins the trees are still largely bare and the weather cool. Suddenly though an explosion of green appears from nowhere, bright, fully saturated greens of vibrant hue and quality. The trees spring to life, the fields glow, the hedges and cherry trees are in blossom, birds return to our shores and are busy constructing nests; all combine to make the countryside look absolutely marvellous.

Best of all, we know we've the whole of the summer stretching off far into the distance. These are but the earliest days of warmth, sun and colour. Many months lie in store with all the expectation and promise that they contain. Why would you want to be anywhere else?

First big test for new news channels

Today's Presidential Election in France is the first big test for the new kids of the media block, namely France24 and Aljazeera. Both are planning considerable coverage for tonight's results and it'll provide a good benchmark for judging these new channels in comparison to the established outlets of BBC's News24, Sky News and CNN.

It is of course a chance for France24 to shine in particular as it's a major domestic event of which to provide in-depth coverage. The elections have already been receiving some considerable airtime as you'd expect, particularly on the discussion programmes, although we're often not too keen on these as the volume differentiation between the speaker and the translator is often insufficient and doesn't make for pleasant listening. We'll see how it pans out this evening.

Aljazeera in contrast focuses its news coverage on Asia and Africa but does have ample resources at its disposal, so it'll prove interesting to see what level of coverage and guests they're able to produce.
The more established outlets shouldn't be ignored either, as we'll see if they up the ante on their own election coverage to compete in particular with France24 which will be assumed to provide the most comprehensive of coverage, albeit with less experience than the competition.

The coverage is beginning now - 6pm UK Time - so tune in!

Wonderful websites

There are some truly awe inspiring websites out there which should be promoted as much as can be. My latest find is Panoramio. Not the most memorable of names perhaps but bear with me. This photo website is linked in with Google Earth. For each photo you upload you specify the location it was taken. Then you can browse a world map on the site, and for whichever area of the world you're looking at the photos taken in that area appear on the left-hand side to be viewed. It's superb! You can look at some of the most remote corners of the world but people have been there and have taken photos there. Navigate to that location and you'll see views from all around it. Better still photos and their locations will appear on the Google Earth maps, making your photos and the places you've captured available to even more people. Even if you don't upload any pictures it's well worth signed up to browse the World Map. I can't recommend it highly enough.

US Uni shooting

What to say about the terrible shooting that took place on Virginia Tech Uni campus this week. I've had several thoughts.

Initially there were interviewees on the TV and radio with regard to the gun situation in the US, including an NRA spokesman who truly believed that having more arms on campus would have helped. I disagree. Here in the UK if someone isn't of sound mind and feel like taking drastic action generally the means are not easily available for them to do so. Licensing and background checks should prevent easy available of firearms to those who shouldn't have them, and out of many ways to take out your grievances the use of guns could well be said to be the easiest. There's minimal confrontation of your actual problems, just pull the trigger and all your troubles are removed. Thus this option is best being kept well out of reach from those susceptible to irrational actions. In the US this isn't the case and firearms are essentially regarded as a right and are available accordingly. As a result we see such events taking place in the US much more frequently than we do in other countries.

The American mentality shouldn't be overlooked either. One speaker on the radio said that the American tendency to act on impulse, as well as being the source of much of the country's success can also form the source of some of these actions.

Generally speaking though the student seemed to be of a very troubled mind. The source of problems and motivations could be many fold and can only be speculated at at this stage. Korea I know is, in a similar way to Japan, home to what we would regard as quite extreme lifestyles. There can be immense pressure from parents for success and some young people do turn to obsessive behaviour. There's also the factor to consider that the student was overseas, in unfamiliar surrounds and culture with all that entails.

The recent airings of the killer's videos were initially lapped up by a content hungry media and later the source of controversy as to whether these should have been aired at all. I'm currently against the airing of such videos. We've seen it with suicide bombers and we've seen it in this instance and in all cases I find it in bad taste and not the sort of thing the media should be giving any airtime into promoting. The perpetrators are sick, foul of mind and with evil intent. There sort are the very last sort of people who should be given any airtime as for one thing in doing so it legimates and gives coverage to their twisted cause and in turn copycats or supporters (in the case of terrorists) may be encouraged. Show stills perhaps, but do so in a context of condemning the perpetrator.

Top heavy advertising

Banner advertising is one thing, but the size of the ads on Hotmail are getting ridiculous, especially since there's no scroll option. How long until I can't see my e-mails at all??

Return to blighty

The navy personnel taken in Iran have finally be returned. I suspect the true story of their captivity will now come out. However I'd be interested to find out whatever happened the military procedure of only giving your captors name, rank and serial number? Perhaps there was a good reason but their actions undermined the forces, government and country they work for.

Welcome to 1984

The government is further rolling out a trial of speaking CCTV camera. These feature attached speakers so when ne'er do wells are spotted they can be shouted at to cease and desist. It's probably a good idea, in that perpetrators know they're being watched, but it does sound a great deal like 1984 and it's ilk - instructions being blared at the submissive workers to get on their way and stay on the straight and narrow.

Linux - handle with care

I have recently been dabbling with Linux. It's something I've been wanting to try for quite some years but never quite got around to doing. However having bought an external hard drive which allowed me to back up my windows installation in the events of general cock-up appearing I could make some space on my main drive (as my BIOS doesn't support booting from a USB device) and try my luck.

On using a partitioning program to create space on my freshly defragged drive it bombed a third of the way through with the result of corrupting my main partition. Fortunately I'd backed up my drive so I formatted the drive, reinstalled windows, ran the Ubuntu installer to create the linux partitions and then restore my windows install onto the windows partition. This all went without the hitch.

Ubuntu seemed good. It took a while to get the internet connectivity right - this seemingly to be something that worked if booting Ubuntu after shutting down Windows but not working if Windows had blue screened (which it had taken to doing somewhat.) The software that came with the Edgy distribution seemed decent, although not perfect for my needs. Firefox was welcome but the bittorrent client seemed basic in the extreme. I gave up on Ubuntu for a while after finding it incredibly complex to install new software, however on returning to Ubuntu I found the software management option staring me in the face and installation a wide range of programs suddenly became simplicity itself.

For software not included in the management system installation can be difficult, as Linux does use command line which is something I've rarely touched since Windows 95 came along and which I had no sorrow in leaving behind. In the end I got too eager to try out the 3D desktop system 'Beryl' and suddenly I found myself with a non-booting install as I'd neglected to follow the instructions to remove the auto-start for Beryl and the graphical interface 'X' wasn't booting.

I took the opportunity to try out another distro I'd burnt to disc - this time OpenSUSE, which although not as widely patronised as Ubuntu is recommended for beginners of Linux. This time I decided to go with the KDE system rather than Gnome I had on Ubuntu. As with moving to any new systems, things worked differently and were located in different places. For one thing Real Player streams worked straight off, however I had to find instructions online to install support for DivX and similar, as this isn't supported by SUSE. This in itself brought up some error messages when installing new components, although I managed to work out what was missing and get it working, plus I had to track down some codecs to get video playback working properly. A little technical, but manageable.

My sticking point came when, having followed instructions to add new sources of software for the software management system (a system which on the face of it is more complicated than that of Ubuntu but seemingly with more options when you become familiar with it) and upon the next restart I was faced with lots of updates to install, which I duly selected. On booting up next the usual 3 options of OpenSUSE, Windows and the OpenSUSE safe mode had changed to one kernel option of OpenSUSE and Windows. I followed some instructions on restoring the old boot menu but found the required files locked. I then used the boot management options in YAST to try to restore the safe mode option. On rebooting it became clear that the options hadn't saved properly and OpenSUSE would no longer boot. I retreated to Windows for a while, then ran my OpenSUSE installation CD. The restore option required a login which I knew nothing about, but a repair option under installation did the trick and restored the OpenSUSE boot options, but only to have removed the option for booting to Windows! I returned with trepidation to the boot manager and guessed my way through, adding a new boot option and simply telling it to post to hda1, which I knew to be my main Windows partition. It worked, thank goodness, and now I've got a dual-booting system doing pretty much what I want it to.

There are a few outstanding issues. The internet connectivity issue remains in OpenSUSE and on occasion I have to login then out of Windows before I can get connectivity on Linux. I haven't yet got the printer to work in OpenSUSE and despite installing ATI drivers there seems to be no 3D support for my Radeon 9000 graphics card - something which I may only be able to solve when I next upgrade my PC - so for now it's still Windows for anything but basic gaming.

I've got a nice dual panel system in operation in OpenSUSE, where the active programs are listed on the top, and other links and features are located on a hidden bottom bar. The speed of operation is considerably sharper than my increasingly sluggish Windows XP install and I've noticed that the laptop feels the need to run the fan far less in Linux too - probably due to not requiring such a collection of demanding programs to be run upon start-up. I can run most if not everything, and I can access files from my Windows drives no problems, although I not able to delete any so it seems.

In conclusion I suspect I'm going to be Linux in the main from now on, as aside from a few issues it does what I demand of it and in much better time than Windows can manage. The software is free, the performance is good and it's customisable to suit your individual way of working. I'm liking it a lot. Mainly though it will provide good practice for when I buy my next PC which I'll format with a larger linux partition and make it a more equal dual-boot.

Levens and around on a Saturday

A traditional Cumbrian seat

Hincaster tunnel - a disused canal way, opened 1819

Historic Low Levens farm

Virgin Trains - the red brand goes green

Virgin Trains is now featuring the environmentally friendly credentials of their trains on its website. The Pendolino trains, which use a regenerative braking system which actually returns electricity to the grid, emits 76% less CO2 than cars or domestic flights, the website states. The trains return an amount of electricity equivalent to making 2.6 billion brews a year.

Love in the time of Cylons

The series 3 finale of Battlestar Galactica aired in the US on Sunday. Although Sky is a few weeks behind in its episodes the wonders of the internet mean that within hours of each US episode airing it is available to fans around the world.

The story has progressed gradually over the three series. I caught some of the early episodes but thought it would be rather slow going, combined with the fact I did readily have access to them. However I've rejoined the story at the beginning of series 3 and have become completely hooked, to the extent that I've gone back to the first two series and am watching them through, as most add something to the overall plot arc.

Sci-fi is a funny thing. At the time of watching the various series on TV - in my case Star Trek: The Next Generation or Babylon 5 I've been rather hooked to them, but watching old episodes now doesn't do anything for me at all. Star Trek in particular seems terribly episodic and Utopian, where a minor modification to the sensor array or conduit can accomplish anything. In comparison BSG is dark and covers some deep areas such as religious beliefs, which the Guardian newspaper has likened to the two sides in the ongoing war on terror. The audience is kept in the dark almost as much as the crew on board BSG. The Cylons have a plan, but what is it? A little is discovered as the episodes progress but often more new questions are posed than are answered. Even with our insight into a Cylon Basestar, much still remains unclear and unanswered. There's no clear plot exposition going on here, and it keeps you clamouring for more in each episode.

The season 3 finale has proven to be a particular high point. The fleet seem on the point of discovering Earth but all manner of calamities take place leaving us with some major cliffhangers and loose ends in desperate need of explanation in series 4, due in early 2008.

------------Spoilers follow with regard to end of the series 3--------------


The fact that several crew members including the XO are hearing all along the watchtower is particularly confusing. Are they really Cylons as the Chief assumes, or could the ship be receiving radio signals from Earth which they are particularly in tune to? In any case it doesn't explain why they were all drawn to the same part of the ship at the same moment - although this did coincide with the jump and the power outage. The power outage is similarly unexplained and seems unlikely to be a piece of Cylon work (why haven't they used it already), although what else could it be? We know there are only 12 models of Cylons and it seems difficult to believe the four present could be four of the final five models.

The identity of the fifth, or possibly fourth and fifth, or is that first and second of the final five is also up for debate. The President is sharing dreams with the two other Cylons on board. Coincidence, or evidence she is a Cylon? And most monumental of all was the return of Starbuck at the end of the episode. She's back, in what seems to be a brand new MKII Viper and she claims to have been to Earth and will show the fleet the way. How is this possible when we saw her Viper destroyed by the gravity of a planet? One possibility is that she is one of the final five Cylons, or that she's residing in the subconscious of Lee Adama in a similar way to that of Number Six and Baltar. Or perhaps her role was greater all along, although this doesn't explain her return from the presumed dead. Was there really a Cylon Raider that she was pursuing? Did she eject and somehow was picked up? And perhaps most crucially of all will Starbuck play a role in preventing the fleet from being destroyed by four Cylon Basestars just a few clicks away?

Always more questions than answers, but it's turning out to be a superb series and on a completely different level to that of the original from the late 70s/early 80s. The new BSG is superior in every way.

Spring has sprung

Casino uncertainty

Although Manchester won the day in its bid for a super-casino, it's not out of the woods yet, as a coalition of Labour rebels, Tories and LibDems may scupper government plans by rejecting the proposals in the House of Commons later today.

This, in its turn leaves a possible door open for Blackpool. It was mentioned on the news this evening that several MPs for North West England will be voting against the proposal in favour of seeing Blackpool as the site of the super-casino. However as the government is refusing to separate the super-casino and smaller casinos into two separate votes, the government may well see the whole plan go up in smoke.

Northern Ireland

Normally having to listen to opposing sides in a protracted conflict such as that of Northern Ireland or Israel annoys me intensely as the speeches made by both sides give not an inch towards agreement, progress and future. Today, however, was not one of those days. Although power sharing has been put back until May, it was heartening to hear both DUP and Sinn Fein reading from the same page. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Rail replacement buses

With the rail crash the other week and the usual round of engineering works, there's been no shortage of rail replacement buses around here of late. Saturday saw some for First group on the A65, although I'm at a loss as to what train service they might be filling in for.

Last week I saw a local bus I'd never seen before bound for Low Gill, up the valley from here. Given the the railway that used to run through the valley stretched from here up to to Low Gill, where it joins the West Coast Main Line, I wondered if it might a Beeching Rail Replacement Bus Service?

Latest Ebay sells

I'm currently selling batches of Cumbrian magazine from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Several of these are complete 12 issue sets and the starting price for each is only 99p.

If you're interested in Cumbrian life from the middle of the twentieth century, these magazines are a real insight, covering the people, places and lifestyle of the time

Click here to view all of my ebay sales.

Public transport pricing

The government seems hell-bent on ensuring that only the rich are able to travel - by any means. The latest report is that rail prices - specifically on the saver tickets - will increase, following hot on the heels of the annual above inflation increase in fares. This comes on top of proposed road charges which Labour seem determine to implement, although the validity of the petition against the proposal was dubious in the way that many things on the internet can so easily be. Meanwhile there's the less than stealthy taxation on flying which was brought in under an environmental banner but of course none of the revenue raised are going into those schemes.

Whichever mode of transport we wish to take, and in this day and age many people don't have much choice in the matter due to the spread of friends, family and work commitments, it seems we're going to be paying more before much longer. I don't have a problem with more being charged for less environmentally friendly modes of transport if the more environmentally friendly modes are made more affordable and attractive. However at the same time I think the government needs to look at intelligent methods of tackling the environmental issue rather than pricing the poorest out of travel while the rich continue to swan about as they please. Perhaps a system whereby an individual's carbon footprint is kept on a database with their passport number. This could perhaps lead to an escalating rate of tax as more flights are made. It's not an easy solution, but then easy solutions seldom prove to be the best solutions.

The 2012 money monster

Is anyone surprised that the cost of the 2012 London Olympics are spiralling ever upwards, now taking ever larger bites out of the Lottery good causes fund. It's not as if London does badly when it comes to funding, and now in excess of £600m that would have been distributed to projects across the country are now going to be swallowed by the capital.

New travel website online

My brand new travel website is now online. Yes, this is the reason why the blog has been quiet of late, but now it's open for business (in a personal, non-commercial sort of way of course)

NORTHFACING.COM celebrates the northern countries of the world. Tired of hot, humid and noisy countries I've decided it's high time to focus on those countries I love the best, and that's just what the North Facing website is all about.

Please drop by and tell me what you think.

Casterton Walk

Radio 2 does NME

It's a sign of the times when the NME music awards is covered on Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show, as it was this morning. In the past this would have been purely the preserve of Radio 1, but now it's a toss-up between Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, XFM and the various rock music DAB stations. Long let it continue.

Vue Lancaster

I've done remarkably little cinema-going in recent times. Well it might not be so remarkable when you look at it. Most of the countries I was in last year didn't offer much in the way of films that I could understand while being back in deepest Cumbria again necessitates something of a trek to either Kendal, Morecambe, Lancaster or Ambleside for the silver screen.

The last weekend however was the turn of Lancaster. We had to head through that way anyway, and of the lack-lustre selection of films on offer from all of the local cinemas Lancaster's reasonably new 'Vue' cinema (the chain that was formerly Warner Bros cinemas) offered a passable film at a reasonable time.

The film in question was Hot Fuzz; a British police caper starring the same leading duo as Shaun of the Dead plus plenty of familiar native actors for good measure. Edwoodwoodwood and Jim Broadbent being two of the most familiar. I got the feeling the film couldn't quite decide how seriously to take itself though; the humour levels varied throughout, although on the whole it exacted plenty of laughs from the moderate audience that turned out on a Sunday afternoon.

The cinema itself was a very mixed bag. £6 a head and no senior discount much to my father's disgust. The screen, number three in our case, was a very good size, and sloping unlike in Morecambe and other multi-plexes ensuring a clear view for all. The familiar theme of Pearl and Dean welcomed in the adverts which did drag rather, as did the hit and miss selection of trailers offered.

The absolute low point was a 'Sims' (as in the computer game) short movie. It was essentially scenes from the Sims to which some students most likely had put together a piss poor dialogue and plot. Why oh why do we have to be subjected to this when going to see a film? If it's a reasonably crafted piece of work, fair enough it might do, although it's not always necessarily welcome. However to waste our time and degrade our mental functioning on such dross really is unacceptable. I'm considering writing to Vue to complain.

The feature presentation was good enough. No poorly adjusted camera positioning requiring a member of the audience to scuttle off and inform staff as has been so often the case in the Morecambe Apollo. The only problem was the sound level which was generally agreed to be a few decibels too loud.

If I was marking out of 10 it would get slightly over half marks. The seats were comfortable enough and no dead bums were reported, and it offers one of the largest screens around here. However the alley to the entrance is somewhat dirty, dark and unenticing, the automatic doors are out of order and there's a few areas to work on such as those mentioned. I'd probably go again if there was something I wanted to see. At least it's showing the much lauded Pan's Labyrinth, even if it is at 10.30pm!

Train crash near Oxenholme

Sadly there's been a derailment of a Virgin Pendolino train not far north of here, between Oxenholme and Tebay, which as of now has resulted in one fatality at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

It's far too early for reports of a cause but something related to the rails or a collision with an object are possibilities.

On the plus side it appears that the coordination of the rescue has been done extremely well with all passengers reported out of the train by midnight and 5 helicopters involved in shuttles casualties to the regions hospitals.

Ironically I was walking parallel to the West Coast Main Line just today, maybe a dozen miles south of Oxenholme. As a gesture that our thoughts are with those involved in the incident, here are a couple of photos taken from the line today:

Virgin Trains Voyager train near Burton

Pendolino train speeds by - the same type as involved in the derailment

Show of Hands - Roots

I first heard this song while doing a listen again of Radio 2's recent 2007 Folk Awards. Fantastic lyrics about the loss of musical heritage in England

Internet connection highs and lows

We received an Orange Livebox this week. For a couple of quid more than our existing package we get up to 8Mb broadband speed, unlimited usage and a livebox which offers free national and international calls when you plug a phone into it. Not bad in theory, and a big step up from our current service of a paltry 1Mb with 2Gig limit. There's not much fun to be had from that arrangement, but in theory that was all about to change.

Things didn't get off to a rosy start, however. The software that came with the livebox was terminally hopeless, and used a Flash based interface with some remarkably unresponsive navigation buttons. It only accepted double-clicks, and then only sometimes, plus it had the maddening tendency to miss out entire pages of the step-by-step installation guide. As it happened the CD's software wasn't necessary at all as it was the usual procedure of accessing the router's config page, entering the login and off we go. Getting the wireless working was easy enough too. The Livebox uses to an interesting 'pairing' mode; after pressing a button on the unit the router would allow new connections for 10 mins but thereafter disallow any further access. It's a simple yet ingenious way of keeping unwanted users off your internet connection. Of course those in the know can easily enough set up access restrictions by MAC address with their own router, but judging by the number of unwittingly open hotspots around this sort of basic feature will go down well in many households.

So far so easy. It wasn't long before my internet connection starting going funny though and as the livebox was the newest piece of kit it took the immediate blame. Despite a smooth start my internet connectivity began to drop suddenly from the ethernet connection. Wireless I can understand but ethernet is normally a basic connection with little room for cock-up. Having also been playing with setting up a fixed IP address (something I later realised is set by default by the livebox) I had another possible route of enquiry that might have thrown a user created spanner of errors in to the works. This morning the situation worsened and I found myself with no internet connectivity at all through the ethernet cable, but it was working, just about, through the wi-fi.

Well I looked into every possibility. I ploughed through forums in search of advice and even went so far as to run a program that replaces a possibly corrupt TCP/IP, but to no avail. Most of the advice was made in reference to wireless connections which are understandably a far more untamed breed of beasts. It took more digging before I finally located the nugget I was looking for: the suggestion to alter a setting in my network card for connection at 10Mb rather than the auto connection setting it was ok. Astonishingly it did the trick. As with so many things in the life of a PC there's no good reason why the setting should be either off or the source of the problem in the first place, but magically changing it makes all the different. Perfectly logically in an entirely unpredictable way.

My nice stable Ethernet connection is back and I'm a happy boy. All I need now is for the internet connection to be cranked up from the current 1Mb level and I'll really be away...

British society

Over the past week I've been considering what to say about the state of British society. Is it really as bad as the UNICEF report and recent spate of gangland murders in London would have us believe?

It's fair to say that not all is right. If the Thatcher years taught us materialism, the Blair years are undoubtedly preaching from the same hymn-book. Both Premierships have followed in the footsteps of the American model of doing things which in my mind is a mistake. This leads us down the path of long hours, high stress and, material assets aside, a lower standard of living through diminished free time with family and for yourself.

During the year I lived in Germany I was based in a small town not bigger than my own, but home to a number of organisations, clubs and places for young people. In contrast my town in northern England has one youth club which just about keeps its head above water. In general the Germans seem to have a better grasp of community as all over there are clubs and societies for people to join and socialise within. On one cycle ride into the countryside I even came across a model aircraft club complete with a club house and an acre or two of land for the landing strip and parking. I get the feeling that something like that would really struggle in the UK. Even if set-up by an enthusiast with a bit of land I am sure the Health and Safety, planning and finally insurance people would all rally together to ensure that it was priced out of existence before it even got off the ground.

Although several of the youth groups in Germany were backed by church organisations, which isn't something I'm necessarily in favour of, the Blair government seems hell bent on stripping out any element of community which might still be clinging on. The free market may be good for some things, but as far as serving local communities goes there's scarcely anything worse. Massive transport companies often seem to run the minimum service they can get away with, giving regard only to their profit margins; once local radio station play the same syndicated dirge as dozens of other stations controlled by a single PC on the other side of the country; Post Office closures, well don't get me started on those.

There is also the attitude of people towards community and it's one that has been progressively deteriorating over the years until now we seem to have reached the point where apathy, suspicion and self-centredness rule the day. Many people may long for a greater feeling of society but they may not feel sufficiently integrated within it or trusting of those around them to actually do anything about it. I suspect these same feelings have filtered down to the children to produce such negative results in the UNICEF report.

The British attitude can't be ignored however. Although children in each country were asked the same question, I do wonder if subtleties of language and culture might exact different responses. In Britain we've long held a rebellious edge that's the key to our self-deprecating humour and an attitude that sees being dishevelled and anti-establishment as being cool. The Blur album 'Modern Life is Rubbish' is fine example of this. Our ideas and directions can be magnetic opposites to those of Germany where keeping on the straight and narrow is very much the in thing. I'd fully expect British kids to dis school a lot more than their German counterparts but that doesn't mean they necessarily value it less or work less hard than their continental counterparts.

Although getting shot of our government would be a good start and vote in a party that has some ideas about the values that hold communities together would be a good start, I wouldn't say that life is so bad here. It could do with a kick start and some common sense to better support and engage young people, but the things we do and the way we do things aren't at all bad. There is a risk of running out of control headlong down the American paved road of ultra-materialism and this is certainly something that needs to be avoided. Re-introduce an education of wider community would be a good start.

The President who cried wolf

The sabre rattling by the US administration towards Iran over their alleged support of insurgents in Iraq is reaching a new high. However have we not all become deaf to the cries of wolf by the White House. Not only is the credibility of their intelligence wafer thin and their provocations tired but it all smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order. America's history of support rebels, insurgents and coups that suit their ends is a long one. We only have to look as far as one of the current theatres of combat, Afghanistan, for a reminder of where a previous US administration pumped in money to see off the Russians. Perhaps now the Iranian administration wants to see off the Americans from this third land, and on what basis of history should they be forbayed this, considering the plentiful examples available.

The White House cannot have its cake and eat it. The policy of force as a means of diplomacy is a dangerous one and is one that now seems to be failing wherever it is employed. Furthermore the days of this administration having its own way are quickly running out. Whether at the hands of its own senate or on the world stage, it's high time this lame duck was put out of its misery to be replaced - we can but hope - with a lot more sense in the Oval Office.

Recent photos

Lune Valley

Sunset at home

Morecambe Bay

Cartmel Priory (today)

Cartmel Village Shop - Home of Sticky Toffee Pudding! (today)

The week that was

Again it's been one of those weeks where I've not felt so compelled to put virtual pen to blogging paper and jot down my thoughts.

This is not to say nothing's been happening in the world. The news has been less than "bootiful" for Bernard Matthews and after today's news coverage I can only expect a near collapse in their sales as the media all but made out that the food sold could spread avian flu to poultry around the country and when there's talk of H5N1 entering the food chain that's all you need for customers to leave in their droves. I, on the other hand, had no qualms at purchasing some Bernard Matthews process hams for my sarnies. Scaremongering, plain and simple.

News of muslim extremism in this country seems to be the stuff of the press and TV on all but a daily basis now with it seems all manner of individuals or organisations up to no good or teaching the word of intolerance, division and hate. The communities being targeted by police enquiries and arrests are complaining, but in the light of what's going on and what's been and likely being plotted, what else are the police expected to do but focus their efforts on the group that's without exception intertwined with these acts. If the perpetrators were from a wider demographic then no doubt the police's net would similarly be wider. The search for the letter bomber wouldn't have lead the police to the Muslims community as the source is seemingly a disgruntled driver or animal rights extremist, but when there's plots of Muslim extremism afoot the police must get to the heart of it, no question. Frederick Forsyth and Simon Hughes both made some excellent, straight-forward points on this issue on this week's Question Time programme which were both well overdue and far too seldom heard in my opinion.

After a period of what seemed like relative calm it seems as if Israel and Palestine are descending back into their own ways. The Palestinians seem to be looking for any opportunity to get worked up and throw stones at Israel who inevitably retaliate with greater force. The mentality on both sides is pretty deplorable and it's not a place that's high on my list of places to visit, violence or not. Grow up, learn some respect towards fellow man irrespective of creed or religion and then we'll see. This goes for both belligerents. There's no end of excuses and history to make the situation all the more protracted, but the road forward takes real courage, vision and the ability to look beyond their own blinkered communities and mindsets.

Snow. That proved a meteorological white-wash for around these parts as we saw absolutely none of the stuff aside from a few flakes on the day when the Midlands was getting dumped on. Dull weather, yes, but we've avoided everything grinding to a halt as it so often does during such weather. One million people took the day off work due to the snow. It's staggering, but of course due to the fact that our weather is so entirely unexciting for the vast majority of the time that no expense can be justified on the likes of fleets of snow ploughs or similar.

Scorchio!

Well here's something you don't see every day; a weather map for here with wall to wall sunshine. After what was more or less daily rainfall from October into the New Year, things seem to have picked up at last. Warm it isn't, but sunny it is, and it will do very nicely, thank you. It's good to know that even this damp corner of the British Isles can hold it's own with decent weather from time to time.

Superbowl Sunday is almost here

Well it's the first time since Channel 4 lost NFL in '98 that we've been able to get NFL regularly at home. Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. Given that it was the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl in '86 it seems quite fitting that they're in the end game this year.

It took me a while to track down this old Channel 4 NFL ident. I'm sure TV Ark used to have a clip of it but since their archive is being worked on it's thanks to the TV Room for this still.

Ginger spam salad

While using my gmail e-mail account this evening I noticed for the first time a text advert at the top of the e-mail pane. It read "Ginger Spam Salad - Serves 1, refrigerate overnight". I'm rather perplexed as the site doesn't immediately look commercial or try to sell you anything. Have google tracked my online movement and thus got me down on their files as a habitual spam eater, or is this some bizarre content related link that picked up the fact I was browsing my 'spam folder'. The internet never ceases to amaze and baffle.

Coffee culture and country classes

Two days in a row now I've found myself in the trendy, well let's face it, only trendy cafe cum bar in town. It's unheard of; before I know it I'll be Lunesdale Valley barfly association. No, perhaps not, however it's remarkable that the coffee culture has pervaded even the deepest darkest recesses of Cumbria. £2 a cup for a mocha. Jolly fine stuff I'll admit, but around here that's like a King's ransom; in which case the King must be doing very nicely indeed. Not to rest on our laurels, or should that be coffee beans, the town has even gained a 'Fair Trade' status. Trendy coffee guzzling and with a 21st century sense of public conscience to boot. Remarkable.

Supping a cuppa also provides a particularly fine situation for people watching. The sceptical might falsely believe there's little of such a pastime of which to be indulged in a town of 3,500 people, but they'd be wrong. There's a full dichotomy of the rural classes on display for social commentators to analyse comprising a complex strata of aspirational and actual socio-economic placements.

My favourite specimens from the past couple of days have to be the aspiring county set. Now to explain for the more urban based readers of this blog, the county set are the often landed gentry demographic who seem to pull off living very comfortably while not appearing to actual work a great deal. Understandably this may be seen as something of an attraction for those of an appearance conscious nature and lo and behold if my cafe cum bar haunt wasn't full of a rowdy group of such county set wannabes. They dressed in a quasi-county fashion to fit the image, lacking though the two hundred quid wellies or saville row tailory that's reserved for the real deal. The conversation was exceptionally boisterous; they had a presence they wanted to be felt. What japes! As with so many things in life however there's no comparison with the real thing and their efforts felt strained rather than the effortless ya-hoos of bona fide country gents. Still, the world is full of images and if it keeps them happy then carry on, carry on. There's entertainment and show at every table!

Birmingham Terror arrests

Once again a muslim community in Britain is feeling divided by arrests in its midst. I have two feelings on this matter based on what I've seen of the news coverage.

Firstly, the protestations of relatives and neighbours that the men are absolutely innocent. Cast your mind back to when the arrests of the attempted London bombers took place. The exact same happened there. Outrage in the community. Although they're innocent until proven guilty the evidence looks absolutely damning on these poor excuses for human beings. We'll see what happens from the current arrests, however. We should resist the urge to follow in the footsteps of the media and jump to conclusions before being aware of the facts. If the men are freed without charge, then perhaps there's room for complaint. If the men are arrested, however, the local community should look at the police's track record. It's not unblemished, certainly, but the police don't generally act in this manner unless they've amassed a fair amount of evidence and are expecting the 'cell' (or whatever the group is in this instance) to act imminently.

As for the reasons of elements of the muslim community getting so worked up as to plan such acts, I would say this: do you really feel that you're the only group opposed to the situation in Iraq? I would put to them that a majority of the British population is now opposed to Blair's war, and a great many always have been. (Remember the marches past Westminster?) However the population of this country as a whole believe in making their feelings known in a democratic manner; through lobbying and at the ballot box. If there are people in this country who believe that violence and death is the route they have to take to be heard they are not only wrong but they forfeit their part in our community and country. Shout from the pulpits, or rather the minarets if that's more appropriate. Write to your MP, protest - peacefully - against the failing foreign policy of the Blair government. Lobby, shout, do what you can, but remain within the democratic and lawful system that we enjoy and that keeps our country stable and prosperous. Don't believe you are being marginalised, as on the topic of foreign policy you will find yourselves in good and plentiful company. Peace. (at home and abroad.)

Farewell Blackpool

The super-casino decision came in today and to the surprise of everyone; the media and winning council included; Manchester took the prize. There have been congratulations all round of course but underlying this has been disquiet that Blackpool would have made the more sensible choice for location being a failing seaside town in desperate need for a big pull. The super-casino could have been it, but now, short of an overturning decision in Westminster, it seems Blackpool will be left out in the cold. Not only that but with the relative close proximity of the Manchester super-casino, Blackpool's chances of securing its own licence seem dead in the water.

Manchester may well have better infrastructure but having already been at the receiving end of no shortage of investment in recent years it wouldn't have done any harm to see this particular awarding go to another. Blackpool was built on entertainment and could have well used the casino as grounds to fund extensive infrastructure upgrades. It seems the government is happy for the formerly prestigious seaside resorts to die. After all, when Blair is happy to discard any consideration of holidaying at home in favour of grand vacances abroad with a mighty big carbon footprint to match, should we be in the slightest bit surprised?

Dodgy domain dealings

The internet is strewn with potential pitfalls and scams for the unwarey, but this week I discovered one that was new even to me.

I've been spending the past week or two racking my brains for a good website address. I've generally used the website bb-online.co.uk as this shows the availability of all domains on a page at once. What I began to realise, however, is that a day or so after I'd looked at a domain the .com version of that domain would magically become registered, meaning that if I'd really wanted that domain I would have had to stump up a not inconsiderable amount of cash, and certainly many times more than the standard domain registration fee, to secure it. Even more sneaky was the fact that the registration date wasn't today's or yesterday's date but a much earlier date, which clearly it couldn't have been and must have been faked or forged somehow.

I didn't quite deduce whether this was due to the particular website I used for the search or whether someone was intercepting the searches upstream and automatically registering. In any case it's another instance of 'buyer beware' and that if you do see what you're looking for it might be best securing it quickly. Fortunately for me when I did finally come across the right domain I new it and bought it without delay and at least I must have racked up some domain registration costs for the company that was trying to fiddle me out of a domain.

Quiet on the blogging front

I've not been doing a good job of maintaining my daily posts to the blog. For one thing my writing energies have been channelled elsewhere and in many ways there's not been a great deal that's leapt out at me to write about. However let's have a quick scan of the day's news....

I'm undecided whether I should be concerned about so many British Muslims in favour of having Shariah law in this country. I feel some background reading is in order first to understand what it's all about before taking a definite stance, although I'm generally uneasy at hearing talk of any religious movement active in the UK. During my travels last year I saw several examples of religious belief taken to (what are to me) extreme levels and I find it's something I can't relate to in the slightest. Is this really the 21st century? In spite of all our advancements so many are actively laying down years of their lives in the worship or any manner of pointless ends. If it makes them happy to believe in these things, fine, but I'll fight tooth and nail to ensure they have no bearing over my daily life and similarly I make no demands upon others.

The British Airways strike has been called off at not quite the last minute but sufficiently late that many passengers will have found themselves seriously inconvenienced for the third time in a year. Fair enough the other occasions weren't the airline's fault directly, but the handling thereof commencing with the erection of a large white marque outside Terminal 4 and quickly descending into chaos hasn't done the company and favours at all. I flew back from Australia with BA which was my first flight from them in some years. Although fine enough the standards couldn't compare with a modern Qantas airbus and the superb customer service by the Aussie national airline.

The sites of the super-casinos will be announced tomorrow. I'm rather hoping that Blackpool will come out favourite as although I have no interest in gambling the place could do with some investment and job creation and I suspect it'll have a positive effect on the region's economy as a whole. The BBC did focus on the increase in homeless in Australia following their boom in casinos but I suspect no-one would notice in the likes of Blackpool. I suppose I'm hoping that the investment will bring associated developments to the resort. A nice multiplex within fairly easy reach of here wouldn't go amiss for instance.

Heat ray

A new weapon devised by the US military was on the news this evening. As far as I can tell it fires microwaves at targets - like a microwave oven. "Coming soon! Al dente evil doing Al Qaeda terrorists!"

Work in progress on the website

It's been yonks since I last posted a website update to the blog, so here we are. I'm in the midst of a major update to the travel section of the site which is certainly due since my return from the big trip. Although it'll take more time before I get the trip written up itself I'll be featuring guides to selected journey on the site plus a new big feature. The travel section's also going to be getting a makeover to provide a rather more flashy look. More on this when it's complete and online.

For Sale

I'm currently selling several bundles of magazines on ebay.

First off, finishing on Friday are issues of the Dalesman magazine grouped by year for 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 respectively. Each is complete set from that year (12 issues) except for 1960 for which is August edition is missing.

The Dalesman covers life in the Yorkshire Dales and these issues cover changing times with the introduction of new technologies but also the closure of many local railway services.



Also going under the ebay hammer are 49 issues of Shortwave Magazine. This cover issues from March 1994 until February 1998 completely plus there's also the December 1998 issue plus a binder from 1995. Shortwave Magazine covers a great many radio related hobbies. This auction finishes next Monday.

Sunday

Today's been a quiet day spent writing on the whole interspersed only with a walk into town where we managed to encounter to end of familiar faces. Here are a couple of images from the walk by the river:

The wind it doth not abate

Although no longer at damaging speeds the wind continues unabated, seen here lashing the promenade at Morecambe today:

Ye three phones of Orient are

For a limited period only I'm the proud owner of three (count 'em) mobile phones. Somewhat excessive you might criticise, and indeed you'd be right. Due to various shenanigans with Carphone Warehouse I was offer a good deal to change my network to Orange and then an event better deal to stay put with O2. This does provide the opportunity to compare three Sony Ericsson phones.


K800i (left), W810i (centre), K750i (right)

The phone being replaced in the K750i. It's done fine service for what is well over a year, maybe getting up towards two I can't be sure. It's 2 Megapixel camera and MP3 capability combined with memory stick duo slot for expandability of memory made it tick all the right boxes and proved a big step from my previous phones. Lugging it around the world has taken its toll on the poor thing, however, and it's looking tatty and the joystick is wearing out.

I bombed straight into a Carphone Warehouse in London last weekend and asked what they could offer me. I should in hindsight have examined the options a little more thoroughly but I'd briefly seen a couple of phones which replaced my K750i and decided I'd be happy with either. As it is I've now got both. Let me explain.

I was offered an Orange tariff and with it the W810i which is a specific Walkman model. I was happy to stick with this phone and network until I called O2 who promptly offered me a far superior deal and a better phone which would have cost me an extra £70 or so with Orange. I'm now the owner instead of the K800i and the W810i will soon be returned. Until it is though, I've the chance for some comparison.

Size-wise the W810i is all but identical to my existing phone using essentially the same case. There are improvement of course. As a walkman it comes complete with a gig memory stick duo and the mp3 playing software, not to mention the funky Sony Walkman branding. Although I've not used it extensively, there are clearly extra features for listening to music and grouping tracks. The most significant improvement in features over the K750i is the quality of the speakers. The K750i always sounded slightly tinny and with limited volume. In stark contrast the W810i gives off a good sound at even the lowest volumes and turned up the full richness of the audio can be appreciated; quite some feat from a small mobile phone speaker. The earphones provided are clearly for the music lover as they're quality 'in-ear' type that gives excellent bass and range overall. The other models offer the standard Sony Ericsson earphones which suffice but are by no means special. Navigation-wise this model opts for 4 buttons for navigation around a central button which was a joystick on the K750i but here is a basic select or play button.

Onto the latest phone which, as I'll be keeping it I've been getting to know rather more intimately. This is a completely different kettle of fish from the other two models being somewhat larger, offering a longer LCD screen and featuring a second camera for 3G purposes. I haven't yet delved any depth into its features such as the 3G which I do want to look into more before potentially running up a significant bill. However as regards other features, the real selling point here is the 3.2 megapixel camera. This is the same resolution as the first compact digital camera I bought not so many years ago. So proud are Sony with the camera that they've given it the Cybershot branding. But how does it fair in practice? The first think to note well above and beyond that of the K750i is the speed of operation. The focus is faster and the processing speed, that lag from pressing the shutter button to the camera taking the photo is reduced from near eternity to a fraction of a second. The picture quality isn't comparable. An extra megapixel and a bit it may be, but the benefits of the resolution and more advanced features are immediate. The pictures look crisp on the camera's LCD and don't fair badly on a full-sized PC screen either. It also features a sliding lens cover which I noticed that W810i lacked. For keeping the lens clean and in good shape, even on such a small device I think a cover is a must. The general build quality is good. It's solid and made of a hard rubber/soft plastic material which gives off a feeling of quality that's superior to the standard plastic finish of the other models.

It's early days still but I think I'll be happy with the camera I've ended up with. I would have probably been happy with either but as having a decent camera takes priority over better MP3 playback it's the right choice. I'll get around to reviewing the new phone in more detail at a later date.

Who cares ... you decide

Celebrity Big Brother has been in the media today for what it has to be said somewhat different reasons than normal, but at the end of the day it's all the same sort of celebrity orientated nonsense we could likely do without.

Is this all an issue? As a society we suffer from a huge grey area in free speech where we're on uncertain ground as to what is acceptable or not. What is a joke to one person becomes the gravest offence to another. It strikes me that what was said, I am admit I've only caught snippets through the news along the lines of the lady targeted having dirty hands, is borne through stereotypes. Guide books will warn you about personal hygiene in a great many countries; does this make them racist? More likely what is happening in the CBB house boils down to little more than back stabbing and bitchiness, drawing as it often does on the crudest of sources for ammunition.

My gut instinct is to leave it be. For one thing Jade and her kin are the type of ignorant loud-mouthed scumbags that are best ignored. They're incapable of furthering themselves through any intelligent means so I feel aggrieved that a moment's airtime on the news should be taken up with what they spout out. Or the other hand if it does go as far as the police we can but hope that it will lead to the removal of Jade from the media spotlight through a destruction of reputation. It would hardly be character assassination; after all what could you say to put such people down that is any worth than what they bring upon themselves through their own words and actions.

Either way we should be rid of it. I despise the cult of celebrity and the likes of Jade who is in the spotlight as no result of any iota of talent, achievement or indeed any positive aspect at all should be despised the most. However I shall be practising what I preach and not going anywhere near Channel 4 this evening. Ironically I have just renewed my contract with Carphone Warehouse who today pulled their sponsorship of CBB with immediate effect. I would like to claim the two events were linked but alas I can only endorse the action; not that it is necessarily against racism but against this generation of baseless fame that so craves media attention in the house. Let them be starved of this very attention. However quiet a news day it is there must surely be events in the world many times more deserving of coverage. But that rant will be saved for another day.

Yorkshire Dales history

While tracking down a book on google I was presented a link to the 'Out of Oblivion' website, which as the electronic version of the 'Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Historic Environment Record' charts all facets of the area's history.

Some random browsing reveals all manner of historical nuggets. I never knew for instance that the Sedbergh Trust Turnpike was set up in 1761 to establish toll roads in the area. I suppose back in those days constructing a road would have required some considerable effort for which a financial return was sought.

KL is just off the edge of the map but as we venture into the Dales quite often it's good to discover what factors has lead to the area taking on its current form.

Busy skies over the lune valley today

Apache Longbow helicopter spotted heading down the valley


Various shots of Tornado aircraft and Apache Longbow helicopter

Some of Tuesday with recollections of Friday

Sunny again today. Readers not from the local area may be somewhat perplexed as to this apparent fascination of mine with the appearance of the glowing orb. I must admit the near perpetuity of rainfall recently has been perplexing me as even in this much watered corner of the UK is receiving a good deal more in the way of rainfall than normal.

As normal my late-night writing shift meant a late rise today, although I was awoken to the announcement that we were all going for a walk. A quick glance outside explained why: blue skies, broad sunshine and a continuation of the mild weather that's become synonymous with this winter.

Off to Barbon then; locally pronounced Baa-bun, although the 'Keeping up appearances' set prefer it by its upper crust title of Bar-bonn, which probably exists if you visit the correct German city. A trudge through a wood and along a fell side later and we were all feeling much the better for it.

It's raining now of course. We couldn't manage a whole day of fine weather, perish the thought, and the forecast is for more of the gales that so hampered my journey down to London last Friday. Just as well I'm not making weekly visits as I'd likely be facing a repeat performance.

Damaged overhead lines at Oxenholme station limited trains to a single track and in an area where points aren't too thick on the ground the delays quickly build up. My train had to wait for two north bound services to pass Penrith before it could proceed. The wasn't without entertainment. Two trucks with some special rail attachment slowly passed the station doing I'm not entirely sure what, while when an engineer presumably flicked a switch in a control box for the overhead lines there was a great flash and crackle as electricity arced across the gantry. It must be broken after all; at least they're not making it up.

Stranger in a strange land

There have been no blog entries in the past few days as I've been down south in the big smoke catching up with old friends during a long weekend. It's proven an odd experience. Having lived in London for two years before setting off travelling I return to find myself like a complete stranger there. Although I know all the places there's no sense of homeliness or familiarity with what I associate with normality. It makes me wonder that whether this has always been the case and that sharing a flat with a friend merely obscured the fact.

As one of my friends correctly noted "you have a love - hate relationship with London". It's true enough. London's a place that has repeatedly driven me away and attracted me back, although currently I don't feel at all compelled to return to live there. It's a place where I tried to lead a life of others' expectations but not follow my own way.

There is a certain pressure to move to London in that it's seen as the single place in the UK where it's all going on, and this is continually hammered home by the London-centric media which never ceases to extol the virtues of the capital and the glorious lives that each of its writers is living therein. I've heard of many from around these parts who have tried their luck down south and stuck it for varying periods before in many cases giving it up in favour of alternatives. London in some ways is an extreme option. There are a great many opportunities at hand but the sacrifices required in cost of living, quality of living and density of population around you aren't inconsiderable.

The process of self-discovery is proving to be a long one. I'd have thought that I'd have this all done and dusted years ago, however it wasn't to be. Exactly what it best intended for me is not yet entirely clearly but the fog seems to be gradually lifting.

Sunshine - can it really be?

For the first time in what seems like weeks we've had a full on day of sunshine. Being pestered to go for a walk, not that I had any intention of missing this rare spell of good weather, I headed into town. Foolishly I didn't take my camera as sunny days are like a magnet the RAF. I had only been gone a few minutes when the roar of jet engines saw a BAE Hawk fly over, chased in a dogfight by Tornado. Later on a Chinook helicopter was doing the rounds. You win some, you lose some.

It's been the first time I've tried my webcam in sunshine and it didn't take to it too happily. Even on the lowest settings it tended to overexpose. Never mind, it's unlikely to have to cope with these conditions too often anyway!

Although without the SLR I had by 2-megapixel mobile camera of pixelated mediocrity on hand to snap a few sights by the river. The Lune was well up but not in flood. As I reached the bridges a group of canoeists were just packing up. Rather them than me in these conditions, but I imagine they must have know what they were doing. In the light of the a recent canoeing death on the river the other week up at Sedbergh the dangers associated with the river have been brought to everyone's attention.

Without further ado here are a few of today's mobile snaps: