Pitlochry - Blair Castle visit

Monday 30-December-2013

As with many families the offspring takes it in turns to spend Christmas or New Year with one or the other's parents. This year it was our turn to spend Hogmanay with Mary's mum.

We decided to treat her, and ourselves, to a proper break with all catering and entertainment laid on. The Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry had an excellent package of meals, events and music laid on to keep May and us occupied.

We arrived on the Sunday to a glass of rose champagne and dinner.

In the evening after a tasty supper we were entertained to some New Orleans style trad jazz. A promising start to the stay.

The next day trip to to Blair Castle. Its origins are old but much of it is more of a monument to Georgian ostentation and Victorian industry. They extended and expanded the original castle and put back the mediaeval battlements.

An entrance hall to impress the visitors

Georgian elegance throughout.

Some serious stucco work.

Lunch after the tour was in a echoing hall where we got chatting to a family who are making a repeat visit to the Atholl Palace Hotel. It seems there were a number of regulars who come to Pitlochry for New Year's Eve - some every year. Seems we have chosen well.

Then it was back to the hotel for supper followed by a practice session of Ceilidh dancing. That is like Scottish country dancing with many of the same dance but less formal. It was preparation for the following night but I wimped and sat it out.

Christmas 2013 - Ambleside, Lake District 04

Friday / Saturday 27/28-Dec-2013

It was a very damp couple of days after Bob and Lynn left so we decided to swap walking for eating and drinking.

Friday we strolled into Ambleside for a beer festival and a bit of shopping for walking gear.

A number of pubs have started doing beer paddles holding three third-of-a-pint glasses. A good innovation for the indecisive and those who like variety. My favourite was the Bowman Quiver.

On the Saturday we went into Windermere to meet up with Mary's uncle Ronnie and Avril. On the way we called in to the Lakeland Mothership (home of the company formerly know as Lakeland Plastics). This is an Aladdin's cave of kitchenware; we bought all sorts of stuff.

One gadget I can see little use for is this pineapple and wedger. How many pineapples do you have to eat to make this a worthwhile purchase over a sharp knife and a few minutes hacking? We eat about one pineapple a year so clearly not on our shopping list.

Our holiday in the lake district ended with a flurry of domesticity as we cleaned the apartment thoroughly before checkout - that is the etiquette for the timeshare. Then checkout on Sunday morning and off to Bonnie Scotland to collect Mary's mum for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Christmas 2013 - Ambleside, Lake District 03

Saturday 26-Dec-13. Grasmere, Loughrigg Fell. 10.3 miles.

Boxing day was an opportunity to walk off the Christmas lunch. It was an anti-clockwise tour starting with an ascent to Loughrigg Fell and down to Grasmere. Lunch stop was in Grasmere village: a flask of soup out of our trusty thermos flasks.

The afternoon followed the coffin route from Grasmere to Rydal and then back to Ambleside by yesterday's route in reverse.

Mary took this lovely, atmospheric picture of Windemere just as we set off using her Christmas present from me - a new camera.

At the top of Loughrigg Fell we met another bunch of hardy souls and got them to take the obligatory team photo.

Once again panoramic views from the top.

Our lunch stop included a visit from this ludicrously tame robin who is clearly used to crumbs from the hordes of tourists who use the picnic benches where we dined.

One of my favourite features of the Lake District is moss covered walls. The combination of stone walls and high rainfall encourage these vivid green cushions - I just love them.

Supper was a rib of beef and some of our best wines.

Christmas 2013 - Ambleside, Lake District 02

Wednesday 25-Dec-13. Rydel Water. 5.8 miles.

At home Christmas lunch would be at four in the afternoon. Since we were dining at The Rothay Manor Hotel and lunch was at 12:30 we only had time for a short, brisk walk before lunch - if you call six miles short.

Possibly the National Trust's smallest property: the Bridge House in Ambleside.

Once out of Ambleside we headed uphill with countryside looking pretty as a picture.

Where are we now?

More babbling brooks, you can't move for rushing water in the lakes. This one at Rydal Hall - a spectacular country house and gardens.

The far point of the walk - Rydal Water. The return route was back down the west side of the River Rydal valley.

Back at the apartment there was time for a quick shower and change ready for the full Christmas lunch at the hotel - only 10 minutes walk away. The rest of the day comprised eating, drinking and party games.

Christmas 2013 - Ambleside, Lake District 01

Tuesday 24-Dec-13. Wansfell Pike, Troutbeck. 8.0 miles.

An excellent week of eating, drinking and walking in the Lakes with our friends Bob and Lynn in our timeshare in Ambleside.

The level of exercise was a bit of contrast from Christmas 2011 when Mary was recovering from her bunion operation and her Mum, as a blue badge holder, was not up to to more than a short stroll. This time we planned to do more walking and so we did.

We arrived on Sunday 22nd after a long drive from London for a quiet evening in. Monday we settled in and Mary and Lynn went for a walk. Tuesday we went for a full walk.

Our route for the day: a big clockwise loop.

The day started off misty but improved later.

 There was snow on some of the higher slopes.

We saw a lot of herons this trip - this was the first of many.

The approach to Stockgill Force is, in my opinion, more impressive that the actual waterfall itself.

The day before it had been pretty spectacular when Mary and Lynn did their afternoon walk up to the waterfall.

By the afternoon, as we approached Troutbeck, conditions had turned into beautiful walking weather.

Lunch was a pint and some nibbles at The Mortal Man. Outside the Weather Forecasting Stone provided some drollery.

The last leg back to Ambleside included a view of Windermere from Jenkins Crag.

Back to the timeshare with a cold collation for supper and some fine wines. We were restrained in our eating as we knew we were in for full Christmas lunch the next day.

Walking the Wandle December 2013

Sunday 15-December-13

We finally walked the Wandle Trail - 12 miles from the creek where the Wandle joins the Thames to its source near Croydon. We've been meaning to do this for years. Since we live on the Wandsworth one-way system we did the route upstream from Wandle Creek to Waddon Ponds.

Wandle Creek

Our start point is Wandle Creek where the River Wandle debouches into the Thames. We often pass this way on our regular riverside circuit to Putney and back.

Morden Hall Park

The route passes through the lovely Morden Hall Park (NT). This tranquil former deer park is one of the few remaining estates that used to line the River Wandle during its industrial heyday.

Lunch stop at Ravensbury Park

We had a simple picnic lunch of homemade spiced parsnip soup out of our thermos flasks and an energy bar.

Waddon Ponds

It was a drizzly, damp day so we were happy to reach our end point.

The return trip was by tram from Wandle Park station nearby back to Wimbledon and the 156 bus the rest of the way for a nice cup of tea.

Download the Sustrans Wandle Trail leaflet of the route for more info.

Cleaning the Wandle December 2013

Garfield Road, South Wimbledon, London. Sunday 08-December-2013.

I was glad to be able to make this clean up as I used to live in Garfield Road ('86-'94) and it was here that I first met the Wandle. My commute into the city involved a walk to Colliers Wood tube on the Northern Line along Wandle Bank past Wandle Park. I used to look at the junk dumped in the river and shake my head in wonderment at the asocial nature of some people. "Take your litter home" is part of my emotional bedrock.

We dragged the usual junk out of the river; instead of the typical coconut shells (there is a local Hindu temple) we found an actual Ganesha (elephant-headed Hindu god).



An innovation for the Wandle Trust gazebo was a gas powered urn so the lunchtime drinks were made with freshly boiled water. It may not seem much but it makes a difference on a cold day if, like me, you are partial to a cup of tea - it is so much tastier when made with properly hot water.



Some debris is particularly bothersome - carpet, mattresses (as above) and duvets - because of the weight of water their sodden bulk retains. That requires team work, a rope with grappling hook and ...



... plenty of onlookers.



We dragged out the usual couple of tons of cr*p out of the river. Fortunately the council lorry had a grab to lift some of the heavy stuff. Usually there is a lot of manual handling involved.



Merry Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho!



Full set of photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157638775636894/

The Wandle Trust is an environmental charity dedicated to restoring and maintaining the health of the River Wandle and its catchment. They hold community river cleanups on the second Sunday of every month, up and down this unique urban chalkstream – pulling out everything from shopping trolleys to shotguns, and improving the environment for birds, fish, insects and local people. For more visit: http://www.wandletrust.org/.

Christmas Daffodil at Roux at Parliament Square 2013

Parliament Square, London. Saturday 07-Dec-13

What more can I say - living in style. Once again the M&M Enterprises office Christmas Party is the Daffodil Dining Club Christmas meal at Roux at Parliament Square.

Amanda, Mary, Pete, Mark (me)

It is a year since we last saw best man Pete and his wife Amanda, at the previous Christmas Daff. We resolved not to make it so long this time so we've sent them a list of our Italian dates in order to tempt them out to Puglia.

No pictures of the food unlike last year's meal. As usual the chef and sommelier talked us through the menu and the wine pairings. We had our own table of four for a serious meal.

Wine

• Viognier 'Cuvee Michel Roux & Michel Chapoutier' "Biodynamic"
  Ardeche, France, "Gavroche Label", 2011
• Chateau Cabezac Rose
  Minervois, Specially selected by Albert Roux, 2011
• Bourgogne Chardonnay
  Domaine Bachey Legros, Burgundy, France, 2011
• Bourgogne Pinot Noir
  Domaine Bachey Legros, Burgundy, France, 2011
• Muscat de Rivesaltes
  Jean-Marc Lafage, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2011

Menu

• Whisky and treacle cured salmon, Guinness soda bread
• Tartare of Scottish venison, sloe gin, Douglas fir, walnuts
• Charred Cornish mackerel, heritage beetroot, horseradish
• Blanquette of Norfolk turkey, chestnuts, Brussels sprouts, cranberries
• Christmas pudding, brandy butter ice cream
• Coffees and petits fours

I tell you - if you are going to have an office party this is the way to do it :-)

Howard Jones 30th Celebration at the Shepherds Bush Empire

Friday 29-November-2013

Yet another FaceBook enabled, carpe diem, musical bucket list concert.

Ian, a friend of a friend on FB, had a spare ticket as his partner was unwell. I was able to snap up the ticket at short notice because I was home alone; Mary was visiting her Mum in Scotland.

Ian and I exchanged contact details and met for the first time in real life at Shepherd's Bush Market tube.

It was a special gig to celebrate 30 years since Howard's debut single "New Song". Ian had a VIP ticket to spare which included a pre-concert 'private' gig at 6pm and entrance to an after-show party.

The front row of the mosh pit was taken up by a row of 6ft 6in gorillas - I was starting to feel like some kind of midget. Fortunately there was enough room to be able move about and pick a better sightline.

It was a great show of three halves: acoustic, electronic, greatest hits. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The middle section was a specially composed piece called "Engage" complete with visuals projected onto a gauze screen and was an unexpected treat.

Before the main concert everyone in the audience was invited to grab a free pair of colourful gloves from a table at the back of the auditorium. Then we could wave our hands in the air and join in with similarly coloured hands playing piano on the big screen.

Howard came across as a really nice bloke with a genuine desire to connect with his fans. The stuff on his FB feed since reinforces that impression. And the music was excellent.

The Upcoming review said, "The calibre of the performance and the tracks themselves bear witness to his great talent as a performer and songwriter, one who has forever left his mark on the British New Wave music scene." I'll second that. Full review: http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2013/12/01/howard-jones-at-shepherds-bush-empire-live-review/

We popped into the after-show party for one small glass of sparkling then called it a night.

Howard will be publishing a DVD of the concert - that is going on my wish list for sure.

Mott the Hoople at The O2

Monday 18-November-2013

An opportunity to "carpe diem" and tick another artist off the yet-to-be-written, musical bucket list.

At work on that Monday I saw that a couple of cyber-chums were going to this concert. I'd never seen Mott The Hoople and "All the young dudes" was one of those evocative tracks from my teen years especially because of its mention of T.Rex.

I was home alone because Mary was on a business trip to Columbia and I thought "What the heck, why not?" The cats might be a bit peckish when I get home but there are plenty of nuggets for them to eat if they so deign.

Off to TicketMaster and purchased an excellent seat on the floor of the arena, Block A, Row H. Messaged my Facebook friends and said "hope to meet you there for a drink" and so it transpired.

I had briefly met Linda and Gordon at previous Bolan Bops but was not so egocentric as to be sure if they would remember me but at least I knew what they looked like. I spotted Linda behind me on the escalator and waited at the top to say hello.


Gordon, Rick, Linda. Alessandro


Alessandro, Mark (me), Linda, Gordon

The first support act was Fish of Marillion fame who Linda was keen to see so we all went in to catch the latter half of his set. We all reconvened for a beer and a chat during the second support act, Thunder, and then back into the arena for the main act.





They played a load of songs I didn't recognise and then all the greatest hits that the crowd were here to hear.



After the gig Gordon reckoned they were on a par with a fair pub rock band and the Telegraph was pretty much of the same mind: "The glam-rock giants overstay their comeback, but shine when they stick to energetic classics.

[...] the main set is largely composed of such stodgy, lumpen fare [...] Amid this muddy morass, the classic singles shine like diamonds. The magnificent The Golden Age of Rock'n'roll and All the Way from Memphis remain rollicking, rambunctious glam-rock anthems, alive to their own glory and absurdity, while All the Young Dudes and Roll Away the Stone are roustabout encore gems. Sadly, they come too little and too late to salvage a show that simply feels like a comeback too far."

Full review: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/19/mott-the-hoople-review

A great evening and great to meet up with fellow T.Rex fans in real life.

Olive Harvest 2013

This year we were joined by our friend Kate for the olive harvest. Last year was a bumper crop of 93 kg and, following the rule of alternating harvests, we were expecting a modest harvest this year. Mother nature ran true to form and delivered a meagre 29.5 kg - scarcely 3 litres of oil so no Christmas present olive oil for the family this year.

Kate harvesting

Mary harvesting

Kate and the final haul

As previously, we tipped our haul in with neighbour Mino's crop as we are below the minimum pressing quantity of 220 kg at the local cooperative olive press. Next spring we will collect our oil for cooking through 2014; organic, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil - apply liberally.

Trullo Azzurro: beautifully restored trullo in delightful, secluded valley near Locorotondo, Puglia, Italy. Available to rent on a per week basis, sleeps 8-10. For more information visit http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/trulloazzurro