100th Anniversary of The Battle of Gheluvelt Memorial Service, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, 31st October, 2014.

When we moved to Worcester about nine years ago, one of the things we really liked about the area was the local park. The fact it is called Gheluvelt Park had no particular significance to us but as we have lived here, and walked through the park just about every day, we have slowly built up our knowledge of the significance of the word 'Gheluvelt' and Worcester's pride in its part in the battle that took place there in 1914.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the battle and here are some of the photos I took as I walked past the memorial service as part of my daily constitutional.

I don't think words are necessary, particularly: simply google 'The Battle of Gheluvelt' for more info. 

Funghi update (another one), Worcester, Monday, 27th October.

We've been out on our usual Monday morning constitutional and continue to monitor our favourite (well, David's favourite) fungal growth.

It is now twisting and shrinking. 

It can't last much longer, can it?

Never fear, as one fungi transmogrifies into summat as yet unknown…...

……an army of another type of blighter has set up an encampment just a few inches away.

They're taking over, we tell you.

Holloways, Suckley, Tuesday, 21st October, 2014.

It's Vicky's second day of her four day not-quite-a-week of annual leave and we've come out to Suckley for a meal at one of our favourite places with John and Glenys who have driven down to Worcester from Cheslyn Hay and then we've driven them here (deep breath for record long sentence without any punctuation).

A wonderful opportunity to have a catch up and generally put the world to rights whilst eating good food - can't beat it.

And on the other side of the table?

It's us!

Dull (weather) day in The Cotswolds, Monday, 20th October, 2014.

 We should be in Batsford Arboretum but we aren't 'cos it was clogged up with coach parties of Boomers and, worse, Pre-Boomers, all shuffling about and clogging up the cafe. How dare they all come out on a day when we chose to come out! It's an outrage!!

So we have driven a bit further on to Stow-on-the-Wold where there are still plenty of Boomers and Pre-Boomers about but where we can at least get something to eat in relative peace and quiet.

Having eaten we have a stroll around the village and find these olde stocks which, despite having been here loads of times, we have never noticed before.

We only noticed them 'cos a 'tourist' was taking a photo of them as we passed by.

As we were taking this photo a 'local' commented that she had lived in the village for years and had never noticed them either.

Weird, eh?

In front of us, an iconic view over The Cotwolds.

Behind us, one of the busiest road junctions in The Cotswolds, but we wont mention that.

Just ignore the traffic and take a selfie.

On the way home we stop off in Bourton-on-the-Hill which we usually have to drive straight through on account of there being nowhere to park.

Today, there's a place in the pub car park. Yay!

No matter where we go and on whichever day of the week we chose it is always 'bin day'.

Take a photo of this building and it's wonky roof, Dave.

OK Vic.

An almost traffic-free photo of Bourton-on-the-Hill.

Plans for what we would buy if we won The Lottery continue apace.

We'd buy a whole row of Cotswolds cottages!

Bourton-on-the-Hill with the splendid Cotwolds scenery in the distance.

Shame the weather has been so dull but that's Carol's fault not ours.

Growing but not blowing (yet), Sunday, 19th October, 2014.

Don't touch it Vic, it's gonna blow (at some point).

Vicky only slightly dwarfed, Friday, 17th October, 2014.

The funghi on the dead tree along the river continues to grow. 

It has grown about another 50% since yesterday.

Disappointingly, it doesn't dwarf Vicky after all, although it is a pretty close thing.

Another alternative view.

It's gonna blow soon!

Funghi mushrooming, Thursday, 16th October, 2014.

It's been six days since the last photo of these fellas….ahem…..mushrooming on a dead tree by the river. Twice the size now.

An alternative view.

Aha! Just realised where we're going wrong: we need a sense of scale!

Not to worry, Vicky will be going on the walk tomorrow and she can stand next to 'em. 

She'll be absolutely dwarfed by the buggers. Oh yes.

First Sunday Roast of the winter, 12th October, 2014.

Great news. Summer's over and so it's time for the first Sunday Roast of the winter.

Of course, as assistant chef, it is most important to take up a position at the feet of The Master.

You gotta make sure that she knows yer here and available to assist at a moments notice.

We're creating roast chicken, with roast potatoes, stuffing, roast parsnips, swede and carrot mash, and sprouts, with lashings of yummy gravy.

Oh, the exquisite torture of the waiting.

Of course, as we wait for things to cook there's an awful amount of tummy rumbling and not a little drooling. Then, once it's all gone in record time, there'll be tremendous wind.

But that's nowt to do with me. No, that's the fella behind the camera and there's absolutely no need to mention him and his digestion on a family blog such as this (oh no).

Water droplets (BSB Silverstone revisited), October, 2014.

Been going thru' our BSB photos from Silverstone this week and came across this one which I thought deserved a blog.

This is Mark Pennington on his Triumph 675 Cup Class 'bike at the top of The Wellington Straight on a still drying track.

Nowt remarkable about that until you look at the rear of the 'bikes tail unit and notice the water droplets being flicked off as he hurtles along.

Neat.

And they (whoever 'they' are) say you should never shoot into the sun.

Fools.

Albino Grey Squirrel, Worcester, Friday, 10th October, 2014.

I first saw this little fella at the 'Viaduct end' of The Racecourse about a week and a half ago but failed to get a photo. I've kept an eye out since then but never thought I'd spot him again, given how they can move about the area through the trees, but here he/she is again only a few feet away from the last time. 

Quite territorial then.

Last time it was in the trees and then ran along the railings next to the footpath 

to take a closer look at me. 

 I thought: 'I know, I'll take a photo' (I'm quick like that). It watched me flaffing about taking the camera out of it's wallet-thingy on my belt, switch the thing on all fingers-and-thumbs, and then finally lift the camera up to take a shot. It immediately thought 'sod that' and jumped back into the bushes and then turned back to look at me from a safer distance. Not to be thwarted I still tried to take a shot but the cowin' digital gadget-thingy (I refuse to call it a camera when it fannies about) was still set on 'flash' from having used that setting for an indoors shot the weekend before. Consequently, all that happened was the infra red sensor frightened the squirrel off as my gadget tried to gauge a suitable setting.

Needless to say I was….ahem….cowin' frustrated and thought the moment had gone forever.

I told Vicky about it when she got home and, since then, I have also mentioned it to several folk at cardio-fit and none had ever seen a albino squirrel.

Not sure how rare they might be but at least I've seen it again and taken these photos, so I feel a bit happier now.

I was beginning to think I might have imagined the whole thing.

N.B. Just had a swift Google, and the odds of an albino grey squirrel are about 1:100,000.

The digital gadget-thingy is much happier taking shots of static subjects like this funghi growing on a dead tree, further 'round the racecourse, that fell over during last winters harsh weather and flooding.

Hmmmm, I'm looking forward to a nice fry-up for breakfast tomorrow.

BSB, Silverstone, Saturday, 5th October, 2014.

Midday and it's close, but no cigar.

We've been to 16 (including this one) motorsport events this season and this is the first time it has rained despite many 'Carol predictions' to the contrary since it began back in early April. 

It was raining when we woke up, raining when we set out, raining all the way here and it is raining now. Our 100% dry-weather record is ruined.

Oh well, Carol said it will start to clear up after 2pm so fingers crossed.

A day for layers, then.

12:15-ish and our first cuppa tea is sipped in the Luffield Stand. Not a lot going on, as you can see, and the distinct lack of marshals at their posts tells its own story. Nevermind, nice to have a little rest before heading towards the National Straight Grandstand.

12:25-ish and David reports back to Vicky down below that still nowt is happening on the track. 

An announcement is made over the p.a. that no classes will go out on track for another hour, at least, so it's ever onwards towards a rendezvous with that Ray Spaddock-fella and lunch.

12:45-ish and we are now in The Paddock where most of the garages (but not this one) are closed up on account of the weather. The rain is actually easing a bit now but folk don't seem keen to venture out and are waiting for info on the revised timetable.

1:20-ish and, after looking around the paddock and taking a few photos of stuff behind rain-proof awnings we have some lunch. Spag bol washed down with tea if yer interested. The Cafe is packed with folk keeping dry and the air is hot and steamy with very high humidity. 

Just like this summer has been, in fact, but without the sun.

It's now getting on for two o'clock-ish and we are back outside and on the prowl around the paddock with cameras at the ready.

Not many riders or teams about but at least people are opening their awnings as the rain has just about stopped now (about 15 mins earlier that Carol predicted so yah-boo-sucks to her).

2:30-ish and we learn that the Motostar, and Superstock 600/1000 classes, will forego their scheduled practice/qualifying sessions as they set grid times in yesterday's dry sessions. As the Supersport 600's are racing later today they get an extra session to familiarise themselves with a wet track. 

This is Evo Class rider John Dean leaving The Paddock on his John Dean Racing Suzuki 600.

We chose this shot 'cos his visor matches the colour of his fairing: nice attention to detail, that man.

2:45-ish and 'cos the Superstock and Motostar teams haven't got much to do 'till tomorrow we take the chance to pester a few of 'em with idle chit-chat and inane questions (as you do). They are all incredibly friendly and happy to talk of course. 

We see the name Steve Patrickson sign-written on one of the team's transporters and enquire whether it is the Steve Patrickson who we used to take photos of back in the day ('80's and '90's) when he used to win 125cc races as a matter of routine in British/Euro Championship meetings and fly the Union Jack for our sport in the British 125cc GP.

"Oh yes", several voices reply in chirpy harmony. "He owns the team and he's sat in the back, we'll go and get him and make him have a photo with his 'bike!" We sense the general air of mischief has definitely gone up a notch or two.

And here he is, not as young or…ahem….svelte as he was (but, then again, who is? Not us.) and he's even got the same smile. Top man.

3:10-ish and poor old Darren Fry should be focusing on his Ducati TriOptions Cup race but has been cornered by an olde chap who used to work with Emma, his wife, at The ACU back in the day and is insisting on him giving us the full sp on all manner of familial matters and so on and so forth.

For goodness sake, says Vicky, let him get out on track and race!

So, did I put him off?

3:30-ish.

We're gonna say 'no!'

Darren came 5th and that included him going wide at one of the corners when he was third in the early stages (hmm, so perhaps I might have put him off a bit).

3:50-ish and the Triumph Triple Challenge riders are on track in their race.

This is the race winner, Scott Pitchers, on the Wellington Straight.

4:15-iish and we are in our traditional spot for pictures of 'bikes going fast down the Wellington Straight as riders qualify for tomorrow's first BSB race.

However, appallingly, the track is not totally dry yet and so 'front wheel up' action is very rare indeed 'cos the riders can't accelerate as hard as usual out of Aintree.

So this is the best effort from the first part of Qualifying: 

Patric Muff (SUI) on his Bathams Prize Winning Ales BMW 1000.

4:20-ish and the track is steadily getting drier by the minute.

Gary Mason pulls a nice wheelie and is pretty quick an' all. 

He was third fastest on his Tsingtao WK Kawasaki 1000.

4:30-ish and Jenny Tinmouth celebrates being back in BSB, after she had run out of money to compete mid-season, with a gi-nourmous wheelie on her TWR Honda 1000, and qualifying 18th out of 27.

She used to have a white 'bike but, now she has seen the light and gone for a black colour scheme, Vic and I agree that should we win The Lottery we'll sponsor her.

Well, it's a plan. 

4:35-ish and this fella is supposed to be still recovering from serious injury at a previous round.

James Ellison showboats on the Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki 1000.

4:50-ish and Ryuichi Kyonari sticks the Buildbase BMW Mottorrad 1000 on Pole.

Note distinct lack of front wheel elevation. He's simply going fast.

Between 4:50-ish and 5-ish.

Some folk stay fit by panning……..

….whilst other folk practice their pelvic floor exercises.

NB: perhaps now might be the time to mention how cowin' hot it is. 

Theres' not a cloud in the sky. Time to take some of those layers off.

Sometimes when panning up-close to fencing you can catch the end of yer lens (more tea Vicar?) on the fencing mid-pan thus ending up with a very 'arty' effort such as the one above.

Skill.

5:10-ish we are now at Brooklands and the Supersport Sprint Race is about to start. 

But it mustn't until Vicky arrives with the tea!

5:15-ish and the SS600 race is cracker for the first few laps as the lead battle rages between Glen Irwin (Kawasaki) - stuffing it up the inside -  and Alistair Seeley (Yamaha) - chopping across his bows.

Vicky said it was amazing nobody fell off at this point but Irwin eventually went missing so we're guessing he crashed out after an…ahem….altercation at another corner.

 5:20-ish and with Irwin out the battle for the other Podium places was between Taylor MacKenzie (Suzuki) and James Rispoli (Yamaha). They finished in that order.

5:30-ish and we're heading to Luffield for the last race of the day.

See? Not a cloud in the sky. It's been like this for at least the last two hours. Lovely.

5:45-ish and The Sidecars are on track for their race. We are knackered now so we head back to the car  park after a couple of laps.

So, the rain has spoilt our 100% record but 15-and-two-thirds dry days of motorsport in one season is a personal record for us and a permanent reminder of what a lovely summer we have had this year (apart from the cowin' humidity, that is).

We must mention these things 'cos when we are in the depths of winter in a few weeks time, with the River Severn in flood, we'll need to remind ourselves of it of course.