Salisbury Cathedral, Sunday 30th May, 2010.

1) After the hill climb we took a swift detour into Salisbury to have a look at the Cathedral. We took loads of photos of the exterior but you'll have to take our word for it 'cos we haven't used any here as the building was covered in scaffolding and sheeting. Lovely setting tho'. Spacious surrounds and some lovely buildings around its park. So that's another place to re-visit at some point.

2) Howard enjoying the quietude of the Cloister Garden after all those racing cars and 'bikes at the hill climb.

3) David caught doing the same. He's girding his loins for the long challenging drive back home. Vicky drove the dual-carriageway bits. David is soooo hard done by. It's a shame for him (oh yes).

British Hillclimb Championship, Gurston Down, Sunday May 30th, 2010.

A lot of photos to get through this time. Only took 444, so think yerselves lucky.
1) Food Police Alert! Food Police Alert!! Only been here five minutes and already some folk (ahem, Paula and Tony) are at the deep fried scampi and chippy-chips. We are outrageously appalled, obviously. It's all we can do to resist 'phoning the Food Police Hot Line.

2) See Vic? I'm not the only one who takes loads of shots of the fastest car on the hills every time I see it. Tony's taking one as well. And there's Scott Moran, in the background, chatting to a journo-fella so it's a really interesting photo (oh yes).

3) We have been to five hillclimb venues over the years and each one is different. Gurston runs through farmland and where there's a farm there's bound to be an olde barns to explore, and where there's a barn there's bound to be some hidden treasure. Here Tony has discovered an old rusting Rover V8 engine. Hmmm, thinks David, now all we need is an olde rusting hillclimb car to put it in. Do a quick resto-job and away we go!

4) Vicky is being tested to the limit. Two blatant violations of the Food Police Code of Conduct in one day. Do I ring 'em, or don't I?

5) Tony ponders another diabolically complicated example of motorcycle engines powering four wheels. We've grown used to single-engine variants. There's even a Suzuki Hayabusa V8 that regularly makes the Top 12 Run Off. But this takes some beating.....................

6).................this one's got two Hayabusa's running on a single crank (presumably). A straight eight across the 'frame'. It sounded good too. Like a deep-throated two-stroke. Probably due to how high it can rev or something.

7) Some 'bikes just naturally draw you in. This was the first one we spotted when we arrived. Poor Vicky has to listen to David telling her that it was the 'bike that any self-respecting rider aspired to back in the day. Especially those who could only afford a Honda SL125. It wasn't being ridden particularly quickly but then, having thought about it for a minute or so, it was being ridden a damn sight quicker than David would have managed. All things are relative, eh?

8) Vicky tells the rest of our little group to carry on without her: she could be some time.

9) A stoppie in a car? Well, it has got a 'bike engine. This is Adam Steel in his Martlet AS1 missing the sane braking point and indulging in some ridiculously late braking at The Karousel. Of course he missed the apex yet, amazingly, he was still the fastest in the class! That's determination.

10) Zooming. Leaping. Steering. Landing. All in the same instant. All the time staying focused on the next bend which, as it happens, it about 50 yards ahead. This is Martin Robbins on his 590cc KTM cresting Deers Leap.

11) This is Paul Jarret doing roughly the same thing, but in a slightly less animated way, at the same place on his Aprilia SXV500. So, which one was the quickest? Answer: Jarret. Robbins was third, about four tenths slower. Makes you wonder where he lost out, eh?

12) On the way back down we spotted this group of fellas swarming out of their nest in a handy tree. Not many folk hung around to count 'em all but, being brave, we did. 2, 376 if you were wonderin'. So, all-in-all another great day out at a hillclimb. Here's to the next one.

Gheluvelt Park swans update: Tuesday 25th May, 2010.

Walking though the park today I noticed that the nest had been abandoned and there was no sign of either the adults or any signets. Walking around the pond I eventually spotted them. Fair warms the old cockles, as they say. Let's hope they both survive.

East Devon (Pt II), Sunday 22nd May, 2010.

1) Wha-hey! It's late afternoon and we're two British day trippers by the seaside in sunny east Devon. Branscombe Beach to be precise. We've got our grasstrack/hillclimb chairs to sit on and we've paid for two hours car parking. Blimey. What on earth are we going to do for all that time? It's amazing how therapeutic this is. Pick up a pebble, twirl it between yer fingers. Flick it back onto the beach while chatting and watching folk. Repeat. The two hours fly by. Off to Beer next.


2) Despite the hordes we've parked up in Beer and have hit the beach to get some early evening shots of the most photographed fishing boats in the whole wide world. Well, East Devon, anyway. Oh alright, in Beer. Everyone photographs them, anyway, and we're no exception.



3) Here's just one person who photographed them today. Another one is behind the camera.

4) The beach at Beer is shared between the fishermen and their boats and the visiting holiday makers. Each tolerate the other. It's essential that you look where you are going at all times. Nets, lobster pots, hawsers, ropes, fishermen, all over the place. You wouldn't want to be tripping up, would you? Very embarrassing (and, no, we didn't, but you might).

Time to get something to eat before we get driving back home. Oooh look, says David, there's a fish and chip shop open on the High Street. Handy that.

The Donkey Sanctuary, Nr Sidmouth, Devon, Saturday 22nd May, 2010.

1) We estimate that it has been about 20 years since we last visited the Donkey Sanctuary. It's changed a lot. Bigger, better layout. Far more donkeys to make friends with and much longer walks around the paddocks where they graze. It looks like we might be here far longer than the couple of hours we envisaged.

2) It's just gone midday and the sun is shining but, thankfully, it's not too hot yet. The lovely weather means all the donkeys are outside (unless they're unwell). Obviously, they are happy to be outside. Some would appear to be, ahem, happier than others.

3) Having done the first mile walk it's time to hit the Sanctuary's cafe for a well-earned drink and a panini. Make mine a ham, onion and mustard, says David in that way of his, and go heavy on the spicy wedges. Vicky seems happy to indulge him on this occasion. Hmm, thinks David, must come here more often.

4) This isn't a donkey. This is Gypsy, a pony, who shares a paddock, and is best-est friends, with the the donkeys Laurel and Hardy (stars of daytime TV), and Tim who are enjoying the early afternoon sunshine. Gypsy is a bit hot though and would like to stay here in the shade if it's all the same to you.

5) Pardon? No, sorry, you'll have to speak up, I didn't quite catch that. Don't know who these ears belong to but you couldn't possibly resist them, could you?

6) Someone has got their eyes on Howard. An inquest has started. He's not after our buttercups, is he?

7) Mmmm, buttercups. So juicy at this time of year.

It's nearly 4:00pm and time to leave now. We have been here for about four hours. It has been great. We shall return soon. Shan't wait another twenty years, anyway, that's for sure.

Evesham Cats Protection, Sunday 16th May, 2010..

1) Anne and Vicky being attacked by what can only be called a 'swarm' of kittens. Some of whom don't mind taking their medicine while others, ahem, are more reluctant. They'll be popular with visitors though and will be gone in no time.



2) Talking of 'gone', Derek is having to move an inmate 'cos this one's cell-mate has (gulp) escaped during the night.

3) And here's the hole, cunningly gnawed during in the night, through which our feline friend's friend escaped into the wilds of Worcestershire.

4) His cell-mate is probably well south by now and must have said what his precise plans were but this one's saying nowt despite Derek's best interrogation attempts.

5) Meanwhile the Prisoner of Cell Block 5 is enjoying a Sunday morning cat nap. Between snores, he was heard to mutter: "escaping's not for me, it's sooo yesterday."

Birmingham, Saturday 8th May, 2010.

Birmingham's indie record stores update.

1) The fate of indie record stores appears to be sealed and there's nowt we can do about it. Swordfish's premises are up to let and it'll be replaced by what? A massage parlour? A tattoo emporium? Who knows.


2) Worse still, Tempest Records has reached the end of the road. It's been a slow and painful death. It clung on as long as possible but couldn't swim against the tide of 'on line/download' alternatives any longer. Probably did well to last as long as it did. We didn't shop there all that often to be honest but it was always good to know that if we couldn't find that obscure, and unavailable elsewhere, CD we could always get it at Tempest: albeit for a few pounds more. Perhaps, therein, lies a clue to its demise. Sad, all the same.