Greenbelt

Bad timing

It's the first day of a Bank Holiday weekend and I've got a meeting.

Trouble is, I've only myself to blame. I'm sure I scheduled the Greenbelt AGM a little over a year ago.

At least it's a meeting with interesting people though. I'm not sure I'd commit the time to anything else.

Arts

Film: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

This film isn't about redemption, but perhaps I'm here to redeem my past sins.

Anyway, Liz was right. With the exception of a couple of places where the pace wasn't quite right this was a good fun film. Visual effect of the year should go to the Infinite Improbability Drive - or at least it would if such an award existed.

Greenbelt

Closet Greenbelters

"Yeah, I know Greenbelt." These weren't words I was expecting to hear during my annual performance review. My new boss continued: "I went two or three times when it was at Castle Ashby. You're at Cheltenham now aren't you?"

So we were talking about the same thing then!

While I wasn't expecting him to know about this charity I spend a good chunk of my time with, I wasn't surprised to hear he did. There seem to be closet Greenbelters everywhere. I've met quite a few at work.

They always smile at their memories of the festival, but few seem keen to come back. I think they view it as something they did when they were younger - not something to continue as the years click on.

That's not to say I won't be trying to talk them round though. (Do I need mention, the April ticket deadline's just two days away?)

Arts

Film: Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed & Fabulous

It's as bad as you might expect. So here's a photograph of the trees outside the cinema reflected in the poster depicting Gracie Hart's subtle costume.

If you have to watch this, save it for a transatlantic flight. I watched this film so you wouldn't have to.

Personal

Today's mistake

... was to buy a CD I'd already got. Evidently it wasn't so memorable to be worth having a spare copy.

Today's resolution is to slow down.

Comment

Blue signs

Note to self: if selling a house near election time, be sure to check the colour and general appearance of the estate agents' sign.

It must be terribly boring for those selling through John Francis to explain time and time again "no, we're not sudden Tory converts; they didn't have it in red".

In other election news, my favourite slogan of the campaign so far comes from a Plaid Cymru "minute manifesto" on Radio One on Friday. The broadcast concluded with the urge - in a deep Welsh accent - "yours won't be the only Plaid vote in the village".

Personal

Twitch

Today's been a good day to learn about something I'll never be.

A warm Sunday in late April is a good time to go for a stroll, and what better place than somewhere managed by a nature preservation charity? Off then, to Ynys-hir RSPB reserve.

It turned out to be almost as busy as the Ingleton waterfalls walk. But worse than that, helpful people kept stopping and whispering to us in hushed tones, "It's a wood warbler" or "look, a male and female".

Take this dozen for example. They were looking at a pied flycatcher (just out of frame, alas). I felt quite rude walking past. (Maybe I should have walked by without laughing.)

We tried to take it more seriously. I asked Emma what kind of bird she'd just seen. "A brown one," she deadpanned. This kind of amateur talk would never do; we needed a cover, and we needed it fast. Suddenly we were seeing all kinds of things. I'm sure I saw a golden eagle swoop down and make off with a swan. Emma saw a pied bum-pecker and I caught a glimpse of the lesser spotted poo tail.

I'm not sure our cover convinced the other twitchers, but by the time we were back on the car we'd correctly identified a pheasant and a chicken so our time wasn't entirely wasted.

Just don't take me out for a serious spot of bird-watching.

Arts

Film: Be Cool

Quickie: fun, stylish. A few too many "in jokes" that I didn't get; maybe a little self-indulgent in places. But I enjoyed it.

As for the cinema, the Commodore in Aberystwyth is independent, locally run and issues red stub tickets mechanically. They still sell ice-cream in the auditorium. Of course it gets my vote. ("People here applaud films. It's quite sweet really," I'm reliably told.)

Ceredigion Coast Path , Coastwalk

Llanrhystud → Aberarth

Distance: 5.68 miles
Ascent: 166 metres
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

Something new
« Aberystwyth | Aberaeron »

I left East Anglia yesterday in glorious sunshine but as soon as I crossed the Cambrian Mountains the rain started, washing away the prospect of the first summery walk of the year. So we set out in a light drizzle to plug the gap in my walking of the Ceredigion coastline.

Greenbelt

Not exactly famous

Harvey pointed it out to me. Page five of this week's NME. Towards the left of the left-hand inset photo. Yes, the one with the receding hairline.

I may not be looking up, but at least I'm in the picture. Of the others who I know were there, I believe Sarah is hidden behind the white balloon to my right while Harv is looking on from a position of power behind the mixing desk (out of view).

Don't worry. I won't let it go to my head.

Arts

Film: Maria Full of Grace

This was one of those films it's very hard to comment on. Its central story is rich enough to spark thoughts of any number of hot issues in my mind: immigration, trade, poverty, ambition.

Worth seeing but not an easy film to watch.

Personal , Tech

This feeling

This feeling is one of coming home after a week working away. Of unpacking bags, of sorting the laundry, of doing the household jobs that can be put off no longer. It's like sleeping in my own bed, flicking through my CDs, hearing the creak of the stairs. Comfort in the familiar.

But all I've actually done is switch back from PC to Mac.

(And yes Liz, the yearly archives now work correctly.)

Personal

Two consecutive nights

For the second night this week I've been in the pub at nine o'clock. This isn't becoming a habit; it's a happy coincidence.

Anyone want to make it a third?

Greenbelt

Proof

Tonight's slightly weird experience? Proving my identity to my sister.

Ruth's heading up CRB checks for Greenbelt so tonight the everyone in the Management Group had to subject their passports, bills and other proofs of identity to Ruth's scrutiny. She sent me an email last week: "don't think I'll be light on your id just 'cause you're my brov'". Which I guess is how it should be.

I should have reciprocated though. Imagine: I could have been talking to an impostor.

Walks

Paint a landscape

Distance: 6.0 miles
Ascent: 165 metres
Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes

Walk 11: Constable Country - Flatford and East Bergholt

"I could just do with a painting of this," said a woman as she leant on her bicycle at a path junction overlooking Dedham Vale. She made a frame with her fingers and thumbs, held it up in front of her and no doubt mapped what she saw onto her living room wall. Later I passed a largely completed painting, left out on its easel presumably to dry in the sun.

This is painters country. Always has been I imagine. But for the past 180 years, people have been coming here to try their own depiction of Willy Lott's cottage and the mill pond. Mine doesn't come close to the one hanging in the National Gallery but you can tell it's the same place.

Dedham Vale provides easy walking, with plenty of views to spark the imagination. Yes, it was busy with tourists today. I imagine from now through to September it'll just get more crowded. Still, if you've never been it's well worth it despite the tourists.

Greenbelt

Wake up to Trade Justice

I made it all the way through, and didn't get at all wet. Much of the night I was helping man Greenbelt's stand - giving out leaflets and answering odd questions - which meant I had a great excuse to stay indoors.

Rumour has it there were 20,000 people taking part overnight. That's perhaps five times the expected attendance. Walking down Whitehall through the crowds at 4am was quite an experience, made all the more impressive after accounting for the fact that these thousands would be here all night.

The timing of the event hasn't been great. Attention was focussed on Downing Street, but presumably since Parliament's been dissolved, Tony Blair's technically just Labour Parliamentary candidate for Sedgefield and no longer Prime Minister.

These three pictures should give a little of the flavour of the event. The first shows Thom Yorke performing a short acoustic set in Methodist Central Hall. The second photograph is a small fragment of the crowd at half four in the morning; the last shows part of the dawn procession.

Greenbelt

Taking part

That's the end of the working week for me. I'm heading down to London for MPH / TJM's Wake up to Trade Justice all-night event. It's drizzling here and the forecast for town includes lots of wet stuff. Let's hope it's wrong.

Personal

RPM

33 ¹/₃.

A love of vinyl makes me think today should be meaningful somehow. I don't think being reinited with a Mac after a month away counts.

Arts

Film: The Chorus

Overheard last week in the queue for Hotel Rwanda: "Geoffrey said we mustn't miss that, even though it's in French."

Geoffrey was right.

The Chorus is great stuff. Not the schmaltz I'd expected. Sure, the storyline follows the same arc as Dead Poets Society and (dare I say it?) School of Rock, but somewhere inside the telling there's a new flavour here.

Tech

Geek

Yes, it does worry me.

It does worry me that of all the things Apple has said about the next version of Mac OS X, I chose to get excited about the geeky bits. You can keep your whizzy eye-candy: your Spotlight and your Dashboard.

The thing I'm most looking forward to is something Apple don't even try to dress up with fancy words: "cp, mv, tar, rsync now handle resource forks properly". If you understand what that means you'll know why I'm happy.

Comment

Bored?

Has the Conservative Manifesto bored you already? Want to know how to get the gist of it quickly while having fun?

1. Download the PDF of the manifesto. It's on their website.
2. Pick a pair of opposing words. Maybe legal and illegal, euro and pound, Labour and Conservative.
3. Use Acrobat's Find tool to count the ocurrances of each word.
4. Draw wildly speculative conclusions from your results.

For example, one party leader is mentioned six times while another is mentioned just once. There's no 'personality politics' here.

Walks

Lush

Encouraged by the walks in the Dales I'm back to my goal of completing the book of Suffok Walks. Today starts with a train ride two stops to the north.

Distance: 7.85 miles
Ascent: 145 metres
Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes

Walk 17: Saxmundham, Kelsale and the Gull Stream

How long have I lived here? How can I not have taken the train north before? It was a wonderful introduction: past the reed beds and into the open country.

Today's walk was all about the churches. St Peters in Carlton is set in the middle of lush fields, the young crop eagerly reaching toward the sky. Later, St Mary and St Peter in Kelsale offered another chance to linger and appreciate stillness.

After a busy week it's been good to get out into the Suffolk countryside. I may feel out on a limb here, but it's home.

Comment

All about horses

"Today's all about horses," the man queuing in front of me at the Co-Op told me. There was no doubting what he referred to and it wasn't the National.

My biggest disappointment is that no-one's yet modified the brick.

Comment

Predator and prey

Back in 1992 or so the Town and Country Club in Kentish Town closed its doors. There was anger amongst regular gig-goers: one of London's best-loved names would be lost as the club was transformed by an agressive new business into The Forum.

(Discussing this with Dad at the time I found out that building was his local cinema during his student days in London.)

I'll admit that when it re-opened, The Forum was better equipped than the T&C, and managed to retain the same spirit. But the way things were reported then, it felt as if Big Business was taking over.

Only recently have I cottoned on to what happened. Most of London's medium-size live music venues (from the Borderline to the Astoria) are now owned by Mean Fiddler. I've heard concern that individual venues are losing their identities, that having one controlling organisation can't be good for artists or punters.

I've heard the same thing worldwide too, criticisms usually levelled against Clear Channel - a company that seems to exert huge influence on live venues.

So today I'm not sure what to make of the news that Clear Channel has taken over Mean Fiddler.

I guess I'll just sigh and remember when Mean Fiddler meant a tiny sweaty club in Harlesden.

Arts

Film: Hotel Rwanda

"When they see this, how can they not help?" asks Don Cheadle's character after seeing footage of the carnage happening on his doorstep in Rwanda. The camerman's answer is flippant but to the point. "If they see this footage they'll say 'Oh my God that's horrible' and they'll go on eating their dinners."

And that's is why for me the most shocking thing about Hotel Rwanda was the date: 1994. I try to get involved with the news, but my knowledge of events of the time is pitifully incomplete.

As a film then, it's been educational. It's also been interesting to see the depiction of the 'oasis of calm' provided by a hotel in the midst of a war.

At the end there's just one question though: what news will I learn in ten years time that I glossed over today?

Angels

Broken

Twice last week I stopped dead in my tracks having seen another representation of an Angel. This one's my favourite: a broken farm sign on a green lane between Middleham and the River Cover.

I've finally completed posting entries for the week so for more walks in the Dales, start on Good Friday and work your way forwards.

Personal

Bunting

I returned home on Sunday to see the Market Hill decked out in coloured bunting. I'm pretty sure it's not to celebrate my homecoming so instead here I present my top three candidate reasons:

• A somewhat inappropriate tribute to the Pope
• Early decorations for St George's Day
• An indication that someone cares about that wedding

Other suggestions welcome!

Personal

Brown

I hear the same comments each time I come back from a week's walking. "You're looking brown", "How was the snow?" and "Been in the Carribean?".

I'd have expected my work collegues to know better by now. Maybe they're just doing it to wind me up.

Today though, I've heard a new one. "You obviously don't use a moisturiser with an SPF in it." I don't know how to respond to that.

Website

Updates are coming

I did warn you. The batch of updates to this site a week ago were a hurried affair using an old computer with minimal disk space and a hastily purchased wireless card in a motel outside Lancaster.

I have more to say. I have an entire week of walking to tell you about. And it'll be here soon. Sometime in the next 48 hours. But tonight's priority is to back up all the pictures I've taken over the last fortnight.

Walks

A final walk

One last day, one last walk. With the weather clearing somewhat it was time to go uphill. Time to try for a view.

Distance: 8.26 miles
Ascent: 487 metres
Duration: 4 hours

Walk 11: Cam Head

We walked from from Kettlewell, a village keen to let everyone know it was the location for the Calendar Girls film. The views as we climbed were good but just enough mist hung around to make photos look washed out.

Back in the valley we extended the walk a mile south to the stepping stones across the River Wharfe. This was a good way to round off the week: meandering along with the river.

The total for the week stands at 50 miles' walking. Not too shabby. Perhaps half of what I'd do on an average week at the coast, but I'm not complaining. We relaxed and that was enough.

Personal

Being a tourist

The original plan was to spend this week in America.

Money, schedules and airlines got in the way. But they didn't stop us recreating the trip in miniture today.

Instead of driving through the Adirondacks we took in six Dales. Instead of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream factory we took a tour of Wensleydale Creamery. And to top it all off, instead of Niagara Falls we found ourselves at Hardraw Force.

Here it is in all its glory: England's highest unbroken waterfall. You slip two pound coins into the palm of the barman at the Green Dragon Inn and they point you in the direction of the footpath out back.

Offer me a curtain of water thundering two hundred feet down into a wide lake and I'll take the trickle of water jump off a rock into a pool any time.

Perhaps the bar staff put your two quid straight into the meter that feeds the taps at the top.