Coastwalk

Portishead → Clevedon

Distance: 7.23 miles
Ascent: 127 metres
Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes

Easy going
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This was a short walk along easy ground, elongated somewhat by starting the walk at the marina in Portishead and walking up to the old pier and round Portishead Point before heading on down the coast.

We chose to end the walk at Clevedon Pier. Ultimately this was the wrong decision. We ended up walking another kilometre inland to find the bus stop when we could have continued along the front to Salthouse Bay and picked it up there. Still, it'll mean we get to start the next leg at an obvious landmark and we'll want to walk the length of the pier anyway - something else we didn't do today.

Music

Gig: Radiohead

I've never been the biggest Radiohead fan. Perhaps like many I get on with OK Computer and In Rainbows but found the records between them to generally be messy, bordering on cacophonous.

Live is a different matter. Three years ago when I was privileged to see Thom Yorke play a brief acoustic set, my opinion turned around. Even those 'difficult' songs took on a new dimension when performed with passion just a few feet away. So tonight I was hoping for great things.

On one axis they didn't disappoint. Seeing the full band was fantastic. The music absolutely zinged.

But on another, something wasn't quite right. The light show was contained by the stage, as if it was designed for an arena rather than the open-air of Victoria Park. An indoor gig would have been healthier too - one year into the smoking ban I'd forgotten how horrible it is to spend three hours in a cloud of tobacco smoke (as well as fumes from other herbs).

I shouldn't diminish the event. It was a wonderful evening. Highly worthwhile.

Greenbelt

Iona pics

A month ago now, Emma and I spent a week on Iona with some lovely Greenbelt people.

I have started to write all sorts of good things about the week, but as has been the pattern of late I've not got round to finishing them and posting to this blog.

So while you're waiting, pop over to my flickr page for some photos.

Tech

5 to 123

I love TransportDirect. Having all the UK's public transport timetables in once place is a fantastic resource. It's vital in planning how to get back to the car at the end of a long walk. As will all route planners, sometimes its suggestions are a little out. I've never seen anything as bad as this though.

According to the website, a journey from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central Bus Station will take two and a half hours. The first step is to walk from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1. The website believes you can cover this mile and a half in 14 minutes - which perhaps you could if it was OK to walk along the runway. Once there, it suggests two trains (via Hayes and Reading) and a bus to get back to the very spot where you're standing. Finally it allows 20 minutes to walk across the road to the bus station.

Or you could just take the Heathrow Express. It'll take five minutes.

Software doesn't always get it right.

To try this for yourself, go to Transport Direct, click "Find a Train", use "Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Rail Station" as the start point and "Heathrow Airport Central Bus Stn (Rail-air)" as the destination. An alternative route suggested goes via London and Watford while a third takes you via Woking.

At least visitors will get tour a small part of the south-east while in transit between terminals.

Film

Persepolis

I wasn't too keen on going to see Persepolis, but I was interested in finding out what the nearest Picturehouse Cinema to our new home was like.

In the end, I loved both.