Cycling and Ruling out a Career as a Film Maker

Saturday 12th November 2011.

In the interests of keeping fit, and losing weight, we embark ona 20 mile cycle ride, using one of our "regular" routes, to Whitburn, along the coast to South Shields, and home via Jarrow.

I take the opportunity to use my new toy, ie my Drift Action Camera to record the event for posterity.

I am still very inexpert, the first half or more of the trip is shot with the camera in the wrong orientation (by 90 degrees).

Apart from playing, sorry, experimenting, with the camera the ride is quite enjoyable. We even see a squirrel hopping across our path, as we cycle through Jarrow. 

This time I make use of video editing software to join it all up into one piece and reduce the length. What a task that is!, it is so slow. The editing is bad enough, although I suspect faster disk drive(s) and more RAM in the computer may overcome that. The upload time to the internet is also painfully long, not really sure how that can be overcome!

It is all still very amateurish, but given I am a total amateur, I am reasonably pleased with the result. Now there is the whole area of adding a soundtrack and captions to explore!



Sunday evening I amuse myself copying the megabytes of precious recorded video to my PC, and learning how to edit it in the most rudimentary way.

The edit and uploading takes so long, it spreads over Monday and Tuesday too.

In moments of boredom, waiting.... I attempt a few shots of the birds feeding as if their lives depend on it (which I suppose thet do, actually) at the bird feeders.

I also try a few attempts with the video, but without much success.

It is clearly not designed for close up shots.

Monday 26th September 2011

During our last campervan trip, we had (another) puncture. Our plan is for another trip away in the van next week, so I need to get the puncture fixed.

You need to understand that, according to Kathleen, I do nothing except enjoy myself, but today, almost before she is out of bed, I have the van spare wheel out from it's mounting under the van and in the boot of the car, ready to be taken to ATS Tyreservices.

It turns out, it is not a puncture, but a faulty valve, which the tyre fitter changes for free. I shall use ATS again, that is service.

I put the spare back in it's place under the van, and then knock off another little chore which is waiting to be done, ie apply silicone sealer around the frame of our new garage door.

It is a beautiful day, too good to spend it working, so I convince Kathleen we should go out cycling.

This is a beautiful time of year, even in urban Tyneside, the autumn colours are absolutely stunning.

This is the view from the track leading to Fellgate Metro Station, beautiful colours.

Soon we are past Monkton Village and heading along the disused railway line (now a cycle track), towards Pelaw.

Then along the banks of the Tyne, towards Newcastle.

Nothing to obstruct the view as we approach Newcastle, very nice for us, but not so good for jobs of course. Once upon  a time the river would have been full of ships, not any more.

We cross the Millenium Bridge at the Sage, and settle down in the sun outside of the Pitcher and Piano, on the Quayside, Coffees all round.

We are even treated to a trial opening of the bridge, which we have not seen before.

Suitably refreshed, we set off along the north bank of the Tyne, following the Hadrians Way cycle track, towards the Pedestrian/Cycle Tunnel. A pleasant surprise when we arrive there, the lifts are working, and we even have a choice of lift or escalator at the south (Jarrow) side. This is a bonus, it is not funny having to carry two bicycles up a broken down escalator I can tell you (from past experience).

The "Runkeeper" App on my iphone, says we have cycled 27 miles, I think it is confused, more like 19 miles I think, you can't always trust technology.

My plan now is have lunch and then slip out on my motorbike. Nothing doing, Kathleen insists we do some gardening. So instead of a spin on the motorbike, I get to finish off trimming the hedge in the back garden. At least it is one more chore out of the way, before winter comes.

Sunday 14th August 2011

I have been a bit, well completely, out of touch on the blog, since I came back from my Campervan trip.


My only excuse, not a very good one, is that I have been busy doing my motorcycle driving lessons.


Today, went cycling with Kathleen on her new bicycle.

All very uneventful, we cycled to Whitburn, then through Sunderland to Dana's house. Arrived to find that Dana, Martin etc are out at the coast, but we are ably looked after by Emily, Lauren and Lauren's friend Nadine.

We head back, not so good now, a big black cloud has appeared, we are going to get wet. We make it to the Queen Alexandra Bridge, at which point, it begins to pour with rain.

We shelter in a bus shelter until it "brightens up" and is only raining quite heavily, before we cross the bridge and wend our way home by the shortest route we can work out.

Friday 5th March 2010

Another Spring day, so I am out and about early, at the Allotment by 08:45, cannot miss good weather!

Now that the area to be cultivated this year is "dug over", things have slowed down a little, until the weather gets warm enough to actually plant something.

A mixed bag this morning, a little digging of the last remaining area to be "dug over", a little tidying and burning of rubbish, and a bit of fence repairing, ready for Martin to begin the war on the rabbits.

Returned home for lunch to find Kathleen and her sister Joan eating Tunnock Chocolate Teacakes, so much for Lent. They then went off to Church where, as far as I can tell, they scoffed Soup and Cakes, in aid of helping the starving. Just run that past me again, I think I must have missed something.

Went to the Monkton cycling group, not so well attended today, only two of us, plus Becky the leader. This at least allows us to do something a bit more strenuous. Through the pedestrian tunnel at Jarrow, follow the Hadrian's Way cycle track to North Shields, cross on the ferry, back along the south side of the river to Monkton, about 12 miles I would guess.

Election Posters

Thursday 4th March 2010

Cycling group is back in action.

A high turn out, on a beautiful day. About a dozen people there today. Nice to see people making use of the facilities, but since we had some novices, we were not able to go as far as usual.

None the less, an enjoyable outing, from South Shields Leisure Centre, to Cleadon Water Tower, past Cleadon Village Pond, out to the Sunderland Football Academy, along the track to join Moor Lane, via a very big and deep puddle!. Then to East Boldon, along the track to Tile Sheds, and back along the old Sunderland - South Shields railway line to the Leisure Centre, about 8 miles.

Daniel's (1st) birthday visit in the afternoon, but his part piece was projectile vomit. Poor little boy, fancy being sick on your birthday.

Election Posters

Friday 29th January 2010

A bright and sunny day, but windy and absolutely freezing cold, even a few flakes of snow blowing about on the wind.

Undeterred, I still join the cycling group, setting off from Monkton Stadium, at 13:00.

I say "Group", but that is putting it a bit strong. There is only one person turns up (in addition to me), so including Mark, that makes a group of three. Talk about fairweather cyclists!

We go through the Pedestrian / Cycle tunnel at Jarrow, then past Wallsend and into the Rising Sun Country Park, back along the waggonways (now converted to cycle tracks), through Silverlink and Percy Main, to Royal Quays, then back through the Tunnel and return to Monkton Stadium.

I forgot to ask Mark how far we had gone, but my guess is about 12 miles.

This is the first time for about six weeks I have got my two cycling sessions in, a combination of Christmas Holidays, weather and having a cold, prevented me from attending, so having done two fairly brisk sessions this week, I am a little tired. Still think I shall make it to the Grey Horse tonight.

Stoat or Weasel

During our walk near Brancepeth, just over a week ago (20/01/2010), we spotted what we thought was a Stoat or Weasel running across the path in front of us. I expressed the opinion that Stoat and Weasel are two words for the same animal. But Phil thought they were two different animals. I was tasked with finding out, from the all knowing Internet. I forgot all about it until Phil reminded me on Wednesdsay last.

Well, Phil was right, and I was wrong. After reading the information in the link above, I still don't know which one we saw, but since the weasel is the slightly smaller of the two, I err towards thinking we saw a weasel!

Thursday 28th January 2010

The weather is reasonable (ie not snowing), my cold has more or less cleared up, and it is Thursday, all this can only mean a cycling outing with the cycling group.

On Thusdays we start from Temple Park Liesure Centre at 10:00. Mark (the leader) as always is cheerful and raring to go, there are a couple of new faces, which is always promising.

Our little group of five make our way across Temple Park and on the track behind Holderhouse Estate and Whiteleas (just wet enough here to get a small smattering of mud) until we come to the cycle track /footpath which was once the Sunderland / South Shields Railway line.

Turning left we head for Tile Sheds, then straight ahead on a track running alongside the Sunderland / Newcastle railway line to emerge at Sleepers Pub. Along Moor Lane, past Boldon Flats Nature Reserve, and turn right into Blue House Lane. Carefully across the railway line at the unmanned crossing, we emerge at the A184, alongside Sunderland Dog Racing Stadium.

Straight on here, experiencing one of Mark's little jokes, it is slightly up hill, and, given the run off from the recently melted snow, the track has a small stream running down it. We slither up the hill, wheels spinning in the mud as we peddle. Fortunately no-one falls off into the mire. At the top we emerge onto a good gravel track and turn left, to emerge back onto the A184 on the edge of Sunderland. Down the hill towards Cleadon Village and then onto a gravel track which skirts Sunderland AFC Training Academy Grounds, rejoining the road on the edge of Whitburn.

We turn right now, into Whitburn, then through Cornthwaite Park, to The Bents, next along the cliff top track towards Souter lighthouse, with an impressive swell rolling in whipped up by the brisk northerly breeze. Then on to Marsden Grotto.

Across the Coast Road now and through the houses, to join another (very muddy) track to arrive at the White House Pub. Straight on, then turn left into "The Lonnen", up a track which takes us in front of the Cleadon Hills Water Tower (openned in 1863, but not now in use), and, turning right to take a track which crosses Sunderland Road and then King George Road, to return to our starting point at Temple Park Liesure Centre.

Mark tells us we have done 14 miles (in 2 hours).

Sorry no photographs today, we are all shy in our Lycra gear!

Thursday/Friday 3rd/4th December 2009

Thursdays and Fridays are group cycling days. Friday is a bit adventurous. We cycle from Monkton Stadium to the ferry at South Shields, cross the ferry and return along the north side of the Tyne heading for the pedestrian tunnel. We get a bit off the official cycle route and end up inadvertantly cycling through a deep pool of clinging mud which has accumulated under a bridge after all of the heavy rain we have had. We all get covered in mud. Mark, the group leader is as enthusiastic as ever, there cannot be many people in the world who enjoy their job as much as he does!

Friday night is Grey Horse night, this being my usual Friday night venue.

Friday 20th November 2009

This morning we must attend Kathleen's hospital appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We have to be there for 09:20, and being aware of the traffic we leave in plenty of time. Big mistake, there is no traffic. Not sure why, is everyone using the metro (given the 25% increase in the cost of petrol), or have they all been made redundant?

Net result is we arrive at 09:00. First you have to report to a reception desk, where your paper file is located and despatched via their high speed delivery system (ie an elderly lady who hand delivers the file to the clinic). I thought the NHS had recently spent several millions (or was it billions) on a "state of the art" computer system, clearly they have not heard of the paperless office and electronic transfer.

We arrive at the clinic to find about six people already waiting. By 09:20, no one has been called. It has got conversational, and we find that three people have 09:00 appointments, and three have 09:20 appointments. New people arrive as we sit there, soon there are no seats for the arriving patients. Shortly after 09:20, the first of the 09:00 appointments is called, so we start the day 20 minutes behind. Anyone there in America reading this, just note you do not want a system like this!.

Eventually Kathleen is seen and we get out at about 10:00, not too bad I suppose, at least it allowed them to charge us for an hours parking.

The good news is that they do not appear to have found anything dire wrong, but as always they do of course find something. They now say she has evidence of osteoporosis in her spine, so she must attend another appointment with a different specialist. She is not happy about this, since it probably means even more tablets, and she hates taking tablets.

After lunch I go cycling with the cycling group. Despite the dreadful weather they have been suffering in Cumbria, the afternoon here is dry and sunny and we have a very pleasant 2.5 hour ride taking in Beacon Lough and the East Gateshead Cycleway. Mark says we did approximately 15 miles, it almost all seems to have been up hill!

After my return from the cycling I decide to set up the new Digital TV Recorder I recently bought, thus bringing us more technologically upto date and making our Tape VCR redundant. It turns out to be very simple, and within half an hour (most of which was spent in waiting for it to tune itself into the available channels), we are pausing live TV, rewinding live TV, and recording whole series at least as well as the average ten year old.

The UK news today is dominated by the flooding in Cumbria, and the tragic death of a policeman when a road bridge collapsed under the weight of flood water. Plus the trend to being governed by unelected representative continues with the appointment of one of our unelected members of the House of Lords as EU Foreign Secretary. Perhaps when we have finished training the Afghan Army, they will come to Europe and restore democracy here?

Thursday 19th November 2009

Today should have been my Cycling Group outing ( I normally go Thursdays and Fridays), but it is cancelled because one of the leaders has hurt her back, so I suppose I will have to do jobs around the house, unless I can think of an excuse...

We are having the front drive (re)block paved on Monday. I have to do a little preparation, removing some red gravel, and peeling back the slate chippings and weed supressing liner down one side of the drive. This, plus a few interuptions from Kathleen, who is cutting the lawn, keeps me occupied until lunch time.

After lunch, we walk to the Red Lion, in West Boldon, to check out the menu, it used to be one of our regular haunts, but we have not been there for over a year and in that time it has changed Managers. We plan to go there this evening, but thought we would just check that it is still an OK place to go. They now have a "Recession" menu, in addition to their normal menu. Plenty of things which Kathleen will eat (she is the picky one), so we book ourselves a table for this evening.

Another spotlight (those little GU10 things) goes out in the bathroom, they do not appear to last five minutes even although the box says they have an "average" life of 1500 hours!

So what is happening on the domestic news front?

The Conservatives steamroller through their choice of candidate in Norfolk, by ridiculing the fact that local people thought the ability to lie and deceive were not suitable traits for an MP, given the recent expenses scandal I would have thought this is exactly what is needed?

More ranting about the Queens Speech, and the proposed laws there in, even Labour's own peers are attacking some parts of it.

The Irish are up in arms because France beat them at football knocking them out of the World Cup. The French Captain (Thierry Henry), handled the ball in the run up to the winning goal. Thierry Henry, admits he handled the ball, but said it was not deliberate, full marks for honesty, a career as a politician is obviously ruled out for Thierry.

We went for our meal at the Red Lion. Kathleen was initially disappointed because she had decided at lunch time she would have the Lamb, and they had none left, but she was happy with her Chicken Chasseur. I pigged out on all three courses (spicy meatballs; Lamb Kebab greek style; Apple pie and ice cream) and a bottle of Rioja to wash it all down, very nice.

We are home now, and I update this blog, whilst Kathleen watches Coronation Street, why do women insist on watching that crap?

Tuesday 17th November 2009

The weather is kind, so I go for a cycle ride.

I ring my brother-in-law (Phil), but he is busy fixing coving in one of his rooms, so it is a lone trip.

I have been examining the OS Map, and decide to explore a track running parallel to the A194M, which I was unaware of. I make my way there via a route which is described as the "Great North Forest Route" on the map, but I do not see many trees!, perhaps in 25 years time. Sure enough the track is there, it runs along the edge of the Washington Golf course, it is a "permissive footpath", and is barely passable on a bicycle, but I manage it. Then return home via a circular route which takes me from Springwell Village, to the old Bowes Railway. As is usual on the old Bowes Railway track, I encounter several dog walkers, they all keep their dogs under control to allow me to pass safely. This is a record, and I acknowledge each with a "Good Morning" and a "Thank you". A 15 mile spin in about two hours and it does not rain, great fun, and there are not too many complaints (from the boss) about my mud spattered state.

The evening news is amusing, our government telling the recently elected President Karzai of Afghanistan he must tackle corruption in his government, this, after the recent revelations of our MP's expenses, talk about the kettle calling the pot black.