100 Days, 100 Things: Days 61-80

Oh my. The start of my round-the-world Grand Tour is getting close, isn't it? Here's the next 20 of my record of silly, somewhat mundane things in my last 100 days before departure.

61. Wednesday 4th May - Staff Quiz
Which I won with my usual team. Hurrah.

62. Thursday 5th May - closed? Why are you closed?
Apparently my local pharmacy closes early on a Thursday. So having walked all the way down there, I had to walk all the way back without my anti-malarials. Did pick up some biscuits on the way though...

63. Friday 6th May - Doxy-whatnow?
Said pharmacy opens till a sensible time on Fridays so now I have enough Doxycycline to keep my protected from malaria for nearly 2 months in a malarial area. So that's South East Asia and Southern Africa covered.

64. Saturday 7th May - Fotherby & Utterby walking
Took an afternoon stroll around the pretty villages of Fotherby and Utterby with my dad. Shame it was so hazy because I imagine the view from this hill is amazing when it's clear.

65. Sunday 8th May - Cambridge
Spent the afternoon exploring museums in Cambridge. More on that here: Swords, fans & pounamu.

66. Monday 9th May - lookup lessons
Successfully got a colleague using lookups in Excel. Hurrah!

67. Tuesday 10th May - fish pie again
I'm getting good at fish pie. Can't imagine I'll be making much of it while I'm away though...

68. Wednesday 11th May - umm...
Apparently nothing happened on this day. At all. Not even something boring. Oh well.

69. Thursday 12th May - hair
First haircut in nearly 3 years. Got almost 6 inches taken off. Already missing the length, but it's so much easier to manage now!

70. Friday 13th May - Cook Islands daydreaming
I made the mistake of reading THIS ARTICLE on Never Ending Footsteps. And now I really want to go to the Cook Islands and I think I could probably afford to do it. Umm... do I need to add any more destinations to my plans?

71. Saturday 14th May - ballooning. Also, bún.
My mum finally got to take a balloon flight having missed out in India and the UK in recent months. We also paid another visit to Pho in Manchester and I tried bún. It was delicious.

72. Sunday 15th May - Wembley
Down to Wembley with my dad to see Grimsby Town win their playoff final and get promoted back into the Football League. Much fun.

73. Monday 16th May - frequent flyer ahoy!
Joined a frequent flyer scheme. I figure I'll be taking enough flights over the next year that I might as well see if I can get anything back from them.

74. Tuesday 17th May - pre-audit success
As ever, there is an audit going on at work. The pre-audit check went OK. Woo. That is all.

75. Wednesday 18th May - Mail Merge success!
Somehow I managed to get a Mail Merge to walk on a huge amount of data at work. Haven't used it in about 5 years, so I was pretty pleased with myself.

76. Thursday 19th May - budget spreadsheet
In addition to my pre-trip itinerary/budget spreadsheet, I now have a sheet to use during my trip to keep track of expenses. Happy times.

77. Friday 20th May - clickety clack
My mum has very kindly donated her old Nexus 7 tablet to me for my travels. Unfortunately, I hate the onscreen keyboard and I need to be able to type at a reasonable pace to keep up with the blogging and whatnot. So I've bought myself a Bluetooth keyboard and it is wonderful. Clickety keys are much better than that swiping crap.

78. Saturday 21st May - radars & railways
Took a walk on the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival to see the old radar station at RAF Stenigot, coupled with a short walk down the old Bardney-Louth railway. More on that here: Radar & Railways.

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79. Sunday 22nd May - Wembley take 2
A return to Wembley with my dad. Unfortunately there was to be no repeat of the previous visit's success and we went down 1-0 to Halifax in the FA Trophy final. Ah well. We're still going up!

80. Monday 23rd May - tablet tapping
Having got my keyboard to make blogging via the tablet easier, I decided to see how easy it would be to compose, format and post from said tablet. Turns out I can do it and it only takes a little bit longer than it does on my laptop. Bodes well for keeping up the blog while I'm on the road!

Less than 3 weeks to go now. How much more can I cram in before I leave?

Snapshots: Radar & Railways

Saturday marked the start of the annual Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival. My dad and I (Dad more so) are quite keen walkers and we always try to make it along to at least one of the Festival's walks each year. This year the launch day was at the lovely village of Donnington on Bain and we popped along to take part in a walk titled "Radars and Railways". A 7 mile stroll through the fields around Donnington and through the Stenigot Estate began with a trek up to the hill to see the old Ace High station.

This walk being run by the Society for Lincolnshire History & Archaeology, we were treated to some interesting talks about each place we stopped. So, those big dishes were Ace High and they were used for relaying information between stations in the Cold War. There was a network of them reaching from Turkey up through Europe and over the Atlantic to the USA. More info here: RAF Stenigot

Apparently when the base was decommissioned the dishes were left behind because the scrap merchant thought they were made of aluminium, not steel.

Next stop was the other side of the Ace High dishes to see the last surviving transmitter mast of the Stenigot Chain Home station. Chain Home was a rudimentary but remarkably effective radar system used during the Second World War to detect incoming aircraft.

From here, the walk took a turn across the Stenigot Estate, passing some very early concrete buildings (early 20th Century). I resisted the urge to mention the fact that the Romans were using concrete centuries before that...

And then on down the hill, stopping at the little church in Stenigot to see these old memorials to the Spanish family who owned the estate around the time of the Spanish Armada.

And finally into Donnington to have a quick walk along the trackbed of the old Louth-Bardney Railway. Not much left save the station building.

And the platform edge.

Oh, and this very old, battered gradient post.

In all, a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon and great to see so many people turn out for it!

Do you have any secret history nestled away nearby? What about a favourite afternoon stroll? Why not share in the comments below.

Barton: Wetlands and winter sun

Took a trip up to the Humber bank again this weekend. There's a whole string of old clay pits there that have been flooded to create a wetland reserve, which means it's great for birdwatching. Caught a glimpse of a Great Crested Grebe and a pair of Teal, but the main reason for my visit was, admittedly, even more geeky than birdwatching.

See, Barton used to have a whole load of tileworks, hence all the clay pits and last time I went up there I found some old bits of building in the shrubbery just off the bank path. I assumed it was just another tileworks, but it turns out it's an old cement works and me being the nosy sod that I am wanted to have a closer look.

Yes, it's ridiculous. I am well aware.

Anyhoo, so I dragged my dad up there with the excuse that we could go for a nice walk at the same time. Found some pretty substantial ruins from the cement works though. Like this, which I presume was a jetty/wharf/pier in its heyday.

And then these, which look like chimneys, maybe? There were quite a few of them dotted through the trees, but the undergrowth was too thick to get close.

My dad was more interested in the fact that there used to be a light railway running to the site from the quarries further up the bank. Between us we rather failed to find any trace of it. Just shows how quickly nature reclaims places.

Gorgeous walking up there, though. Considering it's the end of February, it was remarkably mild, to the point that I didn't even need my coat.

This place is all of about 30 minutes drive from Grimsby, my hometown. I'll admit, Grimsby isn't a brilliant town, but it's not better or worse than a lot of other places around the country. And seriously, when a half hour drive can get you to beautiful wetlands, woodlands, open country or beach, who cares? We have so many amazing places right on our doorstep.

So, on that note, is there a secret beauty spot near you? Do you live in a supposedly awful area but have amazing places nearby? Let me know in the comments!

Wonderful Walks: Afternoon Strolls & Epic Tramps

It's my dad's birthday today. He does a lot of walking and this summer, just before I leave for the Grand Tour, he's taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. So I got thinking about which walks I love and which walks I'd love to try. Here's a few.

Tried & Tested

For which read: I, my dad or someone else I know and trust has walked it and liked it. As such, these are mostly in the UK. Naught wrong with loving your home country!

Viking Way, Lincolnshire & Rutland

I'd have liked to have picked just one part of this long-distance footpath which runs from Barton-upon-Humber in the north to Oakham in the south, but there's just too many nice bits. Try out the northern end for a nice stroll from the Humber bank or head a bit further south to the extent of my Viking Way experience and take a ramble through the rural Lincolnshire villages of Donington-on-Bain, Goulceby and Scamblesby. My favourite part though is the tramp over the hill between Walesby and Tealby - you can see for miles from up there and you might even catch sight of some Lincolnshire Long Wool sheep. Funny critters.

Snowdon, Gwynedd

The highest peak in Wales (and second highest in the UK) and yet a surprisingly easy climb. Now, you could cheat and take the train either up or down, but where's the fun in that? I'm told the easiest climb is the one I took with my family a few years back and that starts in the little town of Llanberis. From here the path follows the railway most of the way to the top. Be warned, the first section up out of the town is possibly the steepest! Don't let it put you off. You'll be rewarded with amazing views, providing the weather holds out.

Be aware that, as with most mountainous areas, the weather up Snowdon can change quickly. Be prepared.

Flamborough Head, Yorkshire

This headland sticks out into the North Sea and as such can get a bit wild, but catch it on a good day and it makes for a beautiful walk. Start at any car park and just go for a stroll. It's very hard to get lost - just follow the cliff edge round!

If the tide is out, head down to the beach at North Landing and do some exploring. It's a long time since I went down there, but I'm pretty sure there's a couple of small caves. Just be careful and don't go getting cut off by the tide.

Lyke Wake Walk, Yorkshire

Enjoyment isn't necessarily a factor in this challenging walk. While the others above can be done in any timescale, this 40 mile tramp across the North Yorkshire Moors must be completed in 24 hours to really count. My sister managed it with a group from school a few years ago and while she was tired and aching by the time she finished, I'm sure she was pretty proud of herself for managing it.

Uluru Base Walk, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru (also: Ayers Rock) is a magical place. A huge lump of rock rearing out of the desert, cast in beautiful light by the setting sun...

Yeah, so we know Uluru is awesome and you should see it yourself. If you do, don't just stick around for sunset/sunrise. Take a walk around the base to get a better grasp of just how special the area is. It's sacred to the traditional owners, the Anangu and every nook and cranny of this massive rock is rich with stories from the Dreamtime. I'd suggest going with a guide to make the most of the myths - there are, if I recall, some info boards, but a guide will go into so much more detail.

Just be aware that it gets very hot in Australia's Red Centre. Temperatures regularly hit the high 30s (Celsius, not Fahrenheit) and it's very dry. Take plenty of water and wear a hat.

Daydreams

For which read: long tramps in (mostly) foreign climes that I haven't done.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

When I found out Dad was going to do the Three Peaks Challenge, I decided I needed to do some sort of challenge walk while on my Grand Tour around the world. Now, I enjoy walking, but I'm a bit out of practice so I'm not about to leap into the Inca Trail. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, on the other hand, is a one day tramp across New Zealand's Tongariro National Park and is about 12 miles in total. Of course, it's up and down over weird volcanic landscapes, but I figure I could do that. Just have to hope that the weather is better than when I first visited Tongariro...

Overland Track, Tasmania, Australia

One of Australia's great walks, this trail winds through Tasmania's western wilderness, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Here's Cradle Mountain, hiding in the cloud.

Of course, that was in winter and the track is most popular in the summer when the weather's a bit better. That said, I've seen how quickly the weather changes in Tasmania and I wouldn't trust it to stay nice. I'm considering doing it though - Tasmania's such a beautiful place and this seems like a great way to do a bit more exploring.

Three Peaks Challenge, UK

This exists in a few forms in the UK. There's the National Three Peaks, where walkers climb the three highest mountains in the country - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. The challenge here is to walk it (including transport between the mountains) in 24 hours. Sounds like a spoiled walk to me.

There's also the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which includes roughly the same distance walking, but less climbing and takes in the mountains of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales. The challenge is to complete it in 12 hours. This is the one my dad's going to do in the summer and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.

However, I'm rather inclined to agree with the great Alfred Wainwright:

Some people have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted. Walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort

Looks like a really nice walk, though. I'll have to try it myself one day.

Appalachian Trail, USA

Perhaps the queen of long distance tramps and certainly one of the best known, this trail runs from Maine all the way to Georgia, a total of about 2,200 miles. I can't begin to imagine the challenge of walking this all in one go but it's been done and must rank as one of the ultimate walking challenges. As for me, I wouldn't mind trying out a few sections. After all, it looks to pass through some really beautiful country.

Inca Trail, Peru

Famous for leading to the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes, the Inca Trail runs through beautiful wilderness and in places follows the original Inca routes through the mountains and forests. It's incredibly popular, so numbers are limited to protect the track. I'd really like to do this one day, but I think for now I'll settle for just seeing Machu Picchu. I don't fancy the idea of getting partway down the trail and falling ill with altitude sickness. Much better to have that happen when I'm nearer civilisation. Say, Cuzco?

So, there's a few options there - shorter walks in the UK to multi-day hikes across the world. I'd love to know if any of my readers has done any of the longer treks!

Where are your favourite hiking destinations? Do you dream of undertaking one of the world's great walks or have you already done it? Share in the comments below.

Lincolnshire's Wild Side: 5 Great Nature Reserves

Ambling around the countryside is one of my favourite things to do of a weekend afternoon. And in a county the size of Lincolnshire, there's plenty of places to go. Why not combine a gentle ramble with a bit of wildlife spotting and check out some of my favourite Lincolnshire nature reserves?

1. Far Ings National Nature Reserve, Barton-upon-Humber

Many moons ago, I used to volunteer at this excellent reserve on the south bank of the Humber Estuary. It's a beautiful place, with extensive reedbeds and scrubby woodland. You can spot waders of all kinds and if you're very lucky, you might hear the bitterns booming.

2. Alkborough Flats Nature Reserve, Alkborough

Just along the river from Far Ings (above), is this relatively new reserve near the little village of Alkborough. The old sea defences have been breached here to create new wetlands, with tidal pools positively brimming with birds. As with Far Ings, the site is great for spotting waders although it's worth keeping an eye out for Marsh Harriers too - you can also see these beautiful raptors at the Blacktoft Sands RSPB reserve across the other side of the River Trent.

3. Donna Nook National Nature Reserve

The biggest draw at Donna Nook is the grey seal colony, one of the largest in the UK. During the breeding season (November through January), it can get quite busy and access is restricted, but it's worth it to see the newborn pups - possibly the closest you'll get to such a large wild animal. In the off-season, there's great walking through the dunes and along the beach towards Saltfleet to the south and Grainthorpe to the north. Just watch out for the RAF bombing range.

4. Snipe Dales Country Park & Nature Reserve, Hagworthingham

A beautiful park in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds - partly forested while the rest is heathland. There are a few ponds where you can spot dragonflies and their ilk, while a stroll through the trees listening to birds singing (or yelling at you) is a great way to spend a few hours.

5. Tetney Blow Wells Nature Reserve, Tetney

A relatively small reserve, quiet and tucked out of the way, Tetney Blow Wells is lovely. The blow wells themselves are pools formed by springs and the rest of the site has woodland and reedbeds. For the history buffs, the area used to be home to a watercress farm and there are still a few bits of old pipe and whatnot laying around. It can get boggy in places, so make sure to stick to the path.

Honourable Mention: Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve

Adjoining the Donna Nook reserve, this is perfect for a wander during the former's off-season. You can walk quite a long way along the beach, but make sure to check the tides before you do so - it comes in quick along this coast and you wouldn't want to have to call the coastguard.

So that's 5 of my favourite nature reserves in Lincolnshire. Perfect for whiling away a weekend afternoon. What beautiful wild spaces are there near you? Are there any hidden green spaces right in your back yard? Why not share in the comments.

Snapshots: Barton

I took a trip up to Barton with my dad recently to walk along the Humber bank. It's a lovely walk - very peaceful with some great views and what with it being autumn the colours were amazing. Here's a few of my favourite photos.

Did you know? The Humber Bridge used to be the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world.

Getting lost in the reeds at Far Ings Nature Reserve.

Not many birds on the lakes though...

Cement works looking oddly pretty over at South Ferriby.

And finally, here's a light-boat.

Lincoln: 5 Things to See in an Afternoon

I took a Saturday afternoon trip to Lincoln a while back and it got me thinking. What would I recommend to a first time visitor to Lincoln? So, here's my list of 5 things you can see in Lincoln in an afternoon. Or a day if you don't walk ridiculously quick like I do!

1. The Collection

The Collection is a free museum just off Lincoln's famous Steep Hill. It houses a permanent collection of artefacts from the city's long history from the Stone Age through to almost the present day. In addition, it often hosts special exhibitions which are worth checking out - recent ones have included Lincolnshire's Great Exhibition displaying objects from important Lincolnshire moments and associated with more well known residents such as Sir John Franklin and Matthew Flinders.

If you're short on time, I'd suggest checking out the special exhibition if there is one and then these highlights from the Collection itself. The ancient dugout canoe from Fiskerton:

The Roman Mosaic found when they were building the lift shaft.

This beautiful piece of Viking metalwork.

A facsimile copy of the famous Lutrell Psalter.

And this awesome plesiosaur fossil, which I think is the specimen described HERE. 

2. Mediaeval Bishop's Palace

Tucked away to one side of the towering cathedral, the remains of the Bishop's Palace are a quiet retreat from the busy streets outside its walls. You can wander round it in about half an hour (I know, I've done it), but it's worth taking your time. Information boards are few and far between, so you should consider picking up the audio guide as well.

Basically, just wander round and enjoy the quiet for a while.

3. Lincoln Castle

The Castle is probably the most popular attraction in the city, but it's still worth a visit. The grounds are free to enter, but I'd at least take a walk around the walls - there's some amazing views out across the city and surrounding countryside from up there.

The absolute must-see at the Castle though, if you've any interest in history at all, is the Magna Carta Vault. The Castle is home to one of just four surviving copies of this historic important document and the Vault, opened in 2015, is its new home. So go and pore over the tiny writing and don't miss the two short films either.

4. The Guildhall

Lincoln's stunning Guildhall is still used for full council meetings and houses a great collection of objects, including an assortment of ceremonial swords, trophies and weird little oddments. Guided tours run on Fridays and Saturdays and are a great way to find out more not just about the Guildhall but also about the city's history.

You can find the Guildhall on the High Street - just look out for the big stone arch (the Stonebow) over the road. There's a big old door to one side and on tour days there should be a sign outside.

5. Steep Hill

Along the High Street you can find plenty of your typical, well, high street stores. But take a walk up the hill and you can find a whole host of little independent stores. This is the area called Steep Hill. It is, in fact, a steep hill.

There's an excellent tea shop (as in a shop that sells tea, not a cafe),  some cool little cafes but my favourite has to be Goodies Sweet Shop. This is tucked into the narrow lane that joins Steep Hill to the High Street and is a brilliant little old-fashioned place.

If you want to avoid the really steep section (identified by the lovely green hand rail and a bench to rest on at the top), you can cut away from the hill onto a couple of lanes that will bring you out either side of the steep bit.

Honourable Mention: The Cathedral

I haven't been into Lincoln Cathedral for years, so I can't comment on what the tours are like nowadays. If you just want to pop in and have a look around though, I recommend looking for the following: the Lincoln Imp, remnants of the paint which used to cover most of the stonework and the little statues that got their heads shot off by Roundheads during the Civil War. If you can get someone to tell you what's wrong with the statues, even better.

What are your favourite places in Lincoln? Are there any hidden gems to seek out?

Lincoln: Sunshine, history & museum etiquette

Took a little Sunday afternoon trip to Lincoln with my dad and sister at the weekend, seeing as how the weather decided to stay nice for a change and we needed some fresh air. We headed straight for the castle, having not been in it for, by my sister's reckoning, about 15 years (discounting those awful few times at the Christmas Market where you couldn't actually see the craft stalls because the crowd was so big you just had to go with it...)

Having been asked by the cashier if we wanted adult or child tickets (neither me nor sister having been child price for years) we headed up onto the walls to make the most of the sunshine before the rain inevitably set in. Some gorgeous views from up there (and some great little info boards) plus they were ringing the bells at the cathedral which is just across the way.

Having last properly visited the castle when I was still at primary school it was really rather nice to have a wander round the walls again, although like all things you revisit from your youth, I could have sworn the walls were bigger and took longer to walk when I last went.

On the plus side, because it's so long since we'd visited, the Lucy Tower was open again - my sister seems to recall it was closed to the public because it was falling down or something last time. So here's the inside of the tower and the graves of hanged prisoners buried within it.

Cheerful. The last bit of our wall walk was a trip up an incredibly narrow spiral staircase to the top of the Observatory Tower. Not sure I've ever been up such a narrow one. Indeed, my sister's a bellringer and has been up loads of the damn things and even she thought it was a bit tight. Anyhoo, there's some even more amazing views from the top of this tower - all the way out to the Belmont transmitting station out on the Wolds.

Wall walk completed, we headed into the old Victorian gaol to check out the newest attraction at the castle. Lincoln's had a copy of Magna Carta since the very beginning 800 years ago. Impressive, given that there's only 4 surviving copies of those original ones. So, of course, this being the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, Lincoln Castle has got itself a brand new Magna Carta Vault to display its treasured copy in, plus a copy of the Charter of the Forest issued around the same time. Alongside this there's a small cinema showing films to explain the history and impact that Magna Carta has had not only on Britain but on other nations and laws around the world.

I love this sort of stuff and I can't really remember having seen Magna Carta when I last went to the castle, so getting the chance to see it sounded pretty damn cool to me. Of course, there's a hell of a lot of other people who obviously wanted to see it too. Some of whom seemed to have no sense of what I like to call "museum etiquette". The first of which is "don't ignore the signs that say no photography". The second of which is "don't just shove in front of people to get a better view because those people are trying to have a look too, you ignorant little shit".

OK, so let's just say the display room isn't very big, there were a lot of people in it and I don't take kindly to people looking at me, deciding I'm not important and then standing directly in front of me when it was clear that I was trying to drink in the history. Fuck you, dickhead.

So I didn't get as good a look at Magna Carta as I might have liked, or the Charter of the Forest which I'd not even heard of up until then. The cinematic display was brilliant though - awesome graphics and detailed enough to keep me interested without (hopefully) boring those who weren't after too much depth.

Offense over lack of museum etiquette subsided, we headed into the gaol proper, including some little displays of artefacts uncovered during the construction of the Magna Carta Vault alongside more of life in the 30 years the gaol operated.

Got to say though, still my favourite and yet most feared place in the castle is the prison chapel. This is what it looks like from the pulpit.

See those mannequins? Scared the crap out of me as a kid and they're still bloody creepy now. Oh, and you see how there are partitions between each of the creepy ass mannequins? Part of something called the separate system, which effectively meant limiting contact between prisoners so they'd think on their sins and wouldn't rub off bad habits on each other. Claustrophobic as anything, as my sister kindly demonstrated.

Woo, out of focus photos. This is what happens when you try to take a photo over the top of a partition and you're too short to see the screen of your phone. Yay.

Anyway, creepy ass mannequins abandoned to their sermon, we had a quick wander around the grounds and then departed the castle in search of fluids, it being rather hot and us being rather dehydrated. Drinks got delayed when Amy wanted a photo taking with this dude.

There's a trail of these guys all the way round Lincoln to celebrate... commemorate... oh, whatever - they're to do with the 25 barons involved in making King John sign Magna Carta. We've already decided that we're going to have to go back and find them all. So far we've got these 3, plus one I forgot to take a pic of and 1 we spotted out the back of the castle.

All in all, a nice summer afternoon trip. Such fun...

More info on Lincoln Castle: http://www.lincolncastle.com/
More info about the Lincoln Barons' Charter Trail: http://www.lincolnbarons.com/
More info about the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary events: http://magnacarta800th.com/