All posts by Oikofuge

South Pacific: Part 1 – Rapa Nui

  You won’t find “islomania” in a dictionary, but the phenomenon exists, just the same. Thurston Clarke, Islomania (2002) islomania A passion or craze for islands. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition (1989) It seems Thurston Clarke just needed a better dictionary, but at least he drew the word islomania to the attention of a wider … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 1 – Rapa Nui

Which Place Gets The Most Daylight?

So this puzzle isn’t about sunshine (the amount of time the sun shines from a clear sky), or even about the intensity of sunlight (which decreases with increasing latitude), but about cumulative daylight—the length of time between sunrise and sunset in a given place, added up over the course of a year.* It’s a surprisingly … Continue reading Which Place Gets The Most Daylight?

Braes Of The Carse: Kinnoull to Murrayshall

Kinnoull Hill (NO 136228, 222m) Deuchny Hill (NO 152236, 232m) Murrayshall Hill (NO 164253, 279m) Westhill (NO 169237, 213m) Taymount (NO 167228, 154m) Binn Hill (NO 157226, c165m) 17.2 kilometres 643m of ascent Another exploration of the Braes of the Carse, this time their extreme western end above Perth. As with my previous walk in … Continue reading Braes Of The Carse: Kinnoull to Murrayshall

Airfix 1/24 Wallis WA-116 Agile Autogyro: “Little Nellie”

This kit was first released fifty years ago. It’s a model of a real aircraft, the Wallis WA-116 Agile autogyro, designed by Ken Wallis and built in extremely limited numbers (five!) in 1962. It achieved fame because one aircraft, G-ARZB, was kitted out with some splendid yellow-and-silver livery and simulated weapons for the 1967 James … Continue reading Airfix 1/24 Wallis WA-116 Agile Autogyro: “Little Nellie”

Walk The Line: Three Travel Books About Lines Of Latitude

Before a journey a map is an impersonal menu; afterwards, it is intimate as a diary. Thurston Clarke, Equator: An Epic Journey (1988) It’s a rare sub-genre of travel writing, the business of following a line of latitude and seeing where it takes you. Over the years I’ve put together a trio of such books, … Continue reading Walk The Line: Three Travel Books About Lines Of Latitude

Braes Of The Carse: Fingask Circuit

Swirlhead Hill (NO 210283, 257m) Hill of Franklyden (NO 214300, 303m) Hoole Hill Southwest Top (NO 221305, 277m) Hoole Hill (NO 226310, 297m) Pittmiddle Hill (NO 236298, 279m) Kinnaird Hill (NO 231292, 250m) Craighead (NO 234281, 167m) 19.8 kilometres 665m of ascent So, it’s been a while since I had one of my free-style walks, … Continue reading Braes Of The Carse: Fingask Circuit

Kit Pedler & Gerry Davis: Three Novels

None of us set out to do anything more than be technically ingenious. We succeeded and London nearly died. Surely that’s more than enough to make us redirect our activities. The next time it may be the whole world. Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters (1971) Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis were a writing duo active … Continue reading Kit Pedler & Gerry Davis: Three Novels