Kinpurney Hill (NO 322417, 345m) Henderston Hill (NO 338414, 369m) Auchterhouse Hill (NO 354397, 424m) Balkello Hill (NO 361394, 397m) Craigowl (NO 376399, 455m) 19 kilometres 720 metres ascent Back in 1971, I walked this part of the Sidlaws with my late friend Brian. We got the bus to Newtyle, and hiked across to Charleston … Continue reading Sidlaws: Kinpurney to Craigowl
fɔəˈɡəʊ forgo: To abstain from, go without, deny oneself If that word looks a little odd to you, it’s perhaps because you’ve seen it written “forego” more often than “forgo”. But forego is a different word, meaning “to go before, or in advance of”. At a Burns Supper, a few may be tempted to forgo … Continue reading Forgo
We’ve been watching Levison Wood‘s Channel 4 series Walking the Himalayas. (And I’ve now reviewed his book of the series here.) The Boon Companion and I had to fight down a wave of nostalgia during the second episode, having spent a happy couple of weeks in Kashmir back in the early 80s, albeit followed by … Continue reading Graeme Dingle & Peter Hillary: First Across The Roof Of The World
Christmas Day’s full moon made me decide to make my first post of the New Year about a resolution—specifically, the resolution of the human eye. (See what I did, there?) We’re so used to images of the full moon like the one above, it’s difficult to remember that, until the invention of the telescope in … Continue reading New Year / Resolution
LORD, IF ONE MORE PERSON tells me that giving an anaesthetic is like flying a plane, I will swing for them, I really will.
This is a gorgeous book. Pen & Sword have done Mike Loades proud with the production values—it’s nicely laid out, beautifully illustrated, and has a deeply satisfactory heft to it. Even if you don’t recognize his name, Loades may be familiar to you if you watch the occasional historical documentary. I most recently caught sight … Continue reading Mike Loades: Swords and Swordsmen
… and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 ɡəʊld Gold: The most precious metal, characterized by its yellow colour The word gold comes to English through the Germanic languages, and its origin can be traced all the way back to a Proto-Indo-European root … Continue reading Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh
Go to first post of this build log I’ve just been watching the second episode of season four of Fringe, which features a serial killer whose apartment is stuffed with plastic model kits, for no reason that involves the plot. In fact, no-one comments on it. They’re just there, in the background on all the … Continue reading Airfix 1/72 Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King: Part 2
Rest well, and dream of large women. If the quotation above doesn’t immediately ring a bell, then this book may well not be for you. How about: There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. Or, indeed, the title of this book: As you wish. They’re … Continue reading Cary Elwes: As You Wish
You’ll perhaps recall that when I finally got around to reading Arthur Arnold Dietz’s book, Mad Rush For Gold In Frozen North, I was a little bemused to discover it was a pretty obvious fake (at least in parts) given its widely accepted status as one of the classics of Gold Rush memoirs. My original … Continue reading Mad Rush For Gold In Frozen North: Supplement