Jeff – Page 64 – About Stuff

July 24, 2016

Glastonbury Tor

Pic of the week 24/7/16

On Friday evening (22 July) at circa 7pm, Sam, Becky & I went up Glastonbury Tor. (Sophie didn’t come: wasn’t feeling too well/exercise/dogs – select excuse as you see fit!)

After a lovely sunny rain, their was the odd spit of rain as we set off but, following my leadership (insistence!) we persevered, albeit Becky with umbrella as we approached the foot of the Tor.

But the rain stopped as we began our ascent and we were rewarded with far reaching views, across as far as to Bridgwater Bay – I was surprised to be able to make out the two square blocks of Hinkley Point power station.

A pleasant way to spend an hour of a summer’s evening, to be reminded of what a beautiful part of the world we live. Couldn’t pick out our house, though, from the top of the Tor.

July 18, 2016

Graveling the garden

Saturday 16 July 2016

I graveled the patch of garden at the foot of the deck/new build. It took a bit of a hammering during the build and we decided that, for both aesthetic and maintenance reasons, we would gravel over the small patch of lawn. Its a part of the garden that we’ve found we use a lot, although it is mainly a thoroughfare between deck and seating area where the old summer house was.

First up, I sprayed the area with weedkiller to kill of what lawn had survived, and then laid down weed suppressant fabric:

I bought I “bulk bag” (aprox 800Kg) of gravel from Bradfords – with delivery came to circa £65.

It arrived at about 8.45 am and then came the task of barrowing it all from the front to the back. Reckon it took about two hours to move it all and spread it out (including time for a tea break!)

and I am pleased with the results. Looks good!

July 17, 2016

Let her go – Strawberry Switchblade

Track of the week 17/7/16
Always somewhat of a one hit wonder – “Since Yesterday” being that hit – I was pleasantly surprised to discover this track by Strawberry Switchblade.

Apparently, this was a much bigger hit in Japan than “yesterday.”

Not sure which I now prefer – not that it matters, I’ll just listen to both!

July 17, 2016

Smashed it!

Pic of the week 17/7/16

Personal bests? Smashed them all today. Ran the 7k run today for the first time since my knee injury in January, and, boy, did I boss it.

Have been running the 6K Tor View run a lot recently, which I think is actually tougher than the 7K run due to the whacking great hill in the middle. The 7K run is essentially flat.

It was still, and humid and warm this morning and I set of at a cruise – not aiming to go particularly fast or slow, just to run. But have been feeling fit of late and the first 2Ks clocked in easily. However, it was when the time for the 4thK came in at 18 mins something that I realised that I could be looking at a sub 24 minute 5K and so I kept up the pace, hitting 5k in 23:39. Was on the flat, just kept going still to hit 6K at 28:23 and, by the time I hit the hill at the end of 7K I’d done enough to get a 7K time of 33:29.

Am impressed with those times – will struggle to beat them, I think, but proud of being sub 24/29/34 for 5, 6 & 7K.

July 12, 2016

Lets Get Small – Trouble Funk

Track of the week 10/7/16
Whilst at the “British Summer Time” Festival (basically, Take That in Hyde Park) I was reminded over the power of a serious sound system in a field and remembered being blown away by hearing Trouble Funk at Glastonbury in 1987. It was a Sunday afternoon and I’d never heard anything like it before.

To get the full effect, they need to be loud and live, but this week’s track of the week is a 29 year trip down memory lane.

July 12, 2016

Take That

Pick of the week 10/7/16

Went to BST to see Take That in Hyde Park on Saturday.

A long day, left early, parked in Osterly tube station (easy – do so again), went into “town” before heading to Hyde Park.

Hung out in a field with my (beautiful) wife for eight hours until the main event – and they were fab!

Don’t get the whole “festival thing” (and this was festival lite) – lots of sitting around in a field waiting (at least the weather was OK!), I think there is an element of Emperor’s new clothes about festivals, but was worth it for the main event. Take That were brilliant (would have expected nothing less). Would do it again, but would arrive until later in the day.

July 8, 2016

3K

Wednesday 6th July 2016 – Swam 3K in 1 hour 5 min 25 secs

It just felt right. Pool was relatively empty, time was on my side and I just decided to keep plodding on for 90 lengths.

Took over an hour – am amazed that I can swim (front crawl) constantly for more than an hour. The hardest thing is just copping with the time in the pool (i.e. not getting bored!) than the physical. Will do it again sometime. Chuffed that I’ve done it.

July 4, 2016

72

I have a new distance – 72 lengths, or 1.5 miles. First swam it on Wednesday 29 June ’16, was ploughing up and down the lanes and I felt on fire (if you can be on fire in a swimming pool!) so did a bit of mental maths to determine what was a sensible extension to 6o lengths and came up with 72 lengths, or 1.5 miles.

Have swum it three times now, time about 51 ish minutes. Once you get to the sixty lengths of 2K, adding another 12 is no big deal, and that’s the mindset that has seen me hit this target. Last summer, I’d do twenty lengths, soon added another 4 to make it half a mile. I think it was the start of the Christmas hols that I pushed myself to 30 length – 1K – and I was chuffed with that. 30 lengths now just seems like a walk in the park. Small increments every time.

So what next? The logical next step would be 90 lengths – 3K. That would involve swimming for over an hour – quite a big physiological step, but a goal to aim for before the end of the summer hols …

July 3, 2016

Glittering Prize – Simple Minds

Track of the week 3/7/16
The summer holidays – my very own glittering prize.

When I used to drive to and from work, I would always play this on my way home from school in the last few days of the school year. The long summer holiday hoved into view and you could catch a glimpse of the shimmering, glittering prize that is eight weeks off, eight weeks to do your own thing, eight weeks to be your own man.

Like a Glittering Prize
I saw up on a clear day
First taking hearts
Then our last breath away

And now the hols are once again upon us, that glittering prize is firmly in my grasp.

July 3, 2016

Prom Queen!

Pic of the week 3/7/16

Hard to believe it, but Sophie has finished Year 11 and Thursday was her leavers’ assembly and then Prom Night in the evening.

Where have all the years gone? I still remember my little girl toddling around Crewkerne, and here she is now all (nearly) grown up having finished her GCSEs.

One very proud Dad.