ICHF Chilterns Craft and Design Show 2013

We are half way through the ICHF Chilterns Craft and Design Show at Stonor Park near Henley on Thames.

I was unable to do a post sooner as my bad back is really painful right now and has been since last Thursday.

It's our 3rd time at this popular show and we have lots of new photos and show offers. Our stand is C19. Open 9.30am to 5.30pm.

My back has been most painful first thing in the morning and improves through the day. Having treatment Tuesday. Hoping for a miracle cure!

Sekonic Blog Post on My use of their Light Meters

I have used Sekonic light meters for a long time to work out what exposure settings to use on my Mamiya film cameras. Somehow Sekonic found my work on the web and have now done a blog post about me and the use of their light meters.

You can find it here: Sekonic Blog Post 2013. It was also on Twitter.
This is what it looks like.

Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk The End!

After a hearty breakfast at Lisvane bed and breakfast in Grosmont we were on the move by 8.45am. No sausage scares for Al so all was well with the world!

All uphill for a couple of miles then across heather moors and down to Littlebeck. The section from here was a quite interesting woodland gorge. Al did his daily silly bugger turn at the hermits cave (see photo).

Al playing silly buggers in the hermits cave

Falling Foss waterfall had little water but was still quite picturesque through the trees.

We diverted across footpaths over heather moors to High Hawsker and the Hare and Hounds pub by 12.45 pm. The Theakstons Black Bull Bitter and Thwaites Wainwright Ale were both in good form, as was the enormous BLT baguette.

The final leg was along the cliff tops in sunshine to Robin Hoods Bay.

Robin Hoods Bay from less than a mile to go! 

We made a bee-line for the shoreline, fortunately it was high tide so not far to go, and paddled in the sea to finish the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk which we started on 5th July 2011. A total time of 2 years 1 month.

Next was a celebratory drink or two of Theakston's Bitter in the Bay Hotel and signing of the official register.

Bay Hotel Robin Hoods Bay

The celebrations continued into the evening as Jan and Carol, our wives, arrived. We had a good meal at the Dolphin and a few pints of Old Peculiar to round off the trip.

Al at the end

Wainwright Coast to Coast Lion Inn to Grosmont

After a hearty breakfast at the Lion Inn at Blakey we left at 9am heading for Grosmont.

It was dry all day, with lots of sunshine, until we went to the pub at the end of the day when it rained.

The first 10 miles was across open moors with just sheep for company, and Al. Then we went down into Glaisdale where we had our first break at 12.10pm, at the Arncliffe Arms and a pint of Beggars Bridge bitter.

Then it was down the hill through the trees to the old Beggars Bridge. I took this on my proper camera, my Mamiya 7, as it was a good shot. Al also posed on the bridge, he likes posing!

Saw a Kingfisher flash by just above the water as I was taking shots. Always good to see, the river must be in a good state.

Next was The Horseshoe Hotel at Egton Bridge at 1.30pm. The Men of Steel bitter was very tasty as we sat in the beer garden in the sun. The bottom of the glass was amusing, it read Get T' Bar, the message was recorded for posterity by both of us (see below)!

Just round the corner was The Postgate, still in Egton Bridge, at 2.25pm. Just time for a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord before it closed at 3pm. Had to wait for a new barrel and it was excellent.

Finally we walked along the flat estate track to Grosmont and our final 'lunchtime' pint at the Station Tavern 4pm. This time it was the local Strongarm bitter.

Our bed and breakfast place is near the pub so we returned to the Station Tavern for some food, and the odd pint! We are currently on about 15 miles per gallon, of beer!

After a bit over 2 years we finish the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk tomorrow in Robin Hoods Bay.

All photos taken on my Samsung Galaxy S3, except the one taken by Al on his HTC phone.

Beggars Bridge, Glaisdale

Arncliffe Arms Glaisdale

Al and The Horseshoe Hotel Egton Bridge

Al Playing Silly Buggers on Beggars Bridge

The Postgate Egton Bridge

My only train photo, ever!

Left, Copyright Al Hardacre, Right, bottom of my glass

Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk Clay Bank to Lion Inn Blakey

We had to be up early today as Andrea, our landlady at Newlands House in Great Broughton, had to go to a funeral in Middlesborough. Breakfast was at 7.30am, followed by a lift to the pass where we finished the official route yesterday. We were well looked after!

Readers will be relieved to hear that Al remembered his sausage today but forgot to eat it until we had arrived at the pub. I should add that it was a different sausage to the one that is now considered lost from yesterday.

We were walking by 8.30am, along the edge and onto the moors above. It was another warm, dry day.

The landscape was not the most inspiring, mostly flat so I took no photos until we reached our destination, the Lion Inn, just 9miles today. The ones here were taken on my mobile. Lots of dogs in the pub tonight so my asthma and allergies were not good.

I had a pint of Wainwright followed by a couple of Old Peculiars. We then had a break and rechecked the Old Peculiar this evening. By the end of the evening we were down to 15mpg for this 3-day section of the walk. Tomorrow we head to Grosmont.

Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk Ingleby to Clay Bank Top

Today Big Al and I walked from Ingleby to Great Broughton, continuing the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk that we started 2 years ago. 

This shot was taken from the last craggy section today,  near Clay Bank Top, taken on my phone and converted to black and white.

 Earlier today Al prepared a sausage sandwich from his breakfast. Unfortunately, he left it in our room instead of bringing it with him. It wouldn't have been so bad but he was whingeing about it all day! 

He also lost a Sigg water bottle near the end of the day, as we made our way to our accommodation for the night. He thinks it was while we limboed under a fallen tree trunk across the path, at least that provided a bit of variety for the whingeing. 

The day started with a long slog up through forest,  so no views. Then it opened out as we reached the moors above. Lots of ups and downs, in fact over 4100 feet of ups and downs. A  few rocks and crags near the end of the day but not that inspiring compared to what I'm used to in the Peak District. 

Saw a live mole right beside the path. Completely oblivious to us being there and to think Al had used moleskin on his feet to prevent blisters. Rather insensitive I thought! 

It was about 12.5 miles from Ingleby to Clay Bank Top, mostly in sunshine. We were unable to get hold of our hosts for the night for a lift so we decided to walk the extra 2.5 miles to Great Broughton as it was still early, just 2.45pm in fact. Unfortunately all the pubs were shut when we reached the village. 

This evening we ate in the Jet Miners pub and had a couple of Cumberland Ales, even though we are in Yorkshire! Then we moved on to the Bay Horse and they had Snecklifter, one of my favourite beers, so we stayed for a few here. Our beer mileage for the trip is about 21mpg as we couldn't find anywhere open at lunchtime. 

Early start tomorrow as our landlady needs to go to a funeral. We're being well looked after at Newlands House though and will have a lift back to the start on Clay Bank Top, saving about an hour. 

Wainwright Coast to Coast Part 3

After 3 days in the Yorkshire Dales we moved on to North Yorkshire to resume our 3 year trip along the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk.

I'm doing it with good friend Al, from Gloucester. Al tells me I have to say hello to everyone following our progress in Australia. Hello! Condolences on losing the Ashes series!

We started in the Swan in Danby Wiske with a couple of pints of Gun Dog Bitter. Al could only manage one as he had to drop off his car at our end point for the day.  Off to a good start one way or another!

The walk from here was across fields on slippery, muddy tracks in flat lands. Dry and really overcast. Not the best walking country!  No photos, I didn't even carry my tripod.

We arrived at 4.30pm but had to wait until 5.30pm to check-in at the Blue Bell Inn. After dumping our luggage in the room we retired to the bar for a couple of pints of Blue Bell bitter.

After a quick wash and brush up we resumed our session with Blue Bell bitter. The Theakstons bitter was well under par so we stayed on Blue Bell all night.

Tomorrow is forecast to be a better day weather wise along the Cleveland Edge. Hope Al manages to avoid the dreaded chafing that he usually suffers on these trips!

An Erratic Day in the Yorkshire Dales

Today was a short walk of just 9.5 miles from Austwick to Clapham and back.

We started an hour or so earlier than our friends so that we could take photos of the nearby Norber Erratics. These are large boulders brought down by glaciers and dumped on softer limestone. The limestone erodes leaving the big boulder sitting on small legs.

The photo here was one of two such rocks that I photographed today. This was taken with my Samsung Mobile phone.

Lots of limestone pavement on top of Norber too. Have started thinking about possibly running a course based here in Austwick. 

Lunch was in the New Inn in Clapham,  well actually outside as it was warm and sunny. A couple of pints of Copper Dragon Bitter went down well then it was back to Austwick. About 9.5 miles in total. 

Preparation for Coast to Coast Last Leg

We're in the Yorkshire Dales with friends walking the hills, taking some photos.

It's also a bit of last minute training for the last leg of the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk that I started with good friend Al 2 years ago. We are going to take 5 days to walk the 60 miles from Danby Wiske to Robin Hoods Bay, starting Monday.

Yesterday we had a good day on Pen-y-Gent before big Al arrived, a 15 mile day. This included a break at the Crown in Horton to sample the Old Peculiar, which was on fine form, followed by a few pints of Nutty Black in the evening.

Today we walked to Giggleswick and back to Austwick, an 11 mile day. There were a few showers today but it was nice enough to sit outside at lunchtime. I had a couple of pints of Great Bear from a local brewery. Back on Nutty Black tonight.

The only photo today was taken at the pub at lunchtime on my phone. There were some good spells but not with views that I wanted to take. Maybe tomorrow will be better for photography.

Pen-y-Gent in the sunshine

Had a good day on Pen-y-Gent in the Yorkshire Dales. It was my fifth time on the peak and the first in good weather,blue sky and white fluffy clouds.

Took just over 2 rolls of Ilford FP4 with my Mamiya 7 camera, so just over 20 shots.

Some from the top towards Ingleborough and some of the mountain from below. The image here was taken on my Galaxy S3 phone, edited with Snapseed.

Came back from Horton to Austwick over Moughton Scar. It was raining as we came over here so it's one to come back to. It's an enormous area of limestone pavement with steep cliffs.