Very unsupervised.

Top BS5 in a lorry action!

Here I am at a show for work in charge of a lorry with a tail lift. I'm unsupervised with the keys.

What could possibly go awry?

Getting on with it.

Here we are at last getting to grips with decorating and really getting about it.

Down to the brick where the plaster is done for and some damp proof and scratch coat before building back up and plastering.

I may have a new lodger next month and hopefully he'll find a sorted house!

Invasion!

This was taken on the way back home today just into Cumbria. It may look like a cloud but I think it's a spaceship surveying northerners.

Water sight to behold!

Today we have been to High Force a 68 ft drop waterfall on the river Tees in the north east. Loud, torrential and spectacular. Thanks to my friend Paul for recommending it. The spray and the noise and the spectacle were terrific! The waterfall has been at this stage of the river for about 11,500 years.

Holiday reading.

Thirty years ago when holidays came around with my Mum and Dad and my fantastic brothers, there would be an added excitement to the weeks - a holiday special from the Beano, Dandy or Buster. This was purchased a day or two before departure and lovingly saved to read in bed on a holiday morning to add to the excitement and anticipation of the day. It was always a larger format edition with a very colourful and exciting cover and longer stories.

Now nearly forty years old and holidaying alone with BS7, it hasn't changed much, save for the medium. I purchased a book on my whizzy iPad and have been savouring it each morning this week, mixed with anticipation of the day ahead and the train, castle, garden, museum, bookshop or event that we will see together.

The holiday book is called Go, Go, Go! It is an insider's account of the Iraninan Embassy siege at Princes Gate in 1980, broken up and concluded by the Special Air Service. Aged only 8 at the time, my Special Forces Skills were still in their infancy and I was not called in, so it is enjoyable to read the account.

The book is choc' full of drama and bloke-friendly illustrations just like this one. On reading the background it is an irony that the siege takers were protesting against Ayaltollah Khomeini and fundamentalist Islam becoming the cornerstone of Iran just the year before . All the siege takers were after was more democracy in Arabistan. Once they'd killed a hostage though, it only went one way.

It's a great book!

Mpg geek post.

On Monday BS7 and I drove this far. Just the two of us but quite a lot of kit on board. We drove long motorway miles up to Cumbria and then took a right on the A66 right across the moors. All in all 52.7 mpg is pretty smart across 300 very varied miles for a car with 103k on the clock.

Thank you VX 52.

I'm sure bridges and trains and stuff will follow this holiday week.

Get in!

Oh yes! Now that ipad2 purchase reaches justification.

:-)

North Devon County Show

Today we have been to the title of this post and it was just 4miles from our holiday base in north Devon.

The show ticked all the boxes for a Blog BS5 country show visit:

1 Large moo cows
2 A well made pork pie
3 tractors and farm machinery to have a gander at (not pictured here)

Great sunshine and a country pub pint of the way home. Ideal.

The Devil's Bridge.

These are the Tarr Steps, a 'clapper' bridge on the river Barle in Devon. They are about 1000 years old and each crossing stone weighs about five tons. The bridge was allegedly built by the Devil to win a bet. I don't think he was about when we pitched up but we saw a horse, plenty of children and dogs , and a couple of land rovers that crossed the river. Inevitably there were chav types who parked up as close as possible to avoid the car park charge and a walk, thus blocking it for other drivers.

Anyhow we had a right old time of it crossing back and forth and splashing about.

Top bridge action!

Lynton and Lynmouth.

This is the Lynton and Lynmouth railway with two carriages that are counterbalanced by water alone.

As the bottom one releases its water so the top one becomes heavier and begins to travel. It drops 500 feet down on a steep 800 foot track and pulls its partner up. The whole thing recycles water and uses no oil, fuel or electricity. It is in Devon and has been in operation since 1890. 40 passengers per carriage and no harm to the environment. It's £1.50 each way and a right old caper. We had fish and chips on the beach at the bottom and then explored the shore. Perfect English holiday.