DUNMAGLASS: A PROTEST

The Dunmaglass Wind Factory is now a done deal. It seems that nothing can stop the developers from vandalising a beautiful wilderness area. Even though strong arguments were put forward against the scheme by the John Muir Trust and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, they were ignored by Highland Council.

It seems that more and more of precious wild land will be taken away forever by the big business of wind energy companies. That seems inevitable.

Or is it?

These decisions are being made by politicians who are elected by you and me. However, in Scotland it seems that whoever is elected next May will be supporting the wind factories. This can only mean that they do not understand the appalling consequences of their decisions. The politicians seem united on this. Perhaps this is because they do not realise that a huge number of people are opposed to the schemes. If that is the case then we really should press home to them how much we despise these schemes. That way they might think twice before voting in favour of more Wind Factories.

So – how do we go about this?

How about a good old fashion peaceful protest? I have been in touch with both Cameron McNeish and Chris Townsend with a view to getting a bit of help in organising a protest on the Dunmaglass Estate in May on the TGO Challenge.

Both have been really quick to respond and wish me luck. Chris has given me a really great list of people and their contact details so that I can try to enlist more help from them. Cameron has written a very nice reply and also warns of impending disappointment as he has in the past tried to organise protest rallies but has found that unless thousands turn up then the media aren’t interested. That is a really really good point and one we should bear in mind from the outset.

These days, social media, like Blogs, Facebook and Twitter, can all help in getting a message out there to like minded people. Importantly it also gets the message out the to people who don’t necessarily agree with you but who would be nervous about your message spreading and becoming a cause.

I think with a little bit of a push we CAN organise something that the media would be interested in reporting. What form this protest will take I am not sure yet but in my opinion it must be peaceful, thought provoking and threaten the politicians’ jobs so that they sit up and take notice.

I will be writing to the neighbouring estates (Sigrid Rausing of neighbouring Coignafearn Estate is a high profile objector to the Dunmaglass scheme) to try and enlist their help too as well as high profile media figures known for their love of the hills.

Any ideas of what form of protest we can make will be gladly received. Please watch this space.

DUNMAGLASS DISGRACE

Renewable Energy Systems, Sir Jack Hayward and the Lib-Lab Highland Council are celebrating today the approval of a 33 turbine Wind Factory on Sir Jack’s estate at Dunmaglass in the Monadhliath. The Scottish Government’s Energy Minister, Jim Mather, said it also marked a further step towards greater use of "clean, green electricity" in Scotland.

RES’s PR company’s blurb put out on RES’s website mentions a reduction in the number of turbines from the original 36 to the “more modest” 33 but does not mention that each turbine will be taller than those first applied for and more powerful.

I remember walking through the Monadhliath in May of, I believe, 1998 and watching them construct the first windmill on top of Beinn Dubhcharaidh. They used a massive mobile crane and constructed an ugly bulldozed haul road to the top to enable the thing to be built. For the next three days, whenever I was near the top of anything, my eye was drawn to this excrescence.

That was also the year that Dunmaglass’s land agents, Bidwells, complained of walkers not shutting a gate on the estate. Everything in proportion, eh?

Chris Townsend of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland compiled the organisation’s submission to RES’s planning application; You can see that excellent submission HERE

Forget “Clean, Green Electricity” and all the other bollocks that will be trotted out to support this madness. This lot are in it solely for the money. RES, Sir Jack Hayward, the Highland Council and the Scottish Parliament should be hanging their heads in shame. 

I wonder how much explosive it takes to topple one of these generator towers? 

6:06pm – Edited to Add:

Once built, I wouldn’t fancy walking anywhere near these structures: read THIS from the Caithness Windfarms Information Forums 2010 (www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk) to be truly alarmed…

7:30pm: Edited to Add:

For two really excellent articles see Cameron McNeish’s take on it and Chris Townsend’s.

A CHRISTMAS STORY

I don’t remember seeing this one first time around – Better than Clarkson’s effort!

LIVE AID 1985

Like many, I watched BBC2 tonight with awe at the incredible effort Bob Geldof, Harvey Goldsmith, Midge Ure and their team put in twenty five years ago to produce a concert that was viewed across the world to raise over £150m for famine relief.

But the most compelling part of the show was the film that was played to two billion people worldwide. Whenever I watch it, the effect on me is always the same. It’s worthwhile to think on this at this time of the year.

PROVERBS TO PONDER OVER CHRISTMAS

I was sent an email this morning by my favourite daughter, entitled “LARRY’S PROVERBS.”

I know there are one or two amongst our congregation who are actually quite bright, so why they hang around here is anyone’s guess. Anyway, perhaps the brightest and best can add to the list?

1. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
2. 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
3. Remember, half the people you know are below average
4. He who laughs last, thinks slowest
5. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
6. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
7. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
8. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis?  Raise my hand.
9. What happens if you get scared half to death? Twice?
10. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
11. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?
12. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

GOING HOME

If any amongst our congregation are contemplating traveling over the Christmas Period then then perhaps this one’s for you. Thanks to my little brother with the hair for finding this wonderful woman!

Two styles – which do you prefer?

Or this one?

Isn’t she gorgeous?   sigh…..

22nd December: Edited to add:

Or – if you are really into this gurl…. you could try THIS STUDIO VERSION

TGO CHALLENGE 2011: (What is it with Day Two?)

I mentioned earlier that I have had a radical re-think about my route for 2011. Well, I have always fancied the ridge that starts with An Socach and goes over An Rhiabhachan, Creaggan Toll an Lochain, Sgurr na Lapaich and Carn nan Gobhar. It looks like a beauty from the map and so I have put it on the route for Day Two and a bit of Day Three. It looks like this from the air:

(Click image to enlarge – Viewed from  the north) 

(Click map to enlarge)

This year’s ‘Day Two’ was a whopper of a ridge walk from Sgurr nan Coireachan to Sgurr Thuilm and had the weather making us beat a retreat (very badly) to almost our starting point. So I am hoping for a bit of better weather this year please? If His Holiness, the Incredibly Irreverend Dave could have a bit of a chat with Him Upstairs, I would be grateful.

Thank you…

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Following a few of the blogs just lately, it seems appropriate to add some Christmas Music. This one is currently at the top of my list.

Bah Humbug!

And now: Make sure all the children are out of the room for Kevin Bloody Wilson’s Infamous take on Christmas. Be warned – Lots of obscenities, so if you don’t like that sort of thing, don’t watch this next one. You have been warned!

WHO KNOWS…

Old Mortality had this (the Fairport Convention version) on his blog and so this is a blatant pinch (but a better version?) Wasn’t she amazing?

I can play it over and over again and she just gets better each time. OM was right when he said that this is a time for looking back, evaluating and looking forward.

This led me to scamper around YouTube for some old favourites. I thought it was a bit early for Christmas Carols.

So many versions, but this one has everything “right”

There will be more Christmassy stuff coming along later when I feel a little more Christmassy…

ROUTE OF THE YEAR?

(Click Phil’s picture to enlarge)

Attentive members of the congregation will have vague recollections of Lord Elpus and me picking up an award for our TGO Challenge route this year. I have to say that this was a bit of a surprise to us both but we shouldered the burden of applied greatness with aplomb. Apart, that is, from a bit of a boast on the blog but hey! I am only human with all the associated frailties… And it has to be said that for the last few years Phil had been doing most of the route design anyway…

This year however, Lord Elpus and I are doing separate walks. Ooh Err!

In October and November I began jotting down on the blog some ideas for next year’s walk. (Here, here & here). Plans don’t always go smoothly and so now I am looking at a new route.

I like the idea behind this new innovation; the “Route of the Year” award, as it encourages Challengers to think more creatively. I have walked across Scotland quite a few times now (fifteen “official” TGO Challenges plus one “unofficial”) and so I find it not too difficult to devise a do-able route quite quickly. However, I am now having a re-think. I want this trip to be a little different.

(Click picture to enlarge)

When I designed my LEJOG route all those years ago, I knew I wanted to incorporate a whole load of things into my “once in a lifetime” walk. I believe I ended up with a magnificent stravaig; a personal “Route of a Lifetime,” in fact. When I was interviewed by Podcast Bob in Braemar, about two-thirds of the way through that walk, I remember towards the end of the interview saying that upon returning home after the walk, I wanted to change quite a few things that I felt were going wrong with my life as it was at the time.

(Click picture to enlarge)

Well, right now, my life is very difficult and I have decided that I need to look at each year in a completely new way - as though it will be my last. I want to squeeze everything I possibly can into what remains of it. So, with that in mind I want my 2011 TGO Challenge route to be another route of a lifetime.  I have until the end of January to get my route in to be vetted, but I know that I can prevaricate for Britain, so I need to get on with it straight away, otherwise I could well be burning the midnight oil at the end of January…

(Click picture to enlarge)

So – I had better get on with it then!

NORRIE MELROSE

Norrie, earlier this year

Alan Anderson emailed me this morning with some very sad news. Norrie Melrose passed away in the early hours this morning after a short illness.

Alan & Norrie were regular partners for many years on the TGO Challenge and to me, they epitomised everything that was good about the Challenge.

Norrie, TGO Challenge, 2005, Tarfside.

My best wishes go out to Norrie’s family and also to Alan, who I know will miss his friend enormously.

TGO CHALLENGE 2011: BLOGGERS

Bloggers in this picture: Martin Banfield, Mike Knipe, Shirley Worrall, Tony Bennett, Alan Sloman

This rather nice shot is from Humph Weightman.

There is quite a clutch of bloggers on the TGO Challenge for 2011. I have put this as a blog-post to help newcomers to the Challenge read about other Challengers’ trials and tribulations in planning for next year’s walk. Here is a list of the ones I know about. If you know of any that I have missed could you drop me a comment please? Many thanks.

So, in no particular order, here they are:

(12th December: Edited to add Gordon Green     2nd Edit to add Andrew Walker)

Phil Lambert    James Boulter   Helen Fisher    Laura Liddell    Geoff Gafford

Louise Evans     Martin Rye     Mike Knipe     Andy Howell     Shirley Worrall

Martin Banfield        Gayle & Mick       Tony Bennett       Kimberlie Dame    

Alan Sloman      Gordon Green      Andrew Walker

CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE

Dotting about YouTube for some personal favourites found me thinking about Christmas. Well, Pop Pickers! Here is my selection of those that made Number One.

I cheated a bit with the last one as I couldn’t stand the version by Alexandra Burke (she was on the “X Factor” I think… ‘nuff said) and so went with KD Lang and her powerful version on Jules Holland’s magnificent show. So much better. Did Leonard Cohen proud, she did. The best of the three.

CHRISTMAS 1969

CHRISTMAS 2003

CHRISTMAS 2008

IMAGINE

With today being the 30th Anniversary of John Lennon’s death I tried to find out how just many wars were going on in our world at the moment. The answer depends upon what you term a war. The best take I could find was on Wikipedia and if you are interested and want to be really depressed, you can find their answer by clicking HERE.

I GO TO THE PUB

Life can sometimes hang on a thread. Cut one essential service and everything gets a bit tricky.

It was minus six out in my back garden last night with freezing fog. This morning the village was covered in a thick hoar frost that resembled a blanket of snow. At ten o’clock this morning it was still minus three and the creaky old boiler was struggling to cope. But then at four minutes past ten there was a few funny clicking noises and then the internet was lost. The desk lamp went out.

The electricity was off. The power cut was pretty widespread throughout Huntingdonshire – apparently a sub-station had gone down. That meant that the gas central heating was off too, controlled electronically and the hot water pumped electrically too.

Living in a sixteenth century thatched cottage can be a primitive affair as some of the walls are made from mud and sticks, wafer thin. Within an hour the temperature in the house was plunging towards single figures and found me in the garage filling the log basket with wood.

The wood burning stove was to be my saviour but it had not been lit this year and so before I could light it I needed to warm the incredibly cold air in the chimney – or it would sit there as a huge cold plug that would hold the smoke in the cottage. An old camping stove and  half a 250g gas canister did the job and sometime after midday I had a fire going. A quick check on the thermometer showed the sitting room to be at 11.5 deg C and my office upstairs at 9.3 deg C. My toes were numb with cold.

With the only heating in the house being in the sitting room and the computer as dead as a dodo, the house phone not working, there was nothing for it but to join the rest of the village in the pub. Lighting by candlelight, roaring fires and a pad of paper and a pencil acting as the till we kept a stiff upper lip. It was the Blitz Spirit.

With darkness enveloping the village I trudged through the freezing afternoon air back to the cottage. The temperature inside had climbed a few degrees to a giddy twelve or thirteen. But still no power until, magically at some time after four the lights flickered back on. Alas, the gas boiler did not.

In my freezing office, the internet was scanned for problems with boilers and heating control devices. Now I am not a practical man. Dishwashers defeat me. Washing machines are worrisome. I stare vacantly at broken Vacuum cleaners.

BUT NOT THIS TIME! I am a heating engineer extraordinaire! Pushing in the reset button on the controller and squeezing various slidey switches and clicking big red clicky buttons did the trick and a smidgeon over two hours of cussing and swearing and bruised knees on cold kitchen floor tiles meant that by 6:30 the old girl rumbled into life.

Watching Newsnight, my toes are only now coming back to life.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word…

Just in from the Island of Ireland from young Michael…

Strange, as I was looking for this particular song the other night.

Stokowski plays Bach

As my family will know, I find this music inspirational.

Some might consider Stokowski’s Bach to be a bastardisation but it is worth remembering that many people would never have found a doorway into the world of Bach had Stokowski not put one there for them. Let's not be snobs about it: Stokowski's Bach is musical sorcery of the best sort. (Lifted from Wikipedia)

There are times when you need a bit of an emotional lift, so for those in need of one right now, turn up your speakers and sit back and let it flood your senses.

Turn up your volume to eleven

The second part

There! What did you make of that then?