West Wycombe

One of the amazing Red Kites that are a familiar site all over West Wycombe.
At one stage in the early 20th Century they were almost extinct.
The reintroductions in The Chilterns have been a particular success. They really are a magnificent bird. Between 1989 and 1993 90 birds were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. By 2002, 139 pairs were breeding in the area, a real success story.



The unmistakable church of St Laurence perched high on West Wycombe Hill with the famous 'Golden Ball' at the top of the tower. Sunday worship at 11am each week.


It was a steep climb up the hill to the Mausoleum

The Dashwood Residence

A view of the Dashwood Mausoleum taken from the top of the Belltower at
St Laurence Church West Wycombe. It was a long climb up but well worth the
effort as youwill see from the other photos.


West Wycombe is a lovely, though tiny, village, comprised of a single high street of timber and flint buildings, on the outskirts of which sits the magnificent seat of the Dashwood family, the beautifully Palladian West Wycombe Park.

On the summit of the steep conical hill across the road from the house, is the immense Dashwood Mausoleum, behind which towers the strange golden ball that sits uneasily on top of the church of St Lawrence. Meanwhile, hewn out of the hillside beneath are a series of caves, reached via an entrance that has been fashioned to resemble a gothic church and which adds to the overall essence of eccentricity with which the overall estate seems to made up of.

The person responsible for all this was Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), a man whose name has become a byword for hedonistic debauchery, and who is today best remembered as a leading light in the most infamous of all the so-called “Hell Fire” clubs.

Around Rutland Water

Carrot Creek

Normanton Church

Canadian Goose with young.



One of the many lovely country cottages on the Hambleton Peninsula


The weather this weekend has been scorching hot so the opportunity to go for a spot of walking and birding around Rutland was too good to miss.

My usual birding buddy Barry was in the driving seat on this occasion , something I was later to be very glad of..... After over indulging on Cider, San Miguel and Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer...

Rutland is the smallest County in England, By surface area it has the largest reservoir in England.

It was construction in 1975 by damming the Gwash Valley near Empingham. It flooded six or seven square kilometres of the Gwash valley as well as the side valley at the head of which lies Oakham. Nether Hambleton and most of Middle Hambleton were demolished. The neighbouring village of Upper Hambleton survived, and now sits on a peninsula within the lake known as the Hambleton Peninsula. This is where we parked up and planned to walk.

Photography Competition

It's lovely to escape from the desk for half an hour or so...

I have my own little Oasis where I escape to most days for some quiet and reflective space and time.

The backdrop to this beautiful walk is the Barclaycard building which I have tried to capture in the two photographs as it is always looming large.

Despite being in the middle of an industrial estate there is plety of wildlife including Deers, Foxes and Badgers.

Also I have recorded over forty different bird species so far- not bad for an urban area!

Refreshed I head back to the hustle and bustle of the IT world after my blast of the natural world.




Wonderful is the word I would use to describe my bike journey into the Barclaycard site in Northampton.

The colours, the scenery and the widlife all change with the seasons. I see the sun rise and set, the Swans, Ducks and Rabbits all become 'old' friends.

All this to a constant backdrop of the 'drone' that is the dual carriageway which runs parallel but thankfully out of sight of the cycle path.

I arrive at work invigorated and fully motivated knowing I can do it all over again at the end of the day.

The biggest irony being that it is actually quicker than taking the car !



I saw on the internet at work a competition that involved taking a photograph loosely based on a work theme.
The brief gave a lot of scope and tied in with the core values promoted. The photo/s had to be accompanied with a write up of up to a 100 words why you took the photos.

These are my two entries :

Within Temptation - Antwerp

A true Angel


The Nun - With Thanks Stephen - Must be a story there?

With Stephen after his final gig


A tribute to the Tour Manager











Our Hotel was literally over the road from the Koningin Elisabethzaal so we didn't set off until 19:30. Also pre-booked seats so it didn't mean an early start and a long queue which was a pleasant change.
It was an extremely laid back atmosphere inside the venue more reminiscent of a night a the theatre. I suppose it was appropriate as this was an acoustic tour or so I thought??.
Not only was it to be the last night of the Tour it was also Drummer Stephen Van Haestregts last concert after 10 years with WT. He is leaving to concentrate on producing, recording and mixing other bands. Also he is involved with another musical project “My Favorite Scar”.
The first half started with 'Towards the End' followed by fantastic acoustic versions of 'Caged', 'Stand My Ground', 'Somewhere' and 'The Cross' one of my personal favourites. There were two backing musicians playing violin and Cello which fitted perfectly with the surroundings.
Suddenly acoustic guitars were swapped for electric there was a rush to the stage front and we were treated to a full out Rocking version of 'Heart Of Everything'. The crowd went wild - was this a sign of things to come for after the interval.
The second half picked up where the first ended with a pulsating version of Jilian (I'd give my heart). Followed by 'Angels' before continuing in an acoustic manner with 'Forgiven', 'Memories', 'Utopia' and 'What Have You Done'. The tempo was soon picked up again with such classics as 'The Howling','Mother Earth' and 'Ice Queen'.
We also had a giant inflatable 'Nun' dedicated 'With Thanks Stephen', although i'm not entirely sure of the significance.
This was a fantastic gig pure musical genius. Don't get me wrong I love a few pyros and extravagant light show but they were not missed tonight. Altogether we had twenty one songs and this was a tribute to the strength of Sharon's vocal power.
Stephen got a wonderful and emotional send off and was greeted on stage by his wife and young son.
It was great to have a chat with him after the show and wish him all the best for the future.
Altogether a fantastic trip and concert that has jumped into my top 3 Gig list.

Full track list as follows :

First Half :

• Towards The End
• Pale
• Caged
• Stand My Ground
• Somewhere
• The Cross
• Frozen
• All I need
• Heart Of Everything

Second Half

• Jilian (I'd give my Heart)
• Angels
• Forgiven
• Memories
• Utopia
• What Have You Done
• Hand Of Sorrow
• The Howling
• Truth Beneath The Rose
• Mother Earth
• Our Solemn Hour
• Ice Queen
  

Antwerp - Central Station and Zoo

Central Station - Antwerp


The trip to see Within Temptation started by train from Northampton to Euston. Followed by a short walk to St Pancras where I met up with Trevor to catch the Eurostar to Brussells.
From Brussells we then caught a very smart double decker train to Antwerp.
The railway station at Antwerp is stunning. Designed by Louis Delacenserie it was completed in 1905.
It has two monumental neo-Baroque facades with a large metal and glassdome with gilt and marble interior.
After a short wander around the Square which was also home to our Hotel (The Arora)as well as the gig venue we found a spot for lunch. A fine pizza washed down with a strong Belgian Beer.
After checking in to the hotel we still had a few hours to kill. Sitting in a bar enjoying the beer was not an option as the first one had sent me dizzy !!
We decided that as the zoo was right next door to the station we would pass an hour or two there.
I'm not usually a zoo lover but this one did look particularly enticing.
In fact Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest zoo's in the world.(Founded in 1843). It is home to more than 6,000 animals(769 species).
It is well known for it's high level of research and conservation work.

I have to say it was great to wander around in the sunshine and it was beautifully kept. The time whistled by and we had to be asked to leave in the end !! Strangely enough we had somehow managed to miss the giraffes and the Tigers ?? Oh well maybe next time.

Lee Child - Gone Tomorrow

Me with my favourite author Lee Child



This is the 13th book by Lee Child all of which feature the fictional character 'Jack Reacher'.
Jack Reacher is a former United States Army Military Police Major.He was the recipient of many military awards during his career: the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Soldier's Medal, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
Since leaving the Army with a rank of Major he has become a drifter and the books tell of the situations he involves himself with , intentionally or unintentionally.
Reacher is a giant, standing at 6' 5" tall (1.96m) with a 50-inch chest, and weighing between 220 and 250 pounds (100–115 kg).
The only possessions Reacher appears to keep is a foldable toothbrush and an expired passport. He wears his clothing for 2–3 days before discarding it, usually for some sort of budget clothing from a surplus store. However in this latest book he has acquired himself an ATM card to make life a little easier.
Gone Tomorrow starts on the New York subway Reacher witnesses a suicide on a Manhattan subway, he knows that there is more than meets the eye. Soon he's in deep, trying to unearth a dark secret for which both the feds and Al-Queda are willing to kill to keep from being revealed. Even in a city of eight million, a lone wolf like Reacher tends to stand out, and before long he is being hunted from all sides—which is exactly what Reacher wants.
Really was a fantastic read as are all the others which I have read over the last few years.
I was lucky to meet the Author Lee Child in Peterborough a couple of years ago. He did an hours question and answer session followed by a book signing which gave a tremendous insight into his thought process.
There has actually been a new release from Lee since Gone Tomorrow. Thew new book is called '61 Hours'. All I know is that it is starts with a tour bus crash in a snowstorm in South Dakota.
I remember Lee saying that he was going to set his new book in a really cold environment for a change.
Check out the Lee Child web page http://www.leechild.com

Acupuncture

I had quite a shock yesterday when I went to see the physio regarding the ongoing lower back problems I have.
David (my physio) casually asked if I had ever considered acupuncture? I replied that I'd try anything if it helped ease my back pain with a hint of bravado. Before I had time to say 'Are those needles sharp?' he had whisked out a disclaimer and i was all signed up and ready to go!!!!

Traditional acupuncture is an holistic healthcare system that regards pain and illness, whether physical or mental, to be a sign that the body is out of balance. The overall aim of treatment is to restore the body's equilibrium.
The underlying principle is that illness and pain occur when the body's vital energy, cannot flow freely. The body's energy flows can become obstructed, in much the same way as a trapped nerve or blocked artery. This can be for any number of reasons such as emotional and physical stress, poor nutrition, infection, or injury.

By inserting ultra-fine, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points, a traditional acupuncturist seeks to re-establish the free flow of vital energies to restore balance and trigger the body's natural healing response.

I really could feel the needles being inserted and one or two made me wince a little. David later explained that my back muscles were quite well developed and were very tight despite my best efforts to relax. I could actually feel heat with some of the needles which was a good sign.
The secret is to get a little bit 'Hippyish' and be at one with the needles and feel them doing their work, unless David was winding me up ?

Overall I found he whole process very relaxing and I think I obtained some immediate benefit. Certainly during the night and during 'wake up' time I seemed to have more freedom of movement.

I have another session booked for next week so hopefully the progress will continue !