Hobbies

[speak65]

Now there's a game - played it for the first time in a long, long time over Xmas and couldn't believe i'd left it so long. Know not of any clubs, but if you find one i'm up for it.

(somewhere in my house is a lovely backgammon set i bought in Hamsterjam - unfortunately i have narrowed down the 'where it could be' search zone to the loft, consequently it is basically a write-off)

Do you just play the basic game (Greek = Portas)? There are another 2 common games - I only know one of them (Greek = Plakaton). It seems simpler, but actually needs a lot more thought as a single mistake can lose you the game.

Anyone else play Backgammon who might fancy meeting up every now and then at a pub?

 

[Gramaisc]

Anyone else play Backgammon who might fancy meeting up every now and then at a pub?

Bad timing, I know, but I suspect that the PandA House might have provided both a location and considerable experience in 'tavla'...

 

[Withnail]

I dimly remember learning a couple of alternatives other than whatever the 'standard' game is called, but cannot for the life of me remember what they were called (beyond one of them having a silly sounding name) or how to play them. A great help, i know!

 

[Gramaisc]

Portes, plakato, fevga, tavla, etc. I did get a foundation course in the various types in use in Cyprus, but it was forty years ago and I've never been too much of a games person...

 

[Jade-clothing]

As mentioned previously in this thread I enjoy walking and climbing the odd mountain. We did the kinder plateau walk last year to the top of Kinder downfall. We are thinking of doing Kinder Downfall this weekend from the bottom by walking up the Kinder River route. Last week the Downfall was frozen and we would love to see this. Has anyone ever done this walk and do you think the Downfall will still be frozen this weekend after a week of slightly warmer weather?

 

[Gramaisc]

Last week the Downfall was frozen and we would love to see this.

Somewhere, I have a strange picture of the Manifold at Weag's Bridge. The river had frozen a few days before, but then the water had drained away, leaving the ice sheet four or five feet above the river bed. It was possible to get under the ice and take this really weird-looking picture...

 

[Jade-clothing]

Last week the Downfall was frozen and we would love to see this.

Somewhere, I have a strange picture of the Manifold at Weag's Bridge. The river had frozen a few days before, but then the water had drained away, leaving the ice sheet four or five feet above the river bed. It was possible to get under the ice and take this really weird-looking picture...

I'd like to see that

 

[Catabatic]

Has anyone ever done this walk and do you think the Downfall will still be frozen this weekend after a week of slightly warmer weather?

Done the walk a few times Jade, even climbed it one winter, but I reckon it'll probably have thawed by this w/e.
Went up Snowdon last Friday via the PYG track btw, Catabatic minors stag w/e, nice covering of snow on the tops!

 

[Withnail]

Only ever been up Kinder Scout the once, on an abortive Pennine Way expedition (aborted @ Horton (Hears a Hoo-ever put a railway station here, gawd bless ya) -in - Ribblesdale)

Attorney and i went up Jacob's Ladder - to the Moon.

In all my days i have genuinely never seen anything like it - blanket fog washed all colour away, not that there's much colour up there on a good day, i'm led to believe. Visibility was down to four, five? foot or so - disorientated just a bit (lot). For a while it was almost enjoyable - Giant Steps Are What You Take, until the disorientation kicked in. 'Where the f**k are we' was the refrain of the day, as the weather took a mighty turn for the worse; rain belted in at us horizontally - so much so that my abiding memory (apart from being on the periphery of real fear) of the day was being soaked to the bone on my frontage, whilst being dry as you like behind. We hunkered down in a depression, feeling quite depressed, waiting for an improvement in conditions. None came, we pressed on.

Drop down and you have the dubious delight of Bleaklow, a place on earth more befitting of its given name i have yet to find - it was bleak, and i was feeling low. Numerous, interminable blind-alley sorties later and we were finally free. Nothing stood between us and the imagined delights of Crowden Youth Hostel. Except the Youth Hostel was closed and we had to spend the night in an entirely inadequate tent (my fault).

On the upside - that very evening we were listening to the radio and heard the sketch that Gramaisc posted earlier (Goodness Gracious Me), that warmed the cockles of our hearts, at the same time that the camp-site we were forced to stay at warmed our kit in the best warming room i have to this day had the pleasure of utilising.

Another abiding memory of a memorable, if sadly uncompleted expedition, was a phone call to my Ma. Watching the weather forecast for where we were, as she was, she asked;

"I hope it's not too awful?"

I love that - the explicit knowledge that 'I know it is at least in some part awful, i just hope that it isn't too awful'.

My Attorney and i made up for our failure with an extraordinary triumph later...

 

[Moby Dick]

Hobbies for me:

Wild swimming -I am probably the nutter you see by Essex Bridge. Will be doing my bit in the Trent Challenge this summer.
Watching footie - West Ham is in the blood, but am getting more interested in the Rangers too.
Reading - Just started Anna Karenina as I've never read it before and felt in need of a classic. Best recent book was The Help.
Spending time with the most wonderful grandaughter in the world EVER.
Camping - although I aspire to a VW camper.
Backgammon - Any clubs round here?
Eating out - Still not tried the fine dining at the Post House yet though.
Ensuring I remain just slightly off-beat.

But nothing at all trainy I'm afraid

Some great hobbies there, WIld swimming you can keep though. Also enjoyed the book The Help, will be interesting to see how it goes on the big screen. I also have not tried the Fine Dining at the Post House.... Is this becoming an exclusive club????

 

[Jade-clothing]

Has anyone ever done this walk and do you think the Downfall will still be frozen this weekend after a week of slightly warmer weather?

Done the walk a few times Jade, even climbed it one winter, but I reckon it'll probably have thawed by this w/e.
Went up Snowdon last Friday via the PYG track btw, Catabatic minors stag w/e, nice covering of snow on the tops!

I'm thinking its probably thawed by now too - not sure the walk is worth it if that is the case, having done it before - its not the most interesting wallk I've ever done. Seen a photo of people climbing the icy downfall - love climbing but don't love ice so that wasn't on the agenda for us - just wanted to see it, supposed to be quite a sight and I've never seen a frozen waterfall.
We're doing Snowdon in a few weeks - partner has done it before but will be a first for me.

 

[Jade-clothing]

Only ever been up Kinder Scout the once, on an abortive Pennine Way expedition (aborted @ Horton (Hears a Hoo-ever put a railway station here, gawd bless ya) -in - Ribblesdale)

Attorney and i went up Jacob's Ladder - to the Moon.

In all my days i have genuinely never seen anything like it - blanket fog washed all colour away, not that there's much colour up there on a good day, i'm led to believe. Visibility was down to four, five? foot or so - disorientated just a bit (lot). For a while it was almost enjoyable - Giant Steps Are What You Take, until the disorientation kicked in. 'Where the f**k are we' was the refrain of the day, as the weather took a mighty turn for the worse; rain belted in at us horizontally - so much so that my abiding memory (apart from being on the periphery of real fear) of the day was being soaked to the bone on my frontage, whilst being dry as you like behind. We hunkered down in a depression, feeling quite depressed, waiting for an improvement in conditions. None came, we pressed on.

Drop down and you have the dubious delight of Bleaklow, a place on earth more befitting of its given name i have yet to find - it was bleak, and i was feeling low. Numerous, interminable blind-alley sorties later and we were finally free. Nothing stood between us and the imagined delights of Crowden Youth Hostel. Except the Youth Hostel was closed and we had to spend the night in an entirely inadequate tent (my fault).

On the upside - that very evening we were listening to the radio and heard the sketch that Gramaisc posted earlier (Goodness Gracious Me), that warmed the cockles of our hearts, at the same time that the camp-site we were forced to stay at warmed our kit in the best warming room i have to this day had the pleasure of utilising.

Another abiding memory of a memorable, if sadly uncompleted expedition, was a phone call to my Ma. Watching the weather forecast for where we were, as she was, she asked;

"I hope it's not too awful?"

I love that - the explicit knowledge that 'I know it is at least in some part awful, i just hope that it isn't too awful'.

My Attorney and i made up for our failure with an extraordinary triumph later...

Withnail - so very descriptive - you should write a book. In some ways the fog may have made it more interesting though - its quite a bleak, boring place I think - very flat and not much of interest to look at apart from a few interesting shaped rocks.

 

[AA Silencers]

Not with dogs or nuffink, i just hurl abuse at them via their sett holes to see if i can get a rise out of them.

that's just badger teasing. it might seem harmless but before you know it you'll be bulling squirrels and happy slapping deer.

 

[Lucy]

I'm at Ullswater, there's still a lot of snow on Hellvellyn so no climbing is going to happen, we managed to squeeze in a 7 miler sandwiched between the rain and snow this morning...

 

[Gadget]

I used to love playing the violin, i wasn't any good but it didn't sound that awful lol, unfortunately i injured my fingers last year and
can no longer play.
I love to read, my current book is a Raymond E Feist.
I've a terrible weakness for horror films. Not torture horror though, you can keep saw, hostel et all i just find them distasteful. Sadly for unknown reasons my pc is refusing to play anything on Lovefilm, so it's hard to get my fix.
I collect pocket dragons, although they are no longer made there are many still out there that i don't have.
i've just started jewellery making again after a few years. Making gothic style chokers for my daughter at the moment.
G x