Comfortable shoes – with laces

In case anyone has any doubt, I’d just like to confirm that I am a grumpy old curmudgeon. OK, I admit it – I make Victor Meldrew sound like a cheerful optimist. In my defence I’d suggest that there’s a lot to be said for everything that’s reassuringly old-fashioned.

Comfortable shoes – with laces, watches with winders, Callard & Bowser liquorice toffees, correspondence chess…

Ah, correspondence chess, what a joy… the ‘slow game’. Sealing your move in a crisp envelope, marching briskly to the local post office, affixing a stamp for one-and-sixpence. Then off it goes, by night-train and ferry, steaming its way to some tweedy, European opponent in Hamburg or Vienna.

Then the wait for a reply. Days, weeks, months go by before you can puff the dust off your analysis board and ponder the response to your 1.E4.

Correspondence chess is back!

Memories of a bygone era? Well, no! Correspondence chess is back!

In the form of an ‘app’ for the iPhone or Android it’s all a little too modern for my taste, but it’s still a great way to play the ‘slow game’ with opponents from Kelso to Kyrgiztan.

I learned to play chess when I was about ten years old. Through my teens, on and off, I picked up all the basic moves and tactics; forks, pins, skewers. Now, in my fifties, I find that correspondence chess by phone allows me to explore the game in a little more depth. It’s currently one of the few leisure activities that I can slot into my busy, late-middle-age schedule.

With the 2012 olympics looming (if you’re reading this in the distant future you’ll know them as the ‘austerity games’) there’s hardly a mention of the 2012 World Chess Championship currently being played out in Moscow between ‘Vishy’ Anand and Boris Gelfand. With eight draws, and one win each out of the ten games played so far, it’s not exactly ablaze with thrills and spills. But this is a game of brains, not brawn. Even correspondence chess, played from the familiar comfort of a favourite armchair, demands that certain standards of fair-play and good manners are maintained.

Dress for chess…

Never play correspondence chess barefoot: particularly between the months October and May. Reliable brogues, waxed and polished, are the ideal footwear for chess, either at home or travelling by train. Never risk any form of slip-on shoe. Trust your laces to see you through to a sound ‘check mate’ at the close of the most taxing of endgames.

Freedom of movement and good air circulation are imperative, particularly for those with ratings rising into the 1800 range. Shorts, tracksuits, synthetic fibres in any form, are just inviting trouble, probably with an accompanying plunge back into the 1500′s. For success choose plus-fours… and good woollen socks – the best you can afford.

Upper body mobility is essential for accurate play. I follow the ‘layering’ method of the modern climber or alpine walker. Base layer in the summer months is a medium weight, cotton shirt with a conservative check, in muted brown or green.

Middle layer is my chess waistcoat. I picked it up in a charity shop for just a few pounds, but most of the stains are barely visible now. It’s a plummy sort of blue. Maybe a little flamboyant, but not distractingly so. If I had a few more pounds I’d probably choose a waistcoat with an extra inch or two around the midriff, this one seems to have shrunk.

Top layer is my trusty shooting jacket. I only ever wear this for playing chess or drinking single malt. Oh, I also wear it Sundays for my beef dinner down at the Tankerville… and I usually wear it if there’s a ‘do’ on at the playhouse. Come to think of it, it’s the only jacket I’ve got, so I wear it for everything. It’s still ideal for chess though – you can pop all the major chess-pieces into the shotgun cartridge loops. Unfortunately it doesn’t work with pawns – they just fall straight through onto the floor.

The ideal outfit for correspondence chess

Once you’re kitted out in the correct attire you’ll be eager to play your first game. Currently I’m playing France and the USA. My oponent in the States only has five days and nine hours left to make his next move. The Frenchman is making about three moves a day. I suppose that’s classed as a frantic pace in correspondence chess.

If you’ve got the footwear, socks, an Android phone or tablet, and the patience for correspondence chess, look for the ‘Chesspresso’ app in the Google Play store. Here’s a link to the Chesspresso website for a more serious description of the game.

Magical and macabre

Finding myself with a few spare hours on the May bank holiday I packed Henry into the car boot and headed North up the A697. The plan was to try and find the hill fort and cup & ring marked rocks on the hills behind Old Bewick.

To find Old Bewick, take a right on the A697 about 2.5 miles North of Powburn (just past Scott’s sawmill). Follow the B6346 for about 4 miles until you reach the T juction. Turn right following the sign for Chatton. Travel on for about about 1.5 miles, Old Bewick is basically the farm and cottages on the right-hand side of the road. You can find a sensible spot to park here, or go a little further to find the track up to the Holy Trinity Chapel.

I’d visited the Holy Trinity Chapel at Old Bewick several times in the past – a magical site! It seemed like a good starting point to begin the trek uphill towards the fort. There’s a stile into a farmer’s field just over the little burn in the graveyard at the front of the church.

Old Bewick Hill

Just head towards the wooded hill that dominates the landscape directly behind the farm and cottages of Old Bewick. This is a very steep climb with a few fences and gates to cross. The land can be boggy, so you’ll need good boots.

The hill-top is quite flat:  if you’re approaching from the Northern edge you’ll immediately see an exposed burial cairn. Unfortunately there’s no sign of the cist among the smaller stones.

Old Bewick Cairn

Climb a little higher and you’ll reach a point where you’ll see the ramparts of the extensive hill fort. It’s worth checking it out on Google Earth first to get an idea of the layout. While the Western edge is very defensible, offering brilliant views of the Cheviots, the ramparts form a very odd arrangement of ditches and mounds. Like the nearby site on Beanly moor, one begins to wonder if these sites were more about ritual rather than defence.

Old Bewick Hill Fort

You’ll notice two second world war pill-boxes as you explore the fort. Walk on past the one on the edge of the hill and look for two large stones further down the gentle slope to the east. Both stones have some pretty spectacular cup and ring marks. The stone over the fence in the farmer’s field has the better markings.

Old Bewick cup and ring marks

As I made my way back to the car I noticed what looked like an isolated shepherd’s cottage about a mile in the distance towards the North East. My curiosity got the better of me, so I put Henry on his lead and we set off to explore.

As we approached the cottage we passed a superb kerbed cairn complete with what looked like several cists and cap-stones. Follow-up research turned up this report (link), authored by Ian Hewitt and Stan Beckensall. It’s worth a read if you’re interested in the technical details of an excavation of the site in the 1980′s.

Blawearie Cairn

The ‘shepherd’s cottage’ turned out to be the ruins of a homestead, the place is known locally as Blawearie. It’s fascinating to explore, but very strange and unsettling. The whole landscape is dominated by menacing, rocky outcrops of fallen stone slabs and boulders.

Blawearie Homestead

The slabs and boulders around the abandoned cottage have been formed into a weird garden. Some of the stones used to form a maze of walls and passageways are quite large. It must have taken considerable effort to put them in place. The original reasons for creating this place have probably been forgotten. What remains is a mysterious, magical, quite macabre location.

Blawearie Garden

THE best tutor ever for ambitious players!

Judging by the number of hits on the blog recently it looks like the word is out about Enda Scahill’s new tenor banjo tutor.

I’ve got a copy, and I’ve been totally engrossed in all the new tunes and techniques. Rest assured that it’s THE best tutor ever for players who want to move their technique on from sessions into working with a group, competitions, or maybe sharing the stage at Celtic Connections with the big-boys in the world of tenor banjo.

Click here for my review of Enda Scahill’s Irish Banjo Tutor Volume II

Hooray Henry!

Well, we’ve made it through to Henry’s first birthday. It hasn’t been easy adapting our quiet, peaceful life in the sleepy backwaters of Northumberland to accommodate a working cocker spaniel. To say that Henry, also known as ‘the little tornado’, Henry hooligan’ and ‘the Ferrari of working cockers’ has been a bit of a handful is an understatement.

Handsome Henry - 1 year old

A great family pet

When reading-up on the best breed of dog to live with Barney, our nervous rescue cat, cocker spaniels came out high on the list. Recommended as a ‘great family pet’ we knew that they could be a bit lively, but it really has been quite a surprise to find out just how much energy the working strain of cocker can muster.

Henry at sea - 5 months

Henry came from a breeder in Morpeth. His mum was the family pet and his dad was a big, tough cocker. We hoped he’d take after his mum, but even as a pup he had a wilful glint in his eye. It’s amazing how stubbornly determined he can be when he decides that he’s not going to walk to heel, or jump back in the car after his walk.

Henry the hooligan - 3 months

That’s not to say that he’s been a bad pup. He’s been incredibly bright, and quick to learn lots of his basic training. He was top of puppy class when it came to recall, sit, stay, up, down, on, off, step, jump, spin, roll-over and go to basket. He’s a first-class traveller, happy to spend hours in the car, either in the boot or in his basket. Toilet training was a breeze, and he often sleeps for eight hours at night before waking us up for his morning walk.

Abseiling, paragliding and a trial for Newcastle United

Just when we were thinking of signing him up for abseiling, paragliding and a trial for Newcastle United football club we had to drop out of puppy school because he just couldn’t or wouldn’t walk to heel. He was also very disruptive in class whenever he had to wait for his turn to show off.

At about seven months we noticed that Henry was much more lively and disruptive after eating cheap, tinned dog food, or treats bought from the supermarket. We changed his diet to an additive free variety and cut out the cheap treats – he calmed down, a little, almost overnight. We use the various varieties of Burns kibble now. Though we do supplement it with home-cooked vegetable scraps, tinned pilchards or sardines. He’s in great condition and still has a nice, lustrous coat.

Although we never intend to take him shooting he has had some basic gun-dog training. This has been pretty intense, and not just for Henry. Dawn and myself have been on the receiving end of quite a few pointed comments about being unsuitable owners for ‘a dog like this’. As I’m writing this Henry is groaning with contentment on the settee while Dawn scratches his chest. He seems pretty happy as a family pet.

I’d agree with the trainers if we lived in a city with nowhere for Henry to run. Fortunately we have a very large garden and many miles of Forestry Commission woodland on our doorstep. Currently he gets about four walks every day. His afternoon walk is usually a long one, either along the banks of the Coquet or along one of the long local beaches. Please don’t even consider taking on a working strain cocker if you can’t do the walks. If you do take the plunge please check with your vet to see how much exercise your own pup needs as he or she grows.

Training with a dummy - 8 months

A mouse-click away from being re-homed

We’ve still got a long way to go with Henry’s training. We found that he responded best to an ACME type gun-dog whistle, particularly for recall, which was excellent up to six months, then dreadful, and is now slowly improving again. Hand signals were good when we trained him to sit, lie down and stay. There have been quite a few occasions where we’ve been totally exasperated with his stubborn, unruly behaviour. On one occasion I was a mouse-click away from sending him to be re-homed!

No two trainers will agree on a single approach, and the whole business seems to be based on fad and fashion. There are a bewildering number of books available on gun-dog training – we’ve read a lot of them. All we can recommend is that you treat every activity – walks, meals and playtime, as a training exercise. Don’t worry about rushing things along. Personally I find that the ‘two voice’ idea works best – I try to use a pleasant voice when he’s good, and a harsh tone when he’s bad. He seems to get the idea.

Now, on his first birthday, we’ve managed to work our way through the troubles of puppyhood. Henry is a real joy to live with. He’s now a shining example of the ‘merry cocker’ always happy to meet human and doggy friends – old and new, with an enthusiastic wag of his stumpy little tail.

Henry's first snooze - 7 weeks

Lindisfarne – the holy island

New Year’s Eve 2012 proved to be bright and blustery, so we took advantage of favourable tides to visit Lindisfarne. Usually, at this time of year, there are large numbers of Brent Geese bobbing close to the shore in the sheltered bays around the island. We didn’t see any on this occasion. There were none of the local seal colony to be heard or seen either. Just a single juvenile grey seal, recently dead, on the beach near St Mary’s Church.

St Mary's Church - Lindisfarne

After walking Henry around the dunes and beaches at ‘The Snook’ end of the island, we made our way into the village for fresh crab-meat sandwiches. I still haven’t fully recovered from the birthday oysters that Dawn bought for me four years ago. But, with Henry’s help, I munched my way through the two crab sarnies, and I’m still here to tell the tale.

The Northumberland Gazette seems to have had weekly reports of numpties stranding their cars on the causeway all through the summer so we didn’t take any chances. We were heading home long before the tide turned.

 Little Terns 

Lynne and Pat joined us on New Year’s day for a spot of bird watching at Beadnell Bay. To gain access to the bay take the left fork in the road at High Newton, rather than the right fork to Newton by the Sea. A single-track road takes you down to a small car park, from there just follow the well worn path towards Long Nanny Burn. Another great Northumbrian place-name, with the curious ‘Robin Wood’s Rock’ sitting just offshore!

Beadnell Bay

Normally there’s no shortage of birds to spot in the streams and pools that feed the Burn, but on this occasion there was virtually nothing to see.

The beach around the mouth of the burn is patrolled by wardens during the breeding season, providing protection for a long-standing colony of Little Terns. There’s a famous hut on the beach, offering the wardens shelter from the elements when the winds blow and the rains rain.

Nanny Burn Warden's Hut

Toffs feel the pinch

Finding ourselves with a spare bank holiday on Monday 2^nd January 2012 we nipped into Alnwick for some washing-up liquid. We found that the castle-end of the town was occupied by the horses, hounds and followers of the Percy hunt. It was refreshing to see that even the aristocracy were feeling the pinch of austerity, swapping their stirrup cups for a cheap plastic variety.

Percy Hunt first meet 2012

‘Last orders’ on Christmas Eve

My traditional Christmas is a last-minute dash around the shops, trying to wrestle a few desperate presents from the grasp of other sad individuals like myself. Normally you’d find me in the scrum around the bare shelves just before the harassed shop assistants call ‘last orders’ on Christmas Eve. Happily, this year was a detour from the norm.

The first event on our Christmas calendar was the Swarland panto back in November 2011. This year’s show, The great Christmas pudding robbery, was penned by villager Helen Chambers. There were unforgettable performances by many of the Swarland Drama Group, but the star of the show for me was panto dame Mona Lottie, played by Arthur Yellowley. Combining the voluptuous charms of Dolly Parton with the allure of Marilyn Monroe it was almost impossible to believe that Arthur wasn’t a woman. OK, the beard did raise a shadow of doubt, but it was still a stunning performance.

The great Christmas pudding robbery

During the cold snap at the end of November we had a trip up to Ford to do a bit of early gift shopping at the Christmas fayre. With the nation slipping deeper into an economic slump we were just beginning to think about having a traditional Victorian Christmas, with a few home-made cards and presents. We were amazed to find that Queen Victoria had already started her come-back tour in Ford. She certainly looked quite grumpy. Possibly she was ‘not amused’ by the number of stall holders selling pricey jars of home-made pickles and chutneys.

We are not amused!

While we were trying to save a few quid this year we still made our annual trek to Rothbury Wines to stock up on a great selection of reds and whites. Not a supermarket brand in sight. Most of the wines we bought were in the range £7 to £10. All of them were better than £10 bottles we’d bought from Marks & Spencer.

With the wines, presents and dog all packed into the car we made our traditional festive excursion down to Lancaster to spend Christmas with Dawn’s mum in Halton village. This was Henry’s very first Christmas, but he soon got the hang of opening presents. It was all very exciting for him.

Henry's prezzies

Dawn’s mum, Pat, cooked up a superb traditional dinner, followed by all kinds of festive snacks and nibbles. With so many highly calorific goodies being consumed we felt the need to get out into the Lancashire countryside for some brisk walking. We made our way up through Eaves Wood to the Pepperpot viewpoint with its blustery views over Silverdale and Morecambe bay.

Happy Christmas from the Pepperpot!

We headed for home on December 27^th, still got a few more days free before I have to go back to work, but there’s a long list of chores to get through, and my dad is back in hospital on the 30^th, so we’ve got a few more busy days ahead.

Farewell to the old Argyles

After twelve years of dependable service I finally have to say farewell to my Argyle wellies. OK, they’re not exactly the height of style and fashion, but I don’t think there’s a better brand on the market for anyone needing a hard-working, reliable wellie.

There are so many happy memories associated with these muddy boots… Catching brook lampreys in the river Aln at Whittingham Station, while our dogs Puca and Kelpi (now departed) lazed and sniffed through warm summer afternoons. Harsh winters in Glanton village – the wintry lanes glazed with sheet ice.

For twelve years these wellies were my closest allies in the war against weeds on two allotments, but last winter was just too much for them. This summer they’ve finally split, so I’ll be off down to Farmways at the weekend to kit myself out with a new pair.

Farewell to the old Argyles

… and the worlds beyond Cassiopeia

In contrast with the awful weather at this time last year November 2011 has been unusually mild. After the cancellation of the Northumberland Lights’ event at Cragside last year we were very keen to check out the event on Saturday evening (the 20th Nov, 2011).

We packed a few essentials, including a torch, and headed for the estate’s main entrance, on the B6341, about a mile from the centre of Rothbury as you approach from  the east.

Cragside lights

After paying our entrance fee (£11.50 each) we found that a route through the grounds had been clearly marked by illuminated signs, with plenty of friendly guides on hand to keep the visitors on-track.

Modern Victorian marvels

It was an unusual and interesting experience, with a slight feeling of taking part in a Victorian exhibition of ‘modern marvels’. The route had been transformed with light and sound. The crowds ambled through the eerie spaces and exhibits waving their torches like human glow-worms.

There was lots to see. My personal favourites were the curious glass globes filled with oddities by local schoolkids… then there was the fantastic carved trunk of a great fallen tree… and the storytellers in costume…

Spectacular carving

To top it all there were local astronomers on hand, with a variety of telescopes of different shapes and sizes. We were given a glimpse of the myriad worlds in the vast starfields beyond Cassiopeia by a very friendly astronomer with a compact, 6 inch reflector.

All in all a great evening under clear, crisp skies. If you missed this year’s event put it on the calendar for next November – it’s a great night out.

Remote, rugged landscapes

Remote, rugged landscapes

We’re back in the cosy comfort of the Otter’s Holt after a week’s holiday in South West Scotland. We chose Sandhead, a tiny costal village a few miles from Stranraer, as our destination this year. We thought that the remote location and long beaches would suit our tearaway pup, Henry.

Little H was quite keen on the beaches, even though the walking can be pretty tough over the many miles of rocks and pebbles. Sun worshipers might be happier on the sands of the Spanish Costas.

The climate in this part of Scotland is mild, hence the abundant palm trees sprouting in almost every garden. They certainly add an exotic element to the remote, rugged landscape. This is a painter’s paradise, though the light changes minute-by-minute as blue skies become masked by rolling white cumulous, then a blanket of grey, then back to blue.

Ardwell House

The pace of life here is quite sedate. Long hours can be spent browsing the bookshops of Wigtown, or exploring the numerous well kept and interestingly stocked gardens of Dumfries and Galloway. One of the most impressive places we visited was Ardwell Gardens. For a very reasonable three pound entry charge you’re free to wander the pocket-sized estate of Ardwell House. The house itself is extremely pretty, especially when bright sunshine beams through the rolling clouds.

Slightly more exotic (and expensive) are Logan Botanical Gardens, just short of Port Logan. Here you’ll find examples of more exotic flora, particularly New Zealand ferns and various species of eucalyptus trees, peeling their colourful pallets of blue-green bark.

While you’re in the vicinity please call into Port Logan for a pint with the equally colourful and quirky staff of the Port Logan Inn. The food is good, wholesome, home-cooking, but I challenge you to finish a full plate of their beef stew and tatties. The portions are mountainous!

The Mull of Galloway

The Mull of Galloway lighthouse

Wildlife is abundant around the coast, with one of the best places to visit being the sheer clifftops around the Mull of Galloway lighthouse near Drummore. We were fortunate enough to see an unfortunate rock dove plucked out of the air by a peregrine falcon. This is not the ideal place to to walk a boisterous dog – Henry was doing his best to drag me over the cliff-edge. With an electric fence on the other side of the narrow cliff-top path I was very relieved to get back to the welcoming shelter of the Gallie Craig café - great cakes accompanied by misty views of Ireland out over the sea.

Portpatrick folk-fest 2011

Portpatrick folk-fest 2011

By curious coincidence we found ourselves in Portpatrick for the 2011 folk festival over the weekend of 2nd, 3rd, 4th September 2011. The Saturday afternoon was bright and sunny so we settled outside the busiest pub with beer and crisps. There seemed to be an endless stream of lone guitarists winding their way down from the harbour to join the throng in full swing and song. I recognised ‘The Lakes of Ponchetrain’, and later a lone trad musician played Shebeg & Shemore on the concert flute. With the emphasis more on folksong I didn’t expect that pure ‘twiddly-diddly’ on the banjo and flute would go down well with the assembled folkies. The banjo stayed in the car boot.

After a Guinness (one of the bland, new ones with no flavour) Henry had run out of salt and vinegar crisps, so we were obliged to move him on before he started chewing the chair legs. The festival went on without us.

Before setting off for home we had to re-visit Portpatrick to try the food at the renowned ‘Campbell’s’ sea-food restaurant. It’s a great place to eat, with attentive service and a cosy, agreeable atmosphere. All of this with impressive views of late summer sunsets over the harbour.

Locally caught seafood is prominent on the menu, but a few of us opted for duck, beef and chicken. I was very impressed with my succulent cut of inch-thick beef in a rich, creamy sauce. The liberal use of cream wasn’t quite so popular with the rest of the party. Dining at Campbell’s isn’t cheap – there’s even a charge for a bowl of veg, but it still gets my vote as some of the best food I’ve eaten in recent years.

Warkworth, Sunday morning

Warkworth beach in August

On our way to the Scarecrow Festival at Rennington we stopped off for a walk along the beach at Warkworth.

To access the beach, heading North through Warkworth, you take a sharp right turn just at the end of the bridge. Follow the road for about 300 metres until you get to the car parks and picnic areas. There are also public loos, which is unusual but handy for the kids after a pop and crisps picnic. 

Warkworth beach is a stunning, vast expanse of flat, white sand, with large, grassy dunes as a backdrop. If you decide to picnic on the sand a windbreak is advisable as it can be a bit breezy. 

The beach is very popular with dog-walkers, but you really need to clean up after your pooch poops. 

Great North Bike Ride

Traffic flow in Warkworth had been upset slightly by the Great North Bike Ride – yet another event over this busy weekend.

If the central car park in the village is full, carry on down the lane running by the St Lawrence church. Bear left and you’ll probably find a parking space by the river.

It’s a great place for the kids to feed the swans and ducks.

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Cabosse chocolatier

Walking back to the high street you really should forget any calorie-counting and visit the Cabosse French chocolatier and patisserie.

Yes, the hand-made chocolates and pastries are as good as they sound – just take a look in the window!

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Rennington Scarecrow Festival

From Warkworth it’s quite a trek through the winding coastal back-roads up to Rennington.

Tasty hot dogs

The Scarecrow Festival has become a notable event on the Northumbrian calendar. As well as the humorous and topical scarecrows there are some good local craft stalls, and (our favourite) the hot-dog stall.

Please note that the three gentlemen in the photo are real people and not one of the exhibits!

If you find yourself in Alnwick during the summer holidays it’s worth remembering that there are a lot of other things to do just few miles from Alnwick Gardens.

The Rennington Royals