Humbug Free Zone

Added some Christmas customisation to the site.

Data Centre in my Lounge!

I've just had to add another disk to meet my ever growing data requirements. This brings the total raw storage in my house to 5TBs.

Stein's Way

Last day and an early start 7:30, arrived at Padstow ready for some breakfast at 9:00. I really fancied a Bacon sandwich but despite the endless bakeries - the only thing on offer was Cornish Pasties. In fact the only place that was open and offering breakfast, was Rick Stein's cafe. With kippers on the menu, all thought of bacon sandwiches was gone - The kipper may look ugly, but it was mighty tasty!

As I was going....

Aghh!, St Ives! On my last list a few years ago, I really didn't think I'd come back. It unfortunately suffers from it's popularity and as a results the streets are packed with people and the roads jammed with cars - it's really not an enjoyable experience,

Shetland Ponies Ahead

Day two and the weather is very summery. Parked at Kynance and walked along the coastal path to the Lizard. Along the way met up with some wide and friendly Shetland Ponies.

Rocky Valley to Bossiney Haven

This is a route I haven taken in a while (around 35 years since I last did it). Last time I walked down the valley, it was not long after the floods and it was still looking pretty scared - now it back to it's former glory.

The Rout of Boscastle

I arrived at Boscastle on the day the flood defense scheme was officially opened - 4 years after the devastating floods. I've continued to visit the village since the flood and up to now it has still looked scared; The scaring has mostly healed and south of the lower Bridge - the location is a nice as ever. North however, I can't help thinking that Boscastle has lost something.

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The Gurkha Justice Campaign

Please support this campaign by adding your name to the petition.

Despite the recent high court ruling, the battle is not over to allow these people the right to live in the country that they have risked their lives to defend,

Scotney Castle

I visited Scotney Castle for the first time today. It eludes me how I didn't discover it earlier, as it is so close to home.

It's a very pleasant place to spend a couple of hours.

Around Windermere

Last day of the Holiday so I tried to fit in as much as possible without driving too far.

First stop - Tarn Hows (again) - I didn't have time from the full circuit on the last visit so this was a chance to put that right. There's not much to say expect it's a very picturesque and easy walk- there are benches place at each strategic view point. Then moved on to the next destination.

Keswick & Derwent Water

Like Kendal, Keswick is a great village with many pubs, restaurants and tea rooms. It also has a market running down the centre of the high street selling local produce rather than the tat you see in many markets.

St Bees, Whitehaven and Muncaster

Today was supposed to be the beach day, but the weather was not quite good enough - instead I walked along the coastal path between St Bees and Whitehaven. The beach at St Bees would be ideal on a warm sunny day,

White Scar Caves and Kendal

Took a trip across to the Yorkshire Dales to visit the White Scar Caves - the accessible part extends a mile underground. There are two spectacular underground waterfalls and for much of the time you are waling on a metal walkway suspended over the underground river.

Windermere & Grizedale

Visited Lake Windermere today and took a cruise between Bowness and Ambleside.

Bowness is a pleasant lake side town with plenty of shops and restaurants, Ambleside has less to offer and is about 1 mile from the Lake

Coniston

Day one of my late summer holiday and I am visiting the Lake District for the first time. My base for the week, is the village of Coniston.

Battoning Down the Hatches.

It's time to take my internet security more seriously. I've been very casual about it up to now, but looking at my Mac's security logs, I seem to be under constant attack and I need make sure my security is a tight as possible.

Stourhead Revisited

Time to go home :-(

15 days ago, on the first day of the holiday, we visited Stourhead, but only had time to tour the grounds. We decided to revisit so we could take a look around the house. The main attraction is the artwork - every room is like a art gallery.

Overground, Underground

Today the weather forecast is grim - rain all day, but I spotted a hole in the clouds above the Polperro area, so we headed there.

Sure enough, as we approached the port, the cloud thinned and by the time we reached the sea, we had bright sunshine.

Fowey

I visited Fowey for the first time today and the question I have to as is why didn't I do it before.

Compared to it's nearby neighbour, Looe, it's chalk and chesse. Where Looe was a tacky and overcrowded Fowley, is a pleasant harbour with tasteful shops and many restaurants and pubs selling local fish.

Surf's up

Took in some of the north Cornish coast today - firstly Crackington Haven. It has the hottest day so far and you couldn't stay in the sun too long.

Visitors

This evening we were visited by the farm's resident Chicken and Roster.

For my convenience

Visited Cotehele, a National Trust property near Plymouth. You have to choose a bright day as there is no lighting in the property.

Go to Gaol

Bodmin Gaol is one of those places that you keep seeing advertised but something tells you that it is probably best avoided. Well it is so close to where I am staying, I had to give it a go - I wish I had listened to my instinct!

Seeking Asylum

A lot of traveling yesterday so today I have kept it local with a visit to Mevagissey. I stayed here back in 2005 and this is my first visit since then. It's still as pretty and unspoiled as ever.

More Changes

With the first week over it's time to move on and say goodbye to the Lizard. Half way on the journey to the base for the second week, is the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Again, a place I have visited before but always worth a return visit and I still haven't sen it all.

Bang!

The day after Zennor and I am feeling it in my legs - an easy day was called for. Headed out to Pendennis Castle - somewhere I have visited often, but always worth it.

Since my last visit there have been a few changes. First they have introduced guided tours to parts of the military installations that were previously closed to the public. Second, they now fire one of the guns every day at noon.

How much further?

Oh boy! This was a tough one. a few years back I completed the walk between Zennor and St. Ives (and back). With the undulations of the Coastal path it was more like mountaineering than hiking. This time I look the westerly route from Zennor.

No place left to go

Nice start to the day again - visited Lizard Point, the most southerly point in England. While there spotted a Cough - the bird that appears on the Cornish coat of arms but until recently had disappeared from these shores.

Proceed Cetacean

Slightly overcast again - no sun, so no beach. Visited the Godolphin estate - a property newly acquired by the National Trust

Changes

Well the weather was never going to last. Today started off overcast but buy the end of the day the sun managed to break through allowing me so finish the day on the beach again.

In the morning I took a walk across the the cliffs at Godrevy - then finished the day on the beach at Portreath.

Relax!

Summer Holiday Day 2 - After the 300 mile drive yesterday, I only drove a mile today to the local beach, Kennack Sands.

A great day with unbroken sunshine.

Reasons why I keep coming here No.1

The view from the breakfast table.

Cornwall Again

Showing a total lack of imagination, I'm back in Cornwall for another holiday. I'm a firm believer in making every day count, so on the way down, I stopped off at Stourhead.

First Picture With My New Wide Angle Lens

My new Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens was delivered today. I hope to put it to good use on my upcoming holiday.

Royal Fail

I am getting extremely fed up with the standard of service offered by the Royal Mail.  Not so long ago if an item was posted first class, there was a good chance you would received by 9 am the following day, mid-day at the latest. Worst case you would receive it in the afternoon second delivery. If the item was too big for the letterbox, your postman would leave it in a sensible safe place.

Not any more.

1066 etc

Another trip to Hastings.

A nice sunny sunday so a trip to the coast was in order.

Portmeirion Panorama

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Portmeirion © Kevin Leah 2008
[/ptviewer]

All good things.

Day 8 of the spring break and time to head home. But not before I visit one more Castle.

Kenilworth castle in Warwickshire.  An interesting place with some very interesting history.

Menai. Straight.

No sun as I head-off on day 7 of my Spring break.  Today will be spent traveling along the banks of the Menai Strait - first stop, Caernarfon Castle.

Angle-seen

Spring Break, Day 6.  I spent the day on Anglesey and managed to see everything I wanted to see on the island.  First, the breakwater at Holyhead - the longest in Britain at one and a half miles.

More Ups and Downs.

Day 5 of the Spring Break.  Bodnant Garden first - another National Trust property.

Stepping Up (and Down) to the Challenge

Spring Break - Day 4.  Time to tackle Anglesey for the first time and to begin with, the South Stack Lighthouse.

I'm Not a Number!

Day 3 - The destination carefully chosen as this as Bank Holiday and also the weather is potentially very changeable. I settled on Portmeirion - the location used for the Prisoner TV Series.

Raindon?

Day two and after the 300 mile journey yesterday, I was not going to drive too far.

Last time I visited the area I took the train up to the top of Snowdon.  What I didn't realise then was how much more there was locally.  This time I visited the Padarn Country Park at the foot of the mountain.

Iron Bridge & Unfinished Business

Day one of my Spring Break 2008. This year I'm back in Wales and on the way I stopped off at the Ironbridge Gorge.

Site News - Speed Boost

I have just implemented a change which should result in a speed increase to the site.

Dumb Cashier 0 - 1 Kevin

All they have to do is take your money, remove the Security Tag and put the item in a bag - how hard can it be?

Praise for Apple Time Machine

The new Mac mini is up and running and the Website has been moved back - Hopefully the new hardware should result in a big speed increase.

Temporary Site

My trusty Mac Mini that has hosted this site for around 4 years has died. It probably only needs a new hard disk, but I've taken the opportunity to order a replacement - still a Mac Mini, but a faster model.  Meanwhile the website is being hosted on my MacBook Pro laptop.

Site Update

A major overhaul of the site has just been completed.

Archives

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The Lounge at Night

I think I need to look at my carbon footprint. Click picture for larger. The lights come from around 13 devices - of these though, at least eight need to be on 24X7 and of the remainder, only one has a power switch.

 

Another Media Format War Ends

I've just regained a whole drawer full of storage space as I dumped my collection of MiniDiscs and MiniDisc Players.

Economy Tree Surgery

Apple BSOD in Leopard

I'm sure those apple developers though it was very funny - they gave any Windows machines on your network a nice icon with an innocent looking blue screen.

But another feature of Leopard is that you can view the icons up to a resolution of 512X512 and at this size the full detail is clear - Its a Windows 95 Blue Screen of Death. (Click it to see)However, they have slipped up - Apple's own Airport Extreme base stations also display this icon if they don't have a disk attached and given how flaky these devices are, a BSOD seems very appropriate.