Ride Ration

24 April

Nearing the end of week five

Out for a ride for our daily exercise allowance

Village Green at Aldborough St John

River Tees from Bridge Road










Buster catches the rays

Lockdown Days

April 15th

Now over three weeks into official lockdown / social distancing policy.  Fortunately the weather has been dry and mostly sunny with a cool easterly breeze.  Today the wind has dropped so it has felt properly warm.  Added a new route for our "permitted"(?) daily outside exercise.  Via Blackwell Grange to South Park and back.

Blackwell Grange Hotel
Closed for now

South Park
Been 30 plus years since last visited

This used to be the pitch and put course.





Plenty of room for social distancing

No bands playing these days.


Anywhere.

Features a pleasant pond







Trees out in glorious colours

Time to LIGHT THAT CANDLE!

The Future is Furry

19th March 2020

RSPCA Rescue Centre in Great Ayton

Collected "Boris" now Buster, after proving our bona fides with the RSPCA team (video of our house, phone call to vets, neighbourhood check on streetview).

Been with is over a week now, he seems to be happy with his new staff, except they won't let him out yet!

He's a star!

Day 1

Day 9

Figuring out how to operate the tap

Take Five

8th - 15th March 2020

Thomski 2020 

Bozel Year 11
Thomski's 29th trip. Blimey where did all the time go?

Events this year all conspire to reduce our numbers to the smallest ever traveling gang and on mountain team.  MT,AT,CJ,SL and RL. Hot Dog also testing out the performance envelope of his recently installed knee replacement.  Team equipped with antiseptic gels, keeping social distance from the locals where possible!

 2020 Domaine de Thomski

Monday - Champagny, giant clouds and brief eclairissons,
great under ski.
Tuesday - trip out to PL but no mountain action, snowy day.
Wednesday - La Plagne, sunny spells
Thursday - Pralognan, sunny until late pm
Friday - La Plagne - cloud in valley but bright and clear on slopes
Saturday - Pralognan - sunny after light clouds

Out 5 days of 6
Good weather 4 of 6
Warming up especially Thursday and Friday.  Plenty of snow cover, no patches anywhere on piste.  Some great skiing to be had, La Plagne busy, Pralognan very peaceful.

Monday - dramatic atmosphere


The last run back to the Gondola

Fortunately the terrain is familiar, even though it is invisible.

Wednesday turned out GLORIOUS !

Back up to La Plagne - full system today


Note various new and recycled gear......


 


Beers at Borseliers
Earned !

Thursday

Back up in the family and pensioner friendly area at Pralognan la Vanoise

Fontainettes Lunch Stop
Fabulous Tarte Beaufortain

Coming down from the Ancolie Lift

Turn and Turn Again

Going Well

Friday 13th

Fogged out in the Valley

But once we were up where the air is rarified


STUPENDOUS

Inversens coffee stop




What a sky!


Destination Tunnel










Later on the atmospherics got going again

Fortunately the sun was out at the Roc de Blanchet Hostelrie

Last day out
Back to Pralognan

Great venue for a steady day


On the Genepi lift

Looking back down

AT ready to wind down the windows

Bozel Base





Cheers!

It turned out that today Saturday 14th March would be the last skiing day of the season 

Phew, just made it.  Plenty of gel left for the trip home.

 Monday 16th - Hove with Vikki, before the Social Distancing kicked in

Some actuals
Depart Sutton 0500
Arrive Tunnel 0620

Depart Calais 0935
Arrive Bozel 19.50

Depart Bozel 0700
Arrive Tunnel 1705

Fuel Cost
£244 at 34.7mpg
Toll £156 total both ways

Tunnel
£177 return per car


La Plagne lift pass (senior) with insurance EU 47 per day
Pralognan EU 28 per day with insurance

Flying on the Wall

19 Feb

Got myself in a bad shape and took a bit of a whipper on the 6b yellow in the corner.
Nice catch by Mr B


CB shows the way up something harder

Redcar Return

Feb 16th 2020

Afternoon trip out - finished up at Redcar on a wild day.

Brought back many thoughts of days gone by specifically 1977 -81 at Lackenby BOS Plant

Some images have been gathered to fix the reflections.



Today's distant view of the once elemental ironworks complex

Twenty metre level, charging side

Not a still from "ALIEN"

A typical access gantry on the BOS

One of dozens

Charging a BOS vessel

Picture taken in 1978






BOS plant
Two vessels blowing
Molten slag flares the night sky

Back on the 20m level, tapping side.

Vessel "Turned Down"


Check the dip!


1640!

 Vessel Control is a few yards away
TAP IT OUT! says George G

A recently installed sea front impression falls woefully short

of any sort of recognition

And a penguin? WTF?

Herbie Shepherd
George Greaves
Bill Pinkney
Steve Ellis
Alan Steele
Ian Rankin
Bob Watson
Roger Cale
John Clayton

To name a few

Andy65

Feb 1st - 8th

Week in Hove on location for 65th Birthday

Pizzanite at Brooker

Tindersticks at The Dome on Sunday - a great effort Mags!
Tuesday with Roger and Sue at SM1

Thursday 6th at The Urchin
Friday round at #7 for aperros then curry night at #8

Some images from the week

Sunset

Birthday bimble to the White Cliff Cafe at Saltdean

Full Frontal

Errr?

Say no more

Cards

Afternoon vibes in Flat4

Birthday night out at the Urchin

Birthday treasure

Booty

1972

1958