A Visit to Brownsea Island

Visiting Brownsea island in Poole Harbour for my birthday is becoming something of a tradition. despite my birthday being in the middle of October, I usually get good weather and this year was certainly no exception.

The drive to Poole is always a bit of a chore - the distance makes it right of the edge of what we can do for a single day trip.

We arrived in time for the noon ferry crossing from Poole Quay, and had a bit of lunch in the excellent cafe before we set off around the island. Initially, family groups with small children making loads of noise kept the squirrel sightings quite fleeting.



We walked up to the south side of the island first, passed the church where a Pea Hen was fussing over a couple of chicks...



Then up to the cliff overlooking the Sandbanks ferry.



My first shot of a Red Squirrel for the day - he was really moving fast across a path.



Then he stopped a couple of feet up a tree.



Futher along the south shore we came across a young Sika Deer, who seemed completely oblivious to the cameras. I'm sure loads of people will have taken excellent photos.

 



Later in the afternoon the light changed and the paths got a little quieter, and that's when the squirrels really came out.







We managed to get on a ferry before the last one for a change, so got a tour of Poole harbour on the way back to the quay.



Happy birthday to me!

Heritage Motor Centre

Dad was 76 on the 28th September, and as he's almost impossible to buy presents for, I decided to take him on a trip to the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Neither of us had been before and at 90 miles it would also give Dad a good idea of what the Silver Scirocco is like. The trip reminded me a lot of when Dad used to take me to the Motor show at the NEC all those years ago. I took Tuesday off work, rather than go at a busy weekend, and fought off a developing cold to get up and over to Mum and Dad's place. It took around an hour and a half to get up to the Museum.

The Museum complex looks fairly new and is very clean and well kept; there are nice access roads and large car parks. The resturant is modern with an art deco theme, and we had sandwiches and an excellent coffee from a machine, none of which was overly expensive.
 


A proportion of the exhibits came from the old British Leyland collection, so there is a definite bias towards Rover, Wolsey, Morris, MG et al, rather than Fords and Vauxhalls. There is a Model T on display, and lots of more modern cars - including some movies cars.

This is a collection of MG record breakers, designed for salt flat racing.



A More modern racer - an Aston Martin DBR9, and a TVR Tuscan racer behind in black and yellow.



This is an experimental Rover gas turbine car, based on a P5. The unusual treatment around the nose made it look like a sports car.



Dad. We found a car you can sit in.



Two halves of an MG.



Lara Croft's Luggage.



Lara Croft's Land Rover. Behind to the left is a Land Rover made up as a Mega City Cab from the Stallone film Judge Dredd.



This might be the only MG SV I've ever seen. These were based on a De Thomaso concept and were quite fierce - with a Mustang V8 they had the power to match the looks, but it all happened at a bad time for MG Rover.



Dad inspecting an Aston Martin DB2.



Morgan have just started making new 3 wheelers - but this is one of the originals.



The Triumph TR6. Always one of my favorites, and this one is about the same age as me.



Lotus 6.



Lotus 7. Much later than the six above, and almost identical in looks to the current Caterham 7 models that are based on it.




View from the Mezzanine across the main floor of the museum.
 

The Red car here was a proposal for a new MG, based on a TVR. The Green Car is a Triumph Lynx, which has the front half of a Triumph TR7, but a pair of small rear seats and a coupe back.


This display has three Minis - all Monte Carlo winners, from 1964 1965 and 1967.



All in all an excellent day out for Dad and me.

Walking in the Lakes (Part 2)

For the Weekend, Anthony, Eddie, Justin and I returned to the Langdale Valley to have another go at getting to the top of Harrison Stickle.

Eddie drove in his (surprisingly excellent) bus, and we stayed in an identical caravan as last time.


Us.


Weather conditions were pretty much perfect for walking up.


The Tarn, about half way up was calm and beautiful.


Justin.


Eddie, Ant.


And Me. Good god, do I really look like that?


View from the top with Lake Windermere in the distance.


Bacon Sandwiches at the top!


Fabulous views on the way down.


And we finished where we always finish... Kingfield v Westfield.