Rangers Champions Home Shirt plus wetsuit

Only good thing, about it getting much colder now, is I can start doing walks wearing a wetsuit again!

Think the Synergy Triathlon 3/2mm wetsuit, works well together with my Rangers Champions Home Shirt and Wellington boots. What do you think?!?!

Rangers Champions Home Shirt

Rangers Champions Home Shirt

Rangers Champions Home Shirt

Now done 88% of #walk1000miles – 2021

walk1000miles - 2021That’s me now done 88% of #walk1000miles. So 811.19 miles down and 118.81 miles remaining!

Keep up-to-date with all my cycling and walking adventures over at www.strava.com/athletes/gsvalentine

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 28/08/2021

Parkinson at 50 (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Saturday 28th August 2021)

The host looks back on his career with his son and producer Mike, and examines how his talk show went from being a temporary 10-week filler programme to an iconic Saturday night staple. He discusses his first celebrity interview, with Mick Jagger, how the management of movie stars’ public images shifted over the years, and reflects on the loss of the show’s entire first series – including an appearance by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The programme also looks back on some of the most memorable moments from the show, including his multiple encounters with Billy Connolly and Muhammad Ali.

Vigil (BBC 1/HD & UHD BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 29th August 2021) ** NEW SERIES & PICK OF THE WEEK **

A crew member is found dead under suspicious circumstances aboard a nuclear submarine. However, the vessel is unable to return to port due to its status as part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, so a police inspector is sent on board to investigate. Despite an initial diagnosis of accidental overdose, she suspects foul play, but finds the crew closing ranks against her. Starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.

Vigil (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 30th August 2021)

The submarine is left exposed by a reactor shutdown, and the crew races to repair the fault. Kirsten uncovers a feud on board the Vigil, leading Amy to question whether her investigation has been deliberately obstructed. A hard-won breakthrough leads Amy to believe she finally has the killer in her sights, only for surprising new evidence to cast doubt on her theory. On land, Kirsten’s investigation leads to tragedy.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 31st August 2021)

On Cornwall’s Perranporth beach, a team of RNLI lifeguards battle to save a mother and her son who are caught in a rip current. Meanwhile in Swanage, the crew respond to multiple 999 calls from a man who has fallen over 100 feet from the top of a local landmark, and the Chiswick and Teddington crews face an unusual challenge on the Thames.

9/11: Inside the President’s War Room (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 31st August 2021)

Almost 20 years since September 11, this feature-length documentary follows President George W Bush and his staff as they dealt with the large-scale terrorist attack, in which four commercial aircraft were used as missiles on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. The events of that day led to two decades of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. As America and its allies now withdraw from Afghanistan and the Taliban resume control, this is the story of how it all began. The film features testimony from George W Bush himself, as well as staff members Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell.

Changing Rooms (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 1st September 2021)

Anna Richardson and the team are in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to help another pair of neighbours make over each other’s rooms. Former teacher Pauline, assisted by daughter Lilly, wants her purple floor-to-ceiling front room to be even more vibrant. Next door, self-proclaimed cat lady Amanda – with the help of daughter Rachel – is hoping her uninspiring grey living room will be transformed into a Scandinavian-style haven for her and her feline friends. All they need is a little trust in each other and the individual visions of Changing Rooms legend Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and design duo Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 1st September 2021) ** NEW SERIES **

Kevin McCloud visits a couple planning to build a home that looks like a work of art overlooking a valley in south Devon. Joe and Claire’s new home will be a giant sculpture inspired by the local landscape, 70 metres long and featuring 34 enormous angled zinc shards jutting out in all directions. It will also be complicated to build and equally as expensive. And although Joe is wealthy, ambitious and fearless, his team quickly come up against problems and the budget virtually doubles the first walls go up. Is his dream home in danger of become a nightmare?

Coastal Devon & Cornwall with Michael Portillo (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 1st September 2021)

The presenter explores the rugged North Cornish coast, beginning in Widemouth Bay, a gigantic stretch of coastline with ancient links to the Celtic nations of Wales and Brittany. Battling a storm blowing in from the Atlantic, Michael heads south and takes shelter in a magical and ancient woodland, before spending the night at the vicarage where novelist Thomas Hardy stayed in 1870, and penned a poem named after a local landmark, Beeny Cliff.

Ambulance (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 2nd September 2021)

Paramedic Linda and mental health nurse Emma respond to patients in mental health crisis across Liverpool. Their work in the community aims to reduce the number of mental health hospital admissions, and the first call of the morning is a patient struggling with depression and bipolar. As the shift winds into the afternoon, a call from the police requesting a welfare check takes priority for Linda and Emma. There are concerns for the patient, who is an asylum seeker who appears to be struggling with his mental health, caused by isolation.

Motorhoming with Merton & Webster (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 3rd September 2021)

Paul and Suki are in the Peak District on their UK staycation adventure in their trusty motorhome. The first morning finds them in a campsite north of Bakewell, and they debate who should empty the on-board loo. Later, Suki reveals they are swapping four wheels for two after hiring bikes on the nearby Monsal Trail, a disused former railway line.

Abandoned Engineering (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 3rd September 2021)

An ominous tower in the forests of Croatia, a New York City complex that broke the mould, and a grand facility guarding the London riverbanks.

Ian Hislop: The Trains That Changed The World (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 3rd September 2021)

Cameras explore the Great Western Railway to experience a journey of a bygone age. The magnificent Pullman service continues to offer passengers a Silver service restaurant menu as it whisks passengers to coastal resorts that were established in the Victorian era. Queen Victoria was a driving force behind the mass appeal of rail travel that developed in the 19th century. There’s a look around Victoria’s royal train, which has been preserved in all its finery.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Need to visit Duncraig railway station again

After watching this vlog from Geoff Marshall. I really need to go back and use Duncraig railway station again! Only used it once and that was back in 2014.

Here are some photos, from when I went along with Cooper and Mark back in 2014

Duncraig railway station

Duncraig railway station

Duncraig railway station

More photos can be found at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/railway-stations/duncraig/

VeloViewer Infographic : 27 August 2021 @veloviewer

Here is the updated version of my VeloViewer Infographic. Which shows all my cycling and walking data from 01/01/2021 to 27/08/2021.

Where it says running… That’s my walking data!

10K a Day Challenge – 5th month in a row!!

So pleased with myself, just got the 10K a Day Challenge for the 5th month in a row (6th time overall). It’s harder to get than it sounds. Since you have to do at least 10K steps every day for 30 days in a row! Do less than 10K steps one day, you are back to the start!

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/08/2021

Billy Monger: Changing Gear (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Saturday 21st August 2021) ** TOP PICK **

The racing driver and double amputee trains alongside Paralympic athletes in a variety of disciplines. He swims in open water with Alice Tai and canoes with Charlotte Henshaw, before being fitted with running blades, under the guidance of Paralympic legend Jonnie Peacock. After learning to run again, he revisits Donington, the site of the accident where he lost his legs, for a sprint along the track.

Secrets of the London Underground (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 23rd August 2021) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway explore Clapham South deep level shelter, where thousands of Londoners slept during the Second World War.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 24th August 2021) ** NEW SERIES **

In Porthcawl, the volunteers of the RNLI race to save a surfer at the mercy of Storm Brendan. Meanwhile, in Selsey, a family’s day out for a spot of paddleboarding goes badly awry when the father becomes separated from his young children, leaving them stranded on a rapidly dwindling sandbank.

Changing Rooms (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021)

Cardiff couple Teresa and Andrew are desperate to turn their uninspiring front room into a cosy family space, while three doors down, their friends Maria and Nick hope their stark white living room can become a multifunctional family space. All they need is a little trust in each other and the assistance of designers Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead – not to mention carpenter Tibby Singh. Presented by Anna Richardson.

Coastal Devon & Cornwall with Michael Portillo (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021) ** NEW SERIES **

The presenter travels across the two counties in south-west England. His journey begins in North Devon under the shadow of England’s highest sea cliff, the 1,000ft-tall Great Hangman, and finishes up on the stunning three-mile golden sands of Woolacombe. Along the way, Michael is joined by Raynor Winn, whose bestselling book The Salt Path is based on her experiences of walking the South West Coast Path with her terminally-ill husband, Moth. She tells of how it changed their lives, and offers tips and advice for Michael’s journey ahead, and how he should prepare for the challenges, both physical and emotional.

George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021)

The architect meets Bernie, who has bought a ramshackle stable on the banks of the Humber and plans to turn it into a luxury home for his retirement. Originally a large stable block serving a grand Victorian estate nearby, it comprises a saddle room, stalls and a tack room, but having only served as a home for horses, turning it into a luxury house is a brave move.

Ambulance (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th August 2021)

Advanced Paramedic Naomi rushes to a patient in cardiac arrest as the rest of the North West Ambulance Service battles the second wave of coronavirus. Crewmates Emily and Jo are dispatched to a patient 20 weeks pregnant with the virus, who has been waiting over two hours for an ambulance. On arrival, concern is heightened when it is revealed that the woman hasn’t felt her baby move since she first began to feel ill. Narrated by Christopher Eccleston.

Epic Wales: Valleys, Mountains & Coasts (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Cameras catch up with Garry and his family on the Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons. Lambing is in full swing, so it’s all hands on deck to keep a watch on this ever-expanding flock. Over on the Pembrokeshire coast, artist Charlotte Cortazzi heads for Broad Haven South Beach, where the sand provides a perfect canvas to create a spectacular work of art. Over on Anglesey, mother-and-daughter climbing team Libby Peter and Zoe Wood take on the intimidating `Mask of the Red Death” and there’s a buzz about the Brecon Beacons as bee farmers Gruffydd and Angharad move their hives up the mountain.

Motorhoming with Merton & Webster (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Paul and Suki venture into Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park. After a breathtaking drive along Sarn Helen, a network of ancient Roman roads, they arrive at their first port of call, where they go `sheep trekking” with local farmer Paul and his daughter, Nicola. They also have a go at sheep shearing, and Suki especially enjoys bottle-feeding the lambs.

Abandoned Engineering (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Exploring a bizarre block in Taiwan resembling a giant speaker, a pioneering venture in Alaska, and an alpine village that masks a military beast.

Ian Hislop: The Trains That Changed The World (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

The Industrial Revolution was the single most important event in the development of the modern railway and one train from that era came to symbolise the new age of steam, Stephenson’s Rocket. Cameras reveal the revolutionary design of the Rocket, and how it transformed Britain’s economy, from localised rural industries to the global networks we recognise today.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

#WorldPhotographyDay 2021

Happy World Photography Day 2021 everyone! Here are some of favourite photos of myself during 2021 so far…

Walking around Rutland Water with Emilie
Walking around Rutland Water with Emilie
Synergy Triathlon 3/2mm wetsuit
Synergy Triathlon 3/2mm wetsuit
Great fun at Clumber Park Lodges
Great fun at Clumber Park Lodges
Wetsuit fun at railway station
Wetsuit fun at railway station
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 2014
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 2014

Another “FUN” cycling wearing my Synergy Red Cycling Skinsuit

Yet another, “fun” cycling wearing my Synergy Red Cycling Skinsuit. No idea, how the Clejuso handcuffs and Regulation Piped Locking Leather Collar ended up in my cycling bag…

Synergy Red Cycling Skinsuit

Synergy Red Cycling Skinsuit + Clejuso handcuffs

Synergy Red Cycling Skinsuit