Today Neil and myself did another walk from the “Loch Lomond, the Trossachs & Stirling” book in the Pathfinder series. This time we did one called “The Whangie”
This walk was much short at only 3 miles. But it did give us great views over looking Glasgow and Loch Lomond.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 4th January 2016)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey around north west Britain. Joining the cracker packers of Carlisle on the factory floor, Michael Portillo really takes the biscuit as he investigates the Victorian appetite for the custard cream on his new journey. Braving a perilous descent into the only operational slate mine in England, Michael discovers a miniature railway which once hauled slate to the surface. Following in the footsteps of Victorian miners on their way to work, he steps out gingerly on to what is now Britain’s only Via Ferrata – a terrifying tightrope challenge 300 feet above the Borrowdale Valley.
The Fight of Gordon’s Life (BBC 1 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 8:30pm to 9:00pm | Monday 4th January 2016)
Documentary following one young man’s battle with a terminal condition. Diagnosed with motor neurone disease at 29, Gordon Aikman decided to raise money to help fund a cure and campaigned for better treatment. He won major improvements in patient care even as he gradually lost control of his body. And in a year of physical and emotional struggle, he also brought family and friends together to celebrate his marriage.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 4th January 2016)
The apparent suicide of a DJ leads Nikki to question her judgement on a strikingly similar case from her past. But when she brings the potential mistake to the attention of her colleagues, the news threatens to have repercussions for the family of the deceased, the police and the Lyell. Meanwhile, Nikki catches up with an old friend from medical school, Scott, but the timing of his reappearance in her life seems suspicious in light of the recent events.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 5th January 2016)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey around north west Britain. Michael continues his journey through the Lake District where he discovers a magical world of talking rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs and mice, who have entertained children for more than 100 years. At the village home of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, Michael learns about her legacy and her fears about the railways. Fuelled by a Victorian energy bar, Michael presses on to Brantwood, home of the Victorian art critic John Ruskin. He finishes with a brief encounter at Carnforth.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 5th January 2016)
Nikki is arrested after a senior pathologist that she previously came to blows with is murdered. Whilst the team fight to clear her name, Nikki suspects someone is attempting to frame her. Meanwhile Tony, recently released from prison for attempted murder, learns of the pathologist’s death. Recognising the name from his own trial years ago, Tony begins to fear that his son David is involved in hurting the people involved in his father’s incarceration. As Nikki is released from custody, she has her own doubts and can’t help but suspect her old flame Scott, whose return to her life is so well timed with recent events.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 6th January 2016)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey around north west Britain. Michael reads the riot act in Preston, where he discovers four mill workers were shot dead by soldiers at a protest in 1842. In Darwen, he makes a splash in pink as he traces developments in 19th-century interior design from wallpaper to paint. Michael explores the Victorian industrial landscape of Salford, populated by little matchstick figures, as revealed in the paintings of LS Lowry. Michael finishes this leg of his journey on Kersal Moor, where he twists his tongue around the Lancashire dialect and discovers the poetry of Edwin Waugh.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 7th January 2016)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey around north west Britain. Steered by his Bradshaw’s guide, Michael begins this leg of his journey in Merseyside, where he feels the heat of modern glassmaking in St Helen’s. He discovers how the techniques invented in the Victorian era to construct buildings such as the Crystal Palace have evolved and are powering a new architectural revolution.
Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 7th January 2016)
DI Goodman and his team are tested when a millionaire philanthropist is murdered on his boat, and the only suspects were all underwater at the time. Meanwhile, DI Goodman’s new hobby raises a few eyebrows…
The Restoration Man (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 7th January 2016)
A new series of the show where George Clarke helps rescue neglected architectural treasures across Britain. When an Edwardian Baptist church comes up for sale in the small Pennine village of Oxenhope, Colin and Emma Clewes seize on their chance to turn it into a five-bedroom family home. With only a meagre budget, Colin intends to do most of the building work himself – while the couple juggle looking after their young family and running their own business. But restoring a church that has been in decline for years demands every ounce of their hard graft and grit. George offers inspiration and guidance to pull them through, and discovers that the church’s history is woven into the fabric of this small mill-working community.
(Editor’s Choice, High Definition, Subtitles, Part 1 of 5, Audio Described, Episode 1, 3 Star)
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 8th January 2016)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey around north west Britain. On the last leg of his journey through north west England, Michael makes a clean sweep in Ashley, where, in Victorian times, the new middle classes set up home in suburban villas with multiple chimneys, swept by children. In Macclesfield, Michael finds the end of the Silk Route and tries his hand at screen printing. After stoking the fire on the steam-powered Churnet Valley Railway, Michael alights at Froghall for Alton Towers, to trace the 19th-century origins of the modern theme park.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
Today Neil and myself did a great walk called “Dollar Glen and Glen Quey” from the “Loch Lomond, the Trossachs & Stirling” book in the Pathfinder series of great walking guides.
The walk was around 6 and 1/4 miles going by the book! It was a great walk, of course would have been better if Castle Campbell, had been open! But then it was New Years Day. So we did, of course know it would not be open. It just gives us a great idea to go back again, when it is open!
Just to wish everyone that views my website a Happy New Year!
Things I am looking forward to this year:-
Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the first of two episodes, Gareth tracks down ex-pupils from the first two choirs he created at Northolt High School and Lancaster Boys School. He discovers how being part of the choir changed their lives, and how they have gone on to successful careers, many in music. When he gets a group of them together to start rehearsing for the big reunion, they immediately feel the old bonds of camaraderie, and Gareth can’t resist suggesting an impromptu performance for friends and family.
David Beckham: For the Love of the Game (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)
David Beckham sets himself the challenge of a lifetime: playing a football match on all seven continents of the globe and getting back in time for his own star-studded Unicef fundraising match at Old Trafford. On the journey, David discovers what football means to the many different people he meets and plays with, as well as some of the universal truths about the game itself, like its unique ability to inspire and unite people across the world. David plays with tribes in Papua New Guinea, children from an earthquake-damaged school in Nepal and refugees from neighboring African countries at a refugee camp in Djibouti. He flies on to Argentina, where he plays a community youth team in Buenos Aires, then to Antarctica to play with an international team of scientists, then to the USA to play the University of Miami women’s soccer team, before finally flying on to Old Trafford in Manchester for the Unicef fundraiser match.
What Britain Bought in 2015 (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 30th December 2015)
What Britain Bought in 2015 is an eye-opening and intriguing look back at how we shopped in 2015 and what the £6 billion-a-week shopping habit says about the nation. Mary Portas discovers the must-haves, can’t-resists, and why-did-we-ever purchases of 2015, meeting the high street buyers, trend forecasters and retail gurus who spotted their potential – but who also reveal the products that took them by surprise. With exclusive inside information from some of the nation’s biggest retailers – including M&S, Lakeland, Waitrose, Superdrug, JD Sports and John Lewis – Mary lifts the lid on a year of British spending. If you haven’t purchased a spiralizer, colouring book for adults, coconut oil, dyed your hair pastel, grown a beard sporting athleisure wear, or 70s-style clothing, before sipping from a magnum of Prosecco – where have you been?
Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 31st December 2015)
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the second half, Gareth continues to spread the word of his reunion to the remainder of his choirs and tracks down some of the best singers from South Oxhey Community Choir, the Military Wives and the nine workplace choirs he formed for his choral contest Sing While You Work. Frenzied rehearsals and preparations for the reunion culminate in a hugely emotional and joyous reunion party with choir members from across the country coming together to celebrate ten years of The Choir.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:35pm | Friday 1st January 2016)
Special of the crime drama which sees Sherlock Holmes and John Watson transplanted to Victorian London. Thomas Ricoletti is a little surprised to see his wife dressed in her old wedding gown, since just a few hours before, she took her own life. Mrs Ricoletti’s ghost now appears to be prowling the streets with an unslakeable thirst for revenge. From fog-shrouded Limehouse to the bowels of a ruined church, Holmes, Watson and their friends must use all their cunning to combat an enemy seemingly from beyond the grave.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
Driving all the way from Castle Bytham in Lincolnshire, to Killearn in Scotland! A drive of just over 320 miles!
The route starts in Castle Bytham, then the A1, A66, M6, A74(M), some back roads, Glasgow and to Killearn in Scotland.
Glad, I am not the only one who cycles wearing a wetsuit!
If you also go out cycling wearing a wetsuit. Then upload photos to instagram and tag them with #wetsuitcycling
The Muppets (BBC 1/HD | 1:55pm to 3:30pm | Saturday 19th December 2015)
When an oil magnate discovers that there is a reservoir of oil just below the Muppet theatre, the puppets must combine forces with two of their biggest fans and put on an unforgettable display to raise the ten million dollars they need to keep the building in one piece. In the last few years, the gang has gone in separate directions and tracking all of them down proves quite a challenge.
Sports Personality of the Year 2015 (BBC 1/HD | 6:50pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 20th December 2015)
Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan host BBC Sports Personality of the Year, live from the SSE Arena, Belfast. It’s been another incredible 12 months of sporting excellence and this world famous show – now in its 62nd year – again recognises some of the standout achievers. Stars from the sporting world are among the 7,500 crowd in Northern Ireland’s capital city and, as ever, there is a full review of the sporting year.
Reggie Yates’ Extreme UK (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 21st December 2015)
Being a British guy in 2015 is not easy, and in this series Reggie Yates travels to the extreme edge of modern British masculinity, to discover that 21st-century pressures are changing the way we live, the way we love, and even the way we look. Reggie investigates the extreme ways in which male body culture is impacting on young British guys – from extreme exercise to invasive plastic surgery and even steroid abuse. As Reggie embarks on his own challenge to get into shape he asks what it’s all for and follows the story from a private hospital in Istanbul to a lock-up in the Midlands and beyond.
Christmas Shopping Fever: John Lewis and the Retail Race (BBC 2/HD | 9:30pm to 10:30pm | Wednesday 23rd December 2015)
Cherry Healey goes behind the scenes of one of the nation’s biggest stores to find out how it survives the pressure cooker of Christmas. Since more than 50 per cent of many retailers’ annual profits are made in the last quarter of the year, for John Lewis and its competitors, Christmas has become a year-long, full-scale military campaign. Charting the relentless countdown to Christmas 2015 – from the midsummer Christmas press launch, to the honing of the ad, to the discounting frenzy of Black Friday – Cherry sees the John Lewis team tackling the multitude of challenges presented by our changing shopping habits. In the run-in to this Christmas, they have to contend with customer complaints, website woes and unpredictable buying behaviour. Cherry discovers how John Lewis is now catering for a new breed of savvy online shoppers. The competition used to be rivals on the high street, like Debenhams and M&S, but now the retailer has to contend with a host of online rivals too.
The Snowman and the Snowdog (Channel 4/HD | 5:25pm 6:00pm | Thursday 24th December 2015)
A charming animated sequel to Raymond Briggs’s classic The Snowman. When a young boy, Billy, and his mother move house, he discovers a box hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom. In the box, he finds a hat, scarf, some lumps of coal and a shrivelled tangerine – it’s a snowman-making kit! When it begins to snow the child builds a Snowman and, with some spare snow, a Snowdog. That night, at the stroke of midnight, the Snowman and the Snowdog magically come to life! Billy awakes and joins them on an amazing adventure, flying over London and onwards to the North Pole, where they join Snowmen and Snowwomen from around the world.
Brave (BBC 1/HD | 3:10pm to 4:35pm | Friday 25th December 2015)
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Doctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 5:15pm to 6:15pm | Friday 25th December 2015)
It is Christmas Day on a remote human colony, and the Doctor is hiding from Christmas carols and comedy antlers. But when a crashed spaceship calls upon the Doctor for help, he finds himself recruited into River Song’s squad and hurled into a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy. King Hydroflax is furious, and his giant robot bodyguard is out of control and coming for them all. Will Nardole survive? And when will River Song work out who the Doctor is? All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic supervillains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time.
Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 7:30pm to 8:45pm | Friday 25th December 2015)
Festive cheer is in plentiful supply as Poplar readies itself for Christmas. An unexpected surprise for a grieving mother helps bring the Christmas magic home, while Nonnatus is rocked to the core when one of its own goes missing.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
Yet another December wetsuited cycle! Think I’ve been wearing a wetsuit, for every cycle so far this month! Not due to it raining, just since it’s great fun wearing it! It’s very warm indeed for December was around 14C today! Just need to make sure, I drink a lot of water. So I don’t over heat!
Just to remind everyone a pub is for life not just Christmas. So please support your local, all year around!
