: Update on escapade21
For the one person who won't have anything to do with G****eanalytics, by the person who wishes he'd done the same... Here it is. typed on a Handy, albeit one with full keyboard,so errors possible.
day 1: wretched. Evacuated the Bristol train, an unattended shoebox on a sleepy branch line in an area where the vast majority of citizens are white families with varying degrees of bigotry is seen as a cause for panic in 2007. (as I typed this, 19 started playing. Perfect timing.) spilt water on the Birmingham train, and the laptop did not turn on. Eep. Then at 1am, the fire alarm at the Etap went off, I rushed out, got out of my room, sound stopped, and I was locked in, for I had left behind the swipe-card key used here. The fire alarm repeatedly went off for two hours due to technical problems, again I locked myself in (I took a keycard, but it was the deactivated key card), and it goes without saying this was a horrific start. In fact, suicidal thoughts were creeping in, along with the powerful thought that I was wrong to plan this trip in the first place. Then...
day 2: good things about the nightmare start: I got to hear Alex Lester's show for the first time. Jolly good too, give him an evening slot and I'll tune in more often. (Not Wogan's slot, Lester would be playlist-bound then or would he?) also, got into NSBH very early indeed, and if I'd been smarter I'd have looked for the exit I'll be using on day 14 with the person reading this... Glasgow train efficient, transition to Queen St easier than I feared, train tio Fort William notable for great views and even greater volume (the latter from some metallic train component, appearing as frequent horrid screeches that caused many people to cover their ears in frustration... as you can guess, it left me in a state). Fort William itself is a lovely scenic place...
day 3: but very hilly. Just getting to the B&B was tough when heavily laden, but less encumbered and less frustrated, I tackled the 289m Cow Hill close to town (indeed, the town seems to be built into that hill). Did so successfully with a few breaks, and wrote most of one song, which lyrically may well be the best I've ever written. Still cynical though, as it slips in references to supermarkets, right-wing tabloids and M. N. No Deel Sod...
speaking of which, this day was only even slightly ruined by watching part of Noel's Gambling Party, a game in which the edit quite clearly removed some extremely obvious arm-twisting that did turn a Deal into a No Deal.
SPOILER IF YOU STILL CARE
Granted, I'd have the decision itself as marginal (£17,499 on a blue/blue/£5k/£50k/£75k final five) but her decison was quite obviouisly not her real preference, and when the perfect sixth round was obtained I was genuinely upset. The post-LTL signoff was a blatant endorsement of taking risks even if you consider it wrong to do so, and if Channel 4 have any social responsibility they should pay off Noel and let him clog up Sky Dumb.
ENDSPOILER
day 4: Inverness by coach. Walked to Caledonian Stadium (intention; creating a mildly amusing Most Northerly Loation Ever Visited), got some interesting pics of the Inverness tourists usually miss. Including a brilliant storefront for a computer repair store 'geeks2you', looking very similar to the Easypollute corporate image. Lawks, Caledonian Stadium is a tip, at least part of it is. There may not be a worse-maintained or uglier top-flight stadium in any European league of any size. An adboard on the main stand (the only tolerable part of the stadium) was for asbestos removal, the stadium looked old enough to need that service itself...
tomorrow: walking along either canal or up a hill just outside the town, yet to decide.
For the one person who won't have anything to do with G****eanalytics, by the person who wishes he'd done the same... Here it is. typed on a Handy, albeit one with full keyboard,so errors possible.
day 1: wretched. Evacuated the Bristol train, an unattended shoebox on a sleepy branch line in an area where the vast majority of citizens are white families with varying degrees of bigotry is seen as a cause for panic in 2007. (as I typed this, 19 started playing. Perfect timing.) spilt water on the Birmingham train, and the laptop did not turn on. Eep. Then at 1am, the fire alarm at the Etap went off, I rushed out, got out of my room, sound stopped, and I was locked in, for I had left behind the swipe-card key used here. The fire alarm repeatedly went off for two hours due to technical problems, again I locked myself in (I took a keycard, but it was the deactivated key card), and it goes without saying this was a horrific start. In fact, suicidal thoughts were creeping in, along with the powerful thought that I was wrong to plan this trip in the first place. Then...
day 2: good things about the nightmare start: I got to hear Alex Lester's show for the first time. Jolly good too, give him an evening slot and I'll tune in more often. (Not Wogan's slot, Lester would be playlist-bound then or would he?) also, got into NSBH very early indeed, and if I'd been smarter I'd have looked for the exit I'll be using on day 14 with the person reading this... Glasgow train efficient, transition to Queen St easier than I feared, train tio Fort William notable for great views and even greater volume (the latter from some metallic train component, appearing as frequent horrid screeches that caused many people to cover their ears in frustration... as you can guess, it left me in a state). Fort William itself is a lovely scenic place...
day 3: but very hilly. Just getting to the B&B was tough when heavily laden, but less encumbered and less frustrated, I tackled the 289m Cow Hill close to town (indeed, the town seems to be built into that hill). Did so successfully with a few breaks, and wrote most of one song, which lyrically may well be the best I've ever written. Still cynical though, as it slips in references to supermarkets, right-wing tabloids and M. N. No Deel Sod...
speaking of which, this day was only even slightly ruined by watching part of Noel's Gambling Party, a game in which the edit quite clearly removed some extremely obvious arm-twisting that did turn a Deal into a No Deal.
SPOILER IF YOU STILL CARE
Granted, I'd have the decision itself as marginal (£17,499 on a blue/blue/£5k/£50k/£75k final five) but her decison was quite obviouisly not her real preference, and when the perfect sixth round was obtained I was genuinely upset. The post-LTL signoff was a blatant endorsement of taking risks even if you consider it wrong to do so, and if Channel 4 have any social responsibility they should pay off Noel and let him clog up Sky Dumb.
ENDSPOILER
day 4: Inverness by coach. Walked to Caledonian Stadium (intention; creating a mildly amusing Most Northerly Loation Ever Visited), got some interesting pics of the Inverness tourists usually miss. Including a brilliant storefront for a computer repair store 'geeks2you', looking very similar to the Easypollute corporate image. Lawks, Caledonian Stadium is a tip, at least part of it is. There may not be a worse-maintained or uglier top-flight stadium in any European league of any size. An adboard on the main stand (the only tolerable part of the stadium) was for asbestos removal, the stadium looked old enough to need that service itself...
tomorrow: walking along either canal or up a hill just outside the town, yet to decide.