DingBatBell

My new hobby… My wife has always refered to me as Charlie Brown when it comes to flying kites. Always getting them stuck in tree or not getting them off the ground, well here is some evidence to prove her wrong.

 

 Bamburgh Beach: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bamburgh beach last week, sun was shinning, lovely day. Flying a 4 metre Peter Lynn Hornet. I’ve also got a smaller 2.5 metre Ozone Imp Quatta and just purchased a 6 metre Flexifoil Rage from ebay.

Next video will hopefully be of me riding the landboard (that’s board not lord), bit like a big skateboard with big wheels, powered by one of the kites.

Tags: Kites // Comments Off

We were told to be at Blyth Quayside for 8 O’clock sharp, I got there about 7.30 to find Graham already there. Our boat was just coming down the quayside to pick us up. 3 other guys turned up, who would be making the numbers up to 9. Next to turn up was Will and his son William closely followed by Mark. 8 O’clock and no sign of Michael, who was driving down from Sea Houses. By 8.25 the skipper told us that we would be leaving at 8.30 and if Michael didn’t make it he would miss the boat. He didn’t so we set off without him!

We suffered our first casualty about 15 minutes later, Wills son. Chucking up over the side, which lasted pretty much until we got back to dry land about 7 hours later. Will was also feeling a bit rough, must run in the family.

 

 Blyth Fishing Trip: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Straight away we all started catching mackerel, reeling them in 4 at a time. Will was the first to catch a cod followed by Mark. Mark was crowned the Cod Father after he managed to land 3 small codling on one line. He continued to catch a few more. Graham and I were left with the mackerel, eventually Graham caugh a small cod, too small to keep. I failed to catch anything but mackerel…

About 3 we headed back to Blyth habour much to the delight of William how had spent the whole time hurling over the side…

Results:

1. Cod Father goes to Mark
2. Will picks up the Captain Birdseye award
3. Graham (Seaman Stains) come third
4. I follow up the rear as Captain Pugwash
5. William (Rodger the Cabin Boy) last, with zero fish

But we can’t forget Michael, who didn’t make it in time… his ship had sailed, literally.

[Show as slideshow]

¼/p>

Tags: Fishing // 1 Comment »

Found this application (Microsoft Digital Image Starter Edition), which is free to download. Basically the software stitches together a series of photos to give you a panoramic view.

This one is of South Shields sea front. Looks good bearing in mind that the photo was taken using a little digital camera.

¼/p>

Tags: Uncategorized // Add Comment »

I’ve organised a fishing boat trip for some of the lads at work, booked for 24th August. Should be good. In the mean time I’ve been down to the pier with my trusty old spinning rod on the hunt for makrill. The sun was out and it was a nice day but I didn’t catch anything… typical. I did see one old guy catch something, not sure what it was, looked like a bass or mullet or something (see the photo below).

The rod and reel I have is the same one that I used as a kid, fishing during the six weeks summer holidays. Looking on the internet it’s classed as a Vintage ABU 5600c! I built the rod myself, got the rod blank from Welshies (closed down now), a takle shop in South Shields, bought the eye’s (dynaflow), reel seat and corks and make it myself. Still going strong… classic.

[Show as slideshow]

Tags: Fishing // Add Comment »

I’ve always liked flying kites; I remember my mam getting me a Peter Powell stunt kite when I was a lad and spent many a happy hour on the Leas at South Shields flying the thing around, with a massive long tail. A bit later on in life I bought my first foil kite, or parachute kite as I called it. It was only about 1/2 meter long with a single string, or if you want to be technical flying line.

This lasted me quite a while, but not much fun just sitting back and watching it floating in the air. So, my next purchase was a sport kite, thinking it looked the same as my Peter Powell stunt kite but could I get it to fly… no. No matter how many times I tried I just could not get the thing to stay in the air. The amount of times that I spent trying to adjust the lines… so I gave in and bought a small 2 line power kite (from Aldi - £14.99). Loved it and still have it but I wanted something a bit bigger.

I think it was the Gadget Show on the telly where I saw them testing out some kites, one was a 5 meter Peter Lynn and I can’t remember what the other one was but it looked good so I thought I would buy one. I waited until the Washington Kite feastival was on and asked the guy on the stall all about them. In the end I bought a 2.5 meter Ozone, which at the time I thought was massive. This is me flying it on the Leas at South Shields. It really good fun, the wind is a lot stronger than you think.

¼/p>

Tags: Kites // Add Comment »

Been planning to go back up to High Street for a while, the weather forecast said that Tuesday would be the only day that it wouldn’t rain, so Tuesday it was and the weather was great, nice and sunny all day, in fact I got a bit sun burnt on the back of my neck.

 

 Patterdale - High Street - Pooley Bridge: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I started from the same place as last year, Patterday and carried on up through Hartsop Moor onto the top of High Street. Lot of pushing and some carrying to the top, past several walkers. Once on the top it was down hill most of the way, with a small climb up to Loadpot Hill.

 

Best downhill from Loadpot Hill down into Pooley Bridge, which is the bit that was different from last time. Instead of skirting round the south side of Ulswater, which is a complete pain, the track is rocky with lots of ups and downs over bolders, doesn’t do you legs any good; I ran through Pooley Bridge and along the road back to Patterdale.

[Show as slideshow]

Tags: Mountain Biking // Add Comment »

This video is the same trail as the one below but I went round it twice, once the camera on the forks and the other with is on the head. I’ve shown both videos at the same time in some area’s but because they were taken at different times they are out of sync but you get the idea.

 

 Hamsterly Forest June 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Looking to buy a second camera and a little box that allows you to record from up to 4 camera’s at the same time to a single recorder for the next outting, which is looking like being a trip to the Lakes in a week or 2’s time.

Â

Tags: Mountain Biking // Add Comment »

There seems to be quite a lot of trail building going on at Hamsterley Forest at the moment, the guys down there have been building blue, red and black runs as well as some downhill runs. I’ve never been a big fan of man made trails but I thought I’d give it a go after running down the trails at Chopwell Woods.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The information on the Hamsterley web site says that the black run takes about an hour. Keep your eye open at the beginning of the video, couple of deer ran across the track.

All in all I think this is worth a return visit, now that I know the lay of the land I can take things at a bit more speed.

Tags: Mountain Biking // Add Comment »

This video was actually taken on the first day, we went up to Le Tour so that Jamie could try and book a one to one lesson. They were fully booked but he managed to get a last minute cancellation and got a 2 hour lesson at 12:00. Before his lesson we went up to the top of the Tour, this is the video of that run.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first couple of minutes is a run that me, Michael and Sean did whilst Jamie was sorting his lesson out.

Here’s some photo’s to finish off.

[Show as slideshow]

Tags: Chamonix, Snowboarding // Add Comment »

Sean had told us that we could get some powder practice in before going up to the top of Grands Montets by heading off to the left after getting off the bubble, in Sean’s words “like piste, with a little bit of powder on top” (10 points for the first person that spots it).

 

 A little bit of powder on top...: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This was my first real test of riding off piste and I enjoyed it, although I did hold back a bit. It set me up for the run down Grands Montets and I really enjoyed it.

I have to say I had a great time in Chamonix this year, both in January and March. Thanks to Sean for letting us stay at his flat.

Looking forward to next season, more new kit and more new camera stuff…

Got 1 more video from Chamonix, then it’s back on the bike, local this time (Yorkshire Dales, Lakes, Cheviots etc)

Tags: Chamonix, Snowboarding // Add Comment »