Phew, OGF, I’m out of breath after catching up with your recent runs. Good to hear the ticker and those legs are still in full working order!
I’m only in it for his legs!
Yes, it’s been a breath of fresh air reading about Robert’s life . It’s my kind of thing. It’s good to hear about the great outdoors and all it’s splendour. It’s easy to get attached to a laptop.
Thanks everyone for your support. It’s good to see Penny and Freshfields joining us.
I’m hoping to do some fresh stuff as soon as the weather improves [got a few ideas] Here is something to be going on with…
When I was driving round the country as a courier, my running kit would always be in the back of the van. After making a delivery, I would find somewhere nice to go for a run. On this occasion I had visited ‘Barr Soft Drinks’ at Cumbernauld, I picked out a likely looking mountain and ran up it. It was called Cross Fell (2929 feet) and It’s on the Pennine way. It was sunny when I set off, but the mist came down and I couldn’t find the trig point; I know it’s somewhere round here…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=792&pictureid=5850
Entry:- 270215
The idea that sprung to mind when Nom said “Why don’t they make Trig Points more interesting?” Was This: For too long I have taken trig points for granted, during my life as a Walker/Runner I have visited more than my share of trig points, and only until recently have I produced photographic evidence of my visit. So I shall study the map [which, like Alice, I love…er the maps I mean, not Alice] and draw an ever increasing circle visiting all the trig points therein. So watch out for OldGreyFox - coming to a trig point near you.
Something to do on the sunny days…
Am I the only one who had to look up what a trig point is !!!
Sorry Bird, I was being a bit presumtuous. After a life running and walking around the hills and moors of Britain ‘Trig Points’ have featured ‘high’ [no pun intended] on my list of favourite objects visited on my adventures.
One reason they are a favourite is the fact that when you see one it means the climbing is over and you have reached the top. You have probably found some info on them, so I will not bore you with the science, but they will soon be a thing of the past as Lasers have taken over their job and I imagine they will be left to decay. So before they do, I will visit as many as I can before I finally decay.
Although I do not posses a photographic record of all the Trig Points I have visited over the years, I have got a few. I am in the process of collecting them all together and placing them in my album on Over50sForum.
I also had a look at the Ordnance Survey site [the people who were responsible for the placement of all the Trig Points] and even I learned something more about them. For example:- There are 6557 Trig Points in the UK, so I had better get my skates on…
Morning Robert. Are you out and about today? We’re doing the Kirkton Glen, Balquidder walk today. It’s only 5 and a half miles, but the scenery will be great. We start at Rob Roy’s grave. Have a nice day
Bird, some of us find his legs more interesting than the trig points
Entry:- 010315
The flag above the garage flaps angrily in the strong East wind, I leave the shelter of the house and step out onto the street to meet my swirling gusty competitor for this morning. It seems to blow in all directions as I jog through the village and out past the church. It creates harmonies in the telegraph wires that accompany me out to the remote farmhouse on the outskirts of the village.
I pass over the level crossing and on to the long straight country road; it’s slightly raised and gives a good vista of surrounding fields and distant hedgerows, it also provides no resistance to the winds relentless buffeting.
A brilliant sunrise greets me on the distant horizon, a large orange ball not quite raised above the faraway trees, I half expect the wind to blow it, rolling along the horizon, but in a few minutes it has risen higher into the clouds that now partly obscure it. The wind is behind me on this stretch of open road, it pushes at my back and I try to slow the pace, it will be hard in my face when I return and my legs are failing from the nine and a half miles I have planned for this mornings LSD [Long Slow Distance…Slow being the operative word].
As I join the canal bank, there is no reflection from the grey ruffled surface that slaps loudly into the the small dock on the far side. Some fence posts that were laid on the bank last week now dance on the surface of the water, held prisoner by the barbed wire still attached and fouled on the bottom. The wind still lends a helping hand with my pace, but soon we must face each other in combat when I turn for home.
The grey clouds I spotted in the distance draw a little closer and I feel the cold embrace of raindrops on my face and legs, but they have soon passed as I join the road in the next village. Again my thoughts return to Sandra as I pass by her house, but they are short lived and I turn onto Plumtree Road [the title of this course] and the strong crosswind that has me reeling into the verge. I regain my balance and lean into the wind, but as the road curves to the right I hit the gale face on, it practically stops me dead as it gusts and swirls tugging at my jacket and shorts. I thrust my legs out in defiance and make it to the far bend and the shelter of a high Hawthorne hedge, once again my shoes tap out a rhythm on the tarmac and breathing returns to normal.
Seagulls hover overhead, hanging on the wind, hardly a flap of their wings keeps them airborne. The church clock strikes eight as I pass by, there are still two miles to go before I pass my village church. I’ve been sheltered while running through the tree lined winding country roads, but now, still feeling good, I turn the corner on to the long straight section: and face the gale head on. I push on up the rise to the crest, the wind tries it’s best to beat me into submission, I dig in and resist. With legs still strong, I even speed up the pace, a smile enters my face as I descend the small hill and ease off, ‘If it didn’t stop me going up the climb, it certainly won’t stop me going down’.
I enter the village and cruise home, the house is empty, and as I unlock the door and step inside I am overcome with the silence. Maddie [the cat] yawns and stares at me from her basket, we’ve both earned a good rest today.
Another great entry Robert
Good to hear that you’re in fine form and the wind was no match for you today, weather is the same here. Have a good Sunday afternoon!
That’s me had my exercise for today then, I felt the cold wind on that run
Thanks for explaining about the Trig Points OGF, I don’t think I’m ever likely to see one !!
Don’t we all FF !!
Thanks Bird and Freshfields for your compliments.
Bird, not all trig points are hard to reach, they are usually placed on the highest point, but it’s not always at the top of a steep climb. Rolling countryside can hide an easy to access trig point. So don’t despair, I’ll have a look and see if there are any in your area. But remember! having discovered one, there would be the obligatory photograph…
That would be great thanks OGF, I wonder if there might be any round the Flamborough area. Must remember to take me camera !!
You are still taunting us with those legs OGF, I can still see the calendar being feasible yet LOL
So descriptive Mr Fox, no need for us to walk the walk…or run, when you write so well!
Didn’t they used to build cairns on the high points? was that before trig points? or something else altogether?
Naughty Ff…
Anzac,Thanks for your compliments, and glad you are enjoying my writing.
I try to keep it fresh and interesting.
Cairns are often placed on high points but mainly to mark out a route and as an aid to navigation. They would sometimes identify a particular spot or as a memorial.
They would be built by anyone passing that way, and each time a walker would pass by, they would add another few stones, so some cairns are very large indeed.
Triangulation Pillars [Trig Points] were constructed by Ordnance Survey specifically to map the country. An instrument similar to a ‘theodolite’ would be placed on a special fitting on top of every Trig Point, and was used to calculate distance and height. This has since been replaced by Lasers.
Bird, Thanks for your interest in Trig Points. Unfortunately I have been unable to locate one in the Flamborough area; However, I have successfully located one North of Scarborough at grid Ref SE990966 should your map reading be a little rusty you will find it thus:- Take the Whitby road [A171] North out of Scarborough, pass through Cloughton, and after passing Cloughton woods on the left, you will arrive at a left turn [about two miles out of Cloughton] Take the left turn and stop immediately. Inside the small triangle made by the two roads you will find the Trig Point. Good hunting…