Random Witterings

Stiles
Progress has been made on my mission to get some of Rights of Way access issues around here resolved, insofar as I now have the contact details of the RoW Officer for the County Council and a copy of the form that I need to complete to report those issues. There will be five forms submitted in my initial correspondence: the five missing stiles/locked/broken gates over which I’m currently having to vault each time I go for a yomp around the local fields. Purely for exercise purposes (my hip’s not liking running just now) I’ve done that walk three times this week. On the frosty days (two out of the three) those gates over which I’m inelegantly launching myself can by awfully slippery. Stiles or working gates are definitely required (although, call me cynical, but I won’t be holding my breath for either).

Once those issues are logged with the council I will start on the issues that I consider more minor. The missing signage where paths meet roads will be up there, and next year I will start attacking the failure of local farmers (not all local farmers, I hasten to add; some are very fastidious) to reinstate paths across crop fields (I feel a little bit uncomfortable about this one – I know what the law says, and I know that it’s jolly inconvenient to me when a field is ploughed right up to the boundary and cropped without any gap left for walking, but I’m sure that the farmers have better things to be doing with their time).

TGO Magazine
The final issue on my current subscription arrived, in an entirely timely manner, on 1 November. Half a month later I find that although I’ve flicked through it a few times, it’s not captured my attention and I’ve struggled to read any of the articles.

Husband commented, on the day it arrived, that the whole magazine was dedicated to Scotland in winter (a slight exaggeration) . I was sympathetic at the time, as it was obviously running a special. However, in that I don’t (yet) do proper winter conditions, it’s not something that interests me.

So, renewal time is not a good time for TGO to have a wholly uninspiring issue (for me, that is). So even the six reminders that I’ve been sent to renew (yes, six! Two first reminders, two second and two third – really, one letter would have been fine, far cheaper and far more environmentally sound) have not caused me yet to renew. I’m sure I will in due course, but I don’t think that it will be for the January issue.

Trail Magazine
Whilst yomping over the local fields by myself this week I’ve been catching up with Podcast Bob’s weekly Podzines.

I’ve listened to them in reverse order, so I started out with the one with a review of the current issue of Trail Magazine. He made it sound so good that I added the purchase of a copy to Husband’s chores list.

Not twenty minutes later, with impeccable timing, I got a call from Trail magazine offering me the ‘3 months for £1 each’ trial. I almost bit their hand off in my enthusiasm to take them up on it. Considering Weird Darren’s experience with the very same offer, I was interested as to exactly what they would tell me as to the trial. As it went, without any questioning from me, they explained exactly what I needed to do if I didn’t want to continue with the subscription after the three months, and made it clear that without any action the subscription would continue at £9.99 a quarter.

I will most definitely be cancelling my direct debit once the payments for the trial have been taken, but in the meantime, I will allow Trail magazine to annoy me (because it almost always does) for three months at a bargain price.

The Lakes
As I sit and type this I am a slight shade of green. It’s not caused by a bad prawn, but by the jealousy of Husband currently being ensconced in a tent in Keswick.

He’s taken his 12 year old nephew for his first camping/walking weekend. Some would argue that the middle of November is not the best time to introduce a twelve year old to the joys of camping and walking up hills. Many others would second that on the basis of the current weather and the forecast for tomorrow (heavy rain, moderate to strong winds and cold). However, nephew seems to be enjoying it so far (it goes without saying that Husband would enjoy being out in a tent in any conditions – I’ve taught him well!).

A bit concerning to receive a report today that my waterproof trousers (nephew has borrowed most of his kit from the weekend from me) are leaking. I’m currently clutching at the ‘condensation’ straws…