Great Scottish Run (2)

Posted by & filed under Personal, September 8 2008.

Last year, I ran in the Great Scottish Run 10k race in Glasgow (see the previous blog posting ‘Great Scottish Run)’ and yesterday I ran in the Great Scottish Run again, this time doing the half-marathon (which was not surprisingly more difficult). My time was about 2 hours 7 minutes – incredible to think that… Read more »

Kinder Scout

Posted by & filed under Mountains & hills, Personal, September 18 2007.

I spent last weekend in Witney in Oxfordshire at Lesley’s sister’s wedding, and on the journey back to Scotland we stopped off to go for an excellent curry in Manchester’s famous ‘Curry Mile‘. We also went to the Peak District and went for a walk on Kinder Scout. This hill was the site of the… Read more »

Great Scottish Run

Posted by & filed under Personal, September 2 2007.

This morning I ran in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, doing the 10k race. My time was about 65 minutes – Kenenisa Bekele ran 10k in 26 minutes in 2005, so I have some way to go. I’ve never run in a race like this before and I was very surprised at the number… Read more »

Ancient and modern sites in England

Posted by & filed under Military/Aircraft, Personal, Travel, May 24 2007.

After attending the wedding of Lesley’s friend Lindsay last Friday (at which Ewan McGregor‘s dad was also apparently at; Lesley’s blog entry about the wedding is here), Lesley and I travelled to southern England for a few days. We stayed one night in Bristol, where we attended Lesley’s cousin’s 40th birthday party (highlight for me… Read more »

Auster and Hopper; estranged brothers in an empty room

Posted by & filed under Books, Personal, May 18 2007.

I’ve just finished reading Brooklyn Follies, the most recent novel by Paul Auster, and whilst it’s an enjoyable read, it’s not really comparable to Auster at his best. With his last three books, Auster seems to be heading away from the mystical and mind-bending themes he is so justly renowned for, and which find perhaps… Read more »

I’m not a Munro-bagger, honest

Posted by & filed under Mountains & hills, Personal, May 12 2007.

Two recent BBC news articles about ‘Munro-bagging’ have only served (at least in my mind) to accentuate the utter craziness of this activity. Munros are mountains in Scotland higher than 3000ft, and attempting to climb them all has acquired the term ‘bagging’. The very concept of a Munro is one that makes no sense even… Read more »

Porcupine Tree

Posted by & filed under Music, Personal, April 21 2007.

Last Wednesday, Lesley, Ali and I went through to Glasgow for the evening to see Porcupine Tree at the ABC venue. Lesley has also written about the gig on her blog here. Porcupine tree are an amazing band, playing what could be described as contemporary prog rock, but with a very heavy guitar sound. They… Read more »