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March 2004

Calton Hill -- Posted by prossers on Tuesday, March 30 2004

After work I took a walk up Calton hill.  Quite a good view of Edinburgh and the castle and The Crags.  On Calton hill is the Observatory where the signal for the castle one o'clock gun originates from.  There are also a number of monuments, including an incomplete Classical style folly.

You will all be glad I was away before sun set!

Arthur's Seat -- Posted by prossers on Monday, March 29 2004

Well I am still commuting up to Edinburgh every week.  Now the clocks have changed, and the evenings are lighter, I thought I would take the time to visit Arthur’s Seat.  I was well impressed with the area.  The walk to the top was a bit of a scramble towards the end.  After the seat I walked down and then along the top of the Craggs.  The view of Edinburgh was magnificent, though rather hazy in the late evening sunshine.  I shall make an effort and walk up there every week, and visit the seat after a cold front has just passed through.  (That should be when the view is at its clearest)

 

One big disaster though, my favourite restaurant, Le Petit Paris, was unable to seat me for supper.  They could have taken my later, but I was on a tight schedule for drinks with Ed, so ate at a Tapas Bar.

The 150th boat race -- Posted by prossers on Saturday, March 27 2004

Rosemary and I visited the London Wetland Centre run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.  This is a 40-hectare area converted to wetlands on the South Side of the Thames by Hammersmith Bridge.  It is remarkable because of its location in the middle of London.  The trip had been organised by the Berkshire branch of the Cambridge Society to coincide with the 150th boat race.

We had a guide tour round the centre and saw many birds.  I think Rosemary was pleased to see a couple of Avocets.  There was supposed to be a Bittern in the read beds.

Afterwards we watched Cambridge win the boat race from the South Bank at St Pauls School.  A nice supper had been laid on after the race.  

Big Fat Repack -- Posted by prossers on Friday, March 5 2004

Went to the Big Fat Repack at the Reading Rivermead Lesure centre.  I arrived at around 12.45 hoping the ZIP queue had died down.  No way, so I helped Brian Hickman pack his reserve.  He had been the first down at 11.30.

 

I then joined the queue to practice my reserve deploy.  Success it opened with no problem and was not inside out or with crossed lines.

Then I packed the chute with the help of another Brian from the Annecy trip and Brian Hickman.