neil.baldwin – Page 61 – Neil Baldwin's blog : Warning contains walking, technology, photography, holidays.

What a day!

Today, Sunday was glorious. After a night on the tiles at the Wool Pack pub in Stoke Mandeville,we managed to get up early. Headed out to the hills around Ivinghoe beacon. The atmosphere was really clear and the clouds were white and fluffy, great day for taking photos, which I did and you can see here.

Walked from the NT car park towards Incombe Hole (where a Ring Ouzel had been reported which we failed to find) , and saw Whitethroat and Willow Warbler, spring is definitely here. Went back to Helen’s folks for coffee and cake, then saw the start of the Grand Prix.

After the Grand Prix we headed out on the bikes to a small nature reserve nearby where there are lots of butterflies. Today we have seen Small White, Large White, Green Hairstreak, Peacock, Tortoise Shell, Spotted Wood, Brimstone, Orange Top, and Comma which is a good start to our butterfly list.

The Independent is running a promotion where you can get a butterfly chart. Goto http://www.independent.co.uk/promo-offers enter your details and a the promotion code BUTTERFLIES, and they will send you the chart.

Stop Press — The Woolpack burnt down over night see the link http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/Police-close-road-in-Stoke.5206829.jp

State of play ****

The film has plenty of things going for it, Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren. I am glad to say that it lives up to its promise.

It is about a reporter who is investigating a murder that turns out to have very far reaching consequences. The story twists, turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Belfast again

Needed to catch the 8:35 left the house at 6:40. Had plenty of time to make my way through the airport and down to the quiet lounge and get an espresso without rushing. The was very little queue at the security hall so fast track security was not necessary, but it is useful to know it is there if needed.

Weather really nice here but forecast is for rain in Belfast! Should I have bought a coat or umbrella with me? In the new Oracle have bought Sun, this could be really good for mySQL, and gives Oracle an operating system, Solaris is well respected.

Someone laid me down a challenge to get my http://neilbaldwin.net/rssblog/ up the ranking in Google searches. I think that may be getting it noticed by aggregators my do the trick? Need to get the Google Hacks book out again. I will keep you posted with any progress I manage to make. Perhaps I should try to promote books by adding a feed for Neil Baldwin news?

No photo yet but I do have the Ricoh with me perhaps a picture from the window?

Normal service resumed

Following complaints from blog followers (Angela) here is another blog entry. Out for a walk from end car park of Wendover Woods. Here just for Angela is a bird list.

Blackbird, Red-legged Partridge, Robin, Skylark, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Pheasant, Rook, Lapwing, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Coot, House Martin, Wren, Dunnock, and Collared Dove.

Along the way many spring flowers were out including bluebells and wild garlic.

Google Latitude to the rescue

You may remember I spoke about having setup Google Latitude on my Blackberry. Well although it has raised privacy concerns there have also been some unexpected great features. Imagine if someone steals your phone, well you can now find out where it is and get it back, or send the police in to get it for you.

The register

No prostitutes here!

That’s the sign on a residents door just on the edge of Soho, “This is not a brothel there are no prostitutes at this address”. Went to London today, it has been a long time since Helen and I took the time to go as the draw of the countryside always seems to be stronger.

Got the train from Hemel to Euston (where they were filming in the departure hall, big cameras looks like they had real film in them) and then a bus to Exhibition Road. Quick look round the Formula One bit of the Science Museum then decided it was too crowded and headed off back to

the Photographers Gallery in it’s new location just off Oxford Street. Before finding the exhibition we had lunch at Apostrophe which sells French stuff, I had a Marseille (Tuna, Mayo, Green Beans), Helen had Paris (Avocado, Tomatoes and Parmesan), not sure how that is Paris but there you go. The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2009 quite good a mixed bag of photo’s from the 70’s to date. Next we headed on down to the Frith Street Gallery, which took some finding as it is 15 minutes walk from Frith Street in Golden Square! Some great photos’s of the London landscape, many pictures had both urban concrete and nature in the same frame.

The boat that rocked! ***

The trailer looked looked like it had the makings of a good film. The soundtrack sounded fantastic. Richard Curtis films can be good (Notting Hill, 4 Weddings, Bridget Jones 1) and bad (Love Actually, Bridget II). The cast seemed to be a fine choice of British actors.

Film is basically about life on board Radio Rock (Radio Caroline), in the 60’s.

The film did not live up to my expectations, and just about gets a 3/5. Having said that the soundtrack is great and there are a few good comic moments. The individual performances were excellent but as a whole the film just did not do it.

Priority security queue Luton

Luton have introduced a priority queue for security. You have to pay £3 at a kiosk which issues you with a ticket. This morning the queues were snaking all round the hall so I thought stuff this and splashed out. The kiosks could be a bit more user friendly as it was not obvious what to do. There did seem to be a window for reading bar codes, but I was not asked to scan my boarding card, perhaps this is for future developments. Ticket in hand I joined a queue of 1 (is that a queue?) and walked straight through to a screening machine, a man tried to herd me to push in to the handful of people queuing there (overspill from the big queue) the Englishman in me felt this was a step too far! All things considered well worth the £3, next time I will take a glance at the queue and make a decision at that point I see no merit in booking on line.

Eels Foot Inn day 2

Clocks went back, so had to get up earlier than usual. Button won the Grand Prix. Added to list on the way to breakfast Pied Wagtail on the lawn.

Decided to park at Minsmere and walk to Dunwich and back. Weather cold but clear blue skies. Stopped at Dunwich for fish and chips part III, skate and chips was my choice, and very nice it was too. After lunch headed back to Minsmere, but not via the beach as the tide was in and the pebbles looked heavy….but after an ill advised change of mind the draw of the sea was too much, and yes we did regret it! Back at the visitors center by 15:30, on the road by 15:45 homoe by 18:30, a good run with only a slight queue t the M25 Aylesbury turn off.

Pied Wagtail, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Rook, Moorhen, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Greylag, Canada Goose, Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Magpie, Black Headed Gull, Dartford Warbler, Kestrel, Robin, Cormorant, Long-tailed Tit, Goldfinch. (22 YTD )

Back at the Eels Foot Inn

We are treating Helen’s parents to a weekend away, the pub at Eastbridge is just the ticket. Arrived at around 7:00 on Friday.

Had breakfast the headed off towards Dunwich Heath. Weather showers which seemed to be showering when we were walking. After a tea break at the coast guard cottages we headed off round the hides of Minsmere. Late lunch at the visitors centre, I had the lovely spinach bake. Quick trip to Southwold for the papers then a rest and into the pub for a well earned beer.

Blackbird, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Wood Pigeon, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Mute Swan, Greylag, Mallard, Moorhen, Goldcrest, Robin, Green Woodpecker, Carrion Crow, Stonechat, Kestrel, Cormorant, LBB Gull, Red-throated Diver, Black-headed Gull, Gadwall, Black Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Little Egret, Cormorant, Marsh Harrier, Shelduck, Herring Gull, Coot, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit, Wigeon, Shoveler, Knot, Oystercatcher, Jay, Coal Tit, Jackdaw, Rook, Snipe, Starling, Curlew, Pheasant.