Leisure/outdoor walks

[varesecrazy]

The Historic buildings next to the Station

I love the way the clock isnt 'square' on the tower.. so the steel workers could read the clock from down the valley

(A summer photo)

The station and backdrop ..
Ebbw Vales own clock and the hills / mountains

I reckon EbbwVale might have the UKs highest KFC 300m / 1000ft

 

[DaveMcT]

Kids were swimming in the sea on Saturday. They had wetsuits (summer grade) but nobody told them it was too cold and guess what? They were not too cold.

 

[StevenRB45]

Finally got a little bit further afield today.

Walled garden at Wallington Hall.







Unfortunately we missed the carpet of purple flowers you normally get in March but still a nice day out.

Weather was something else...spring sun..with blizzards. Was happily tanking on at 60 ish on my own in Northumberland on the way back in the sun. Then drove straight into a wall of snow..

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Up early today and went a nice long walk. Started off going onto the old urban railway walkway - not too many people around early on. Hate it later with all the joggers, cyclists and family groups failing to maintain distance - then branched off into the park and on down to the harbour on the quiet cobbled side streets. Walking along the landward side of the harbour, heading west, there is a life size mermaid painted on the end wall - a wee bit "Banksy?" - such that, from a distance, she looks as if she's sitting on the lower part of the wall. As I approached I thought there was something different about her and then I realized what it was, She's now sporting a face mask!

Walked on up through Starbank Park and chatted to one of the elderly volunteer gardeners whilst admiring all their hard work which is now beginning to show in renewed growth. A further 20 minutes gentle walking and I'm home and feeling all the better for the walk in the bracing air!

On returning home there's an email on my laptop informing me that my Bio Bank self test antibody test kit should be with me within the next couple of days. I've been a Bio Bank contributor for many years and it makes me feel good to be able to think I'm perhaps contributing something which might be of benefit to others in the future.

I'm going to now sit on my garden bench with a nice Aldi Cappuccino and my book - I'm re-reading Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote In God's Eye" which I last read in the late '60's. I've forgotten so much of it it's like reading a new book! Then I'm going to sharpen the blade on my daughter in law's mower - which I serviced on Saturday - and put it in the back of the car to take back out to her tomorrow when we go to childmind. Busy, busy, always busy!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Then I'm going to sharpen the blade on my daughter in law's mower

Ow! quite a chunk out of one of the cutting surfaces of the blade. She's obviously run into something solid with it! Next worry is that the crankshaft nose may be bent so, after removing the blade, I mole gripped a rod to the side of the deck and rotated the crank. Luckily for her, it's rotating true.

So sharpened the cutting faces and checked for balance - no surprise, it's moderately out of balance. So ground a bit extra off the heavy side until it did balance and refitted to the machine. Now running very smoothly and ready for loading in the car first thing tomorrow.

 

[DaveMcT]

My mother's Electrolux mower with Tekumseh engine ws great for about 6 months then it hut a hidden shrub stub and bent the crankshaft nose. So much for the monkey-metal drive plate that was supposed to shear on impact. I tried to get it straight be never could get it right. The poor thing shook itself to bits.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

My mother's Electrolux mower with Tekumseh engine ws great for about 6 months then it hut a hidden shrub stub and bent the crankshaft nose. So much for the monkey-metal drive plate that was supposed to shear on impact. I tried to get it straight be never could get it right. The poor thing shook itself to bits.

I've found most repair shops are not keen to straighten bent crankshafts usually saying that the possibility of the shaft later shearing off makes it an unsafe practice. I can see their point of view and I accept that there is always the possibility of the shaft being weakened and maybe even internally cracked, but it's also possible it's being used as a tool to sell a new machine?

Over the years I've encountered a fair few bent crankshafts on small mowing machines and never more so than when I ran a squad of 6 grounds maintenance "operatives" for the last 15 years of my working life where mostly what we did was mow grass. Because of my background in motor engineering I also did all my own machine repairs and maintenance. The first time it happened I took the machine to the shop where I bought my machinery spares from and he showed me how to straighten it with a sledge hammer. Very brutal but effective. The next time it happened I tried the same thing but, unbeknownst to me, the engine had a ball race bearing on the crankshaft - that first engine had a solid bush - and I both broke the bearing and damaged the casing beyond repair resulting in a ruined engine. That first engine also, despite fitting a new crank seal, leaked oil slightly for the rest of it's life and I realize now that I probably distorted the casing very slightly with the hammering. Also you tend to put a bit of a flat on the side of the shaft where you are hitting it which you then have to hand file back to round so you can get the blade boss on again.

So, now doing this for a living and realizing "the lads" were likely to bend a few more despite my best attempts to educate them, I went looking for a more elegant solution and, on one of our visits to my relatives in the US, spotted this type of machine: https://centralspares.co.uk/workshop/workshop-tools/specialist-tools/crankshaft-straightener On returning home I suggested we buy one but unfortunately my boss thought the cost was ridiculous so I had to shelve that idea. Anyone interested in it? this is how it's used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9agTGGmOmrI

Reflecting on what this machine is actually doing - gently bending the shaft back to being virtually straight - I wondered if you could just simply bend it back with a long enough lever? So the next time it happened I went at it with a length of scaffold pole! I drained the fuel and oil then jammed the deck in the large and heavy workshop doors to stop it moving whilst I leaned on the pole. You need to do it just a little at a time as you don't want to go to far and have to bend it back again which would further weaken and maybe crack the shaft. The first one you do is quite difficult as you'll not have any "feel" for doing it, but after a couple it's much easier. Here's an really good video showing how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ro9GmEyOE

Actually the only really big difference between using the jig and the pole is that the jig has an adjustable supporting stop on the bottom which resists the pressure of the main forcing screw from being exerted on the engine casing whereas with the pole it's the casing which is partially taking this force. The difficult bit is that the shaft is quite "springy" so you have to bend it a wee bit further than you think because it will spring back when the force is removed. You just have to guess how much "extra" to apply and neither method eliminates this "guess work". Of course I'm not doing this all the time but I've probably done 8 or 9 in my life and I'd be very happy to do another if needs be. At first I worried a lot about the safety aspect, but I've not had a single machine fail due to the shaft subsequently breaking and I know of others which have had shafts straightened by the hammer method - by people other than myself - which have not failed either. By the way the decks don't seem to distort either which surprised me! The smaller "domestic" - 3 and 4 HP machines - say 16 to 18/19" cut - are very "manageable" once you get up into the more powerful stuff - 21" cut etc - the shafts get "fatter" and it may need two of you on the pole! although many of the bigger machines now have crank saver features like clutched or swinging blades.

One final wee comment. typically if you've run into something "solid" like a buried tree stump, brick, kerb stone etc, the engine will have stopped very suddenly and it's not unusual for the heavy flywheel, as it attempts to continue rotating, to shear it's crankshaft key (often a woodruff type key). In fact, although annoying this is a good feature as it stops the crankshaft twisting which would really scupper things! The typical symptom of this key being sheared is that the engine won't start and, if it attempts to fire, will violently snatch the starter cord out of your fingers OUCH! In fact it's a common thing on the wee side valve Briggs engines and can happen even when you haven't hit anything. So if the engine is difficult to start and tending to snatch back at you, you may find the key is partially sheared - just enough to over advance the timing.

PS. I think this straightening should be considered to be a one off. I wouldn't be recommending it be done more than once to any given machine. So, on reflection, maybe that's why repair shops aren't keen on doing it?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Walked down the crematorium road on my way down to the shore today. The cherry trees are in full bloom - wonderful!







It doesn't last for long but while it does it really lifts my soul to see it every day. Soon, when the blossoms fall, the road will look like it's been snowing pink snow!

 

[DaveMcT]

Kids were in the sea during that warm period before Easter. They had summer wet suits but nobody told them it would be too cold. They were fine.
Yesterday, we had 16 kids (under 10s) playing rugby at the local park. Parents noticed the cold wind. Kids were fine.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Parents noticed the cold wind. Kids were fine.

Much as many would describe a family outing to North Berwick or most East Lothian Beaches. I still have a vivid memory of my mother encouraging us to fish in the rock pools with our wee nets on cane poles whilst clutching her thick wooley cardigan over her ruffled one piece bathing costume back in the '50s.

 

[DaveMcT]

My daughter had become a bit distant with rugby never getting to the ball and hardly ever having it passed to her. Under 10s have to drop to the floor when tackled. The ball is then passed up to the opposite team. She's been one of the best at rolling down correctly and passing the ball which keeps the game going.
One of the parents said to her that if she gets in close on tackles, she will be the one to accept the ball. SHE then dictates where the ball goes. You could see the lightbulb.
Suddenly, she was properly into the game and everyone said she'd been the best player on the pitch. The effect on her confidence was like night and day.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

A lot of quite heavy rain yesterday which is probably very good for my small lawn and flower borders but has brought a lot of the blossom down from the cherry trees! Pity, but not unexpected.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Today's walk took me up one of my favourite roads at this time of year with the cherry trees in bloom. The blossoms are well and truly dropping now and, as I mentioned in a previous post, this makes it look a little as if it's been snowing - quite pretty:



Walking north now, when I would more usually walk south towards the seafront, I go up this walled road past the allotments:



Behind that big wall is the old cemetery where, we were surprised to find, a distant relative of some 5 to 6 generations before, is buried. Surprised because, apart from us, our family has never lived in this area.

Anyway, onward, across another smaller park and then onto an earthen path running parallel to the Water Of Leith which is down to the right of the path:



The path descends quite steeply and turns left then right into a small tunnel running under where the old railway used to run.



On the other side of the tunnel I come out at the side of the river:



There's a nice old chap walking his dog here and we pass a few minutes chatting. Turning left now so I'm walking north towards the Ferry Road and in the direction of the sea, after a few minutes I look back at the weir :



I'd love to see it when there'd been heavy rain.

It's uphill now as I climb to the level of the old railway which is now a walkway and pause for breath by this big pillar:



On the other side of the path is this:



I'm standing on the walkway here so has this been where another branch line, maybe from the Granton docks, crossed over the urban line? I've walked here a few dozen times but never really investigated - a wee project perhaps?

Climbing up to the level of that edifice I find this plaque:



But it doesn't really help to inform me what the construction originally supported - does look like a bridge though doesn't it?

Turning my back on the Water Of Leith and this "edifice" I walk away north on another walkway which might have been the railway from the construction now behind me:





As with the road up to the crematorium, most of the blossom I see walking around at this time of year is pink cherry so it's nice to see the white blossom here.

Onwards now, under the Ferry Road, on what I'm increasingly convinced is the course of an old urban railway line, and into the big park I often walk round/across on my other walking routes. The play park and coffee van are busy today I see - as they often are:



We take our granchildren to play in the play park whenever they are visiting and the weather allows. That coffee van, one of the old corrugated Citroens, is always busy with parents from the play park. I'd bet he has to pay a licence to operate in a public park like that but I'll bet it's well worth the cost. Perhaps we should try one of his coffees one day?

On round the park and only about another 15 minutes or so takes me home. Not much sun but dry and not too cold either. All in all a very pleasant walk!

 

[StevenRB45]

Love this sort of stuff, provides something to occupy the mind and a reason to go off the beaten track a bit and explore your surroundings if nothing else.

Being up in the old coalfields there's so much to spot round here..not that I'd generally enlighten anyone, it's a bit anorak but I like to know why apparently random things are how they are.

Things like most villages tend to be around a large green field..down south the village green and cricket is a thing. Up here, no that's where the pit was and building on it would require much top soil work, pumping concrete into old mine shafts etc...so nice piece of grass it is.

Or when I was little I always used to spot old railway wagon sheds and think they'd dragged them up from the nearest railway 10 miles away at which point you'd wonder why they didn't just build a shed? But we were on the rail network until about 1950 so actually they had probably just been there since then, the ones that are left are about 200 yards from what used to be marshaling yard so actually they haven't travelled far at all.


Then you have stuff like this, obviously modern reconstruction..but off the beaten track. They sit in a gully that used to carry the tubs of out of the pit.

Also for me it's nice, as that's the pit my Grandad worked at and also village my dad was born in...so we've not actually gone far.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Well, that was interesting. I decided to repeat my walk of yesterday to see if I could figure out some more about the railway evidence I observed.

I started by climbing up to look at what was visible running over the top of that wee tunnel. It's quite securely fenced still and I just knew I'd seen that fencing somewhere before, but where? Looking through the bars of the fence I'm surprised to see railway lines still there with, on closer examination, two thick wire ropes between the rails running out of sight in both directions - cable railway of some sort? The rails are quite rusty with no sign of having been recently used but the wire rope doesn't look particularly rusty. I started walking north following the fence - and dodging the bushes and trees - until it came to an end with a set of very substantial buffers. The wire runs under the buffers and, a few yards further on, goes round a pretty monolithic pulley block with tensioning devices etc. I'm fascinated by all this and decide I'm going to come back another day and follow the line to the south to see where it goes.

Dropping back down to the river through the woods I was paying more attention to where the other railway - the one I think used to go through the park - might have run. There's been a whole housing estate built on the other side of the river which is where the railway would have run and i suddenly realize that the wall on the other side of the river is actually partly formed around the old parapet of what must have been a bridge across the river. Looking more carefully at the wall on my side I can now see where it must have been supported on this side too. Lining it all up by eye I can see where it must have run to come out where that big pillar and the "edifice" I saw yesterday are.

Continued walking to the "edifice parapet" and now realize the line of the old railway which would have run under the one whose - now non existent - bridge I'm looking at, has been raised by dumping loads of soil and then landscaping it to this new elevated level. In other words, where I'm standing here:



Would have been probably a good 6 feet or more deeper when the other railway line ran under this bridge.

Walking along the line I was first exploring (just to be clear. At the point of this "edifice/parapet" or whatever you want to call it, there were obviously two rail lines crossing each other - one underneath and one above) The "underneath" one I've been aware of for years as it goes up past the Tesco store and then dives into a tunnel of some length which used to be filled in but has now been opened up with lighting etc and, I think, ultimately goes right through to Waverley Station at the city centre. Although I've walked it often before I've never really thought about why it rises and falls away again just at this point, but now it's obvious. It's so a ramp could be formed so a cycle path could be extended up to the level of the top of the parapet so cyclists can then travel on towards the park down this path:





Now home I've been googling it all and the mystery of the cables is revealed! It was a dead end shunting line for the old refuse compaction plant at Powderhall - knew I'd seen that fencing before - The city refuse lorries would deliver to the compaction plant which then compacted the rubbish into special rail cars. The cable system was so the train of railcars could be shunted back and forward without the need for a shunting engine. All the years I've lived here, seen the lorries going in and out and never knew it had this interesting shunting system! This depot has been closed for a number of years and they will be building houses on the site sometime. I hear there has been problems with pollution though, which is costing the council (so us) to put right before it can be sold to developers

And some news about the other line which had the, now demolished, bridge. Indeed it did go on over this bridge and into the park in a quite deep cutting (now all filled in to make the walkway where the trees with the white blossom are) It continued across what is now the park still in this deep cutting and exited at the other side - I've found the bridge and line where it ran which is also now a walkway.

I didn't take my camera with me today because rain was expected - I just about beat it home actually - Next time I go that way I'll get some pictures of the cable railway for you all. The block/tensioner is moderately interesting.

 

[StevenRB45]

It's always worth looking at something like https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/

See if you can find an old photo, it can help identify places you might want to look and makes sense of things you've seen that aren't immediately obvious.

 

[StevenRB45]

Got to Fountains Abbey weather held off all day though it had clearly belted down all night.

Don't really have a lot to say..the challenge I find with this place is not taking the same photos every time I go.





Always worth the trip though.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I particularly like the 3rd picture, the one showing the bridge with the water running down the wee chute. Charming rear view of your youngster too - bet he needs the splash suit! Our wee grandson is very keen on puddles too. There's a blocked drain at the bottom of their street just now which floods quite impressively whenever it rains. You have to make sure you beat him to it or he'd be up to his knees in no time!

 

[StevenRB45]

I particularly like the 3rd picture, the one showing the bridge with the water running down the wee chute. Charming rear view of your youngster too - bet he needs the splash suit! Our wee grandson is very keen on puddles too. There's a blocked drain at the bottom of their street just now which floods quite impressively whenever it rains. You have to make sure you beat him to it or he'd be up to his knees in no time!

Oh god aye...he'd have been in the river nevermind up to his knees! Clearly had bucketed down over night so puddles everywhere.

It's a lovely site, pretty much 3 sites in one with the Abbey at one end, water garden in the middle and deer park at the far end all very different.

River is quite natural at the top and flows under the Abbey then drops via the chute into the water garden..it's not so wee though its a good 20ft across. As you go through the river gets more and more "controlled" and ornamental until it goes over the spillway at the far end into the lake in the deer park.

Quite a walk...we were there 5 hours and didn't really go into the deer park or do the walk along past the follies on the cliff opposite (it's very steep so not ideal for toddler and pram).

One from another time..taken from Anne Boleyns seat on the cliff top walk.

 

[StevenRB45]

Had a day at Alnwick Garden yesterday, literally the quietest I've ever seen it.

I guess schools in + no foreign tourists (this time of year is normally very popular with people from the Netherlands on the Northumberland coast).

Normally this place is lovely but you can never take a photo without getting 10 people you don't know in it.

But we had both the blossom orchard and walled garden to ourselves yesterday.


Also spent a lot of time playing with the water features...however those photos are mainly of a drenched toddler.


Another place we've been many times over the years so trying not to take photos I already have...however probably have several 100 from previous trips of everything as it's very photogenic so the temptation is to take a million photos.