Technology is wonderful.

Technology coupled with communication is fantastic.

Yesterday I was on the phone (landline) England, talking to a friend on her (mobile) USA Idaho the family was journeying to Island Park.

We were 4568 miles apart as the crow flies, within two minutes of hanging up there was a photo on my facebook wall showing where they were. Twenty years ago this would have been a thing of science fiction, if thought on at all.

Going in search of snow, it's a mad mad mad mad world. Seems strange riding on the wrong side of the road!!!

Threescore years and ten.

I'm told seventy is the new fifty. I say no thank you!
At fifty I was working 18 shifts out of 21, 7hr days 8hr afternoons 9hr nights.
Earning good money but no time off to spend it.
As young men we used to read the Steel News the firms newspaper, the first page we turned to was the obituary page. The scary thing was that not many retired workers reached 68 years old.
So in the 80s and 90s when voluntary redundancies on a full pension were offered at age 55 and over the men at the right age jumped at it. Luckily for me I got the choice July 2000. I was 56 had done 41 years on shifts and had had enough; the terms offered were too good to turn down so I took Early Retirement Redundancy.  

It did not guarantee that I would live any longer but if I had only made it to 68 I would have had 12 years of freedom, as apposed to 3 years if I had retired at 65 the official retirement age.

Funny the things that go through your head when you are working your soul case out.   

Up the Secret Valley.

This is the start of our round walk up the Secret Vally past Peveril Castle and onto Mam Tor.

This Valley featured in the film Princes Bride.

A very defencive position from this side at least.

Note the inside outside toilet.

The path is usually dry but we have had a very wet winter this year.

Almost to the end of the Valley, really windy and cold.

Me and my walking mate our Steven.

Once at the top of the Secret valley it levels off for some distance.

Castleton and Peveril Castle.

Last Monday hiking with our Steven.
30 miles from home, Castleton in the Dark Peak District of Derbyshire.
The Peak District has lots of quaint villages and lots of walking routes.

Peveril Castle in the background.

This is the entrance to the Secret Valley, the start of our walk me and our Steven that is Una does not do hill walking.

After a circular hike over Mam Tor we come back to Castleton at this point near the car park.

Mam Tor in the background a popular place with hang gliders.

Conisbrough Castle.

Last Saturday on our way home from Doncaster we called in at Conisbrough.
The cast iron water trough and gas lamp was erected for the coronation of King George V.
 22nd June 1911.

The war memorial at Conisbrough, the original bayonet was stolen then the replacement was stolen
so it was decided to leave it as is.

Conisbrough Castle the home of Sir Walter Scots Ivanhoe from the book of the same name. Though it's not quite true there are many references to Ivanhoe in the area.
 

Childhood memories; the castle is 5 miles from home we would go there on our push bikes with bread and jam sandwiches and a bottle of water picnic on the banks, spend the day playing knights in shining armour then home before dark.

The castle was in constant state of repair when we were kids the keep had no floors or a roof. The walls were all crumbled away, there was no fence surrounding it, it is much more impressive now than it was then.  

My eyes.

From the outside looking in they look OK.
From the inside looking out things are getting a little misty.

Cataracts
last Wednesday I went to Rotherham General Hospital to see a specialist after he examined my eyes, there was only one thing for it surgery.
He gave me a date to do my right eye first, 30th April 7-30am.

I'll soon be the 6 million dollar man, sorted prostate titanium knees new eyes what next.
Una says I should go and get them to remove my hands out of my pockets, being a Yorkshire man I don't think it would be a very successful operation!     

The past week.

 A walk round the Wentworth Estate to Keppel's Column.

Private land trespassing but if there's no one there to send you back you just keep on walking forward.

When I was a boy it was almost impossible to walk round here, it was thick with under growth and trees it as been cleared recently. On google maps it is hard to see the dams three are easy to see but there are actually five.  

 Keppel's Column, it's on google.

 A four to five mile walk.





Wath upon Dearn Parish Church.

 Snowdrops and Crocus.

 Wath upon Dearne War Memorial every village has one.


A walk up Grinsbrook Valey Edale to the Mushroom Rock Kinder Scout.

 At the start of the walk it was calm and pleasant but at this point there was a strong cold wind.

We sat down to eat or sandwiches but it was so cold it was freezing our fingers off. 

We gave it up and set off back down a different way.

At the bottom it was a touch warmer so we finished the sandwiches and called it a day. 

I did have a few walks round Rawmarsh with Una she prefers walking around the houses more than the countryside. This Monkey Puzzle Tree took my eye on Monkwood Road they are not a very safe tree to go near, the branches can fall off at any time with out warning.