Frank Montgomery's Personal Pages
Summary of 2010
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Here is my quick review of 2010
Jan: Five countries this month (New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Brazil). Sincere thanks to all those whose friendship and generosity made my ‘tour of the south’ such a memorable and enjoyable experience. Special mention to Dave Pye, Donald & Anne Veal and family, Anne & Gordon Campion, Neville Patterson and family, Luis Ferreira & family, Colleen Radnedge, Neil Douglas & Barbara Smyth, Alan Nicholson, Fergus Tate, Dave Wanty, David Turner, Colin McDonald & Paula Feathers, Uri Bezuidenhout, Francisco Martinez, Paul Timms & Glaci.
Before leaving New Zealand, I cashed in my colleagues’ present for my 60th birthday - a flying lesson in a 2 seater Cessna.
The Overlander train from Wellington to Auckland was quite spectacular, but at 12 hours not really a competitor in the business travel market.
Despite what many Wellingtonians may say, Auckland is a fine city.
You only have one life, but I had two shots at 9 January, by crossing the International Date Line on the flight from NZ to Chile.
I managed to pack a lot into four days in Chile, including a drive to the stunning Andes, and a coach trip to the fascinating harbour cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
The expedition to Antarctica on MV Lyubov Orlova was indeed a trip of a lifetime. Thoroughly well organised by Quark Expeditions. Sad to see that the ship is currently impounded in Newfoundland, with the excellent Russian crew owed 5 months wages.
Back in Argentina, I had a few hours cycling in the most southerly city in the world (Ushuaia). Three weeks later Mark Beaumont arrived there at the end of his mammoth cycling tour of the Americas. In March I went to his lecture tour in the Victoria Theatre Halifax, and managed to have a few words with him during a book-signing break.
Feb: Say ‘Brazil’, and most people probably think of skyscrapers next to beaches, sugarloaf mountains, favelas, samba, Amazon rainforest, a crazy film by Terry Gilliam, or a little lady in a tutti-frutti hat. The area that I visited with Paul Timms and his wife Glaci was none of those things. Cambara do Sul is a remote village a few hours bus journey north of Porto Alegre, where horses are still a major mode of travel and tourism is still a novelty (but there were 3 internet cafes). From there we visited two national parks on the edge of the plateau, where the spectacular canyons are probably comparable with those in Colorado.
Arriving back in Leeds to temperatures just above freezing (as opposed to 42C in Brazil), I was mightily pleased that the car started first time after 3+ months on the driveway.
Mar- Dec.
Skiing: An excellent 2 days in Aviemore over Easter, and perhaps another visit next week!
The Dales Way. I walked this in 11 sections, starting from the University of Leeds in March and finishing at Bowness on Windermere in June, on the day that Derrick Bird was on the rampage. As I only set off when the forecast was fair, and the longest continuous stretch was 4 days, I managed to avoid rain except for one day. This could not be said for…
…The West Highland Way, which I walked in one go in July. Out of 8 days walking, it was raining on 6. Nevertheless it was a very enjoyable walk, mainly due to the good company. On this walk I tried out Avon Skin-so-Soft as a midge repellent, and found that it worked!
Northern Ireland. After an absence of 40 years, I visited Belfast twice. The first visit was at the end of March, and stormy snowy weather made for a somewhat tricky drive to the North Antrim coast. At the Giant’s Causeway, a landslide had taken out the top of the Shepherd’s Steps, and visitors were being advised not to go down to the causeway. However I was still charged £6 to park at the visitor centre! The coast hereabouts is really spectacular, and at one point the Scottish mainland is just 12 miles away.
Central Heating: In August I replaced my boiler with one of the new condensing boilers. Much more efficient, but they produce up to a litre a day of water which has to be piped away. Unfortunately most plumbers in UK have been routing these pipes outside the house without lagging and with insufficient gradient, with the result that in winter the condensate freezes and the boiler shuts off! This happened to me and several thousand others in the recent big freeze. Thankfully now sorted.
Cycling: Our fortnightly Sunday rides are gaining in popularity, with 15 riders on at least 4 occasions. The Great Yorkshire Bike Ride was as good as ever. This year I decided to cycle back the next day, and unfortunately punctured both wheels simultaneously during a downpour near Driffield. My car was parked at Wetherby racecourse, and getting both it and the bike back home proved a rather long affair! The August bank holiday saw seven cyclists on a very enjoyable trip to Amsterdam and den Haag via the Hull – Europort ferry. Naturally when we were cycling north to Amsterdam the wind was from the north, and when we came south again the wind was strongly from the south.
Via Ferrata: This form of assisted rock climbing originated in the Dolomites during the first world war. There are only two sites in England, and in September I had a go at the one in How Stean Gorge, Nidderdale. Let’s just say it was thrilling.
This year, I have made a donation of one pound per recipient of this email (230) to Mind (National Association for Mental Health). By donating through The Big Give website, this has been doubled, and furthermore Gift Aid worth £64 has been reclaimed. If you are feeling generous over Christmas, why not get your donations doubled as well? There are plenty of charities to choose from.
Best Wishes
Frank Montgomery
Ps. Here is a little sample of surreal humour from Glasgow.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Here is my quick review of 2010
Jan: Five countries this month (New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Brazil). Sincere thanks to all those whose friendship and generosity made my ‘tour of the south’ such a memorable and enjoyable experience. Special mention to Dave Pye, Donald & Anne Veal and family, Anne & Gordon Campion, Neville Patterson and family, Luis Ferreira & family, Colleen Radnedge, Neil Douglas & Barbara Smyth, Alan Nicholson, Fergus Tate, Dave Wanty, David Turner, Colin McDonald & Paula Feathers, Uri Bezuidenhout, Francisco Martinez, Paul Timms & Glaci.
Before leaving New Zealand, I cashed in my colleagues’ present for my 60th birthday - a flying lesson in a 2 seater Cessna.
The Overlander train from Wellington to Auckland was quite spectacular, but at 12 hours not really a competitor in the business travel market.
Despite what many Wellingtonians may say, Auckland is a fine city.
You only have one life, but I had two shots at 9 January, by crossing the International Date Line on the flight from NZ to Chile.
I managed to pack a lot into four days in Chile, including a drive to the stunning Andes, and a coach trip to the fascinating harbour cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
The expedition to Antarctica on MV Lyubov Orlova was indeed a trip of a lifetime. Thoroughly well organised by Quark Expeditions. Sad to see that the ship is currently impounded in Newfoundland, with the excellent Russian crew owed 5 months wages.
Back in Argentina, I had a few hours cycling in the most southerly city in the world (Ushuaia). Three weeks later Mark Beaumont arrived there at the end of his mammoth cycling tour of the Americas. In March I went to his lecture tour in the Victoria Theatre Halifax, and managed to have a few words with him during a book-signing break.
Feb: Say ‘Brazil’, and most people probably think of skyscrapers next to beaches, sugarloaf mountains, favelas, samba, Amazon rainforest, a crazy film by Terry Gilliam, or a little lady in a tutti-frutti hat. The area that I visited with Paul Timms and his wife Glaci was none of those things. Cambara do Sul is a remote village a few hours bus journey north of Porto Alegre, where horses are still a major mode of travel and tourism is still a novelty (but there were 3 internet cafes). From there we visited two national parks on the edge of the plateau, where the spectacular canyons are probably comparable with those in Colorado.
Arriving back in Leeds to temperatures just above freezing (as opposed to 42C in Brazil), I was mightily pleased that the car started first time after 3+ months on the driveway.
Mar- Dec.
Skiing: An excellent 2 days in Aviemore over Easter, and perhaps another visit next week!
The Dales Way. I walked this in 11 sections, starting from the University of Leeds in March and finishing at Bowness on Windermere in June, on the day that Derrick Bird was on the rampage. As I only set off when the forecast was fair, and the longest continuous stretch was 4 days, I managed to avoid rain except for one day. This could not be said for…
…The West Highland Way, which I walked in one go in July. Out of 8 days walking, it was raining on 6. Nevertheless it was a very enjoyable walk, mainly due to the good company. On this walk I tried out Avon Skin-so-Soft as a midge repellent, and found that it worked!
Northern Ireland. After an absence of 40 years, I visited Belfast twice. The first visit was at the end of March, and stormy snowy weather made for a somewhat tricky drive to the North Antrim coast. At the Giant’s Causeway, a landslide had taken out the top of the Shepherd’s Steps, and visitors were being advised not to go down to the causeway. However I was still charged £6 to park at the visitor centre! The coast hereabouts is really spectacular, and at one point the Scottish mainland is just 12 miles away.
Central Heating: In August I replaced my boiler with one of the new condensing boilers. Much more efficient, but they produce up to a litre a day of water which has to be piped away. Unfortunately most plumbers in UK have been routing these pipes outside the house without lagging and with insufficient gradient, with the result that in winter the condensate freezes and the boiler shuts off! This happened to me and several thousand others in the recent big freeze. Thankfully now sorted.
Cycling: Our fortnightly Sunday rides are gaining in popularity, with 15 riders on at least 4 occasions. The Great Yorkshire Bike Ride was as good as ever. This year I decided to cycle back the next day, and unfortunately punctured both wheels simultaneously during a downpour near Driffield. My car was parked at Wetherby racecourse, and getting both it and the bike back home proved a rather long affair! The August bank holiday saw seven cyclists on a very enjoyable trip to Amsterdam and den Haag via the Hull – Europort ferry. Naturally when we were cycling north to Amsterdam the wind was from the north, and when we came south again the wind was strongly from the south.
Via Ferrata: This form of assisted rock climbing originated in the Dolomites during the first world war. There are only two sites in England, and in September I had a go at the one in How Stean Gorge, Nidderdale. Let’s just say it was thrilling.
This year, I have made a donation of one pound per recipient of this email (230) to Mind (National Association for Mental Health). By donating through The Big Give website, this has been doubled, and furthermore Gift Aid worth £64 has been reclaimed. If you are feeling generous over Christmas, why not get your donations doubled as well? There are plenty of charities to choose from.
Best Wishes
Frank Montgomery
Ps. Here is a little sample of surreal humour from Glasgow.