The Beeb's web article has attracted many negative comments from Heroes. I've read most of them and have been swayed to stay indoors and continue to follow the shielding rules for the CEV. Besides, it's dark and damned cold here at 8pm. 5pm might have been a better option.
We'll probably fly the flag anyway:
As you know, I've had my fill of poor customer service recently.
I can now report that good order is beginning to be restored. Top marks go to Nevisport, who took the time to do it right and wasted no time in sending the goods. Furthermore, they were kind enough to extend the 14-day returns period so that I could buy on Boxing Day and still have a return option up until the end of January, thus covering a rather important birthday.
To be fair, I don't think there's the slightest chance of me sending them back. Right now there's no way that Chris is going to be parted from her new Scarpa SL M3s.
Thanks, Nevisport!
Proper boots, none of yer Jessiehiker membrane rubbish.
Of all the gifts given and received this festive season, the greatest of all was delivered by the postman just before Christmas... a parcel from Luke, containing a letter and gifts for his sisters and a letter for his Mum. Luke will probably never realise just how happy they are now, and there's no way that we could adequately express it on here, but we felt that we had to let the world know about it. In his letter he says that he's doing well and is enjoying his life, and we're happy for him.
In the letter to his Mum Luke raises many issues which are of concern, some of those issues are valid, some are not. It's clear that there's a need to deal with those issues, but sadly Luke did not include either a postal or an email address, so there's no way that we can have two-way communications to get things sorted. This also means that we can't send Luke the presents and mail that have been accumulating here for him since his departure.
The "Missing Luke Talion" Facebook group page has now been taken down by the page's administrator because it has served its original purpose and because Luke said that it was having adverse effects on his personal and professional lives, despite his claim that he'd not actually read it. We would like to thank everyone that supported the group, and also those who offered support via this blog. If you're one of them then you have our gratitude and we wish you well. If you still need to contact us off-blog about this, you can use the Contact Page here, it's email-based so whatever's sent doesn't get published on the blog.
One of the readers of the Facebook group kindly sent the page's administrator a recent photo of Luke out with some of his friends, here it is with appropriate pixelation:
BTW, I'd decided on the title for this post some days ago, but I thought that I'd Google it to be sure that I'd got it about right. I'd say it's a coincidence of biblical proportions that the text is from Luke 2:10
Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all readers and followers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
This multi-family hostelling malarkey is becoming a habit - first it was Windermere YHA, next it was Buttermere YHA. We'll complete the hat-trick during the Easter holidays when we stay at Borrowdale YHA for three nights. Trefor, the Hostel's Management Hero, has agreed to let us pay with Tesco Clubcard Rewards Tokens and that is going to save us a small fortune (family rooms are £66 a night, so we're looking at using £47.50-worth of Vouchers to get £190-worth of Tokens, the remainder we'll pay in cash). Thanks, Trefor!
Just a quick note here - if you've a mind to use your Tesco Clubcard Vouchers for this sort of thing, be aware that the current exchange-rate of 4:1 changes to a less-favourable 3:1 on December 6th 2010 so get your exchanges done pronto. Tokens have a shelf-life of six months so they're worth getting now if you're going to use them during the first bit of next year.
Anyway, we've yet to discuss objectives and we're mindful that a lot will depend on the weather and on the mind-set of the kids in our group, but the environs of Borrowdale offer so much and at so many different levels of ability that we shouldn't be stuck for choice. A couple of options that I'll chuck into the mix are a short bimble up Rosthwaite Fell with a possible extension to Glaramara and maybe even as far as Allen Crags, and a trudge up to Styhead Tarn with the possibility of a pull up to Great Gable. Both of these offer superb adventures for budding young fell-walkers, letting them get into the real mountains and putting some rock beneath their boots. Then there's the knot of lower fells around Watendlath where I've spent many a happy afternoon - I could let the others wander the fine network of paths there for a few hours while I try to tease a few trout out of the tarn.
Hopefully it'll be a bit drier than the last time I stayed at Borrowdale...
A few days ago I emailed Lyon Equipment Ltd. After Sales to find out about getting a replacement rubbery band for the red plastic pod for my Petzl e+LITE - my band is showing its age and has many deep cracks in it, it would probably have broken during the next outing.
Yesterday the postie delivered a packet containing not just a replacement rubbery band but also a new pod and a new headband complete with the revised cord-grip (the one with the integral whistle). All FOC despite my offer to pay.
Joe Faulkner, you're a star, thank you!
New on the left, old on the right
