BROFE'S BOLLOCKS

Winter seems like it is starting to approach as me and Tom headed out to Ratley. I think it is in Oxfordshire but may straddle the Oxfordshire Warwickshire border. Anyway it was a little frosty, but the going was good to firm and the views were amazing. We came across this obelisk not too far into the stomp, but no real idea what it commemorates. A little gallery of the views before we hit the pub. Blast through them why don't ya?! Entered the village, and pub not too far no

I have been meaning to explore this stretch of river, that enters the Tone river just at the back of our house, for a good while. I recently met a new neighbour running a little guesthouse up the road, and her and her workaway guy fancied it, so off we went. It starts just up a track (which used to be a drivable lane) but very quickly the road and the valley walls rise high above the river floor. Some lovely views and great stretches of river, but all seem very inaccessible.

I first discovered this great urban walk one Sunday afternoon a while back when I had to entertain myself while my brother and the lads competed for the "Ryder Cup - Coventry junior rugby clubs version" on a Sunday afternoon. I have repeated it a few time since and is a great way to work up a thirst for the Red Lion (where the beer is half decent albeit extortionately priced). I am trying to catch up on posting stuff from ages ago that I didn't get round to yet, so all I will

I was reminded today, by social media, that a few years ago I hiked up Mt. Tanigawa with my friends Steve and Kaz. I was surprised at first not by the length of time ago (9 years) but by the time of year as it is a lot cooler here today than it evidently was that day. Anyway it was a great day out and here's a few snaps. We started from the top of the Tanigawa ropeway (going all the way up from the bottom is for nut jobs in my opinion). So, first of all, the obligatory foothi

There has been a lakeside run every year around our local lake, which was organised to coincide with the local festival, and they had an...

I decided to get up super early and try to watch the sun come up onto the mountain side. This is the first morning I have tried it, and...

I have been trying to put a new neck on a cheap precision bass copy that has a neck that is warped into the Andromeda galaxy 3 billion...

I was driving along today and a tune came on in the car by the band Mosaik, created by Andy Irvine & Dónal Lunny way back in 2002. They...

Up in Fujiwara, we "have" a semi-feral cat, that we have named Stevie, who deigns to allow us to leave her food out. In return she...

Ozegahara national park is literally on our doorstep, and we have been meaning to take a tramp up there for a while, but as is often the...

Being a knackered old bastard, I don't manage the high-octane thrills that the local nutcases do (you know who you are!), but I still...

There has been an absolutely phenomenal amount of snow up here in Fujiwara this season, and up in Tenjindaira Kieron and crew are...

I haven't been boarding they this season, or snowshoeing, but I needed to do something, so I just took a stroll up to the local ski...

We drove over to Kenilworth, parked up just outside, and took a walk through the fields around the castle. Although I have been doing...

Well, I am stuck in a hotel now for 6 days, as part of Japans COVID (aka Covoid - youse know who you are) response, so I figure I may as...

I have been too topical the last few days, so I had better get back to the historical stuff. We stayed with Mina's mum in Finsbury (I...

Still at a bit of an impasse waiting for the boiler to get fixed, but was rescued for a few hours by Dave Hadlum and Scotty Yarker. Scott...

Well I have been back about a month, so I had better blast some random pictures up. After arriving and getting a negative PCR result, I...

I went to Sutton Stop while I was in Cov. Ha ha, alert the media! I am ALWAYS there. Met up with Jay, Kev & Sonia and Tom, and was a...

Bloody freezing up the rugby today but thankfully was fortified by a few jars in the Railway Club and the Broomfield Tavern. Here is a...