This was actually yesterday and we've had that amount again this morning with more due. All of this is right on my doorstep in the middle of Dunfermline.
Apparently earliest significant snowfall since 1993, though I doubt that was in London where I was then.
I've been trying to use my week off not just to slob about at home, but get out and enjoy the fresh air. The original idea was to get a week-long Megarider ticket, but it hasn't turned out like that. Probably for the best as I've been too knackered to do journeys on consecutive days and the weather has peaked on the days I've chosen.
First off on Tuesday was Stirling- a destination I only decided at the bus station. It might easily have been Perth or the Fife coast or even Linlithgow.
If you look at a map and see the proximity of Dunfermline and Stirling you'd think it was a simple bus journey, probably an express route taking 30 minutes or so. Neither is true - I set off fairly early, taking the 10.15am departure. But because this embroiders a way via the villages along the River Forth, particularly High Valleyfield, and ignores motorways and direct routes I arrived at 11.45, which was admittedly 10 minutes late too. Hence why I don't go very often - Glasgow is quicker!
Though I've been to Stirling as recently as September 2007 (notably from Crieff), I was determined to climb up to the Castle and get views that took advantage of the crisp, clear day. I'd only done that once before, in summer 1999, armed with a camcorder whose Hi-8 footage I can no longer access.
Actually, the thing that caught my eye on approach was a new structure that was absent even in 2007 and I thought at first was a stadium rather than a bridge. It does look very impressive, if not too dissimilar to a lot of recent urban bridges, but is ultimately a bit pointless by traversing the rail lines but not quite stretching over a main road into the town on the north. And at the moment it's south side leads nowhere.
After a pub stop to catch up on the twitterati reaction to the 11am BBC cuts announcement (mine is in the next post) and upload a £1.75 pint of cider I was ready for the journey up to the castle.
Though I didn't actually enter the castle proper, which costs, the views from the esplanade are outstanding enough and you can see for miles in almost every direction (part of the west is blocked by the castle).
Having pottered around the town centre a while it was still mid-afternoon so I thought I'd try and fit in another destination while the weather held out. I nearly hopped on a 23 bus which went to Kinross (and eventually St Andrews) where I could easily head back to Dunfermline from. I actually caught the next direct service to Alloa - hoping to find a village-avoiding service back home. For Stagecoach ticket purposes both Alloa and Kinross count as Fife in 'rider' tickets, though neither actually are in Fife.
I've not stopped off in Alloa since, I think, 1985 and thought it might deserve another look. It didn't, but the above sign did confirm that Dunfermline is only 22 miles from Stirling (though not in the same direction obviously).
Importantly, although there is now a rail station again, there now appears to be no bus station or any attempt at one. All there is is a complete mess of a bus stop on the main street where the only information available gives the impression all buses go toward Stirling and nothing goes east, which was where I wanted. Eventually, and a lot later than I'd have liked, I caught a Falkirk bound one which could let me off at Kincardine where I knew I'd get on one of the express buses returning from Glasgow. It's probably what I should have done in the morning - it takes 10/15 minutes between Kincardine and Dunfermline on the express buses that run every half hour. Alas, as the temperatures dropped alarmingly, the express buses were very much behind schedule - one didn't appear at all and the next one was ten minutes late so I was stood there for another 45 minutes rather than the 5 minutes I expected.
Anyway, 75 of the pics from the day (I took more than 100!) are to be found in my Facebook albums - this should be open to all, even if you're not on Facebook. Tell me if not.
Thought I'd see how long I could keep this up, and unfortunately this first week (well the first week the schedules properly calm down after the holidays) I got the "Radio Times" late ... as in this morning. Expect this between Tuesday and Thursday evening normally.
Introductory note: be aware this is a very personal selection and refers to programmes I'm able to watch (I have Freeview) and intend to watch. I may not manage on the day, for whatever reason, and I'm not going to beat myself up about that. Also don't expect me to review them all afterwards, though I may do for some.
If you want a far more comprehensive TV preview blog, may I recommend that splendid fellow, Mr Keith Topping at these galactic co-ordinates:
I'm including links which will hopefully lead you to iPlayer/4oD etc replays and relevant background info where I can - all times and dates are according to the print edition of "Radio Times" for BBC Scotland*/STV.
MY TOP THREE NEW OR RETURNING SHOWS OR HIGHLIGHTS:
BEING HUMAN - SUNDAY 10 JANUARY 9.30-10.30pm (BBC THREE)
The second full series (of 8) begins. Episode one guest stars Paul Rhys and Donald Sumpter. Though not dispensing with the comedy, this is apparently a darker series.
I was surprised that, even on BBC Three, this didn't get a "Radio Times" cover now that Russell, Aidan and Lenora are all considered 'hot' properties.
COME DINE WITH ME - MONDAY 11 JANUARY 5.30-6pm (C4)
Now getting nominated for TV awards, the cult daytime dinner party mayhem returns in the superior 5 weekday episode format (the weekly Sunday prime-time ones are more like Nicorette patches to aid withdrawal symptoms). RT neglects to mention how many weeks we are getting but I'd have guessed it will run to the end of February at least. The opening week is in Basingstoke.
GLEE - MONDAY 11 JANUARY 9-11pm (DOUBLE EPISODE) (E4)
This is not quite our first look at "Glee" as E4 showed the pilot over Christmas, but here it is again bolted on to the first of the series proper in a two-hour opener. It will be my first look, as I missed the pilot but have been very stoked up by transatlantic blog buzz and some attractive trailers. It appears to me at this point as (ascendent) geeks v jocks to a comedy musical format, which I find clever anyway. Hoping E4 keep 9 as the regular start time - the whole 4 stable has a habit of shoving all the landmark US shows to 10pm, which is past my bedtime ordinarily. Though this does make it clash with "Law & Order:UK" on ITV1 and "Hustle" on BBC One, not that I've ever followed the latter.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE - SATURDAY 9 JANUARY 7-8.05pm; 9.45-10.10pm (BBC ONE)
Technically not the first of the 7 episode series, but the first of the live shows and the accompanying results programme. I stuck with the first programme last Saturday, despite the BBC Press Office having already revealed the 14 finalists and being perplexed by the audition process which meant that it was not the best 14 that survived, but the best 7 girls and the best 7 guys, which is quite different. Of course this was to serve the live show format, where one of each flavour is booted per weekend as well as the unavoidable boy/girl pairing. So I'll be basing my continued viewing on tonight's show and whether it works for me - I liked the short lived "Strictly Dance Fever" to which SYTYCD bears similarities, but couldn't get on with the even shorter lived "Dance X". And I hope to present a post on any male totty left after tonight if it does please me ...
DELIA THROUGH THE DECADES - MONDAY 11 JANUARY 8.30-9pm (BBC TWO)
I'm going to forgive Delia for blotting her copybook with 2008's "How to Cheat at Cooking" series, whose mixed reception I'm hoping won't be excised in the last of the five featured decades presented here. This one is recipe-lite and more of a biographical documentary with the occasional sample by the foremost kitchen diva in the present. We start on Monday in the 70s, so hopefully we'll get a soupcon of "Swap Shop".
Though hardcore fans of the American original were rather snotty about this when it first appeared on ITV1 last February, I and many others saw it as one of the rare sparks of ITV quality drama. ITV1 still managed to spoil the party by splitting the first series in two and this is in fact series one, part two (already screened in Canada last summer). An actual series two has thankfully been ordered. As with all the episodes, these are anglicized and re-tooled versions of US originals - Monday's gay-themed one by Chris Chibnall is a version of a 1993 story and guest stars Patrick Malahide and Jamie Foreman.
Similarly derided by some fans of the original, I was again nonetheless rather impressed by this re-imagining of "Survivors", masterminded by Adrian Hodges. Having radically altered the character of Tom Price to become one of the leads (a masterful performance by Max Beesley) we go into series two with Abby (and seperated son) still present and correct so splitting further from the source. However, Abby was a strength of the original and missed once gone - the jury is still out on Julie Graham's needy portrayal here. Hopefully, the producers have taken on board some of the perceived weaknesses from the debut run and will have tweaked this second batch of six accordingly. Notably, since last time, Paterson Joseph (Greg) has not been killed off to allow him to be "Doctor Who" ...
MATERIAL GIRL - THURSDAY 14 JANUARY 8-9pm (BBC ONE)
The first of six hour-long episodes of a pre-watershed 'romantic comedy' debut. This is going to be another 'suck it and see' for me. One time "Gridlock" hijacker Lenora Crichlow heads the cast in her second new series of the week. Joining her are fellow ex-"Doctor Who" guest stars Dervla Kirwan (Mercy Hartigan) and the rather cute but oddly named O-T Fagbenie (Other Dave) in a presumed piss-take of the fashion world.
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER: THE FIRST EVICTION - FRIDAY 15 JANUARY 9-10pm; 10.35-11.05pm (C4)
With last night's show headlined by a live variety show from the initial motley crew of housemates and the surprise insertion within of Ivana Trump, the end of the week should see the first planned departure from the Elstree compound. Last night's BBBM appeared to think Stephen and Katia would be up for the vote with Katia going, but we shall see.
Annoyingly, this week's regular highlights shows are all over the schedule - one at 8pm (Wed), three at 9pm (Sat, Sun, Tue), and two at 10pm (Mon, Thu).
Saturday/Monday-Wednesday/Friday * - Great British Railway Journeys
Saturday - National Lottery: In it to Win It
Sunday - The Andrew Marr Show
Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday - Eastenders
Monday - University Challenge
Tuesday - The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best
Thursday - Question Time (back from break this week)
Friday - QI (returned to 8.30pm network slot after last night's demotion to 10.45pm*)
Now if you're wondering what * denoted in a couple of those examples, they flagged up BBC Scotland's woeful attempts at re-scheduling network programmes to suit their own ends. Specifically, Thursday's edition of "Great British Railway Journeys", stripped in a 6.30pm slot on BBC Two every weeknight on the network, is shunted to Friday with the Friday one shunted to wherever they can squeeze it on Saturday (they do this with Thursday's "Eggheads too). This is due to the somehow sacred two hour 'Gaelic Ghetto' we have imposed on us from 6 to 8pm every Thursday. With "Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two" for which they would drop the Thursday show entirely, it took them to midway through the 2008 series to instigate a red button opt-out for it - I'm sure the red button got more viewers in Scotland for those of us given that option - but even then it was not guaranteed every week and become a random frustration all over again. Anyway no such option is available for GBRJ.
At one point I was actually going to have a regular "BBC Scotland Watch" series of posts to highlight the full scale of their incompetent dabbling, which rarely works in my favour. However, I decided that would just double the inconvenience - the more they moved or dropped, the more time I'd have to spend writing it up as well as chasing what I wanted to see. I've come up with the next section as a compromise, listing the major prime-time culprits. In this, unlike the rest of this feature, I list the network position of programmes where that differs from what we get in Scotland. This is because it is not noted where the programmes are moved to or whether we et them at all - but I'll bracket that if I find out. I'm ignoring reasonable replacements, such as regional news and "Sportscene" for "Match of the Day" (not that I'd be watching either). For the moment I'm also leaving out STV examples, as they've been caught out and appear to have been sent homeward tae think again ...
So, the obvious title for this subsection is ...
"THAT'S EXCEPT FOR VIEWERS IN SCOTLAND WHO HAVE THEIR OWN PROGRAMMES"
Saturday - COAST repeat 6.30-7.30pm (BBC TWO)
Monday - NURSE JACKIE 10-10.30 (BBC TWO) BBC TWO Scotland 11.20-11.50pm
Tuesday - HOLBY CITY 8-9pm (BBC ONE) BBC ONE Scotland on Wednesday 8-9pm
Wednesday - TRAFFIC COPS 8-8.30pm (BBC ONE) BBC ONE Scotland 9-10pm (?!)
Wednesday - INSPECTOR GEORGE GENTLY repeat 8.30-10pm (BBC ONE)
Thursday - EGGHEADS 6-6.30pm (BBC TWO) BBC TWO Scotland on Friday 6-6.30pm
Thursday - GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS 6.30-7pm (BBC TWO) BBC TWO Scotland on Friday 6.30-7pm
Thursday - SNOOKER 7-8pm (BBC TWO) red button only in Scotland
Friday - EGGHEADS 6-6.30pm (BBC TWO) BBC TWO Scotland on Saturday 16th, presumed.
Friday - GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS: Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy 6.30-7pm (BBC TWO) BBC TWO Scotland on Saturday 16th, presumed.
I must point out, this week we are fairly lucky as it's light on tampering - wait until they 'need' to clear the schedule for a football match. And I shall personally apply a knee to the groin of the first person who mentions iPlayer or 'Sky channel whatever' in regard to this sub-section. Until BBC Scotland pays for my broadband download allowance or a Sky subscription that's entirely irrelevant. It's bad enough that some my contribution to the licence fee pays not only for the BBC Scotland insertions but the original network programming, so I really should get decent access to both. They really need to utilise the red button much more, but that's another story.
As you might be aware, one of the perks of living where I am is the view out across Rex Park, pictured above in the spring (though not from my flat).
So I was curious then angry when the council suddenly erected a bog standard mesh fence around it for no apparent reason, compounded by apparently barricading in some of the other residents with an even cheaper material. The fence keeps nothing in or out - it can't anyway as it's a public asset - and was constructed with obvious errors like blocking off a path. Security-wise it's probably made two virtual 'dark alleys' that were not there before, one of which will obviously be an unofficial toilet stop.
I've made two slideshows below. The first was made back in February (actually just to test out the slideshow>movie feature in Picasa) showing the park as it was before the fence went up, though my shots just happen to focus on the views that are most changed.
The second is made from photos taken between mid June and the start of August as I tried to chronicle the mess being made. I've alerted this one via Facebook to my MP, Willie Rennie, though I don't know what can be done.
and this is what they did ...
Ironic I'm posting this on the day that marks the 20th anniversary of another pointless wall coming down.
I'm no longer a consumer of this particular 'golden nectar', which might go some way to explaining why I don't fit any of the criteria meted out here (anyone who knows me care to challenge that?) in a new TV ad loosely based on the Kipling poem.
No doubt many don't consider me a proper Scot anyway.
Actually I do remember very occasionally being called 'jock' when I lived in London ... but it tended to annoy me.
In a first for me, I can actually load these direct from camera to laptop then directly from laptop to blog as Tralee Bay is wi-fi-ed up 24 hours a day! In fact I could even be outside sunbathing as I do this, but the screen glare wouldn't be ideal.
The first two pics above are the almost iconic town front at Oban, while the other three are adjacent to the Tralee Bay camp site this morning.
Weather really is gorgeous, with a fresh breeze able to take the worst off the heat.
I noted from the new "Radio Times" yesterday that BBC Two Scotland have relented on showing both the kiddie-friendly edit of "Torchwood" and the ONLY showing of "Torchwood De-Classified" which is networked in England and Wales on Thurdays at 7pm. As from episode 4 ("Meat") it will go out on TUESDAY at 7pm instead, avoiding the sacred Gaelic Zone (ironically this is ditched for a football match next week!).
Sorry I don't know if this situation is matched in Northern Ireland which also has a localised Thursday evening schedule.
However I managed to miss the fact that from next Wednesday (13th) BBC Three will be premiering the 'next week' episode, as they did with "Heroes" last year. This is especially apt for Martha Jones fans as her first of three "Torchwood" episodes ("Reset") will be on at 9.50pm that night, following episode five ("Adam") on BBC Two.
Only drawback here is that this will skim off some of BBC Two's ratings, as happened in series one.
7 FEBRUARY UPDATE: SFX are now reporting this BBC Three premiere is to be a one-off, presumably to draw people into the revamp happening on the channel from next week.
I am quoting verbatim an email I got from my mate Stuart this morning, Bear in mind this is someone who has given me cups of tea in a Celtic mug and is a much more avid follower of the game ...
"Been having a rant on Usenet about the 6 PM Scottish ITV News tonight giving Top Billing to some guy running on to the pitch at Celtic Park last night .A full 5 minutes incl a live reporter at Celtic Park . Then they decided to mention a debate at Holyrood .Can't not give football it's place can we .!!!
Some woman commented in reply to me ..
>I did grasp your point first time around. I also disagreed with >you on the over dramatisation thing. I was looking forward to >getting a clear picture of the pillock. The event could be nothing >it will be something if Celtic end up getting walloped too hard. >Maybe there are others out there who would have wished fuller >coverage of the event and it's possible future outcomes. >Oh well maybe not. I for one felt that the STV coverage was a >downright disgrace of under coverage.
Check the last sentence . I then asked if maybe she wanted the full 30 minutes devoted to the incident .
Others just accused me of being a greetin' face .FFS "
I am also minded to note that they would no doubt have ended the report with the phrase "And now over to the sports desk ..."
Been a while since I shared some of my snaps with you all. Here's some I took last week of the fields near where I work. The top two only just miss off Edinburgh airport to the left of the pictures while the third is actually another view of the field featured in the 'poppies' photo I republished here last week. As you can see, this year it has been given over to a wheat crop.
That's of the Top 100 Scottish websites so don't expect a ringtone anytime soon. Just spotted that this morning - it's been a slow but steady decsent up the rankings from my arrival at around 115.
Not really expecting to knock the 'Official Tartan Army' site off the top spot but you never know. Keep voting and see!
The cafe and deli only opened at the end of June, and I discovered it on a working lunch in the dazzle of this afternoon. The clear day view takes in everything from Fife to the Pentlands and a fair bit of the capital city. As well as the well presented (normally organic/free range variety) food and drink served there's a shop and you can even pick your own fruit and veg at pretty competitive prices.
I didn't have my camera with me, which was a shame, but the buildings you see top centre of the above shot from last summer are of the farm. Best reached via the Burnshot flyover turnoff of the A90. After that it's the first right turn on the southwesterly road going towards Kirkliston.
Saw this banner ad on the SRU homepage (I was looking for the pics of the team larking about yesterday in just shorts in the St Andrews surf actually) and had to include as I'm pretty sure the godlike Sean Lamont features.
Hopefully the gif format works, if not download it to where it will.
If you do actually want to buy the new kit go here:
As the last days of campaigning dawn I reckoned it was time to reveal where my crosses for the Scottish Parliament are going on Thursday. It's undoubtedly the most important and newsworthy of this week's elections (sorry England and Wales but it is) so a post is deserved.
I watched the 4 main party leaders debate on TV last night. Strangely, the leader who most dismayed me and had me slapping my forehead going "No, no no! Answer the bloody question!" was the one whose party I'm primarily voting for - the Lib Dems' Nicol Stephen. He might be the only party leader I'd shag but he hasn't impressed me on the campaign trail and was pathetic last night. We could really use Charlie Kennedy right now! First Minister Jack McConnell was little better - the man has surely had a charisma bypass. Alex Salmond swept the floor with them - oratory is his forte, but I just don't trust him and I'm independence-sceptic. Interestingly it's not as good a bet that Alex will actually win his list seat on Thursday, so we could actually get sour-faced Nicola Sturgeon instead! Annabel Goldie has been the dark horse this year - she has stood her policy ground and generally eschewed the hysterical "Save the Union" tactics employed by Labour. One of my mates is even voting for them on Thursday, albeit in what seems a tactical move. I'd even say the Tories don't deserve to do badly at the polls but they probably will despite the leader.
My reasoning for voting Lib Dem isn't as perverse as the last paragraph might hint. I abandoned Labour in both UK and Scottish flavours in time for the 2001 General Elections, though I can see that they are (at heart) quite different parties if only Jack wasn't so keen to be Blair's poodle. But I've been voting Lib Dem in all the elections of this decade as they currently best suit my political beliefs. It's not that I agree 100% with everything they come up with - their recent pledge to introduce an hour a day's physical exercise in schools was a soundbite that would have alarmed my schoolboy self - but the party I disagree least with.
I'm also not moved by accusations that the Scottish Lib Dems are mercenary, dropping or bending manifesto promises once in coalition power. As the very junior partner since 1999 there's no chance they'd get everything they wanted but they have still wrested some significant concessions from an unwilling Scottish Labour Party - notably the controversial introduction of PR for council elections, which will commence on Thursday and result in many Labour scalps. Besides, I respect pragmatism over dogma.
Again this is not to say I dislike all of the other parties' policies either, indeed the Lib Dems and the SNP share quite a few, hence why everyone expects an SNP/Lib Dem coalition develop in some form. Plus my second vote in recent years has always been for the Greens, as I feel there needs to be a principled environmental voice at Parliament, even if some of their aims are a tad unrealistic. They are also, coincedentally, the most vocally pro-gay of the parties.
And I may well be staying up into Friday morning to see the results roll in. I'm not as alarmed as I was about the SNP becoming the largest party and getting into power here as I feel the electorate's appetite for independence really isn't there and I don't feel that will change enough in time for any referendum in 2010. I think the SNP have also realised that over the course of the campaign. It will be an interesting challenge for the devolution settlement though and it may well hinge on who's in power in Westminster at the time of the referendum - the thinking goes that the SNP are hoping the Cameron Tories will be in charge so as to encourage a decoupling by a hugely antipathetic Scotland but it may be a coalition headed by 2 Scots.
So there it is. I'm not particularly trying to sway anyone, but wanted to explain my own reasons for sticking with the Lib Dems again.
Actually, the thing that caught my eye on approach was a new structure that was absent even in 2007 and I thought at first was a stadium rather than a bridge. It does look very impressive, if not too dissimilar to a lot of recent urban bridges, but is ultimately a bit pointless by traversing the rail lines but not quite stretching over a main road into the town on the north. And at the moment it's south side leads nowhere.
Having pottered around the town centre a while it was still mid-afternoon so I thought I'd try and fit in another destination while the weather held out. I nearly hopped on a 23 bus which went to Kinross (and eventually St Andrews) where I could easily head back to Dunfermline from. I actually caught the next direct service to Alloa - hoping to find a village-avoiding service back home. For Stagecoach ticket purposes both Alloa and Kinross count as Fife in 'rider' tickets, though neither actually are in Fife.
I watched the 4 main party leaders debate on TV last night. Strangely, the leader who most dismayed me and had me slapping my forehead going "No, no no! Answer the bloody question!" was the one whose party I'm primarily voting for - the Lib Dems' Nicol Stephen. He might be the only party leader I'd shag but he hasn't impressed me on the campaign trail and was pathetic last night. We could really use Charlie Kennedy right now! First Minister Jack McConnell was little better - the man has surely had a charisma bypass. Alex Salmond swept the floor with them - oratory is his forte, but I just don't trust him and I'm independence-sceptic. Interestingly it's not as good a bet that Alex will actually win his list seat on Thursday, so we could actually get sour-faced Nicola Sturgeon instead! Annabel Goldie has been the dark horse this year - she has stood her policy ground and generally eschewed the hysterical "Save the Union" tactics employed by Labour. One of my mates is even voting for them on Thursday, albeit in what seems a tactical move. I'd even say the Tories don't deserve to do badly at the polls but they probably will despite the leader.
