Tag Archives: Cornwall

Bike Night

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Motorcyclists in our part of the world are a lucky bunch; not only do we have stunning scenery, twisty roads and wonderful coastlines, but during the summer months we also enjoy a selection of events known as “Bike Nights.”

The basic principle of a Bike Night is very simple, riders and their machines gather to admire each other’s bikes and socialise with like-minded people. In scale the “Nights” range from small gatherings at a local café to impressive events with live music, bars and shops. (Though having a bar must be of questionable sense for people riding home afterwards!)

At this point I must confess to being only a very occasional visitor to “Bike Nights.” It’s just that if there is a nice evening to enjoy I’d much rather be actually munching the miles on two wheels than talking about it!

A couple of weeks ago I had arranged to hook up for some supper and ride to Bude, on the North Cornwall coast, with my oldest and dearest friend, known on these pages as “Vifferman.”

“Viff” works across the Devon border in Barnstaple and by taking a rather circuitous route on a beautiful afternoon I was able to enjoy just over 100 miles of delightful sunshine before meeting up with him at a convenient service station. We then enjoyed a spirited run to Bude and took on board that food of all British Bikers – Fish and Chips!

On arriving at Bude quay, we were pleasantly surprised to find “Bike Night” in full flow!

Can you spot Baby Blue?

Can you spot Baby Blue?

Bude Bike Night one of the smaller events, centred on a local café and as a result it’s very laid-back and relaxed…which pleased “Viff” as his Honda is well used and sometimes a tad grubby!

We parked up and had a cursory look at some of the bikes before enjoying our fish supper whilst putting the world to rights on a quayside bench.

Summer waning away with the ebbing tide.

Summer waning away with the ebbing tide.

It was a glorious evening with heavenly warm light from the dipping sun. The air was, however, tinged with that peculiar sadness that comes with summer closing fast and the knowledge of long dark nights of winter rapidly heading towards us.

Sunset at Bude.

Sunset at Bude.

Leaving Bude on my big blue Harley, I rode the Atlantic Highway into the setting sun and had time to muse.

Evenings spent with friends like “Viff” are like the light, golden, precious and to be treasured. I’ve known my mate all my life, well over fifty years, we’re the brothers that choose to be brothers and d’ya know, I don’t see enough of him these days…we need to change that!

“Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields.
You know I don’t even know what I’m hoping to find …
Running into the sun, but I’m running behind.”

Catch you soon.

Dookes

Dust

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Grabbing some nice shots of the morning Autumn mist a couple of days ago was very satisfying. As you would expect, I took far more shots than just the one that I posted in “Soul Mover.”

To start with it was all looking good, but as I was inspecting my handiwork closely I noticed a blemish in one of the photographs. I checked the next frame. Oh no, same blemish and then again in the next shot and the next one. You can see the wretched things just above “Harls” in this shot.image

On even closer inspection, there were at least three small blotches on every picture. Time for a bit of head scratching!

I checked that the lens was clean. Then had a good look to make sure that there was nothing obviously amiss such a scratch on the lens or anything loose inside the camera. A couple of test shots revealed that the problem was unfortunately still there.

If I was dealing with a 35mm film SLR camera it would have been simple to remove the lens, check the shutter gate, clean as required and that would have been it, but compact digital cameras aren’t that simple. No, the things are sealed up like the tomb of King Tut!

The principle of a digital camera is quite simple. In place of film is an image capture sensor on which the picture is projected and converted into a digital information. There’s also small filter between the sensor and the lens. If any dust or foreign body was appearing as marks in my pictures then it had to be in that part of the camera. I suppose at this point that most people would have made a bee-line to the nearest camera shop and put their device in for a service.

Dookes isn’t like most people.

No, it was obviously time to head off towards the “Man-Lab.” In that haven of joy and peace, where much happiness is to be had amongst a multitude of unfinished projects, electrical components, models of trains, cars and aeroplanes, plus the other stuff that Mrs Dookes doesn’t even try to understand; I set to work!

The camera in question is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ22. It is getting on a bit, but I like it. With it’s Leica lens it performs well and being a compact is great for taking on my travels. One day I know I’ll have to replace it, but not yet.

With a large piece of plain paper on the desk, I began by dismantling the outer body of the camera. Next the three ribbon leads connecting the screen to the motherboard were carefully removed, followed by the board’s protective metal plate. Now I was getting into the heart of the camera and things were getting exciting! The sensor mounting assembly screws were carefully removed and it’s electrical connection released. With some trepidation I lifted the sensor out of the camera; I wonder if bomb-disposal feels like this…except of course without the risk of getting blown-up!

Once the sensor was free I carefully examined it under my desk magnifier and sure enough, there were the offending specks of dust. Now all I needed to do was to gently clean the sensor, reassemble the camera and test it. image

This is the camera stripped down, that’s the image capture sensor at the lower left.

How did the dust get in there? Well, like many cameras the Lumix has a retractable lens assembly that powers in and out on start-up and shut-down plus when using the zoom facility. I suspect that this action has over time worked a bit like a pump and simply drawn in airborne dust particles.

I’m very pleased to report that all went well and I am now enjoying dust free photographs once more!

Not a blotch in sight!

Not a blotch in sight, shame about the power-lines!

Catch you soon.

Dookes

Goodbye Dog Days of Summer

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OK I admit it, I’ve not been out on two wheels anywhere near enough in recent weeks!

I’m not over worried about the lack of bike action though. I had to smile to myself yesterday when the latest copy of HOG, Harley Owners Group, magazine dropped through the Dookes letterbox and the editorial commented that this year’s  “Riding Season” was coming to a close.

I’m sure that I have previously mentioned, to me there is no defined “Riding Season.” I ride all year round, whenever I can get out. It’s just about having the right gear and more importantly the right mental attitude and the commitment to clean the bike off afterwards…!

As I said in my last post, life has been busy and just as if I needed reminding to slow up a bit my body has done it for me. A torn Achilles tendon and a mild kidney infection have slowed me up nicely and given some badly needed time for recharging the old Dookes batteries. I do feel a bit of a fraud though, my mate leukaemia battling G is back in hospital and considerably more poorly than I am; here’s thinking of you fella.

Sadly, summer in the Northern Hemisphere is beginning to wind down; shadows are getting longer and the nights are noticeably drawing in. We’ve still been enjoying plenty of good weather though, all is not yet mists and leaf-fall, but the dog days are certainly gone for another year.

In our garden at Dookes HQ we have a delightful raised bed planted full of various types of mint. It’s useful as a herb for cooking, but at this time of year I love it because the flowers acts as a magnet to butterflies and bees.  This summer the butterfly population of Cornwall has been noticeably depleted, possibly this is a result of our mild wet winter last year, so its been great to see at least some of our residents topping up their nectar levels on our mint blossom. On a glorious morning the other day I grabbed a camera and stalked the butterflies for a few minutes, I must say that I am quite pleased with the results!

P1070700

This rather lovely Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais ureicae) caught my eye with its dazzling colours. This is one species that has suffered a worrying decline in recent years, particularly in the South of our country. One theory is that is being attacked by a parasitic fly, whose range is spreading due to global warning. It’s still one of our most widespread butterflies and occurs throughout the British Isles. I just glad it chose our garden!

P1070685

Looking at the photos, I think that they might be two  different butterflies as the wing pattern doesn’t seem the same in both photos. I am, however, very pleased with the results and I hope you like them.

“What it’s like to walk amongst butterflies.”

Catch you soon.

Dookes

 

Sea Fever and Steam Trains

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I don’t think I get the dreaded writer’s block, but sometimes I feel that I have so much to say I don’t really know where to begin, call it muddled thoughts if you like!

The Dookes life is remaining busy, perhaps sometimes I should just say “no” when I get asked to do things, but hey busy is good cos you’re a log time in your wooden box! As a result though “thinking time” is a rare commodity just at the moment. I was like that today and really needed some space to think; what better than a spell sitting on a Cornish clifftop overlooking the Ocean?

There’s something about the sea that clears the old Dookes head. It’s a combination of the smells, the sound of the waves, the motion of the water and … well, just about everything! It’s a real tonic for the senses.

It wasn’t the sunniest of mornings, but the air was clear and sharp with the tang of sea salt. A hundred feet below me the lazy waves of the approaching high tide sighed as they lapped at was left of the small sheltered beach.
The famous poem “Sea Fever” by John Masefield came to mind. It’s one of those lovely pieces of literature that over the years have inspired me and if I’m honest been a comfort at times too.

I believe that the power of good literature in any language is a wonderful thing. For me it doesn’t have to be a long monologue from Shakespeare, it can be something quite brief, but it has to hit that nerve that causes an emotional response.

You see, I told you that the sea clears my mind and a free mind is able to wander…

Last week I had the pleasure of a very enjoyable motorbike ride with my leukaemia battling mate G. Great fun and brilliant to be out with my friend again. G is hanging in there, his aggressive treatment continues, but when he’s good he does OK and riding motorbikes is one of the best treatments he can have. For my part, seeing him comfortably flicking his Yamaha through the bends as I followed on ‘Harls’ lifted my spirits too. There have been dark days in hospital for G over the last months and to get out and ride together again was fantastic!

We took a long looping ride from the historic city of Exeter, Northwards tracing the valley of the River Exe towards its source high on Exmoor. Swinging West and passing through Barnstaple, Torrington and Holsworthy we certainly covered the miles, well over 250 in fact!

Northern Exmoor

Northern Exmoor

On the high Northern edge of Exmoor we stopped at the delightfully named Woody Bay station where the resurrecting narrow gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway can be found. As its name suggests, the railway once stretched from the port of Barnstaple across a meandering route to the small town of Lynton, a distance of 19 miles. The single track line opened in 1898, but by 1923 ownership passed to the Southern Railway who operated mainline trains and were not really in the business of rural narrow gauge railways. In 1935 the L&B was closed after a scandalously short operating life of just 37 years.

Woody Bay Station

Woody Bay Station

Interestingly, this beloved narrow gauge railway has gained more fame and interest in the time since it’s closure than it ever achieved when open. Today a group of dedicated enthusiasts have begun to rebuild the line and Woody Bay station is the main centre of activity. Brightly painted green steam locomotives are once again chugging along part of the old route, with plans afoot for further extension back towards Barnstaple. I can’t wait!

Living Steam on the L&B.

Living Steam on the L&B.

When the line closed a wreath was found on the buffer stops at Barnstaple with the message, “Perchance it is not dead, but sleepeth.” imageIt looks to me like it is now very much awake again!

Funny thing the sea, just like a motorcycle it takes you to such wonderful places……image

….and then the sun came out!

Catch you soon.

Dookes

Sea Fever
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
John Masefield. 1878-1967.

When the Foxgloves Bloom.

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In parts of the the West of England there is an old country saying;

“When the foxglove blooms, summer has arrived!”

It looks to me that those old words of wisdom certainly held true on the beautiful North Cornwall coast today.

Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea.


It’s not just foxgloves enjoying the sunshine, the Sea Campion and Thrift are also joining in as well!

…..and if you were in any doubt, I’m enjoying the sunshine too!

“In the summertime when the weather is high

You can stretch right up and touch the sky.”

Catch you all soon.

Dookes

Ice in my Morphine.

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Just recently it’s all been bit strange in the world of Dookes. In many ways everything in my life has ben well sorted, ordered and under control, which for an untidy sod like me is a bit of a minor miracle!

Then along come the curved balls, you know those things over which we have absolutely no control and things go, well, crazy!

I don’t know if it’s a function of getting older, or if because I have more time these days to think about the little things, but sometimes I do feel like I’m trying to swim against a tide of treacle!

Now don’t worry, I’m not slipping into any sort of depression, nor am I unburdening by way of the Internet, but at times when the world really all seems stupid I’m so glad of my two-wheeled friends.

Regular blogonaughts know of my mate G’s ongoing battle with cancer. I’ve come to hate that bloody condition, not just for the dirty way that it attacks and eats people, but also and probably more so, the effect it’s pernicious tendrils have on the people surrounding it’s victim. 

Just lately G hasn’t been at all good. Because his immune system is being attacked by the cancer he is extremely susceptible and vulnerable to all types of infections; the sort that healthy people can shrug off with a couple of over the counter tablets could easily kill him. Unfortunately my pal has picked up a couple of these infections and has been spending quite a bit of time in hospital plugged into IV antibiotics, morphine and a cocktail of other drugs.

To make his discomfort complete his larynx has been damaged by the chemotherapy and he can’t talk.

Earlier this week he was feeling a bit better and was desperate to get out for a bit of two-wheeled therapy. We tentatively arranged a meet up for yesterday and we were both looking forward to sharing some quality time together on our motorbikes.

Then came the bombshell; G had developed a temperature, quite a high temperature at that. His wonky immune system seems to only kick in a temperature when he’s really ill and then it goes bonkers. In addition he’d developed raging ear ache and totally lost his appetite, yep my pal was on his way back into hospital again; back to isolation and no visitors except his immediate family, back to that IV drip as well.

It’s strange, I felt numb about the whole situation and needed to find some space to get my head around things. I’d arranged to ride out with G, so the best thing to do seemed to ride out for him now!

As I pushed Baby out of the workshop I resolved to ride steady, ride to savour the day and ride to park things out on the highway.

It didn’t take long before the deep roar of Baby’s engine and the rumble of the road beneath us had me smiling again, bikes do that to me!

I decided to loop around the West of our neighbouring county of Devon, where the gentle and beautiful scenery always seems to welcome me. I stuck to secondary roads, I didn’t want the hassle of too much traffic getting in the way. Passing through small towns like Okehampton, Halwill Junction and Holsworthy life was definitely beginning to look a whole lot better.

I stopped for a coffee and exchanged text messages with G. I didn’t dare tell him I was out riding and when he reads this I’ll be in deep s**t!

Setting off for home my mind travelled back to just over a year ago, before G was diagnosed with leukaemia. We rode the same route together one evening and in my mind I could see him in front of me on his beloved little Triumph Bonneville, flicking the bike through the bends with consummate ease and trying to out-run my bike’s superior power on the straights. What fun we had that evening.

Passing back into my county of Cornwall I paused at the wonderfully named New Bridge, which I suppose it was once but as it dates from 1504 I think that must have been a long time ago! The River Tamar marks much of the boundary between the two counties and at this spot it is beginning to meander in its wide lush valley, just the spot for a bit of quiet contemplation and time to be grateful for many special things.

I mounted up and twenty minutes later was home at Dookes H.Q..

Swimming against a tide of treacle is hard work, but just occasionally you get to surf a little roller and things can start to look up a bit!

Catch you soon.

Dookes

Oh yes, the “Ice in my Morphine” comment came from G when I told him to take more ice in his whisky to bring his temperature down! G thought that it would do more good in his painkiller!!! 

Larking Around

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This has been a slightly frustrating week for me.

I’ve had lots of jobs to do around Dookes H.Q. and despite plodding away at them progress has been a tad slow! Actually I guess I’m not being fair to myself, because progress has been made and with some things you have to be patient to do what here in Cornwall is called a “Proper Job.”

As a small reward for my endeavours it seemed only right to get out on one of my two-wheeled friends and enjoy some half decent weather on the Devon/Cornwall county boundary.

Broody skies over North Dartmoor.

Broody skies over North Dartmoor.


I’ve often said before, sometimes I need the total immersion of riding to find some inner peace. On those days I don’t stop much for photos or anything else, except fuel. So please excuse the lack of photographic record and be happy for me that I truly had a very pleasant ride of over 150 miles!

Today, by way of contrast, I found myself back on my beloved North Cornwall coast and today I ended up doing a spot of bird watching!

This time of year the Cornish countryside comes alive with birdsong and non are sweeter than the diminutive Skylark, Alauda arvensis.

The small brown birds sing a beautiful song that trills through the air as the bird often hovers high somewhere overhead. The song is usually the male bird marking out his territory in a performance that often lasts many minutes, before the little chap drops out of the sky and if a female is about often engages in a quite comical little dance!

Photo Daniel Pettersson.

Photo Daniel Pettersson.

In the UK Skylarks have declined by more than 50% over the last 25 years, as a direct result of increased intensive farming methods, so I was thrilled to be surrounded by quite a squadron of them.

Then it just got better! The first Swallows of the summer flew in to join the party!

Hirundo rustica. Photo, Ian F.

Hirundo rustica.
Photo, Ian F.

These little long distance travellers are another of my favourite wild birds and as harbingers of summer are welcome in the skies above my head anytime!

As my own free, yet private, airshow unfolded around me, I realised that there wasn’t anywhere else in the world that I wanted to be at that moment!
It wasn’t a bad place to be at all!image
Have a great weekend!

Catch you all soon.

Dookes

Photo101:Triumph & Contrast.

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OK, yes I know I’m late posting this final assignment to the course, but at the end of last week life seriously got in the way!

Regular Blogonaughts will know of my friend G and his battle with leukaemia. Things have been a bit up and down for him of late, but his mental therapy and release from the cancer treatment has been riding motorbikes. Until last week, when the poor chap was knocked off his bike by a crazy pedestrian.

The lady in question, in her 60’s and lets just say rather large (no lets just say fat!), ran across the road without looking and collided side-on with G and his motorbike. Fortunately G was only travelling at about 10mph and even better was being followed by a Police car whose occupants saw the whole thing happen. Even so he ended up with a broken wrist and bruises all over. G’s pride and joy, his Triumph Bonneville Scrambler, was written off!

Worst of all, he can’t ride for six weeks until his wrist knits back together!

So in tribute to my mate, for whom life just seems to throw even more crap at, here’s a picture of him on his Triumph in happier times. As always, thinking of you mate!

G's Triumph.

G’s Triumph.


Oh yes, the pedestrian? Well, her ample rolls of lard protected her from serious injury, she needs to be grateful that G was not on a bigger bike or a car!

On the assignment front I couldn’t resist playing with monochrome again.

This is a small carving that can be found on the beach at Tintagel on the North Cornwall coast. The lady’s hand gives scale and also adds a stark degree of contrast to the slate rock, especially in black and white. I hope you like it.

Magical contrasts.

Magical contrasts.

Catch you all soon.

Dookes

Photo101: Double & Rotation

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OK, I confess I’ve really stretched the interpretation of todays assignment!

To be honest I was lost for inspiration, maybe it was the dead dull, boring, double yellow lines of our course leader’s example that did it for me.

Or perhaps it was the scenery that I was today again surrounded by on the beautiful North Cornwall coast that shut out trivial things of “doubleness!”

As a result dear Blogonaught, I am forcing upon you a slightly obtuse approach; my “Double” is two shots of the same scene but in different formats, which sort of gives a nod to the “Rotation” requirements!

Why give you two of the same?

Well, I just feel that the view is so stunningly beautiful that I wanted to share it with you, twice. After all I was the lucky one perched up on the cliff enjoying it today!P1050635P1050637
Just so I’m not accused of cheating too much, here’s another shot that qualifies as a double, but I think it would look silly if I rotated it!

Two Gulls = Double Trouble!

Two Gulls = Double Trouble!

I hope you like the shots, please let me know what you think of them.

Catch you soon.

Dookes

Photo101: Edge & Alignment.

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Assignment for today: “Show us an edge – a straight line, a narrow ridge, a precipice.”

Over breakfast I pondered what approach this task needed, this could be another tricky one!

Fortunately the day was shaping up well, with lots of sunshine and even better I was planning to spend most of it on my beloved North Cornwall Coast. An idea began to form in my mind, but as so often happens something else came along and it just sort of seemed better.

So here is my interpretation of edge and alignment.

Barras Nose, where Cornwall meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Barras Nose, where Cornwall meets the Atlantic Ocean.


There’s quite a lot going on in the picture and more than one “Edge.”

Firstly there’s the edge where the land meets the sea; it’s the edge of the ocean and also the edge of the land. Next we have the edge of the cliff and finally the horizon where the sea meets the sky, or in the old times it was the edge of the world!

As you can see, it was really tough spending time in such a spot. . . only joking, it was wonderful!

I hope you like the photograph and as ever I’d love to hear from you with your thoughts.

Catch you soon.

Dookes