Reinventing the Wheel

  

Heads of a Kelpie, a mythological horse

      I live in a country that oozes with historical locations and many are only a short drive away from my home. These sites are presently enjoyed by people from all over the world. But what does the future hold for these great places?
   
    Will the children of tomorrow still be interested in the castles where Kings and Queens of the past were born, or forts where battles were won and lost? I'm sure some will, however the world is an ever changing place. A world where technology and great scientific inventions prevail.

The Falkirk Wheel

    If we want to keep the children of the future interested in the past, I believe we need to link the two and one such example is the Falkirk Wheel. Built on the site of a disused tar works, an industrial site which was nothing but a blot on the landscape and a hazard to the local inhabitants health. The Falkirk Wheel www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk enables boats to travel along the Forth & Clyde (c.1790) and Union (c.1822) canals, by acting as a boat lift between the two. 

The aqueduct that meets the Wheel, joins the waterways together 

   

    These waterways lie on different levels, are unconnected and in times gone by this journey between Glasgow and Edinburgh could only be done by the boats passing through a series of lock gates. Each gate having to be worked manually and eventually falling into disrepair in the 1930's.

The Falkirk Wheel is 79 feet high 

 

  The Falkirk Wheel, is a feat of engineering. Note, I don't say modern day engineering because although designed by architect Tony Kettle and opened by the Queen in May 2002, it was based on the principle of Archimedes's. I'm no physicist, so excuse me for not going into the ins and outs of this law of physics, discovered by the great Greek physicist and mathematician. However, I can tell you that it's all about buoyancy. 

The whole experience can be enjoyed by taking a trip on a canal boat

 

    This sample shows that we can preserve our heritage with a few scientific, technological tweaks and we can link the past to the future seamlessly, without having to reinvent the wheel.

    

   

   

Edinburgh Rocks

Edinburgh Castle

 

    If you've never visited Edinburgh, Scotland's capital and you have the chance to do so, don't miss out. Spring, summer, or winter, it's a city that will make a lasting impression on you. I worked there for many years and I never grew tired of what it had to offer, other than the job.

Edinburgh International Book Festival, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh

    On Tuesday I visited there, because I wanted to stop by the International Book Festival edbookfest.co.uk and I wasn't disappointed.  At this time of year, Edinburgh is bursting at the seams with visitors from all over the world. They have one thing in common and that is they want to sample a slice of  Edinburgh's Summer Festival programme eif.co.uk a world renowned celebration of International arts. Whether it be books, the theatre, film, art, comedy or music, there are treats galore and I must mention the renowned Royal Military Tattoo edintattoo.co.uk also.

Sample a show 

    Street performers, thrill the visitors with their diverse performances, which sometimes can only be described as being on the slightly unusual side. But, nevertheless there is never a dull moment. Walking along Princes Street and looking at the gardens there, the backdrop of the castle definitely adds the wow factor.

Street Performers

   If like me you have a limited budget, there's lots to do and see for free. The atmosphere alone, will make the hairs on the back of you neck stand up, raise goose bumps on your arms and the blood  tingle through your veins. You will be filled with sheer and utter delight. Having a good time is easy, because Edinburgh Rocks.

    Princes Street Gardens, has the most awesome backdrop

All Work, No Play

   

    In a country where its constitution prohibits child labour, India's textile factories still teem with a workforce made-up of children between the age of 5 and 14 years of age. In the past week  we have seen Amber alerts in the USA and the equivalent in the UK alerting the public to be on the lookout for missing children because we believe that our children should be protected from harms way.

    But thousands of children in India are being sold to contractors by their own parents, to work in  sweat shops, making clothes for us in the Western World. A fact I find very difficult to comprehend and fills me with great sadness.

    I live in an area of Scotland where children worked down coal and shale mines, this practise finally ceased 75 years ago. Although I'm sure it was of little solace, in most instances their whole family worked in the same mine and they could return to their family home at the end of their long and arduous shift.

    Whereas the child work-force in India eat, sleep and work in the same squalid room, sometimes never ever seeing their families again. I can only imagine it is a miserable existence for these children. Their childhood has been stolen from them, with a life of all work and no play. If you would like to help, or find out more, www.unicef.org

   

Ahoy There!

    The plant pots were bursting with flowers in full bloom, the rockeries weeded, the roses pruned, the grass was mowed to an inch of its life and resembled the bias of a billiard table. The boiling water bubbled in the large stainless steel urns in readiness to make cups of tea. The smell of home-baking wafted past the nostrils of the gathering crowd, tempting them to sit down at the tables on the terrace and partake of a refreshment.

An abundance of different varieties of flowers

     I can't leave out the ornamental elves and fairies who were adorned in their best, or the grecian statues that held their flower arrangement's high and proud. No I'm not talking about a scene out of a Walt Disney movie, but my neighbour's garden open day, last Sunday.

 The elves wait for their visitors

    Around this time every year, she opens her garden up to the public to raise funds for charitable organisations and the weather for once was glorious. Her garden as you will see from the pictures is a credit to her all year round hard work, love and dedication.

 

The fairies adorned in their finest

    A minimal entrance fee and tombola proceeds are then distributed to various needy charities. One such charity is the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. The crews of these lifeboats, that provide this lifesaving service are manned by volunteers and the funding is dependent on donations.

The mowed lawns surrounded by flowerbeds

 

    The lifeboat featured in the picture is a Trent Class Lifeboat called, Mora Edith MacDonald based in Oban, Scotland and has recently according to their web-site rnli.org carried out its 1000th rescue. Without events such as garden open days, the RNLI would not be able to continue to help save lives at sea throughout the world.

Mora Edith MacDonald

 

Under the Cover

   

    A member of my close family has a passion for sports cars and he's taken delivery of a new Porsche. I have to admit the car's sleek lines and luxurious interior, are very pleasing to the eye.When I make a decision to purchase a car I'm more interested in the aesthetic quality initially. Although the deal breaker will be how the engine performs, especially mpg.

    But, is my purchasing a car any different from me buying a book? Although I do know more about books than cars, the purchase process is similar. When I browse in a bookstore, first impressions are very important to me. Primarily it will be the jacket art work that catches my eye. Then the blurb hooks me and motivates me to read an excerpt.

    Therefore my conclusion is that there are strong similarities, after all I make my decision on the buying of a car on what's under the hood, just as it's the words inside the cover, on the page, that lead me to the check-out with a book.

    I should add that obviously none of the pictures contained in this blog are my relatives Porsche.

   

   



   

   

Stacking and Meshing, No Experience Necessary

   

A nation of media stackers and meshers

    In the UK it seems we're a population of  media stackers and meshers. I can confirm I'm guilty of  the charges put forward especially stacking. Media stacking sounded like a strenuous activity until I realised it means that the participant checks emails, tweets and updates Facebook, whilst watching TV. Yes, it's media multi-tasking, whilst sitting on your butt. No special training, exertion, or heavy breathing involved, therefore it's safe to do at home.

    Now that we are a nation of laptop, tablets and smart phone owners it's easier for us to come together as a family in one room, sit in front of our TVs and use the social media of our choice without having to desert the rest of the clan. The good news that is attached to this somewhat alarming observation, is that we are interacting more in our family units.

    Our friend's and social media acquaintances aren't left out either because if we take part in media meshing we chat, tweet and text with them whilst watching our favourite soaps, talent and reality shows. We exchange opinions on the programmes in real time, rather than the next time we meet up, or chat on the phone.

    Although I don't participate in this type of meshing, I am still a mesher. I regularly consult the Internet to find out more information about the actors/actresses in the programme we're viewing, usually because my partner and I can't remember what film, or soap we viewed them in previously.

    The good news in my opinion doesn't outway the downside of this report, which is we prefer being couch potatoes than getting outside, enjoying outdoors and communicating with our friends in person, whenever possible.

   

Potatoes

 



Blowing Away the Cobwebs

    

 Oban Bay. A place to embrace open space.

    Recent research reports that children by the age of seven, have spent the equivalent of one year of their lives in front of a TV, or computer screen. In turn, the lack of exercise can have long term, serious health implications, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

    Now these findings aren't new, this is information that we've already been told repeatedly. So, how can we get our kids to embrace the great outdoors? Well, for a start off we adults need to lead by example and get off our own butt's.

   Speaking as a writer and someone who knows from personal experience, spending hours in front of a computer screen certainly assists the derriere and waistline to expand. Although I do try and get out and about regularly, because I find it's not just my body that benefits from a workout, my mind does too. There's nothing better for clearing my thoughts than a brisk walk in the countryside, or local park.

    If you've been promising yourself to start a new health regime, this week is the time to begin. In the UK it's 'National Park Week' commencing 27th July to 4th August and it's all about encouraging the young and old alike, to get outside and embrace our green spaces and parks.

    Last weekend I visited the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, which opened July 2002 and I was amazed at the activities that are available to all. Whether you want to go cycling, walking, boating, bird-watching, or fishing it's all there.

    All these activities get the blood pumping through our veins, stimulate our brains and may help stir our creative juices. After all it's said that a visit to the Trossachs inspired, Sir Walter Scott to write 'The Lady of the Lake.'

One of the many lochs in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park