August 2011

1st: No more of that!

No more early morning commuting

depart arrive how map
Servants' Quarters
07:35
Haymarket station
07:40
bike

Lenzie station to the Borg

Haymarket station
07:49
Lenzie station
08:25
train
Lenzie station
08:30
the office (aka the Borg)
08:50
bike
or
Servants' Quarters
07:35
Haymarket station
07:40
bike

Bishopbriggs station to the Borg

Haymarket station
07:49
Lenzie station
08:25
train
Lenzie station
08:30
Bishopbriggs station
08:35
train
Bishopbriggs station
08:35
the Borg
08:50
bike
or
Servants' Quarters
07:30
Haymarket station
07:45
walk  
Haymarket station
07:49
Lenzie station
08:25
train
Lenzie station
08:30
Bishopbriggs station
08:35
train
Bishopbriggs station
08:35
bus-stop
08:40
walk
bus-stop
08:50 if you're lucky
Westerhill Road
08:55
bus
Westerhill road
08:50 if you're lucky
the Borg
09:00
walk

 

No more evening commuting

depart arrive how map
the Borg
17:30
Croy station
18:30
bike

the Borg to Croy

Croy station
18:42
Haymarket station
19:25
train
Haymarket station
19:25
Servants' Quarters
19:35
bike
or
the Borg
17:30
Bishopbriggs station
17:50
bike

the Borg to Bishopbriggs station

Bishopbriggs station
17:53
Croy station
18:10
train
Croy station
18:12
Haymarket station
18:55
train
Haymarket station
18:55
Servants Quarters
19:05
bike
or
the Borg
17:20
Bishopbriggs station
17:50
walk  
Bishopbriggs station
17:53
Croy station
18:10
train
Croy station
18:12
Haymarket station
18:55
train
Haymarket station
18:55
Servants' Quarters
19:15
crawl

1st: Servicing Vilior

Vilior's rear wheel had developed square balls so I thought I might as well give him a full service. I recalled most of what I needed to do but had forgotten most of the pratfalls. I don't think I'd ever cleaned out the bottom bracket – brown rusty gunk emerged. Thank goodness that Vilior has captive ball races.

bits and tools

Vilior hanging off
the back of Bug

6th: Loch Katrine

Jane and Ian organised a fab day cycling around Glasgow's water supply. We met at Loch Katrine just as the heavens opened but were soon on a boat enjoying patchy commentary, our company and the picnic Ian and Jane had brought. The boat deposited us and our bikes at Stronachlachar, leaving us 14 miles to cycle back to the pier. There is excellent tarmac but some fearsome slope-and-bend combinations.

Ian and Jane are jealous of
Elly's poncho

stack o' helmets

getting ready

info-board

info-board

Nikki's glow-in-
the-rain ankles

Jane

Ian

Janet being coy

info-board

Macgregor clan graveyard

the gang

I think this is where
water starts its journey
to Glasgow.

info-board

info-board

No, you may not do
anything because there
are golf buggies beyond
this point!

attempt to photograph
loch while cycling – not
particularly successful

attempt to photograph
loch while cycling – not
particularly successful

attempt to photograph
loch while cycling – not
particularly successful

attempt to photograph
road while cycling - a bit
more successful

Janet had chain problems
but Elly fixed them

info-board

looking back along the loch

islands in the loch

mountains beyond the loch

They're getting away!

They're getting away
blurrily!

mountains beyond the loch

catching up

I was dropping back again.

getting near the end
of the loch

trying to keep up
(movie)

moving along

monument to waterworks

replenishing the loch

replenishing the loch

nearly back at the pier

blurry boats

final info-board

11th: Obviousness

On the way to Worcester

Where else would it be?
Ulan Baator?

16th: On the way back to Edinburgh

Vilior loaded up

Black Country goodness

17th: An attempt to cycle to Glasgow

The wind was against me and I only got as far as Airdrie.

Escape from West Lothian

It exists!

(I've not been able to
find this station before.)

21st: Udderbelly

Moo!

23rd: loading Vilior

Edinburgh Cycle Co-op were selling bike repair stands at half price.

No need for an infernal combustion
engine when you have a bike and
some bungies

27rd: Ian and Susan's birthday

Family!

27rd: At Taynuilt to watch Sannox play Oban

When Elly and I visited Arran earlier this year, we watched Sannox CC beat Doon Valley. Elly found that watching cricket wasn't so horrible after all. We then saw in the local paper that if Sannox won their next match – against Oban – the would win the Argull league. So we plotted to go and support and invited some friends to go with us. After a month of waiting to find out whether the match would be on, due to consistent foul weather, we got the nod from Sannox's fixtures secretary and so left Edinburgh horribly early for a four-hour train trip to Taynuilt. (Oban's ground is about 9 miles outside of the town.)

Several hours of scenic train travel later, we arrived at Taynuilt. The ground was only 3 minute's walk from the station – Taynuilt isn't big – just next to the golf course. We were settling down to watch when we were asked whether any of us could play because Sannox were one short. Ian volunteered, much to my relief. I've not held a bat since I was 13 and was useless then. Also, wearing glasses doesn't make for safe fielding!

Oban batted first. Here's my notes on their score and falls of wicket:

over 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
highlights ? ? ? W 1 1 1 1 4 2 4 4 6 4 M 6 1 1 1 1 4 6 1 W 1 1 M NB 6 2 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 NB 4 6 1 1 1 6
runs at end of over 1 8 5 4 27 29 23 47 47 55 61 68 70 70 77 82 88 90 101 109
over 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
highlights 1 1 6 2 2 4 4 LBW M 1 4 1 1 1 4 1 1 4 C 1 1 2 1 2 4* 1 2 6 1 C 4 4 4 2 W LBW bye 2 1 1 2 2 2 4 1 1 2 1 C B B
runs at end of over 119 125 129 129 130 136 141 142 149 154 161 168 182 185 191 198 202 202

? = highlights not recorded
* = opening batsman's 50
NB = no ball
M = maiden over
W = wicket fall: not recorded how
C = wicket fall: caught
B = wicket fall: bowled
LBW = wicket fall: leg before wicket

Fall of wicket 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
  22 68 129 147 168 182 182 202 202 202

During the above, there were two appeals for LBW in the 7th over, a near-catch on the boundary in the 10th over, a chance for caught and bowled in the 19th over and a shout of 'Is there a crane available?' when one of the Sannox close fielders slipped over.

 

This left Sannox with a lot to do, on a ground with a short boundary and a very slow and slippery outfield. Oban had two very fast but wild bowlers: inaccurate but rather intimidatory! Here's Sannox's reply, including the required run-rate.

over 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
highlights 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 1 C LBW 2 NB 4 1 1 1 B 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 4 M 1 1 M 1 2 4 1 1 6 1 4 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 1 1 4 wide 1 1 wide 1 1 4
runs at end of over 3 7 13 23 23 31 40 46 46 48 48 51 56 68 72 84 90 93 95 100
runs required at end of over 200 196 190 180 180 172 163 157 157 155 155 152 147 135 131 119 113 110 108 103
run-rate required at end of over 5·13 5·16 5·14 5·00 5·14 5·06 4·94 4·91 5·06 5·17 5·34 5·43 5·44 5·19 5·24 4·96 4·91 5·00 5·14 5·15
over 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
highlights C 1 1 2 C B* ? 4 C 4 1 2 3 2 B 1 1 1 1 B C
runs at end of over 101 104 104 109 113 118 120 125 128 129 129 129
runs required at end of over 102 99 99 94 90 85 83 78 75 74 74
run-rate required at end of over 5·37 5·50 5·82 5·88 6·00 6·07 6·38 6·50 6·82 7·40 8·22

? = highlights not recorded
* = Ian
M = maiden over C = wicket fall: caught
B = wicket fall: bowled
LBW = wicket fall: leg before wicket

Fall of wicket 1 2 3 4 5 *6 7 8 9 10
  13 13 23 100 104 *104 113 125 129 129

So Sannox were beaten by 74 runs within 32 overs. Here's the photos I took that day.

Glasgow platform needs mowed 1

Glasgow platform needs mowed 2

Dodge County Rail

Warming up 1

Warming up 2

Ian's up for it.

Sannox. Why are there still only 10?

Sannox warming up: catch practice

Oban cricket ground

Ian fielding

The non-strike batsman in this photo
was Oban's most prolific scorer,
getting over 50.

We took a lot of food

slow bowler starting

Sannox fielding

Lunch 1

Lunch 2

Ian has done some fielding

Oban have a roller! 1

Oban have a roller! 2

Oban bowlers warming up 1

Oban bowlers warming up 2

Ian warming up to bat

Ian batting

Taynuilt station!

© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2011