Would you Adam and Eve It?

Thursday 14th July
A fantastic weather window opens up - BP and AT have no option but to heed the call of the wild west and explore the unfound and forgotten features of
Shepherds Crag
Even though it's a frequent venue there is still plenty to do, 2 new routes and one old fave for me, one new and two long since forgotten for BP

New route alert!

BP on the testing moves at the intro to
Brown Crag Wall VS4b

Red pants rule ok!

Surprisingly good cimbing up corners, grooves and a hard entry to a hanging slab (BP shows how) to a fine tree belay


Thought provoking climbing and some fine positions in this unsung sector of Shepherds Crag.

AT on P2

Well worth another visit - a big change from the slabs up round the corner

BP shows off his hot new pants in the warming sun


Next up - a visit to an old flame.....

Ardus!  First done 27/09/98
NP,JW,AT
then
AT,JW
AT,WA
PM,AT
CB,AT,NB
AT,NB,AT

So I guess we could leave the guide book in the sack....

BP running P1 and P2 together working hard to keep ahead of those red pants!

AT P3

Nice shot by Pixels Perry

Going well - time for another one








AT - "Adam?"
"What do you think?"

"If not now, when?"

AT fails on P1 (no pics)
BP makes it - just!
AT follows - just!

BP retains his turn for P2 and sets off in a fine position - pants ablaze

A hard move right then back left


Very sustained climbing to a proper rest at the tree, then it just keeps on coming for another 15m

Great gear all the way,

A magnificent lead by BP

AT makes brief acquaintaince with this guy who was belaying on Eve
Turns out him and BP were recently acquainted.

You wouldn't Adam and Eve it...!

Full story here

Brown Crag Wall

Climbers on the arete and slab

Ardus MVS 4b (L)

(Climber visible on P3)

Adam VS 5a (R)

In summary 

That libation at the H&F was bang on target!

Check it out here!

Going to my Howtown!

Wednesday 13th July
Been a while since we headed out west so jumped across to Pooley Bridge for an easy walk above Ullswater, Pooley Bridge to Howtown via the west side of Barton Fell

Looked a bit gloomy

Brightened up for the ferry back

Stoned again

Tuesday July12th
Back from the south feeling a bit needy for a crag outing... fortunately BP had a plan that both me and CB could jump in with, and introduce SP to the delights of my spiritual climbing home, where it all began at
The Wainstones 

The Ling's the thing!

BP doing a fine job striking a CB pose on Ling Buttress S4a

BP in free flow


No posing here on the Sphinx Nose Traverse S4a

Direct finish - why fiddle with the flutes round the corner?

SP starts to see why "this is the finest outcrop route of its grade in the NY Moors, and it has simply got to be done before leaving the crag"

AT gets the key side pull leading to the Crux of Christopher (HS4b)

Still a bit to do before the "Phew!"

AT winning the battle of The Bulge VS4c


The number 4 Metolius cam provides much reassurance on the hand traverse

CB follows whilst SP finds her way up one of the slab routes

And finally one last fling up a Ling before succumbing to the massing midges

Hovah and out!

Week beginning 4 July

Back from the big weekend now taking it easy recovering

Nice lunch session with Sue at The Ramblers Rest near Banstead in deepest darkest Surrey

Smashing!

i 360 under test

Saturday night at Hove Place

Fish and Chips x 4

Excellent!

Followed by

Party in Preston Park

(Out Out?)

Gels

Carole King

Sunday July 3rd
Away from Birmingham 09.30
Park S Ealing 11.55
Picadilly to
HYDE PARK...!!
(12.15)

The Carole King British Summer Time Concert

Tapestry in full

Once only never to be repeated

Our gang just in front of the mixing station centre pic

We was there!

Early afternoon before the crowds all came


Venturing out of the Priority Enclosure - mixing with the cheap seats

 Opening number

I Feel the Earth Move

Fantastic

All songs off Tapestry performed full-on no holding back

Great visuals 

 

Reprise of "You've Got a Friend" in the encore
(video)

 Crowd give it some wellie

Goodnight London

From the Daily Telegraph review

She’s an all time great songwriter with an authentic voice that has aged with the songs. There’s a fragility that blends warmly and humanly with a seven-piece band who possessed the formidable skill and touch to somehow maintain the ragged, organic personality at the heart of the original, even as they stretched songs out to fill the space

(wish I'd have written that)

 

Support acts pretty top drawer, here's Don Henley ex founder Eagle

He delivered!

Taking it Easy

Hotel California

One of these nights

Boys of Summer

New York Minute

Desperadoes

etc.
Short clip here

Before that a soulful set from Michael Kiwanuka

Birmingham Big Birthday Bash

Saturday July 2nd
Gravity in Kingshill Drive particularly strong drawing all comers from far and East Kilwide
Some kind of sixty thing.....

Happy days!

Party time!

Kingshill alternative reality

Birthday celeb

Liking the soft focus

What?
No hangover?

We happy few

Premier League types
Standing ready for an international call up
(Must be an improvement, although one of them is a quarter Welsh)

Hove and Away

25 June
Heading south for more coast action
Bit close to the Westminster Bubble but we'll take our chances.....
Fab welcome Pizza chez the Brooker Street Gang
Fourth Avenue Fish Cake night  (Tuesday)

On one of several sally-forths along the front
Witnessed the pod going part way up the i360 tower

Great night out at the Curry Leaf wonderful food

Weather pretty good only Wednesday a wash-out

Friday - rehearsal for the BIG DANCE at Trafalgar Square featuring our very own flamenco flaunting zumba wielding star of Brooker  Street
Live action from Saturday here  

Big weekend coming up - the Big Birmingham Birthday Bash then Carole King on Sunday.  BRING IT ON !