Blog - June 2009

A couple of weeks ago we were awarded a grant from Yorkshire Forward for Cliffhanger. We didn’t get the money we'd applied for for additional PR and general event growth, but we did get the money for a couple of TV projects which is very exciting. The larger of the two projects is a sizeable amount of money to pay a production company to attend the two day event, filming the British Bouldering Champs and the rest of the activities at the event, and to produce a TV programme which will be aired on national TV. Brilliant. And a bit daunting at the same time. The last fortnight has been busy with tenders, bids, proposals, meetings and score sheets deciding who will get the job. It's a Sheffield City Council event and everything is done by the book which is frustratingly time consuming at times, but educational, and dare I say illuminating at other times.

The other project funded by Yorkshire Forward is to produce a short viral video to associate with the event. A similar process was undertaken to select the production company (Blue Hippo Media), with inspiration coming from the Danny McAskill Youtube video I blogged about a few weeks back. Given the time constraints we've been working to it's a miracle that we have anything to show, but by tomorrow morning I'm promised that the finished film will be online for the world to see. Will be very interested to hear what people have to say about it
 

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Without a doubt one of the best things my parents did for me as a young kid was to teach me to swim. I didn't get my first bike until 11 (failed my cycling proficiency test two weeks after getting it, but quickly mastered the art of front wheelies - I forget the name of a front wheelie), wasn’t much of a football player, and didn't really get ensconced into the world of climbing until I left home, but swimming I did a lot of. Countless hours were spent driving my brother and I to and from the two local pools for a multitude of badges and galas (I remember well how to turn a pair of pyjama bottoms into a temporary float), but the biggest treat of all was being old enough and responsible enough to trot the hundred yards through the woods fro our house to our local swimming spot, a huge pool in the river Glaslyn in Snowdonia. During hot summers we'd jump of the school bus, run in, change, and spend the next three hours down by the river jumping out of trees, cycling off the bank and generally larking about. That pool was one of dozens of spots in the local area. We were blessed with them. There were always a few mates who'd be game to join us, but I could never get my head around why so few people were at these places.

20 or so years on and it's much the same story. Based in the Peak District the swim spots are less numerous, but they are there. I was down at Calver Bridge on Saturday and Sunday over the weekend with mates. The water is still clenchingly cold, but incredibly refreshing at the same time. Cars hooted us regularly as we sat on the parapet in between jumps, but none stopped to join us despite the sweltering weather. Perhaps air conditioning is to blame - ours is broken so even a short journey in a car in such temperatures leaves one sweaty and desperate for a cooling off, but I fear the problem is rooted more deeply. The friend I was out with last night had tried to persuade another mutual friend to come. He'd turned us down with the argument that a mate of his had put his arm in a Peak District river and it had come out covered in 'wormy things'. Rubbish. I'm sure there are a few unsavouries floating around in the Peak waters, but I reckon it's a mix of lethargy, fear of the unknown, and air conditioning that keeps people away.

I regularly bemoan the loss of our lidos around the country, citing a trip to Southern Spain many years ago with jealousy. Down there every single village has a free communal, open-air pool where the entire village congregates every summers afternoon to see out the heat of the day. Sheffield is ringed with reservoirs and rivers, but most have signs up declaring that they are unfit for swimming. One of the most popular spots was recently drained, presumably as it was more effort to keep open than it was to allow it to sit, un-managed, but well-used. Why can't the local council put a bit of time, effort and money into transforming some of these reservoirs and other venues into public swimming spots, encouraging everyone to engage in a bit of old fashioned fun and exercise?

For any lovers of wild swimming out there make sure you check out this website, and buy the associated books. The first I have on my shelf and treasure. The second (coast) is on it's way to me and I'm very much looking forward to reading it when it arrives. I've even posted a few of my favourite locations on their interactive map and would urge others to do the same :-)

The bridge at Calver (over the river Derwent).
 

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Thought I'd post a few of my favourite 'useful' websites on the assumption that some people may not have discovered them:

First off, if you have a phone account that includes all calls to geographical numbers like I do then Say No To 0890 is an invaluable little resource of many of the alternative (i.e. original) numbers to their often-premium-rate equivalents.

Then there's money saving website Martin's Money Saving Tips, actually one of the more popular sites out there, and cashback site TopCashBack. In essence cashback websites can save you stacks of money if you pay for stuff online. All you have to do is check the listing on the site when you are about to pay for something; if the site is listed, as many are, then start your buying process again from the link within TopCashBack, and the cookies in your web-browser will remember that you started your search at TCB. TCB will then automatically alert the site you have bought stuff from that you did so as a result of their 'lead', and claim a finder's fee which they pass on to you. It's magic. I've made around £200 in the last year. Insurance companies are particularly good payers. It just shows what margins there are on many products! The key is to find your bargain first, then check the cashback sites of your choice (there are others besides TCB), and not limit yourself to just the sites who partner with the cash back sites.

I like the concept of these two sites which use user feedback to rate tradespeople so you can hopefully avoid the cowboys out there. Rated People and Problem Solved.

A pretty impressive Norwegian weather forecasting website called YR

By far and away the best flight website is Skyscanner.

Will post some favourite 'cool' sites another night.

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Two very different videos to lighten your mood:

Over 6 million hits on YouTube in just over 6 weeks. That's almost on a par with Susan Boyle! What this guy can't do on a bike ain't worth doing... And a great soundtrack to boot.

And then a blast from the past which never fails to make me laugh :-)

For more great adventure films check out my ShAFF playlists on Youtube - 2008 | 2009 | 2010 (feel free to send me links to any of your favourites).

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How excited am I? Not only do I have exotic friends who go off and live abroad, but I'm going to stay with them for a whole month. I've known John and Anne Arran since the early days of planetFear, when I first moved to Sheffield, and the fledgling website was based in a bedroom of their house! Well, last year they sold the said house, made a wedge of money, bought to smaller ones, one in Sheffield - who likes to burn their bridges - and one in the French Pyrenees. Apparently it's a typical rambling collection of out-buildings and falling down barns, bursting with charm and undergrowth. It was at least, until they got their hands on it and began the transformation into ChezArran. I haven't been yet, but am pretty excited to be heading out there for a whole month soon to see them, and help with the renovation. Bits of it are ready already I believe, a 4 berth unit they've called, somewhat originally, 'The House' looks great in the pics on the website. And they've promised a pool of some description by the time we arrive :-)

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