Welcome to the Ministry of Propaganda - Armin Grewe's Weblog
First visit on this blog? Then also try Old Favourites and Frequent Topics, Blogging Abroad (Expat Bloggers) and to find out who writes this blog try my personal homepage. Also visit my other blog, IslayBlog.com, a blog about the Isle of Islay, Scotland.
Saturday, 02/Aug/2008
Swindon's Magic Roundabout Video Revisited
There won't be many, but there might be a handful of people who will remember the Magic Roundabout Video from 2005. With the help of some German bloggers I created a Circling the Magic Roundabout video. That was then. Now we are in 2008. Having just acquired my own video camera and starting to learn some video editing (I'm using VideoStudio 11) I remembered those old videos (Yes, the originals were still hiding in the depths of my hard drive) and decided to play with them. Here is the result:
DirectTheMagicRoundaboutInSwindon
While the actual video footage is the same I decided to add a ‘title’ as well as a little sound with a ‘twist’. I hope you like the result even after all those years and that it brings back some nice memories for all those involved back then.
PS: My original Magic Roundabout page also still exists.
[02/Aug/2008: "Swindon's Magic Roundabout Video Revisited"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Monday, 23/Jun/2008
Duck Content
OK, everybody please say ‘aaaaaaaaaaaaaah, how sweeeeeet!!!’ Cat content is so last year, this year I've decided it's duck and duckling content. This duck with her ducklings lives on the Kennet and Avon Canal near Aldermaston Wharf. This morning I had a camera to hand when I spotted her while coming back from my morning jog:
I'm not sure if there were more ducklings to start with, at least she hasn't lost any over the last 2-3 weeks when I've only seen her with 6 of them. Fingers crossed they'll all make it.
Sunday, 18/May/2008
Sunday Afternoon Canal Walk
It's been quite a while since I last wrote here, almost exactly three months to be precise. A lot has happened in those three months: In case you don't read my other blog, my mother passed away after a long illness. I've been away to WalkIslay 2008. I've moved house, from Swindon to Aldermaston Wharf near Reading. The commute was getting to me, so I decided to finally move closer to work. Now that I live right next to the Kennet and Avon Canal my first walk in the area had to be along the canal:
I obviously started at Aldermaston Lock, from where I had views of the back of my flat at Lockside Court. My flat is the one on the top floor in the middle of the building, the window in the white section is from my lounge:
From Aldermaston Wharf I walked west along the towpath, nice views along the canal in various places. There were a few cyclists and other walkers on the path, but not as many as I had expected. At times I still had the path for myself.
I stopped in Woolhampton, first to watch a boat go through the swing (?, or is it swivel?) bridge, then for a pint at the pub. The pub was The Rowbarge, where I had a ‘Good Old Boy’ (Yes, it's really called that) from the West Berkshire Brewery. Also had some ‘Patatas Bravas’ crisps from REAL. Both enjoyed outside on their lawn next to the canal.
Refreshed I continued west along the canal, briefly stopping to watch two boats coming out of Woolhampton Lock (coincidentially those two boats are actually now moored just outside of my flat here in Aldermaston).
I walked up to just past the lock next to Brimpton Road (I think that's Midgham Lock), then turned around and walked back to Aldermaston Wharf the same way I had come. The distance covered I believe was approx 8 miles, 4 miles out and 4 miles back.
A quite nice walk, for the next time I need to get a map to be able to make it a circular walk. Now some food and then I'm off to bed. Good night.
[18/May/2008: "Sunday Afternoon Canal Walk"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Sunday, 17/Feb/2008
February Afternoon at Hurst Castle
The second February weekend with brilliant weather. After driving north to Oxford for a visit to Otmoor Nature Reserve last weekend I decided to go the other direction this weekend. The south coast was my destination today. I looked at the map and picked Milford on Sea, which would give me the possibility to visit Hurst Castle while also providing a nice drive through the New Forest to get there. My walk started with this view:
Initially walking on the top of the shingle ‘wall’ I soon dropped down to the waterline, where it was a bit more sheltered from the cold wind. The sun was bright and warm despite the quite cold wind. Nice views over to the Isle of Wight and in particular The Needles all the way to Hurst Castle, approx a mile to walk.
I walked all the way around the castle, stopping here and there for better views. Approaching the entrance I noticed the remains of a narrow gauge railway, presumably to transport supplies when the castle was still in use. It was too close to closing time and the entrance fee was fairly high, so I didn't go inside, may be some other time.
Next to the castle is quite pretty white lighthouse, helping the ships on The Solent with their navigation. Well, in times of satellite navigation may be not that much any more. Still looks nice though. Heading back I walked the same way, dropping down to the waterline again and enjoying the still bright afternoon sun. Later on I climbed back to the top of the shingle.
The view back from the top of the shingle towards the castle and over the Solent was very nice. As I had some time left I walked towards Keyhaven a bit, hoping for some birds to come in to roost. Some did come in, but nothing really worth taking a picture of.
Finally I enjoyed a brilliant sunset over the Isle of Purbeck, a fitting end to a very nice afternoon at the coast. Then it was back to the car for an uneventful drive back to Swindon.
[17/Feb/2008: "February Afternoon at Hurst Castle"]
Sunday, 10/Feb/2008
Afternoon at Otmoor Nature Reserve
No, this blog isn't dead yet. Just didn't have anything to post about really. But with the days getting longer again and the weather improving there might be the odd update here again. On Friday I found this YouTube video of Starlings at Otmoor after reading the ‘Starke Stare’ entry on the German ‘Spreeblick’ blog. Realising that the RSPB Otmoor Nature Reserve is only about an hour from Swindon my plan for the weekend was set. I was going to visit the reserve to try to see the starlings. Walking to the hide some of the first birds I saw were geese though:
Arriving at the hide I joined quite a few other people and two RSPB wardens to wait for the starlings. Soon the first flocks showed up:
The flocks were nowhere near as big as in the video, but I'd still estimate a few hundred birds:
In the fading light they were quite difficult to photograph, especially when further away. They did form some smaller swirling clouds, unfortunately I didn't manage to take any good pictures of it. Here's another group flying closer to the hide:
With the light now rapidly failing we decided to leave and walk back to the car park. The wardens told us that they think with some of the warmer than usual weather in January a lot of the starlings might have left for the continent already. The best time to see them would be around Christmas time, something to remember for later this year.
On the way back we spotted a few swans in the largest lake on the reserve, although they didn't fully cooperate when I took the picture and kept their heads down. The last light was brilliant, with a new moon on a clear and colourful beautiful sky:
Just after I took this picture I had my last bird sighting of the day: An owl silently flew past, a magical sight. It only lasted for a few seconds, no chance to take a picture of it. So that picture will have to remind in my head as the perfect end to a very nice afternoon. I plan to be back in December.
[10/Feb/2008: "Afternoon at Otmoor Nature Reserve"]
Tuesday, 01/Jan/2008
New Years Day 2008
Happy New Year! So there we are, another new year. I haven't really bothered with any New Years Eve festivities last night, just wrote a review of 2007 on my Islay blog, drank a bit of whisky and went to bed at about 23:15. I think there might have been a bit of fireworks outside at midnight, but I think I mostly slept through it. This morning I was up bright and early, which was quite nice as it was really quiet outside. By 8:15 I had updated IslayBlog.com for 2008 and written the Happy Islay New Year entry. A bit of tidying up in the flat and then I went for a run at about 9:15. Quite a few other people were out as well, much more than I had expected.
Then it was time for the Vienna New Year's Concert. I quite like listening to it, it's a nice start to the new year. It was very nice again, listening to the music while sipping the last two drams of my Bruichladdich Valinch.
Lunch was some nice smoked salmon on homebaked wholemeal rolls, with some Laphroaig Quarter Cask being an excellent accompaniment. Delicious. After a quick afternoon nap I was ready for a New Years Day walk:
Down Marlborough Lane I walked to Pipers Way and followed it down the hill. This took me to the path through the woods along Broome Manor gold club and to the M4. The M4 looked quite busy, especially eastbound. Looked like a lot of people returning towards London from their Christmas and New Year breaks in the west.
Walking along the path between the motorway and the golf course I had a fairly nice view over the course, after a quite grey start it seemed to finally brighten up a bit. The motorway was quite noisy though, so I hurried on. It got better when the path moved away from the motorway. I passed a very nice old house (sorry, no picture). Looked really nice, as long as you didn't look to closely and held your hands over your ears: The M4 was literally running through their garden. Arriving at Coate Water Park I had a nice view of a colourful sunset. Also met someone I used to work with at Intel, we had a brief chat before moving on. Unfortunately the next part of my plan for the afternoon then failed, the pub I had planned to visit was closed.
So I walked home thirsty and had a nice large mug of tea with some of the last Bremer Klaben of this season. I'll finish this New Years Day with some music quite likely to be big in 2008 (courtesy of the BBC's Sound of 2008: Glasvegas):
More: Glasvegas (official website), Glasvegas on MySpace.
[01/Jan/2008: "New Years Day 2008"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Sunday, 16/Dec/2007
Weather - Actuals vs Forecast
When I looked at the weather forecast yesterday I was looking forward to a nice pleasant and sunny day. Those hopes were quickly dashed this morning when I opened the curtains to be greeted by a grey and dull sky. I'm wondering though why the forecast isn't catching up with reality? Here are the ‘official’ weather observations from Lyneham, the closest weather station to Swindon:
Now contrast this with the latest forecast:
Somehow this doesn't seem to be in line, unless it clears up extremely quickly now. Ach well, I've got enough to do at home anyway. Christmas cards to write, travelogues to work on, book reviews to prepare for the Islay Blog, shirts to iron, those kind of things. And hoping for the sun to come out for a nice lunchtime walk.
[16/Dec/2007: "Weather - Actuals vs Forecast"]
Sunday, 18/Nov/2007
Go around twice if you’re happy
It is a very grey, wet, cold, windy, nasty, horrible and rainy Sunday morning here in Swindon. That needs something happy, cheery, friendly, positive and funny to brighten up the day. Let's try this:
DirectGoAroundTwiceIfYouReHappy, via growabrain
May be someone should try this at the Magic Roundabout?
[18/Nov/2007: "Go around twice if you’re happy"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Undated meta data and assorted site related links
Sitemap -- Old Favourites and Frequent Topics -- Search -- RSS/XML -- Blogging Abroad (Expat Bloggers) -- current history -- looking slightly off history -- slightly stale history -- recent history -- older history -- ancient history -- Tell a friend! -- Visitor counter: 948548545845 visitors today and counting... -- Technorati Profile