Thursday 31 May 2012

25 years ago...


May 31st 1987... I left school... school was out... forever...

I was still 15 and stepped out into the big world...where has all the time gone?...

I have to admit to not really enjoying High School, except History and Geography, which i still have an interest in...
I enjoyed metal work and making things, but due to the teacher i had in 3rd/4th year i became disruptive in his class and by the winter and spring of 1987 i wasn't at school much, but skiving off and helping the gamekeeper on Gosford estate were we grew up - getting paid as a `beater` for pheasant shoots... that and riding BMX...

Apologies to Mum for all the upset and endless trips to see the School Principle about me...
Thanks Dad for showing me nature and what is on our doorstep here in East Lothian, and the value of things that do not involve money. What you have taught me you won`t find written in a book...

Learning does not stop at school, if anything you learn more as you get older, but wiser? Mmmm...

I have little regrets, move forward and remember the good times behind you...
I have school friends no longer here, gone before they reached 40...
You have one life and you must make the most of it...

I have been working in Greenkeeping for 25 years now...
Wonder how many acres of grass i have mowed?...


Not to mention being up so early, seeing some of the amazing sunrises and views here on the east coast...




After being a caddie during high school holidays (and some school days! ) i was so proud (and lucky) to get a summer staff job with Gullane Golf Club which led to an apprenticeship.

I am still proud to be a time served apprentice (remember apprenticeships?) Links Greenkeeper.
Serving my time and then working 10 years at Gullane Golf Course here in East Lothian, one of the most famous  Links Golf Courses in Scotland, and in the world. Here on our east coast is where the game originated.

Those caddie wages and tips paid for some lovely exotic BMX bicycles and then those early apprentice greenkeeper wages were spent on mountain bikes and motorbikes, and girlfriends -:)...

At 21 and a time served Links greenkeeper we earned pretty good money. As good as friends who were plumbers, electricians and joiners. We had cars, motorbikes, MTBs, and money for going out at the weekend and mortgages and still managed to save a bit...
The late 1980s and early 90s was the golden age of Golf and the money rolled in from foreign visitors...
Half a dozen `Dodds of Troon` coaches would daily drop off tourists at Gullane who had come to play on the world famous golf course where the game has been played for over 180 years...

Concorde flying over Gullane No1 7th Tee on the eve of the 1987 Open Championship at Muirfield was something i stll think about when up there, as it circled Muirfield and Gullane the noise i will never forget...Gullane No 1 was the final qualifying course for the event and it was an experience to be involved and witness the event, the crowds and miles of cars coming into Gullane.

There is a saying in our trade `Golf is an art, Greenkeeping is a science`
When i moved job to another course 15 years ago then took over as Head Greenkeeper 8 years ago i quickly learned how much is involved in keeping 18 round circles of grass growing at 3- 5mm open for golf all year round while having 10,000+ footprints tramp them every year...
It is indeed a science...
In the last 25 years i have seen such a differance in how the job is done. We have the best equipment now in machinery, fertilisers, irrigation, outdoor clothing, health and safety, and the help of agronomists, always there to offer advice...

So you have to wonder why Famous Golf Courses worth several million pounds, pay people if lucky an average wage to look after them?... people with experiance and valued skills...
And sadly that is the case for many Head Greenkeepers who constantly have to fight tooth and nail
for improvements in their lively hood, and for their staff, and  Golf Course, be it a small or famous course...
It is changed days sadly for many in my profession...

"Do what makes you happy and not what it earns you..." was a saying i was once told and it is so true, but we all need to earn enough to get by with a bit in the bank...

When i fell ill last November and had loss of balance and double vision for 3 weeks i was all over the place and then once recovered a month later i went for a MRI scan.
A month later in March i was back for the results. When told of the MRI diagnosis was a CIS .
What i was told has not really shocked me at all - as i feel fine and as far as i am concerned nothing is wrong with me until something does go wrong - and i do not plan on not being well...
Time will tell... but if anything it has given me the motovation to do something new with my life and make something of it.

In the meantime i am now on 2 weeks summer holidays on Friday and plan to enjoy myself...see you soon...

Life is Good... -:)


Wednesday 30 May 2012

We Are All Made Of Stars - Moby

Extreme Road biking

Due to not going on regular MTB/Road cycling forums much mostly due to the haterz comments by sad miserable gits about fatbikes i missed this film on Bike Radar from a couple of years back.
Marytn Ashton is a legend in UK riding and like many old school riders i remember his trial days on Cannondales  `Beast from the East ` and have watched his trials demos every year at the Fort William UCI Downhill World Cup from way back in 2004...

This shows how impressive his skilz are, thanks Eddie for the heads up on this -:)

The Perfect Beach Riding shoes!

At last i had some spare money for a pair of   Five Ten Canyoneer II shoes...


Blogger friend and fellow East Coast beach rider up in Moray  Motorman has been using a pair of these and gives great reviews of them. Designed for walking in canyons they are a `wet` shoe which gets around the big problem of getting wet feet beach riding while crossing estuaries. They are designed to let the water in and out...


Wearing a pair of either summer or winter Seal Skinz socks  depending on the temperature allows you to keep on trucking without freezing feet - or having a pair of soggy shoes on.
The Stealth rubber sole has the famous sticky compound which is needed for walking/carrying a bike over exposed slimy rocks...


And the mid sole is very firm for peddling, as firm as cycling specific shoes. I wore them on Saturday for a guided beach ride and they are perfect. Also the wrap around ankle cuff keeps sand out if wearing shorts.
After a ride you just hose them down with the insole removed and hang them up to dry, does not matter if  they have not dried before the next ride as wearing Seal Skinz socks.

I buy less and less cycling specific clothing these days and prefer to buy multi purpose clothing.
These shoes are a bit specific but once again i find non cycling gear better for beach riding, next up is wake boarding shorts to compliment them for wet crossings -:)

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Buckie High - Boards of Canada

No other band has as many amazing fan made films as Boards of Canada,
Here is another,

Buckie High

East Fortune World Wars Experience 2012

The weekend was a roaster. Sunrise at work and you just know it is going to be an amazing day...


A midday Fatbike Tour taster and it was stunning weather...


Back at FatBike Tours HQ and after washing the bikes a WW1 German soldier appeared with a Tommy prisoner!...


" Vere are you going with ze bicycles" he asked, i produced my `paperz`,  and he liked the flyer -:)
Then headed off along the street to promote Sundays event.

A comment i have to make about this years event is how little it was advertised locally, some of my mates missed it as never knew it was on, despite me babbling on about it for weeks...

This years event was blessed with lovely clear hot weather, hot if you were in a WW2 uniform lugging heavy equipment about... great if viewing with an ice cream in hand...
And the Germans won the re enactment battle this year!
I took loads of pics but here is just a few...















to view all 70 pics Click here for Flickr slideshow...

 Slideshow film with some video...









Saturday 26 May 2012

Summer has arrived...

After a cold start to May and the weather feeling like it was a month behind the last few days have been lovely.
Light until 10pm it is just over 3 weeks to the longest day, and the improvement in the weather has made a noticeable difference to the light nights... some pics as been real busy to do reports but will do some soon... -:)