First Royal Enfield film and 10,000 views in 10 days!

 

Something happened I was not expecting...

I made a film about my new motorbike purchase, which I used my usual point to point shots then sat and behind the camera had a chat about the bike and why I bought one, it ended up going on for 17 minutes so anyway it was soon uploaded and published...then the views started going up and up...

1000 views in the first evening, checked in on Youtube next day and they were 3000! and still rising!, as were the likes and comments... lots of lovely complementary comments too, on my film making style, local scenery, and music choice, and how I put it all together...

As I wrote this blog post I checked and there was now over 10,000 views, 345 likes, and 92 positive comments...

I`m blown away by the response, real chuffed but here's some interesting things, I linked this blog amongst links to Royal Enfield websites under my bit waffle on the film, yet the cycling and Willys Jeep films made after the motorbike film just have the usual amount of views, as did the blog views...

I definitely struck the right chord with this film, obviously there is a big interest in these motorcycles...      I will keep doing cycling and Jeep films and Blog posts as usual and do the same amount of films to them ie every 3rd or 4th film will be about the motorbike, and see what comes of it, be interesting if the new subscribers hang around.

Its a breath of fresh air as the blog and YouTube films do not get a lot of views anymore, but as you know I do this for myself, family and friends, your never going to make a living out it and the saying is so true; `Don't try to make a living out your hobbies and passions`...

Anyway the next film after  this I made yesterday and uploading soon with 1000 miles now on the Enfield 350 so it will be a blog post soon...

More soon...

Good informative Youtube film; Jerry Cans: The True Secret Weapon of WWII

 Most folk probably think a petrol can is a petrol can... well it is and is not when it comes to quality made petrol cans for safe storage and use without spilling, something you don't want to do with the extortionate fuel prices these days...

Somethings are done the best first time round and if its worth doing, its worth doing right...

I recently purchased a genuine WW2 1940 German Jerry can, to compliment my WW2 British 1945 can and 1950s USA can. 

I bought one after watching a fascinating informative film by a YouTuber I follow - Callum from Rassey Island near Isle of Skye and I bet you someone could not make a 20 minute film about petrol containers more informative and interesting than this...

You will find out a few interesting facts about the original design that has yet to be bettered , but has also been very badly copied,  genuine ingenuity like recessed welds for strength and did you know a Jerry can floats even when full with 20 litres of fuel?, I never did...

The original design was perfect from day one, so perfect that when the British got their hands on them during the Desert campaign they were soon churning out there own version identical except with the WD stamping...my British Jerry can lives on the Jeep as USA can is pretty useless needing a pourer to avoid spillage and is a weaker manufactured design...

Luftwaffe Original...

British copy...

USA version...

Machine Mart modern version, better than most new cans esp the Chinese cheap options with weak spot welds on handles and no proper inside to prevent rust...

Enjoy a rather informative film by Callum on Rassey Island...

More soon...

History of the Hotchkiss M201 military Jeeps

 Finally a good film on Youtube of the history of the M201 Jeep, The French took the original Willys design and made it even better,  making them probably the best user friendly Jeeps to own if you want a WW2/Cold War era Jeep with that iconic Willys Go Devil engine...

The Hotchkiss Jeeps story is largely unknown in the USA where most flat fender Jeep fans own and drive early model CJ (Civilian Jeep) models or the later M38 military Jeep ( seen in the iconic series MASH) while the French military started with 22,000 or so ex military Jeeps that had done there job helping to win the War started a new life and chapter that would go on for another 40 years such was the success of that original design... 

I love this picture believed to be in France after WW2 of piles of Jeeps assembled for overhaul...

And the Hotchkiss story continues as owners enjoy using them and making them their own, with a mix of WW2, Cold War, and modern stuff added you make them your own...

The film goes off onto later Hotchkiss civilian and military developments, and it would have been good to have seen more footage of French Military M201s in action, but its worth a watch at the beginning if you don't know about how these French Jeeps came to be...

More soon...

Awesome Jeep special on Youtube...

 Mid January and my Jeep is tucked away with wet roads caked in road salt, so time for another cool Jeep film from someone else from a  great Youtube channel, Check out this amazing special down under in Australia built from a WW2 Ford GPW Jeep, amazing engineering and detail...

Enjoy...

More soon...

Jeep in a hedge? - film on Youtube...

 Not much left of it but how about a WW2 Jeep turning up in a hedge near where you live?, what would be the chance of that!, follow this guy on YouTube and found a lot of films by this real enthusiast informative this is certainly entertaining even though hardly any of the Jeep remains...

More soon...

Tool Time; £5000 Tool kit for £500 on YouTube...

I`m 50 years old now and been collecting tools since I started to fix my own push bikes around the age of 12, and many of these tools I still have because there great quality, many I did kind of borrow from my Dad and they kind of ended up in my tool box as the collection grew I picked up used tools at anywhere from Jumble sales to Car Boot sales to things in the local paper, and I am back to using ex Miltary Ammo boxes to store them again like I did when I started for their different jobs.   And I still spend £20 - £30 a month every pay day getting a few more small cheap things which make working on something easier...

And decent tools have never been cheaper to by I have discovered buying stuff for working on my Willys Jeep in the last year with many companies offering a lifetime guarantee, it's not just expensive stuff like Snap On that does so...

And I say this about starting on anything new be it Mountain bikes,  Fatbike, parts for these bikes, or camping stuff, there is loads of cheaper options out there just as good as the new big brand stuff, 

My advice is don't be brand snob with everything when you spend your hard earned cash...

I follow this guys channel on YouTube and like many folk I follow you learn a lot from how they fix things, and if your starting out fixing your own bikes or old motors etc, or starting a professional career in the Auto industry you should definitely watch this by Lord Muck...

More soon...

HOOKS - Interesting film on YouTube...

Rewind to 1963...

Another ace film on YouTube, from days when the Bass Rock was not as white from Gannet poo!..

St Kilda - A lovely film of a man`s lifetime dream...

Facebook friend and fellow Surly Pugsley owner Alan recently posted this lovely film on YouTube,
I have a book on the life and death of St Kilda, a fascinating read of the lives of the people that lived and struggled to make an existence on what was once the most remote place to live in Great Britain...
On the 29th August 1930 the remaining 36 inhabitants left to settle at Morven-Lochaber on the mainland at their own request.
The last original St Kilda resident died in 1988...

I have seen the Islands of St Kilda on a clear  summer day from the hills of Harris when i visited there cycling my Fatbike what now feels like A long time ago...
I will visit St Kilda hopefully soon, as it is somewhere my late father often talked of wanting to visit... i will get there for you dad...

This lovely film captures the beauty of the island, and one of a few dual world heritage sites,
And at the end a real treat for the visitor full filling his own dream, what he had searched for all his life...

Public Service Broadcasting- Full Preformance (Live on KEXP)

A favourite new band on mine is Public Service Broadcasting  (PSB)
I came across them 2 years ago when they released a mini EP  `The War Room`

I have already posted these videos of some of the tracks from the EP

Spitfire;


And London can take it;



I then bought all their other releases, here are Three great tracks which combine their music with dialoge and film which brings together a unique combination...








Fatbike Friend John gave me a heads up on this link posted on youtube,  crank up the volume!

Late Summer, Another busy week...

Geese in stubble fields is always a sign of Autumn on its way. These are native but thousands will return from Greenland to East Lothian soon....

Been a busy week at work and out cycling. Sometimes it is nice to combine both -:) Tueday commute on the Pugsley...

 My own personal 20 ton sand dune -:)

Top dressing  greens this week...

Long shadows at sunrise now...

Been out on all my bikes this week, Moonlander on Saturday, KramPug on Sunday, then the Karate Monkey single speed 29er out on Monday...

Then on  Tuesday riding stubble fields on the Pugsley...

Late summer sunset...

Then on Wednesday i took a half day at work, and along with Pugsleys from Dave at Law Cycles and my purple pug, i did an hour fatbike ride from Archiefield Golf Course and House to Yellowcraig with five Journalists`s from around the world, here via  Visit Scotland,

Mandy is a running friend of  Peter and Mary  who organised it as something unique for our visitors to Scotland to experience. The rest of the group played golf or just went a stroll on the beach with Mandy and here dogs.

All ready to go!

We kept to the flat hard sand exposed by the low tide. everyone loved the bikes and thought they were fantastic fun. The reaction of people when they first ride across soft sand and keep going is always great to watch. Big grins and giggles, and a good happy vibe afterwards.
A lot of photos were taken and i look forward to reading the articles of all the writers experiences to Scotland.
Everyone said we live in a Beautiful part of the world. I have always said that we are real lucky to live here in East Lothian.
Mandy will be forwarding the links to me and i will add them to this post which is under the `Visit Scotland` label...

Fatbikes have given me some really enjoyable and memorable days on the coast and today was one of them. Meeting some really friendly and interesting people, and getting to share my love of our coast with them...

Back to Archiefield House...

Still time for another of the group to have a quick shot!

I had the Go Pro to shoot some film on the beach...





A van load of fat...

-:)

-:)

Thursday i drove to Pencaitland for a rain swept trail ride with some new and friendly faces.
Rain went off after a while and the wet roots and greasy wet grass kept us all on our toes into the darkness back to the Winton Pub.

A rain pic through plastic...

I was given a Showers Pass I phone cloud cover waterproof soft case to test and review and will write up a review in another couple of weeks after more use...

Friday the 13th today!, yikes!,
Still out cycling this afternoon from Gullane on the Surly KramPug 29+ from Gullane to Aberlady.
Peaceful and Quiet on Aberlady Reserve...

Probably more cycling over the weekend... -:)

East Lothian Harvest fatbiking...

Harvest is 3/4 done doing an average of counts on fields combined. Despite the disc harrows moving in quickly this year there is still plenty of fields to cycle through, something that Fatbikes are superb at, going riding is of course as always interrupted by work... -:)
Been some amazing sunrises again this week...

Good thing about harvested stubble fields next to Golf Courses?...

Loads of lost Golf balls to go collect behind the combine harvesters!, that's a fivers worth of Pro V`s in my hand...

This weeks haul, and even after split 4 ways that is a pair of Surly Fatbike tyres for my new Pugsley i am building...

Combine at work...

Big sky day again here in East Lothian...

2.30pm, home time and head for the fields on the Pug... -:)

2 hours riding cross country  in a loop from Whitekirk and then home via fields.
The 4" fatbike`s tyres make light work of crossing the stubble...

Some film i shot,
Song is `Tiptoe` by Imagine Dragons
click on the cog icon to view in HD