In the heights

So i thought i had cured my childhood fear of heights after a Microlight flight where i felt totally safe and loved it.
Walking some of the Aonach Eagach Ridge above Glencoe in 1992 did not faze me much, the views over the Glen were amazing.

In 1995 i did a huge 80 meter Bungee jump in Crete. I was nervous and a bit scared in the crane as it swayed about and swung out over the sea. Looking at a bit of elastic attached to my ankles i was thinking  `this is just not right`. I nearly passed out as i jumped off, then the adrenalin kicked in and it was amazing!.

But after watching some films like this of Steel workers caught on camera by Charles Ebbets i have realised my fear of heights is on man made obstacles of great height!... parachute jump next? -:)

Operation OYSTER 1942...

This blog isn't just about places of interest and stuff i find but places of interest and stuff friends have told me about. Blogger friend Alistair told me about this film and something you wouldn't expect to see in it,

Back During WW2 folk didn't have Televisions in there homes yet and so would go to cinema`s to watch news reels like this film. It was important to show the population we were winning the war for moral. This went on on all sides.
This is one of those news reel films...

On Dec 6th 1942 RAF Bomber Command flew Operation OYSTER,
It was a special raid carried out by bomber squadrons in No. 2 Group.
Targets were the Philips radio and valve (electron tube) factories in the town of Eindhoven in occupied Holland.
93 aircraft took part in the raid;
47 (PV-1) Venturas Mk. Is of RAF No. 21, RAAF No. 464 and RNZAF No. 487 Squadrons, 36 (A-20) Boston IIIs of Nos. 88, 107, and 226 Squadrons,
10 Mosquito Mk. IVs of No.105 and No.139 Squadrons;
83 aircraft dropped bombs and one Mosquito was a photographic aircraft.
Eindhoven is beyond the range of fighter escort so the raid was flown at low level and in clear weather conditions.

Bombing had to be very accurate to only cause damage to factories in the complex as the Factories were in the middle of the town.
Normally they were also full of Dutch workers under Nazi guard so the raid was carried out on a Sunday to try and reduce civilian casualties.
Unfortunately some bombs fell in nearby streets killing 148 Dutch people and 7 German soldiers.
Full production at the factory was not reached again until six months after the raid...

But the bomber casualties were heavy:
9 Venturas
4 Bostons and 1 Mosquito were lost over the Netherlands or the sea.
A 15 percent loss rate for the whole force.
The Venturas with the poorest performance suffered 19 per cent casualties.
3 more aircraft crashed or force-land in England and most of the other aircraft were damaged, 23 by bird strikes!

Lives were lost by the Allies and Dutch civilians.

When you watch this News reel Film look at the height the planes are flying at speeds over 300 mph, you see them pulling up to fly over trees once over Hollland!...

Yes there is the usual period `What What` English accents and the `daring do` music and all that.
But watch the young pilot when he is filmed flying at 3mins 20 secs...
Probably he is lucky to be in his mid 20s,  flying flat out at low level through enemy fire, responsible for his crew and part success of the operation so other aircrew don't have to return...
His life and his crews could be over in seconds by one mistake or one direct hit by Ack Ack or gunfire..
But he keeps his cool...but then he gives his age away at 3min 20 secs...did you see it?

he winks at the camera!

ha ha! brilliant!

After marching right across Europe virtually unopposed i wonder what those German Gunners on the factory roof who must have felt like they were on holiday there in Holland thought, when they saw all those bombers coming in at roof height at full power without any fighter escort in broad daylight!

Bloody hero`s...all of them...

Easter Sunday; Return to Tantallon...

So how on Easter Sunday did i end up going and riding the hardest part of coastline in East Lothian?, er well i planned to not be cycling on Sunday as being the Easter weekend i knew the coast would most likely be busy, but you know what its like, the weather was better than forcasted and it looked like the sun may pop out for a bit. So maybe go a wee ride through the local woods early before it gets busy...check the tide times , oh it is a 0.4 meter low tide at 9.40am, mmm where to go where it will be quiet?, ah i know just the place.

I have only ridden this part of the coast once at a very low tide with friend Jason Last year from Canty Bay to Seacliff below the WW2 Radar Research and Development at Gin Head then around over more exposed rocks under Tantallon castle and on to Seacliff and its tiny harbour.
It is the Double Black beach ride of the East Lothian coast..

It is easily the hardest part of coast to ride with some bike shouldering involved, very slimy rocks which all increase the danger riding here as a lot of the area is cut off under the cliffs at high tide.
Access in at low tide from the western end is either along the coast below the East Links  Golf Course from North Berwick, or descending down the steep grassy banks into Canty Bay, The second option is steeper than the picture shows and slippy in the morning dew...                    

Stunning coastline and views...

Mixed with some seriously hard techy rock sections exposed by the low tide...

I was on the wrong bike for this, well not wrong but it would be easier on the Moonlander with its increased grip and cushioning...

A breather as the rocks give way to a sandy beach along the secluded Canty Bay...

Here is the closest point of land to the Bass Rock, Largest single group of Gannets in the world...

Looking back...

On to below Gin Head...

A good view of some of the rocks to ride here...

Above the clffs at Gin Head, the former WW2 Radar Research Facility...

Views across to Tantallon, and some seriously techy riding to come...

Very low tide...

These rocks near the low tide mark are covered in barnacles and best to ride with the increased grip...

Under the ruins of Tantallon...

Tide now on the turn...

The perfect natural defence...

A good scale of the rocks here...

Into the sandy cove and a breather before the last bit to seacliff...

A bit of bike portage again over small inlets...

Then onboard again...

Spied a line around this ledge...

And were at Seacliff...

And its great wee harbour...

The pugsley is still a great bike, but i did wish i had been on the Moonlander for this riding today, however i did only plan to go out for an hour around the woods!...

Bought some new shoes by Teva to replace my hi top Five Ten  shoes which have split after nearly 6 years of riding. The Five Ten `stealth` rubber soles were great for grip on slimy rocks but they were like sponges and soaked up water. The Teva shoes have a water repellent finish, and using scree gators i added kept sand and grit out...

The soles are good on my Superstar Nano  flat pedals  but they still slip on slime covered rocks like my KEEN boots do...

 I have ridden with boots for the last 7 or 8 years now with Five Tens or Keen boots on flat pedals and Shimano MT90s when clipped in (only on commuter bike now) and found it strange wearing shoes.
I also hit my ankles a few times and missed the padded ankle protection of boots .
I also dunked them in a rock pool when i slipped because of lack of grip, something you just cannot take the risk of doing out there carrying a heavy bike over slimy rocks well below the high tide line.
So i reckon the way to go is to wear a boot that has mega grip for the rocks and is designed to get wet, and i will wear seal skinz socks in warmer weather and my British Army Gore Tex boot liners and thin socks inside during the colder months. It also allows crossings of estuarys and inlets without worry of freezing wet feet.
So going to get a pair of these Canyoneer Boots from Five Ten...

Be back to ride this part of the coast soon on the Moonlander to do some film...

Saltcoats Castle, Gullane, East Lothian

To the south of Gullane village is the ruins of Saltcoats Castle, built when the area was once a salt marsh which gives name to the surroundings...
The late 16th c Saltcoats Castle consists of a main structure which forms the south side of a courtyard with two projecting angle towers at the W end...

Described as a Hall House it has a mock castle theme to its construction...



Here is a reconstructed painting by artist Andrew Spratt of what the castle would have looked like...



Today the north wall and inner partitions of the main building are absent...











The towers have small windows, for defence or show of power...







The armorial stone of the builder, Patrick Levingtoun of Saltcoats,
It is believed he killed a notorious wild boar in Gullane Woods in 1590 and was given the land here as a reward.
Now mounted over the front door of a nearby cottage, probably came from over the door of the castle, and the date must be 1592 (the second digit has been crudely cut as a 3)...



There is a well, capped with modern reinforced concrete which still has water...



And there is a Doocot (dove cot) on the western wall...





The castle was still inhabited about 1790 but most of the building was removed for agricultural improvements about 1823-4 and to build the cottages nearby in 1810...





Remains inside of the cooking range...



Nature is slowly retaking the land again...