Wheelie Good

Upstairs was a man-made lake complete with marshes that had begun to attract local wildlife. Just ahead was a tunnel with arches that looked as if it was going to zap something at the end. Behind me was a traditional canal tunnel. I would have liked to venture towards the end of the towpath but there were cameras up and I didn’t want them to give me an excuse to stop me riding the wheel. I headed back to the marina and joined the queue to board the boat. I managed to get a front seat so that I could get a good view of the wheel’s mechanism. I was surprised at how quiet it was. It was a shame that it was a foggy day otherwise I’d be able to see a bit further. But I’d definitely want to spend some time exploring the area around the wheel a bit more.

The Door #vampress 4

One of the men tried the door. Amazingly, it was unlocked. AS they pushed it open, they could hear a giant breathing sound, but could only see into a pitch-black interior. One of the men struck up a light and shared a torch with his fellows. The group ventured inside. They were so transfixed on trying to make out their surroundings that no-one was focusing on the exit. With a great slam, the large door closed. Instantly, the villagers returned to the door. They could not work out why the door had closed or who had closed it. Some looked around the outskirts of the door, others tried the handle while others still banged on it in vain hopes of recalling the guards outside to open it. Then the breathing became a pitch of laughter and the ground around them began to tremble. The group froze in fear then began to scout out the rest of the room.

Ground Work

I parked the car on the hill. It cost me £3, and I could have got away with street parking if I’d thought about it, but it somehow felt more secure to be parked on the premises that I was visiting. A short walk down a well-laid path led me alongside a rail track, at the end of which was a large, metallic figure-of-eight. Below this was a marina, and next to this was a metallic pyramid-shaped building which was the visitor’s centre. I’d arrived a bit early and popped into the gift shop to get some souvenirs while it was still quiet to get the lay of the land of where I’d need to check in for my voyage. I found a lovely keyring and snapped it up right away. Then I decided to walk back up the hill to see the canal at the top end of the wheel. 

Mass Market Beer

Someone’s moaning about a pub company again. Personally, I’d kill for a line-up like that. I suppose if you live in the area it’s about as common as buying bread, but it’s still a great selection of beer styles from around the country. These aren’t national brands that are being showcased, and they’re not from a cluster of breweries either. Usually pubs tend to go for golden ales from the same breweries which gets boring after a while. Either that or they showcase the strongest beers at the cheapest prices which discourages the session drinker. Here, you’ve got something for everyone. I’d be happy to stay here for a session; especially if I knew what else was in the locale. Of course, most money in pubs is in through food these days, so from that perspective you’d want a cheap meal to go with your cheap beer. But it’s the basic business model of supply and demand.

Escape from Grangemouth

I started the day with a half tank of fuel. There was no way that I was going to get home on that. There was an ASDA early but I couldn’t work out how to reach it. There was a one-way system in place but I seemed to enter it through the car park and couldn’t spot an entrance to the petrol station. I didn’t feel like being a YouTube clip star this early in the journey, so I decided to skip it and sat in the car park and tried to Google another one. I decided that it was easier to head into Falkirk and refuel there then I could score some Clubcard points and hit the road straight after my canal experience. It was a lot easier to access and the whole thing took half an hour including the journey to the canal centre. I think I may have had to travel down some roads twice and spend more fuel than was necessary, but the principal of the task was completed. 

"A Champion is defined not by their wins, but how they can recover when they're down."

 -Serena Willams.

Taking part in a competition says a lot about you. You shouldn’t expect to win every time, but it’ll be nice. It’s not necessarily about winning a prize, it’s about reassuring yourself of your progress and comparing yourself to others and networking with them. If you lose, it’s important that you’ve got competitive spirit, and that you’re willing to keep on trying so that you won’t stay down. There’s a mental element as well as a physical one so that you can get yourself out of the pit. It’s a lot more fun when the odds are against you, but it also makes the experience harder on yourself. The key is to learn from your experience and use it in your next attempt. If you don’t win, people will still be interested to hear about your journey, especially people who aspire to be in the same field. And if you do win, it shows that you’ve mastered your game and everything in between.

A Very Scottish Breakfast

It was a large stylish room which was green and clean with potted plants and a TV mounted in a corner. There was a long counter with a closed hatch and in front of it were various cereals laid out for consumption. I got myself a hot coffee from the filter pot and settled down with a bowl and spoon. A nice lady greeted me and handed me a menu in a leather wallet. There seemed to be a genuine appreciation of my custom, although little conversation was made. I decided to go for the full fry-up. It arrived quite promptly, and while it wasn’t particularly memorable it was still substantial and tasty. The breakfast room was quite empty. I came down what I thought would have been peak time. Perhaps it was a slow weekend. There wasn’t even anyone at reception, so I left my key behind the desk and out I set.