Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

It was thought appropriate that the photographs taken today should be published today instead of those taken yesterday which were intended for today which will now be posted tomorrow leaving any images taken tomorrow to be published the day after tomorrow. So, now that's been cleared up we can get onto the Olympic Torch Relay.

The weather forecast had pointed to a better day than the last 2 or 3, but things could hardly have got worse, so at 06:00 awaiting the bus to take me to Portland it was a blessing to see the sun rise over Weymouth Inner Harbour and into an almost cloudless sky.

It's a 20 minute walk from the bus stop to the Lighthouse and already the sky was being covered by threatening looking clouds as the convoy of vehicles started to roll down Bill Road. It was 06:40 when the rain started. Luckily, it stopped raining at 06:45 and not a drop has fallen since!

Included in this were the logistics and passenger carriers seen here passing the Portland Bird Observatory and heading towards the 'active' lighthouse in the distance.

Then came the Police, 'mob-handed', 16 motorcycles in all and about a dozen cop cars. Nicknicknicknicknicknick!

The first people I met were 4 of the Stewards, without whom the event would not run at all smoothly, standing outside of The Pulpit Inn. For those with better eye-sight, the Landlord Danny Fox can just be seen on the pub steps waiting for the first £ of the day to arrive.

Time for a scout around and poke my nose into everything as the crowd started gathering.

Some of the Coppers I soon discovered were from the Met so what an 'Away Day' for them to get out of London for a while.

Lots of music, dancing and general frivolity around the 'sponsors' vehicles, while at the lower end of the car park

hundreds of people (mostly youngsters) were heading for

Pulpit Rock from where this leg of the Relay was to start. 

While the various young people's organisations

including the Combined Cadet Force, Girl Guides, Bot Scouts et al, sorted themselves out,

others were seeking a vantage point to get the best view.

With the terrain here being so undulating with hillocks and piles of Portland Stone, it is almost like a natural amphitheatre so everyone could see.

Next came these 3 Torch Escort Marshals who probably needed organising as well,

that's why I joined them!

Of all the Marshals only 2 have undertaken the full 56 days thus far, so by definition VICKY WALKER and PETE EDGINGTON have been all round Great Britain in the past few weeks. Well done to them all.

and so the show got on the road led by Police Outriders then this mini bus carrying

members of the OLYMPIC SAILING TEAM.

Sponsors SAMSUNG,

COCA COLA and

LLOYDS TSB followed up leaving a 

CHEERING CROWD welcoming the first Torch Bearer who ran just the few hundred yards from Pulpit to the main road.

From there it was handed to a firm Portland favourite David Darby who, ever since we met in 1970, has been an accomplished long distance runner and has shown more young people than perhaps he can remember the ways of the Sportsman/Woman!

 

Dave carried the mantle a far as the Pulpit Inn, under the watchful eye of

the World, National and Regional media.

The 'flame' was past to the next bearer who, on being ignited

 

 held his Torch aloft before setting off himself along

Bill Road

and onward to the crowd waiting outside of the Portland Bird Observatory. Those who know him, may just be able to pick out Martin Cade the Warden of the PBO.

 

The clouds were still darkening and looking closely among them the Police Helicopter can be seen as a small dot,

 

but ever watchful over all proceedings. I had wanted to be back in Weymouth for the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron on the beach. It was touch and go if traffic would allow, but the bus got me close and well in time.

However, I was not to know of the delays that would await me, the first being an encounter with DAVE HAMILTON, one of the Torch Bearers, doing photo calls in front of the Portland Stone Olympic Rings Monument outside of Weymouth Railway Station.

This young lady, obviously from the Orient, then struck a pose and said to Dave something like "my friends in Taiwan will be pleased to see this shot". Now, who do we know who is recently returned from Taiwan?? I needed no further coaxing

as I introduced myself before getting my hands on an Olympic Torch. The absolute HIGHLIGHT of my day was when 

SYENNY (Shenny) LEE accepted my invitation to lunch and a potted tour of that part of Weymouth. A University Graduate who has studied in Taiwan, China, the USA and Italy is now in Weymouth for 10 weeks to further her knowledge. We dined together at The William Henry where Syenny was keen to sample traditional English food, so what better than Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding and thick, thick Bisto Gravy? From there she got the Cook's Tour of the White Horse on the Hill, Punch and Judy, Weymouth's Georgian architecture plus King George III himself, albeit his statue, plus his Batheing Machine. I have no religion but believe whole-heartedly in KARMA (what you do to others will be done unto you) which visited me today. Regular readers will no doubt remember the warm welcomes I was afforded by Vicky Cheng, Bruno and Emily Walther and many others in Taiwan, today was the day to reciprocate in the hope of more to come. Watch This Space!

On the Beach - Chris Rea

Having fallen behind a day, the bulk of the post refers to yesterday but today at 06:00 Weymouth and surrounding areas were bathed in bright sunshine, a gentle breeze and blue skies. What happened next, on the day the Olympic Torch Relay arrived in the Borough, is a natural tragedy in itself which will unfold tomorrow.

An early morning walk along the Rodwell Trail saw a number of species, such as this SONG THRUSH,

still feeding young, others included Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Blackcap and Great Tit.

 

My arrival at Ferry Bridge coincided with the fishermen there emptying their nets, with a few more fish than I have seen of late.

 

These included GREY MULLET in the nearest box and BASS in the other. By this time it was low water, so again there was a chance of an early returning Wader and I didn't have to wait long.

There were c4 Dunlin in the distance but first on view was this 

'summer plumage' KNOT

even doing a little wing stretch before leaving it to continue feeding.

 

With the news from the LITTLE TERN colony on Chesil Beach being good, at least c9 young birds and still adults sitting on eggs, I approached to the barrier fence where the adults continued fish carrying. However, there was another surprise to find that

the Knot had followed me and was now resting within the colony. This was when I started to notice a small movement of Common Terns, counting 26 before arriving at the bus stop.

 

With Skate, Shark and Dogfish egg-cases being very similar, I wouldn't like to say which this is but most likely to be that of the latter.

 

As the water recedes there is now a healthy carpet of Sea Samphire,

which I and others have picked from time to time in small amounts as a flavour in a number of recipes. 

A rather raged looking LITTLE EGRET flew overhead as I continued counting the Common Terns which were now crossing Portland Harbour (east to west) with a further 53 counted during my 10 minute wait. Quiet at the Bill is an understatement, and while there were a few Manx Shearwater passing off-shore

all else on offer was this EYED HAWK-MOTH in one of the Bird Observatory moth traps.

Shape of Things to Come - Yardbirds

Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948 - 14 June 1995)

Just flicking through 'You Tube' last night looking for the 'unusual', I came across it in copious amounts when stumbling upon Joe Bonamassa playing Gary Moore's Midnight Blues on Rory Gallagher's trademark 'beat-up' 1961 Original Sunburst Fender Stratocaster guitar, which he owned from his very early days until his death in 1995. There was a brief moment when he was parted from his most precious 'axe' when it was stolen from the back of his tour bus. " I did actually have the Stratocaster stolen in Dublin in the sixties, and I got it back after two weeks - it was thrown over a ditch, with a few extra scratches from the brambles and things so when I got it back - it had been out in the rain as well - so I mean, I swore I'd never sell it or paint it after that"...Rory Gallagher

Bonamassa playing Gary Moore on Gallagher Strat

Yes, you guessed it, more of the beleaguered Summer weather with 'rain bearing' clouds hugging the Ridgeway Hills well to the north of Weymouth Inner Harbour accompanied by a chilly wind. A slightly later start this morning, so the bus straight to Portland

where, looking from the top of New Road across West Bay and Chesil Beach things looked no brighter.

It was a surprise then to find any Butterflies on the wing let alone

SMALL SKIPPER, which was my first of the year, as was a fast moving Ringlet (no photo).

At the Obs Quarry COMMON CENTAURY

and GREATER KNAPWEED, with attendant Beetles, looked good in the odd moments of sunshine.

The c3 RAVENs were hanging around the same field as previously,

with this one so close

it was difficult to resist loosing off a few shots.

On reaching the Observatory, this RED ADMIRAL was perched on the wall as a few Marbled Whites fluttered around in the long grass.

The Shape of Things to Come relates to the upcoming Olympic Games and the scenes of numerous

sailing vessels in Portland Harbour (and Weymouth Bay)

which are those that were confined to the shore yesterday. It will be noted that the clouds were now getting even more threatening so time to beat a quick retreat.

At home I found, right out of the blue, an e-mail from a long lost shipmate, Paul (Andy) Knapp with whom I started birdwatching in 1973. Attached were a couple of images of his past as a Royal Navy Air Crewman, so over to Paul.

Hi ya,

        I've attached two photos of subs, the one with the two Wessex HAS Mk1's is off the Western Approaches, don't ask me the name, but the side no: may give you a clue. I am in the nearest helo, having just picked up the track chart. The photo of USN Haddo was taken in the Med. A crew member was suffering from severe stomach pains, suspected appendicitis. There was quite a swell running, and the "sail" was moving around too much for a transfer from that position, so the "Skipper" blew the forward tanks and raised the bow out of the water so that the main hatch could be opened. A ""dodgy thing to do" on a sub at sea. Anyway the "Yanks" were under strict instructions, that as soon as I hooked on the stretcher, they were to get down below and close the hatch "TOUT SUITE", which they did, leaving me and the casualty on our own, top side. Before the winchman could raise the winch with me and the stretcher, a 'bloomin great swell broke over the casing, and there being no hand holds we were soon up to our necks in the "oggin". Luckily the winchman had his "eye on the ball" and we were soon inboard!

Operating with "nukes" was in its infancy then, well for us anyway, whilst doing a Casex (an 'anti-submarine exercise'), I kept telling the Observer (Navigator) that the sub had "gone to ground" under the carrier. There was no way he would believe me, but on the "wash-up" afterwards the Skipper admitted he had placed himself under the carrier, and only one helo had remained in contact!

This is in fact HMS Otter (S15) an Oberon-class Submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 14 January 1960, launched on 15 May 1961 from Scotts Shipbuilding, Greenock, Scotland, commissioned on 20 August 1962 and paid off on 31 July 1991. I have my own little experience of her as duty Master aboard the Tug Sheepdog one weekend at Portland many years ago. Otter was an unexpected arrival and we were dispatched to assist her entering harbour for just the shortest of visits. As Royal Naval Captains were occasionally prone to a little high jinx, I was informed by the 'old man' that he intended leaving harbour under 'stern power' (backwards) and would I pay closer attention. Of all the thousands of ship movements in and out of Portland Harbour this was the only time I witnessed such a manoeuvre.

Thresher Class Attack Submarine: Laid down, 9 September 1960, at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, NJ; Launched, 18 August 1962; Commissioned, USS Haddo (SSN-604), 16 December 1964; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 12 June 1991; Laid up at Bremerton Naval Shipyard; Final Disposition, entered the NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., completed 20 June 1992.