Mantle Model
3 days ago
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Snow not so fun.
Snow started around here last weekend with perhaps a couple of inches.
(Sat 27th out of the window)
On Tuesday it snowed non stop and they let us out of work early since lorries were getting stuck on our road, on average it took 6 times longer for people to get home and several staff abandoned their cars and walked the final few miles
By Wednesday morning the top of my wall had 32cm of snow call it 13inches, deeper in places and possibly 8 inches in general on the flat areas. As I was clearing my car I was phoned by my boss and told not come in, since all the key holders to the offices could not make.
Later that morning the only traffic going by my house was 4 x 4's and lorries since they had close the A38 due to an accident, that then turned into a stationary queue for an hour when a lorry got stuck on the hill about a mile from house.
Thursday I made it into work along with about 50% of staff, most of them who lived locally although we could not get into our car park. We greeted by a email from the head office which had no snow telling us we would not be paid for time off due to weather conditions so had to take the day as unpaid leave or a holiday, well my opinion of that is not for a public post.
The Youth Hostel I had booked in the Peak District rang and told me they would closed over the weekend, cancelling our Ascendancy Christmas party, in many ways that was a relief since people had started to drop out, not wanting to travel, me included.
All day Thursday it continued to snow and local radio, friend and family of staff at work were delivering bad news about blocked road and sheet house, then the duel carriageway to the motorway was closed due to a accident. Eventually they decided to close the office a hour earlier and with only a 1/10th of normal traffic on the roads I got home in no time. Although I did have to snow plough my car on to the drive since the snow was now about 11inches on the flat areas, 18inches on my wall, and almost to my knees in the drifts.
(Wednesday 1st Dec, after starting to clean the snow off the car, and digging path to pavement)
(Wednesday 1st bins with snow hats)
(Main road by mid afternoon, once queue had started moving)
Friday was icy as hell and I weaved my way between all the abandoned cars and lorries, some just people who couldn't get off the road on to their drive but most were stuck at the bottom hills unable to get up them. Driving was chaos and a 4x4 does not let get past a lorry that is stuck.
Last night we had another 2 inches, but today Saturday with a slight rise in temperature the main roads are in much better condition when you get on them, even if it is a little foggy. Now I have lots of pretty icicles.
(Sat 4th Dec a bit more snow)
(Sat 4th not been out through back door)
(Sat 27th out of the window)
On Tuesday it snowed non stop and they let us out of work early since lorries were getting stuck on our road, on average it took 6 times longer for people to get home and several staff abandoned their cars and walked the final few miles
By Wednesday morning the top of my wall had 32cm of snow call it 13inches, deeper in places and possibly 8 inches in general on the flat areas. As I was clearing my car I was phoned by my boss and told not come in, since all the key holders to the offices could not make.
Later that morning the only traffic going by my house was 4 x 4's and lorries since they had close the A38 due to an accident, that then turned into a stationary queue for an hour when a lorry got stuck on the hill about a mile from house.
Thursday I made it into work along with about 50% of staff, most of them who lived locally although we could not get into our car park. We greeted by a email from the head office which had no snow telling us we would not be paid for time off due to weather conditions so had to take the day as unpaid leave or a holiday, well my opinion of that is not for a public post.
The Youth Hostel I had booked in the Peak District rang and told me they would closed over the weekend, cancelling our Ascendancy Christmas party, in many ways that was a relief since people had started to drop out, not wanting to travel, me included.
All day Thursday it continued to snow and local radio, friend and family of staff at work were delivering bad news about blocked road and sheet house, then the duel carriageway to the motorway was closed due to a accident. Eventually they decided to close the office a hour earlier and with only a 1/10th of normal traffic on the roads I got home in no time. Although I did have to snow plough my car on to the drive since the snow was now about 11inches on the flat areas, 18inches on my wall, and almost to my knees in the drifts.
(Wednesday 1st Dec, after starting to clean the snow off the car, and digging path to pavement)
(Wednesday 1st bins with snow hats)
(Main road by mid afternoon, once queue had started moving)
Friday was icy as hell and I weaved my way between all the abandoned cars and lorries, some just people who couldn't get off the road on to their drive but most were stuck at the bottom hills unable to get up them. Driving was chaos and a 4x4 does not let get past a lorry that is stuck.
Last night we had another 2 inches, but today Saturday with a slight rise in temperature the main roads are in much better condition when you get on them, even if it is a little foggy. Now I have lots of pretty icicles.
(Sat 4th Dec a bit more snow)
(Sat 4th not been out through back door)
Monday, 24 May 2010
Thunders weekend.
Kit making and acquiring frenzy for last event over and I'm feeling totally worn out, although I think most of that is down the change of weather over one week from frosty mornings to humid temperatures in the high twenty's.
The AscendancyLRP event I helped AndyL put together was set in the Thunders a land mainly based on historic & mythical Japan & China. For this event I decided we needed a bit of extra kit, mainly because we set the event in monastery.
So I made four Buddhist robes, they were very simple based on the real thing which is basically a couple of large rectangles of fabric tucked under the arm and over the shoulder, so all I to do was do straight hems no pattern to follow.
This photo is a example.
I also recycled a robe made by Julie for a post apocalypse game we played and turned it into the kit of the Incredible Wang, which although made from wool, not your traditional oriental fabric looked great with the hat and sash.
Photo of the Indiscernible Wang.
My other bit of costume was purchased direct from China and is a copy of Qing Dynasty Imperial Suit, I did have to spent a couple of hours re-working the belt which despite the size description was made to fit around the waist of someone four inches smaller in circumference than me. I think it looks great with its many embroidered dragons and well worth the price paid, which was only a bit more than the shipping cost.
Photo of the now dead Shogun wearing the costume, although he is now the new Golden Vampire, so the costume use will continue.
I also painted up masks for the Puppet master and Yo-Yo, found some really cheap fans and oriental hats.
The fans can be seen in the picture below, found in a shop in Ripley for 50p each and well used given the heat during the event.
The last thing I made was three clockwork bullets for use by an assassin, although due to massive crop of nettles he found himself cornered when he wanted to escape and fire his last bullet.
Bullets.
The AscendancyLRP event I helped AndyL put together was set in the Thunders a land mainly based on historic & mythical Japan & China. For this event I decided we needed a bit of extra kit, mainly because we set the event in monastery.
So I made four Buddhist robes, they were very simple based on the real thing which is basically a couple of large rectangles of fabric tucked under the arm and over the shoulder, so all I to do was do straight hems no pattern to follow.
This photo is a example.
I also recycled a robe made by Julie for a post apocalypse game we played and turned it into the kit of the Incredible Wang, which although made from wool, not your traditional oriental fabric looked great with the hat and sash.
Photo of the Indiscernible Wang.
My other bit of costume was purchased direct from China and is a copy of Qing Dynasty Imperial Suit, I did have to spent a couple of hours re-working the belt which despite the size description was made to fit around the waist of someone four inches smaller in circumference than me. I think it looks great with its many embroidered dragons and well worth the price paid, which was only a bit more than the shipping cost.
Photo of the now dead Shogun wearing the costume, although he is now the new Golden Vampire, so the costume use will continue.
I also painted up masks for the Puppet master and Yo-Yo, found some really cheap fans and oriental hats.
The fans can be seen in the picture below, found in a shop in Ripley for 50p each and well used given the heat during the event.
The last thing I made was three clockwork bullets for use by an assassin, although due to massive crop of nettles he found himself cornered when he wanted to escape and fire his last bullet.
Bullets.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Easter week.
Easter weekend I started a weeks holiday with lots of plans starting with a trip to Stratford upon Avon with JulieS to visit the Butterfly Farm which was great, especially to practise your camera skill, took loads of photos a small sample below (wish I took my SLR). The Butterfly Farm is quite warm being kept between 25 and 30deg C, and at 80% humidity since its full of tropical butterflies as well a few fish, reptiles and birds that don't like the taste of butterflies.
This photograph is stolen from Julie and shows me with a butterfly.
Photo of Julie taking a photo
Mr Iguana
After the butterfly farm we had quick wander around Stratford, which looks interesting, didn't visit any of the other attraction or Shakespeare properties although we did pop in Nash's house garden which was free and full of odd but interesting sculptures inspired by Shakespeare plays.
During the following week I mainly spent my time making steam punk guns, a sniper rifle and kind of grenade launcher which I converted into stun gun for the weekends larp event.
The sniper rifle was made from a old cap gun stock,plenty of screws, bit of brass tube, some smaller tube cut to act has spacer for a toy telescope sprayed with brass paint for the gun site. Added to this was decoration in the form the nozzle from old brass paraffin blow torch,some drawing pins, and a bit of wood stain/varnish.
The grenade launcher used the rest of the paraffin blow torch, a cardboard tea tube, a couple of pipe fittings, a sink strainer, another old cap gun stock, a few screws, a bit glue and some more brass spray paint.
After several days of searching for bits I now have lots more junk to make several more steam punk guns or gadgets.
Last weekend I crewed a larp event and got to play a new long term character, currently called the Hermit, he was a bit of grumpy and plenty of fun to play.
The crew (excluding me and AndyL)
The weather on Saturday was the warmest of the year and with lots of carrying kit up and down slopes quite hard work for a unfit chap like me. Sunday was much better, well cooler anyway.
ChrisA with his new steam tech gun and also the one I made.
Took plenty of photos most are the ascendancy website.
I did also go to see Kick Ass, yet another new movie based on a comic book. Enjoyed it, although found myself quite shocked by the language coming out the 13year old girls mouth, I suppose that was intended. Very funny dark humour, don't go and see if don't like comics books
This photograph is stolen from Julie and shows me with a butterfly.
Photo of Julie taking a photo
Mr Iguana
After the butterfly farm we had quick wander around Stratford, which looks interesting, didn't visit any of the other attraction or Shakespeare properties although we did pop in Nash's house garden which was free and full of odd but interesting sculptures inspired by Shakespeare plays.
During the following week I mainly spent my time making steam punk guns, a sniper rifle and kind of grenade launcher which I converted into stun gun for the weekends larp event.
The sniper rifle was made from a old cap gun stock,plenty of screws, bit of brass tube, some smaller tube cut to act has spacer for a toy telescope sprayed with brass paint for the gun site. Added to this was decoration in the form the nozzle from old brass paraffin blow torch,some drawing pins, and a bit of wood stain/varnish.
The grenade launcher used the rest of the paraffin blow torch, a cardboard tea tube, a couple of pipe fittings, a sink strainer, another old cap gun stock, a few screws, a bit glue and some more brass spray paint.
After several days of searching for bits I now have lots more junk to make several more steam punk guns or gadgets.
Last weekend I crewed a larp event and got to play a new long term character, currently called the Hermit, he was a bit of grumpy and plenty of fun to play.
The crew (excluding me and AndyL)
The weather on Saturday was the warmest of the year and with lots of carrying kit up and down slopes quite hard work for a unfit chap like me. Sunday was much better, well cooler anyway.
ChrisA with his new steam tech gun and also the one I made.
Took plenty of photos most are the ascendancy website.
I did also go to see Kick Ass, yet another new movie based on a comic book. Enjoyed it, although found myself quite shocked by the language coming out the 13year old girls mouth, I suppose that was intended. Very funny dark humour, don't go and see if don't like comics books
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Day out in the Black Country.
This weekend I went with Julie and Dave the Black Country Museum at Dudley to celebrate Dave's Birthday.
The Museum as can be seen from the photo below is mainly about reproducing what it was like to live in the Black Country area at the beginning of the 20th Century. A whole village as been built from houses taken down from the local area and then rebuilt creating a fascinating authentic place to visit.
Julie and Dave riding a Trolley Bus, basically a tram without tracks or bus that has to follow overhead power cables
The Museum as can be seen from the photo below is mainly about reproducing what it was like to live in the Black Country area at the beginning of the 20th Century. A whole village as been built from houses taken down from the local area and then rebuilt creating a fascinating authentic place to visit.
Julie and Dave riding a Trolley Bus, basically a tram without tracks or bus that has to follow overhead power cables
A Trolley Bus at the museum.
The village has many working shops that sell their goods to visitors, this is Julie and Dave outside the sweet shop, Dave bought us all a cake from the shop next door, further down the street was a fish and chip shop. We visited the cafe while there for lunch all of use deciding to have the large black country sausages which were yummy.
Unfortunately it was a cold day, since most of the museum is outside I would recommend you go when its warmer.
Most of the shops and houses had working fires which were lit to keep the costumed characters that worked at the museum warm and were excellent to keep us visitors warm.
Julie knitted me a cowl for Christmas, it was very helpful in keeping me warm, not that I wore it pulled over my face like in the photo below, most of the time I wore it just around my neck. I highly recommend a cowl as a alternative to scarf.
Picture of the canal inside the museum.
I had a great day out, I assume Julie and Dave did, I wished it was better weather since it may have been more enjoyable, next time we pick a indoor place to visit in winter.
The village has many working shops that sell their goods to visitors, this is Julie and Dave outside the sweet shop, Dave bought us all a cake from the shop next door, further down the street was a fish and chip shop. We visited the cafe while there for lunch all of use deciding to have the large black country sausages which were yummy.
Unfortunately it was a cold day, since most of the museum is outside I would recommend you go when its warmer.
Most of the shops and houses had working fires which were lit to keep the costumed characters that worked at the museum warm and were excellent to keep us visitors warm.
Julie knitted me a cowl for Christmas, it was very helpful in keeping me warm, not that I wore it pulled over my face like in the photo below, most of the time I wore it just around my neck. I highly recommend a cowl as a alternative to scarf.
Picture of the canal inside the museum.
I had a great day out, I assume Julie and Dave did, I wished it was better weather since it may have been more enjoyable, next time we pick a indoor place to visit in winter.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Mess by the Oak Tree
This weekend despite not feeling well I went along to crew at LRP event at Shining Cliff Wood and found the much of the west end devastated by woodland maintenance. The signs says they a clearing the softwoods to allow a hardwood forest to re-establish itself, this may be great in the long term but they have stripped vast areas of trees totally and thinned the other area so much they are hard to describe as woodland anymore.
From a entry gate at Higgs Lane to the Shinning Cliff hostel car park run 2 paths, the upper path is still a nice place to walk, the lower path is not, stripped of trees, and then the path bulldozed through the debris leaving loose boulders its a place to avoid and will take many years to grow back into nice walk. The end which did have a nice leafy clearing with a oak tree in middle as been halved in sized, given a nice new footbridge, but the hillside behind has been fully cleared of all tree and was full of the noise of chains saws cutting down more, a large logging company seems to have established a base on the road up alongside the wood.
Once past the east end of the wood into the hostels area things are still untouched and protected by owners so will remain that way.
The bottom path, it looks like this from the area we park in all the way to the Hostel car park.
The old oak tree clearing which was full of atmosphere as been reduced to this.
The back drop has been cleared of trees.
The event itself went well, it was 3 or 4 degrees C which did not feel that cold and dry on Saturday, Sunday it did drizzle then rain at the end of the day, so my costumes got very damp and muddy. The players got into things even if the event was designed to keep them moving, fighting and thus warm, its not the time of year for long outdoor negotiations, although their seemed plenty of things to discuss.
AndyL who wrote the plot had now way of knowing what the players would do Sunday with many optional paths so we had to have many contingency plans and quick costume changes at the ready.
Two mountain bikers nearly came off as they rounded a bend and spotted 2 Gaisha in the wood trying to seduce a chaos mage.
Sam forgot her hair brush, I thought she would make a good Ronald McDonald.
I finished the weekend feeling much fitter than I started with the running around clearing up my listlessness, but the downside was the my cough got worse as the mucus settled on my chest and I think as set itself up for a long stay.
From a entry gate at Higgs Lane to the Shinning Cliff hostel car park run 2 paths, the upper path is still a nice place to walk, the lower path is not, stripped of trees, and then the path bulldozed through the debris leaving loose boulders its a place to avoid and will take many years to grow back into nice walk. The end which did have a nice leafy clearing with a oak tree in middle as been halved in sized, given a nice new footbridge, but the hillside behind has been fully cleared of all tree and was full of the noise of chains saws cutting down more, a large logging company seems to have established a base on the road up alongside the wood.
Once past the east end of the wood into the hostels area things are still untouched and protected by owners so will remain that way.
The bottom path, it looks like this from the area we park in all the way to the Hostel car park.
The old oak tree clearing which was full of atmosphere as been reduced to this.
The back drop has been cleared of trees.
The event itself went well, it was 3 or 4 degrees C which did not feel that cold and dry on Saturday, Sunday it did drizzle then rain at the end of the day, so my costumes got very damp and muddy. The players got into things even if the event was designed to keep them moving, fighting and thus warm, its not the time of year for long outdoor negotiations, although their seemed plenty of things to discuss.
AndyL who wrote the plot had now way of knowing what the players would do Sunday with many optional paths so we had to have many contingency plans and quick costume changes at the ready.
Two mountain bikers nearly came off as they rounded a bend and spotted 2 Gaisha in the wood trying to seduce a chaos mage.
Sam forgot her hair brush, I thought she would make a good Ronald McDonald.
I finished the weekend feeling much fitter than I started with the running around clearing up my listlessness, but the downside was the my cough got worse as the mucus settled on my chest and I think as set itself up for a long stay.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
2010 Photo 1 of 52
It was snow day today.
This is my cat looking from the warm inside of my house.
This is my cat 5 seconds after going out wanting back in.
This is my cat looking from the warm inside of my house.
This is my cat 5 seconds after going out wanting back in.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
A Weeking of Scampering Lightly
Last weekend was the last lrp event of the year at Unston and turned out good fun.
Not having two of my best friends along due to technical problems with health meant I had only myself to cook for, which apart from one meal I manage time for, lunch on Saturday was a whole packet of biscuits, I should have done better.
Living near by and having a cat to feed I travelled home each night, through some heavy rain both nights and Sunday morning which left the roads a dangerous place, with unseen puddles that tried to stop your steering working. Despite the rain during the day it was dry enough to get the players out for a fight or two, or three, well plenty.
The event was designed to be fun and non confrontational, which some of the players managed to conspire against, I hope it was all taking as in character, from those I spoke to, it seemed to be.
I got to introduce two new characters a wealthy cotton mill owning vampire and a Fey Lord who was meant to played by DaveP. The event ended with an already established character the Dark Rider running off as usual, he's no fool, he doesn't fight to the death when the odds are stacked against him.
I got to be rather silly playing a Monty Python style farmers wife in a dress and wig, standing on a chair screaming scared of 3 blind mice. The players turned out to be not very good at herding blind mice so the farmers wife could chop off their tails.
A few old faces returned, great to see Doug again, I think he enjoyed it, Alex Xian Chi and MattB also said they enjoyed themselves, may turn up to a few new events next year hopefully.
Now a few photos from the event.
2 players try their LRP sneak unseen skills on the resident cat, 15 minutes of sneaking got them a look of boredom from the cat before it walked through a bush leaving them stranded.
Cat can also count, well up to 2 paws.
Dan preparing to indulge his secret pleasure.
Dan has a colour string fetish.
Andy and Heather having strong words with the shop staff about making the tea just right.
Me in my new coat purchase on impulse from TORM, needs a better photo, but camera didn't like the cold.
Not having two of my best friends along due to technical problems with health meant I had only myself to cook for, which apart from one meal I manage time for, lunch on Saturday was a whole packet of biscuits, I should have done better.
Living near by and having a cat to feed I travelled home each night, through some heavy rain both nights and Sunday morning which left the roads a dangerous place, with unseen puddles that tried to stop your steering working. Despite the rain during the day it was dry enough to get the players out for a fight or two, or three, well plenty.
The event was designed to be fun and non confrontational, which some of the players managed to conspire against, I hope it was all taking as in character, from those I spoke to, it seemed to be.
I got to introduce two new characters a wealthy cotton mill owning vampire and a Fey Lord who was meant to played by DaveP. The event ended with an already established character the Dark Rider running off as usual, he's no fool, he doesn't fight to the death when the odds are stacked against him.
I got to be rather silly playing a Monty Python style farmers wife in a dress and wig, standing on a chair screaming scared of 3 blind mice. The players turned out to be not very good at herding blind mice so the farmers wife could chop off their tails.
A few old faces returned, great to see Doug again, I think he enjoyed it, Alex Xian Chi and MattB also said they enjoyed themselves, may turn up to a few new events next year hopefully.
Now a few photos from the event.
2 players try their LRP sneak unseen skills on the resident cat, 15 minutes of sneaking got them a look of boredom from the cat before it walked through a bush leaving them stranded.
Cat can also count, well up to 2 paws.
Dan preparing to indulge his secret pleasure.
Dan has a colour string fetish.
Andy and Heather having strong words with the shop staff about making the tea just right.
Me in my new coat purchase on impulse from TORM, needs a better photo, but camera didn't like the cold.
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Two weekends of Larp
The last 2 weekends have been spend larping with Ascendancy.
The 1st weekend was spent running up and down Shining Cliffs steep hills at the end of a very hot humid week and so was very draining.
Having officially handed in my player status and joined the referee team full time meant I could play certain characters to their full potential which was great.
Photos of the player group.
This event was small group event, a precursor to next event and introduced 3 new players with starting characters to larp, but also contained several very experience players with powerful characters, no healers which made it difficult to balance, but it turned out OK, they all survived and had a good time.
This is the crew for the event doing what we do best wait for the players.
The 2nd weekend was at Murton Park, less running around, but a very open plot which gave the players chance to go in many directions and the crew chance to drop bits of personal plot in here and there, the event ended earlier than expected when the players jumped the refs with a group side plot they all decided to go on that ultimately ended with in character choices that split the player base into 3, each group with legitimate claim to their own morale high ground.
Me has a tribal type.
My fellow tribesmen.
Me getting shot.
DaveP did a excellent job with makeup at the weekend, I didn't get many photos since I was very busy but here's a couple of spirit Totems Dave created.
Mink.
Toad.
Having finished early we still only managed to get back to my house for five where pizza was consumed.
The 1st weekend was spent running up and down Shining Cliffs steep hills at the end of a very hot humid week and so was very draining.
Having officially handed in my player status and joined the referee team full time meant I could play certain characters to their full potential which was great.
Photos of the player group.
This event was small group event, a precursor to next event and introduced 3 new players with starting characters to larp, but also contained several very experience players with powerful characters, no healers which made it difficult to balance, but it turned out OK, they all survived and had a good time.
This is the crew for the event doing what we do best wait for the players.
The 2nd weekend was at Murton Park, less running around, but a very open plot which gave the players chance to go in many directions and the crew chance to drop bits of personal plot in here and there, the event ended earlier than expected when the players jumped the refs with a group side plot they all decided to go on that ultimately ended with in character choices that split the player base into 3, each group with legitimate claim to their own morale high ground.
Me has a tribal type.
My fellow tribesmen.
Me getting shot.
DaveP did a excellent job with makeup at the weekend, I didn't get many photos since I was very busy but here's a couple of spirit Totems Dave created.
Mink.
Toad.
Having finished early we still only managed to get back to my house for five where pizza was consumed.
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