2011-05-26 53 -1

Thu 26 May 2011 in 53,-1: 53.5419800, -1.4904530 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

Locke Park, Barnsley, UK.

Participants

Monty (And nearly, but not quite, a colleague)

Plans

Original plans were to head out in that direction after work. But given that me and a colleague were driving out from Sheffield to Barnsley in a van during the day, I pursuaded him to take a minor detour on the way back. Unfortunately, couldn't really pursuade him to come to the point itself.

Expedition

"Right... if you turn up this road instead... cheers... keep going straight... you don't need to worry until you're at the dual-carriageway bit and then... ok, I'll tell you when we get there... That's Locke Park on the left, but if we go left... yes, you see the lights, just after.. erm... at the lights turn left... and now you can almost see it, in fact... car park. Pull into this car-park, it'll be better than trying to get up Racecommon Lane and blocking the road. Are you..? Well, I'll be several minutes, so probably best not to leave the engine running..."

...So went the initial "getting there" part of the expedition, the time being just shortly after midday. At that point, disembarking with the tools of my trade (bits of paper, camera, tripod, hat and alarm clock (only recently having had its batteries finally replaced, after at least two years showing the battery warning symbol, but finally losing LCD distinction and making it less likely to photograph well...)), I strode across the edge of the basketball courts.

A number of locals were afoot, generally in pairs of two- and four-footed varieties. One little yappy dog seemed to take exception to me or what I was carrying around with me (hat? tripod?) but it was all bluster and no bite. Even the odd individual without canine companionship did not seem to be suitable for targetting a prosthelytising attempt towards, so I just busied myself with the visual survey of the location and doubtless the passing people thought I knew what I was doing and left me about my business.

The 'Official' XKCD printout was very-badly attatched to the hashtree involved (had some electrical tape, but it doesn't hold to bark very well), although while I was there it refraiend from being blown off by the gusting wind, and the tree canopy prevented most of the light drizzle that ensued from causing problems. (Apologies to BMBC, but I didn't mean to leave the notice there in such a clean park, and hope it does not become litter!)

Photos were taken, of location and tree and me. Tripods are unwieldy beasts to carry, but well worth the effort if the aim is to get a self-portrait (or, indeed, self-landscape). The journey back (more dogs taking more owners for walks!) to the van was uneventful, and the slightly diverted trip back to base was resumed.

And, as I write, through a gap in the blinds I can see that while the afternon has kept much of the breeziness of the expedition, there's bright sunshine (at the moment!) upon the tree branches opposite this room and upon the very window-sill.

Tracklog

No Tracklog from Monty, as per usual.

Photos

TBA.

Achievements

To sort out later. Both Drag-Along and Thumbs-Up achievements were averted, for various reasons.