Good Service mention......

This year I'm going to positively mention any good service I get from online retailers. I'm really fed up with those that let their customers down.

So here's the first Honourable Mention - it relates to the Grunwerg Pioneer food flasks I just received from the UK. The seller was quite happy to send them to France with a combined postage of £3.99 and they arrived in a couple of days. The product is just great, works as it should and is easy to use and clean. Some of that relates to the manufacturer of course but full marks to the seller too. The link to his ebay shop is here.

{Winter picnic with the flasks}

Adding my own two penneth..........

Recent media coverage about Jimmy Savile has made me remember why I didn't like him. For many years I refused to watch him on the telly or join in any conversations about his 'good works'.

The story behind this dislike is from my student days and I thought I'd share it with you.

I attended Padgate College of Education, in Warrington, from 1967 until 1971. In common with other student establishments, we had an annual rag week to collect money for charity. My memory is a bit hazy as to the actual year the following happened but it was probably 1968 or 1969.

The Rag Week Committee had written to or otherwise contacted Jimmy Savile to enquire if he would be able to come to our Rag Week and crown the Rag Queen. The answer was 'yes' but only if he could sleep with her! There was no doubt that this was not a joke.

There was general shock and disbelief that such a well-known celebrity could be quite so brazen, sleazy and sexist. Needless to say, our invitation was withdrawn.

From that day, I have told this story to anyone who praised the man for his 'wonderful' work. Most people over the years have thought it probably was a joke but somehow the students of Padgate, including me, knew it was not.

Strichen Stone Circle.......with thoughts

At the end of the walk into Strichen John and I followed a short green path up to investigate the Strichen Stone Circle. The path passed under an old bridge and then gently climbed on pleasant cut grass until we reached two kissing gates. These were fairly recently built by volunteers.

That's where I discovered that even with only a small rucksack on my back I did not fit through the gate. I had to use a small stile at the side, not so easy with only one arm!

At the second gate the local farmer had added a helpful message - and again I had to climb an even wobblier stone stile this time.

After a hard look for the animals mentioned and seeing none, we took a short walk across the field and came to the stones, enclosed by a fence and with a new looking picnic table.

Unfortunately, this time there was no gate - only a seriously damaged stile and a barbed wire fence. John managed to get over but I decided not to risk it.....

Shame.............

I'm having a rant............

about irresponsible wild campers!

I was walking from Auchallater back to Braemar after a spectacularly good walk up to Loch Phadruig. I'll post a report on this walk later - but for now I'm just horrified at what I saw!

The area beside the river on the A93 just out of Braemar on the way to Glenshee has been used as long as I can remember for wild camping. Not generally by backpackers but more often by car campers and motor caravans. I'm sure the litter was left by only a minority of these but it makes quite a big impact on the area.

I had only just been reading about the recent camping ban beside Loch Lomond and wondering how long it would be before other areas of Scotland were included. The right to responsible wild camping is enshrined in the Scottish Access Laws. It would be terrible if these rights were taken away because of the actions of a selfish minority.

The key to this is obviously the word 'responsible' and leaving any trace of your stay is contrary to this.

{Floating in the ditch....}

{A pile of rubbish}

Some of the rubbish I saw was too dreadful to describe but as you can see from the photos there was also more mundane stuff left behind. All along the river bank and in the water itself were plastic bottles, bags, tubs, boxes, and several old camping chairs.

Mini-rant...........

Here are a couple of thoughts.

Why do so many sellers on eBay and other web based businesses find sending parcels to France so abhorrent? I've had several quite rude responses to requests to send goods to me here even though I offer more postage to cover the costs.

Why do 'couriers' think it's ok to leave parcels in totally inappropriate places? The worst I can think of is one who left a parcel in the recycling bin! She did put a note through the door to say so HOWEVER it wasn't my door! Or my bin!

A recent order from Cotton Traders which I wanted sent to my sister's house so I could pick it up when I was in the UK, went to my house in Scotland, apparently because it was my first order with that company. I warned them I would not be there. My neighbour found the parcel on the doorstep last week!

GGGRRRR!

[I feel much better now I've got all that out of my system...........]

Afterthought.....
I could also add to this rant some words specially for those companies who want more postage if you live in what they delight in calling the 'Scottish Highlands'.............but I'm feeling too polite!