Filming, Friends and Family, Glasgow to Langholm
Zagan the motorhome is parked up opposite the Co-Op in Langholm, Scottish Borders. Ju’s got word the Northern Lights might be visible tonight, so we’re thinking we’ll have a nip down the river later on to crane our necks and see if we get lucky.
Zagan alongside the river in Langholm. Lovely spot, but there’s a ‘No Overnight’ sign and it’s next to the main road, so we moved here for a quiet night.
In stark contrast to our usual snail-like meanderings, we’re burning it up across Scotland! Things have been pretty frenetic for our first week on the road, and I think we’re both looking forwards to slowing the pace. We’ve until next Monday before we head over La Manche though (French meaning The Sleeve – their name for the channel), and since we’re still in Scotland we’ve some more diesel burning to get done.
Yesterday we crawled through rush hour traffic into the centre of Glasgow for a filming assignment. We’ve done a few of these now as part of our IT consulting work – recording research work funded by the EU to help ensure Europe stays competitive. This project has the objective to develop components which will help WiFi to run about 1000 times faster than it currently does. Exciting stuff, and it all happens in the lab, this time in the labyrinth of Glasgow University’s electronics department.
Ju filming Jue Wang doing some complicated stuff neither of us claim to understand.
I’ve a degree in Physics, and won a grant to study for a PhD about 20 years ago, but my memory of those long lost days is dim, shall we say! Dr Edward Wasige (from Kenya) played host for the day, sorting us some fab parking right in the university grounds so we could pop back and check on Charlie.
Zagan goes back to school at Glasgow University. We both stressed beforehand about where we’d be able to park!
The students and pace of life at the Uni made the part of the city we were in feel vital and alive. Once we’d complete the recording though we headed off out of the city, just spotting a few sights from the motorway.
That evening we stayed on a quiet road in a small village to the south west of the city at Alan and Dorothy’s house. I worked with Alan at E.ON for the past year on the same project (which he’s still working on now I’ve sloped off!). I don’t much chat with folks while working – I’m pretty dull like that – but Alan had let on he’d lived on a narrowboat and had recently bought a yacht to tour the med.
My mate Alan, computer expert, chef, narrowboater, bird feeder, yachtsman and no doubt owner of many other hidden talents
Alan served up a cracking Beef Bourguignon, Potato Gratin and apple and blackberry crumble while we chatted. The conversation turned to the state of the world around the Eastern Med, with refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (a divisive topic I know). I’d like to head to Turkey and get a good look around the place and I’m not much phased by the likelihood of bumping into Syrian folks travelling in the opposite direction. The TV also has a massive magnifying effect too (IMHO) on just how much of the country is affected by such activity. Who knows though – unless you’re actually there it’s very difficult to assess how comfortable you’d feel with what’s happening around you.
After a fab night and a quiet, relaxed kip, we finally headed off about 10am having refused umpteen offers of bacon cobs and showers (thanks Alan and Dorothy – you’re both stars – see you in a calm cove in the Med some day).
Turning south we’ve headed here to Langholm to visit Ju’s Aunt Grace, her father’s sister, and the Border town where he grew up. After a brief pop into England (it’s just a few miles down the road), we’ve met up with Grace, been well fed again (no chance of starving with all these generous folks helping us along!), taken a wander around the town in the sunshine and located this kipping spot.
Ju and her Aunt Grace on the ‘Wobbly Bridge’ in Langholm
Grace, it’s fair to say, is MUCH more widely travelled than us, with souvenirs from Kenya, Madagascar and North America all in immediate sight in her dining room. She’s off to Cuba shortly, and led us along the river about twice as quickly as we would normally amble along! We’re heading off back to see her now, so I’d best be off.
Langolm – the Muckle Toon!
Cheers, Jay
You’re right about the magnifying effect of the media. I laughed as I once listened to a Radio Five live broadcast from Athens, where the austerity riots were in progress. Breathlessly, we were transferred to a live feed from a Greek shopkeeper two streets away from the carnage. Was her shop invaded, smashed up, on fire? Hilariously, it was totally peaceful and quiet, with the shopkeeper pretty much saying “What riots?” to every encouragement by the interviewer to tell us how bad it was. So have a great time in Turkey!
Cracking!
We’re in marmaris turkey at the moment but Steve says thats to far from syria to be effected, Tornados flying over all the time. Earth tremour shook the room last night but hey ho the weathers great!!!
Enjoy, you’re safe as houses there. Assuming the houses are earthquake proof? Cheers, Jay
Ha! Finally a benefit from recently spending my life on an aviational FlyMayBe prop-thingy… I was flying home on Wednesday night and got a great view of the Northern Lights out of the window of the plane. The pilot was very excited about it all and got the cabin crew to turn the lights out so we could see properly :-)
Wow! Get in, that must have been some show up there. Down here? Cloud. Ho hum, another time. Jay
Sounds like you’ve re-settled into the travelling life like you’d never been to work in between.
Amazing how the emotions can be lifted positively just by being with people we like and having the vision & courage to explore not only new venues but new places ‘within’ ourselves that the journey creates.
Starting to get too philosophical now – I’ll sign off and let you go to the pub and philosophise.