UP AND RUNNING!

No...not todays marathon effort in the capital...the Lower Treave Solar Thermal Heating System!

First run produced 73 deg C at the panels (on the roof) and 62 deg C in the thermal store (the big green water tank which acts as the battery for the system).

Next step is to get the software up and running so that we can download the data from the controller and show you the progress to payback on the blog.

I am also refurbishing a couple of large radiators (taken out of our sitting room when we had the log burner installed) to put in the shower block. These will use the surplus heat from the system and keep everybody toasty during bathtime....so better get back and put a second coat on the rads before we put our Rugby coats on and go and watch Cornish Pirates play Doncaster in the semi-final of the British and Irish Cup...Its all go...sometimes it feels more like a sprint than a marathon. Good luck to all the runners in London today...especially those running for good causes and charities...you are excellent people.

.

THE BUGLE CALLS!

Just looked up the blog stats this morning...checking that there is still somebody out there reading this stuff...and thought you might be interested to know that the last ten readers have come from the following places:

London - that would have been a banker guess I suppose...or perhaps a banker lookng to downsize his holiday aspirations

Mumbai - spent 2 mins and 38 secs browsing the blog.

Moscow - can't pronounce the ISP they were using, but looks like a bad hand at scrabble, even under the new rules!

Royal Leamington Spa - we are honoured your Majesty!

Ballybofey - which is in beautiful Donegal, Ireland.

Stockport - checking out the Help for Heroes charity.

Two more Londons - shouldn't they be running a marathon today?

Melbourne, Australia - I think I know who that is!

And finally, Wayne - New Jersey, USA.

You are welcome 'Wayne and all'....it's a small world!

And the Bugle can be heard in every corner.

.

Turn back, O man, forswear thy foolish ways....

.....old now is earth, and none may count her days.

This picture was taken from Lower Treave yesterday at tea time and shows the contrails of a large jet reaching the Lands End beacon and then being turned about, back into the Atlantic.

Shortly afterwards UK airspace was reopened following a reappraisal of the criteria for flight in ash plumes.

The only thing that had changed in those few hours...were the rules!

If you want a look at some of the hysteria surrounding this event, then wander over to this website:

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2010/correction-apology-planes-or-volcano/

This sort of stuff does not help anybody get their heads around the real issues.

For me it's simple...just use less 'stuff'...share out the 'stuff' that is left a bit more fairly and stop trying to turn climate change into a religion with all of the attendant heretics, zealots, myth, magic, fear and persecution that being a religion entails. It is just something we have to deal with based on situation and fact and not an excuse for us to create a 21st century version of the Spanish Inquisition. Nor is it a 'business opportunity' for those that like to capitalise on the doom and gloom scenario...be warned those who are about to sell me insurance based on volcanic eruptions in Cornwall!

 

'An artists impression of Chapel Carn Brea (for insurance purposes only).'

.

'THE ASHES MY FRIEND, ARE BLOWIN' IN THE WIND'

In a couple of weeks time I am away to a Cornwall Sustainable Tourism (CoaST) event and one of the seminar topics is 'The “oh, bugger” factor: Risk management and extreme weather events. Getting it sorted before it happens (because it’s happening now)…..and before the insurers tie us in knots….(they’re plotting already…)' Long title for a seminar but prophetic or what?


Trouble is...sometimes you just can't get away from the powers of nature as they combine against you...who'd have thought we'd get a northerly wind just as the Bank of Iceland were setting fire to some surplus fivers in the furnace?

Only airline flying in the UK at the moment is Isles of Scilly Skybus. A certain young First Officer got back into Lands End from Bristol yesterday and, having lightly sprinkled the shoulders of her flight jacket with a little talc from the make-up bag, managed to convince the groundcrew that things were quite rough up country!

'Turn left when you see Cribbs Causeway!'

Another beautiful sunny day here. Thanks to Julie for the photo.

.

Wildlife Watching Trips on board the Scillonian

Cornwall Wildlife Trust and The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust will again be hosting guided wildlife watching trips on board Scillonian this spring, in partnership with the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. A vast array of marine species were spotted during last year’s successful day trips, and it is hoped that this year will prove just as spectacular. The sailings to the Isles of Scilly are running on Saturdays 17th April, 15th May and 13th June, with further crossings later in the season on 25th September and 16th October.

Naturalist Paul Semmens, who has worked with Cornwall Wildlife Trust for more than 20 years, will be your marine guide on these special trips, looking out for wildlife on the crossing. Springtime visitors may see puffins as well as the more common Manx shearwaters and storm petrels. Harbour porpoises, common and bottle-nose dolphins, sun fish and sea birds are regularly spotted from the ship and occasionally minke whales. If the seas are warm and calm you may even spot basking sharks.


Paul says, “The Scillonian is probably the best platform from which to see marine life. Last year I made over 750 sighting of at least seven different marine animals - mainly dolphins and porpoises but with the occasional minke whale. We even saw bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks on a couple of occasions before we untied and left Penzance Harbour! My highlights were some close views of a minke whale on a calm sea as the animal passed along the ship's port side and under our wake. A real thrill for the passengers.”

Spring is a wonderful time to visit Scilly with turquoise seas and the flowers at their best. The islands are probably one of the best places in the country to see migrant birds including hoopoe, golden oriole or bee-eater.

All trips depart from Penzance at 0915 and return from Isles of Scilly at 16.30 (with a 0845 departure on 15th May) To book call Isles of Scilly Travel on 0845 710 555, email, or visit the Isles of Scilly Travel Centre, Quay Street, Penzance TR18 4BZ. The reduced adult ticket price is £25, (normally £35) if the Wildlife Trust is mentioned when booking. Non-members are welcome. For more information visit these websites:

http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/News_pages/Wildlife_watching_trips_on_board_the_Scillonian

http://www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/


.

RUN FOR THE SUN...Phase Two...and most of Three!

The new solar store is installed. It contains 320 Ltr of water heated by the sun. 

Half a lifetime in the military and still doing drill!

Pause for a welcome cigarillo...or is that an HB pencil you're smoking?

The panels catch their first early morning sun...it's the future Gerry!

.

'READING THE POLITICAL BONES!'

Jake takes a well-earned break after discussing the upcoming General Election with some passing Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.

'You looking at me sunshine? You may well have the best policies for the country right now, but you're going to look pretty silly standing up in Parliament with the bum hanging out of your trousers. Now sling your hook or join the rest of them in the 'naughty corner'.'

Jake doesn't do politics. Best let sleeping dogs lie.

.

'BLOG TAX' ANNOUNCED BY ALL MAJOR PARTIES

In a move to plug the black hole that is the national finances, treasury spokesmen and their shadow counterparts have announced a new tax on blog activity. Expected to raise revenue in the region of £1.6 billion, the tax will be effective from today and will target all areas of the social network structure.

Likely scenarios are that 'images' added to a blog will attract additional attention from HMRC along with the use of gratuitous attention getting headlines included to generate site activity on date specific events.

Follow this blog for all the detail.