The Stormcock Community

Had been planning for the LHSF cancer charity treks in the Welsh mountains this year for at least 6 months.... Ha! The devil plays with the best laid plans..thanks Neil Young 

Even to the extent of purchasing an unusual vehicle as previously blogged. I've found out that there are only another four that exist in the UK.

The trouble started at the IOW festival  a couple of weeks before  where some thieving magpie stole my mobile phone charger from our tent and as O2 don't make them anymore lost all my vids and pics of Neil's festival. The hovercraft was fun and was thinking of re-inventing it with pedal or clockwork power.  The Red Arrows were absolutely amazing with or without extraneous flying fuel. It was like a message gift of love from the sky with the finale as a  coloured smoke giant heart with an arrow through the middle. I kept thinking of all the poor lost souls in Parkhurst Prison on the hill who could see and hear the events.i

On leaving the house for Wales kissed my late mum's photo on the mantlepiece to wish me good luck in doing something useful to pay back society in my little way. Tried to get the vehicle into gear and the cable snapped straightaway. I had five hours to get to the Rhondda and in the end just did it in time in third gear all the way with no reverse gear. Clutch was starting to smell but made it!  By this time was hyper-stressed but had wonderful time meeting everyone and climbing.

Poignant points were :

[i] the sheer beauty and love of the landscape matched by the company surrounding

[ii] Mike Peters catching his Gibson deftly with his foot before it smashed on the floor.

[iii] Mike Peters's stamina, songs, warm spirit exuding. Not forgetting the guy on the mandolin with his dog who nearly had us falling off the mountain with laughter.

[iv] Some other punter overtaking me in flipflops with me in my new mountain boots.

[v] Finding the original outlier crag that I first practised rock climbing in 1969 in Llanberis Pass

[vi] Remembering the four climbers on Snowdon 1 from the Welsh Guards who sadly have been killed.

Sadly due to the vehicle problems I was advised that to attempt Snowdonia would be suicidal on the car/lorry/motorbike whatever it is.Spent three whole days of my holiday trying to get it fixed in Cardiff with no joy despite knowing several mechanics etc. So had to replan the whole trip.....Train fares £120 , Hotel £100, Spare parts from Japan £120 etc. etc. It was becoming a rather expensive outing but made sure I bloody enjoyed myself. Put me down for next year Katrina I'm a mountain music addict.....

Cheers Andi with blisters and an empty wallet!

Some pics below if I can unembed/embed them off the server.

  Also extra pics at :

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/Jeffersphotos

On leaving the house,th or without extraneous flying substances.erewereawerebsolutely amazing and lost all those pics as well. absolutely amazing