Rising Dawn

BBC NEWS | England | North Yorkshire | Post workers banned from village

People living in a remote hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales have criticised the Royal Mail over a decision to stop delivering their post.

On the basis of this story it could also be concluded that any postman delivering mail, especially if he or she is riding a bike, is undertaking a hazardous job. Given the Royal Mail’s recent track record it wouldn’t surprise me if they came up with a risk assessment that deemed that most deliveries had to stop and we’ll all be trecking down to the local sorting office to collect our mail.

As it is they’ve made it almost impossible to get a parcel or ’signed for’ letter redilvered. If you call the number on the card they leave, a recorded message tells you that the quickest way to have your item redelivered is to collect it from the sorting office!!  In what way is that a redelivery? Following that option the caller is given a string of other options, the very last of which is the offer to speak to a real person. When I last selected that option a message said “We are not able to answer your call at this time but the quickest way to have your item redelivered is to collect ot from the address on the card.” 

So you read it here first. The Royal Mail is looking at ways of not delivering your mail because the quickest way to get your item to you is for you to collect it ……. They’ll say that it’s to speed up deliveries and to give their customers the best possible service.

• iTrail iPhone Application - iTrail
  This just what I've been looking for to record my bike rides. My only concern is battery life … GPS and maps together are heavy on the phones two most demanding functions - GPS and 3G.
  (tags: techead iphone cycling)

Tornado

Historic loco in action for first time From The Northern Echo
THE first new steam locomotive in Britain for almost half a century chugged into action this morning.

I remember this project being launched and thought it was a long shot to build a mainline steam loco from scratch. At that time they said it would cost £1million.

Today Tornado was unveiled to the press. So far it’s cost closer to £3million.

I heard about it today on Up All Night on 5Live when I couldn’t sleep at 4am! It has to be tested before it comes to York for painting in the LNER livery. Can’t wait to see it in action.

Out on the hills again. This week we’re on the North York Moors between Hutton le Hole and Lastingham. This is sheep country and to prove it here’s a ewe and her lambs at Spaunton where we’ve stopped for coffee ( from the flask).

Spaunton Village Signpost

Myspace.com Blogs - Breakthru Radio Session - The Puncture Repair Kit MySpace Blog

The Puncture Repair Kit

This is my son, Matthew’s, band recorded in a live session on Breakthrough Radio in Norwich. 

Their next gig is at:

Sign from above for city club (From York Press)

A CHURCH has used the renaming of a refurbished York nightclub to put out its own message.

A poster outside St Edward’s Church on Tadcaster Road declares: “SALVATION… more than a nightclub.”

But the marketing people behind Club Salvation – formerly Nexus – in George Hudson Street reckon God moves in mysterious ways.

Following my earlier rant about Salvation - the club - placing a promotion outside The Salvation Army it’s good to see another York church getting in on the act. But it’s one of those eternal dilemmas. At what point are you just creating more promotion for the event you object to. Two sayings come to mind. Imitation is flattery and All publicity is good publicity. 

The fact still remains Salvation is not found in a Night Club.

• MediaShift Idea Lab . Is There a Marketplace for Local Storytelling? | PBS
  the problem with this is the word “market”
  (tags: storytelling digitalstorytelling local)

• FT.com | UK deal to fight film and music net piracy
  if a levy is imposed to compensate music industry for illegal downloads then we’ll all feel justified in taking free music because we’ll all be paying for it through the levy. So who will then compensate Apple for loss of income from legal downloads? It’
  (tags: music ISP)

I devised this route from familiar paths on the map although we have never walked the entire circuit as one walk before. It has been an enjoyable day. Now after about nine miles we’re back in Pateley Bridge and soon we’ll be home in York enjoying our tea.

This the river that gives the dale it’s name. Peaty and deep at this stage. This weir creates a diversion for water to feed the fish farm and a lake we’d just passed near Glasshouses.
From Brimham Rocks we’d descended on a familiar track to Low Laithe and then along the riverbank to Glasshouses and ultimately to Pateley Bridge.
Joan spotted this red toadstool in the undergrowth at the side of the path.