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xtruss · 3 years ago

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Goodbye Ted Dexter, Free Spirit, Cricket Thinker, Renaissance Man

The England and Sussex captain had aura, flair, majestic batting, and impossible glamour - and that was just on the field

— Mark Nicholas | 27 August, 2021

Ted Dexter batting in a ring of close-in fielders in Sydney, January 1963 Getty Images

I don't know when the Ted Dexter affectation started but I can guess. The last thing my father did with me before he died so young was to take me to see the 1968 Gillette Cup final at Lord's. This was during Ted's short comeback and when the great man strode to the wicket, I leapt about in excitement, cheering his name for all I was worth. He didn't get many but no matter, I had seen him live. That evening Dad bowled to me in the garden as I imitated every Dexter mannerism and stroke I had seen just a few hours before.

"There is about Dexter, when he chooses to face fast bowling with determination, a sort of air of command that lifts him above ordinary players. He seems to find time to play the fastest bowling and still retain dignity, something near majesty, as he does it." — John Arlott

I fell for the aura, and for the flair in those back-foot assaults on fast bowlers. Not for a minute do I think I saw the 70 in 75 balls against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith at Lord's in 1963 but I feel as if I did - the power, the poise, the sheer gall of it. Nothing, not even the Beatles, could drag me from the television screen when he walked to the wicket, seemingly changing the picture from black-and-white to glorious technicolor as he took guard. Frankly, much of the Test cricket of the time was pretty dull but there was a frisson, an expectation, with Ted, just as there is when Ben Stokes is on his way today. It was all too brief, he had retired for good before I started proper school.

The West Indians of the day - Conrad Hunte, Garry Sobers, Wes Hall - thought that innings the best played against them by anybody, though Dexter himself would modestly say it was just one of those days where everything came together and the bat swung freely in just about the right arc. He was well miffed to be given out lbw, however, insisting later that the DRS would have saved him. Who knows how many careers might have been changed by the sliding doors of the DRS.

The word majesty sits well with Dexter's batting, primarily because of the way in which he attacked through the off side off his back foot. This is a stroke so difficult to master that more prosaic batters choose to ignore it. It is no great surprise that Dexter thought Gordon Greenidge and Martin Crowe the two most technically correct right-hand players that he saw, citing their ability to stay sideways-on and to play the ball alongside their body as the prime reason for the accolade.

He was a huge fan of Joe Root and became near apoplectic during the England captain's relatively lean spell a while ago, when he became square-on to the bowler and was playing in front of his body. This niggled so much that he wrote to Root without mincing his words. Though at first put out, Root soon saw the kindness in a man of Dexter's age and knowledge who bothered to write, and therefore returned an email of thanks with the observation that he took the point. Who knows to what degree? It is enough to say that this year Root has batted about as well as any man could have done, and no one has enjoyed each of these innings in Sri Lanka, India, and now at home as much as Dexter.

One final appeal: Dexter (fourth from left) watches as umpire Charlie Elliot gives John Inverarity out off Derek Underwood, The Oval, 1968 Getty Images

For the best part of a year now, Ted has been banging on about Dawid Malan: simply couldn't understand why England didn't pick him to bat at three. He cited the hundred in Perth in 2017 and this year's big scores for Yorkshire before predicting near-certain success with the method that brought those runs. It is sad, indeed, that he didn't live to see the fulfillment of his prophecy in Malan's fine innings yesterday. He liked the look of James Vince and Zak Crawley too, cricketers who stand tall and play with freedom. He got a lot right, this man of Radley, Cambridge, Sussex and England.

Tall himself, strong, handsome and impossibly glamorous, Edward Ralph Dexter caught everyone's eye. With the golden Susan Longfield on his arm, they cut quite a dash and cared little for the sniping that came from those less blessed. The enigma in him - and how! - was often confused with indifference, and though cricket has remained his other great love, it was never the be-all and end-all for him - a fact that made his appearances all the more cherished and his company all the more engaging. It is remarkable to think that he first retired as far back as 1965, before returning briefly in 1968 to make a double-hundred at Hastings against Kent and be immediately recalled to the England team for the Ashes. In the brilliant photograph (above) of the moment when Derek Underwood claims the final wicket at The Oval, Ted is caught spinning to appeal for lbw with a face that smacks of a lifelong instinct for competition and achievement.

"Ted was a man of moods, often caught up in theories, keen when the action was hot, seemingly uninterested when the game was dull... a big-time player, one who responded to atmosphere, liked action and enjoyed the chase and gamble. Maybe this was the reason he was drawn to horse racing so that a dull day stalking the covers might be enlivened for him by thoughts of how his money was faring on the 3:15 at Ascot or Goodwood." — John Snow

Richie Benaud and Dexter in Sydney during the 1963-64 Ashes Frank Albert Charles Burke / Fairfax Media/Getty Images

And Snow would know for he was not the type to rise above those grey days of county cricket when the stakes were so low. Snow and Dexter, my first heroes, along with Jimmy Greaves and George Best, Muhammad Ali, the Beatles and the Stones - all of them important figures at 29 Queensdale Road, where the young Nicholas grew up with vinyl records and cared-for willow, narrow-grained and well-oiled for the garden Test matches that England forever won.

Much of the 1960s were about rebellion, revolution even, in response to the age of austerity. After the long and mainly drab post-war years, the young simply broke free and changed pretty much anything they could get their hands on. Music and fashion led the way, leaving sport's establishment to stutter in their wake. Only a few precious players could transcend the inertia, using both their talent and expression to delight the crowds and influence the young. Cricket was my thing, Dexter and Snow were the wind beneath my wings.

In Snow there truly was rebellion, against authority and the system it supported. This was not so in Dexter's case, though his free spirit and somewhat cavalier approach to responsibility gave the impression of one determined to ruffle feathers. From the outset he adored sport, worked harder than some might think at his books, and embraced diversions with the enthusiasm of a man who had more to do than could ever be done.

In many ways Ted was a contradiction: at once a conformist, as shaped by the early years of his life at home and school, and a modernist, whose lateral thinking did much to reform the structure of English cricket during his time as chairman of selectors. Richie Benaud observed that Ted's imagination and drive "will be of great benefit to English cricket in years to come. Equally, I'm in no doubt that others will take the credit for it." The rebellion in Ted was hardly radicalised but he loved to challenge conservative thinking, to take risks and to invest in his life as an adventure. Both on and off the field, this made for a terrific watch.

The best of Ted: Dexter on his way to 70 against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith at Lord's, June 1963 PA Photos

He thought the Hundred a good wheeze and admitted he would rather like to have played it himself. He was, of course, the original thinker about one-day cricket, supporting its conception as early as the late 1950s and then leading Sussex to the first two 60-over titles at Lord's in the Gillette Cup. He paid close attention to the tactics and convinced his men that following them to the letter would do the trick. Which it did. He pushed for four-day county matches 27 years before they were incorporated and he founded the idea of central contracts for England players long before other teams caught the bug.

He was proud of his part in the development of the spirit of cricket, applying golf's moral high ground to the game that made his name. Through his own PR agency, he became a pioneer in cricket's digital-technology revolution by inventing the system of Test match rankings that first announced itself under the banner of Deloitte and is now the ICC international rankings.

On a Zoom call a couple of months back, with tongue firmly in cheek, he said, "Having a rather high opinion of myself, I can safely say that had the rankings been in place sometime around the mid part of the 1963 summer, I would have been the No. 1-rated batsman in the world." We had special guests on these calls - Mike Atherton, Michael Vaughan, Ed Smith, Robin Marlar, Sir Tim Rice and more - all keen to share a drink, chew the cud and have a laugh with the game's most original and forward-thinking mind.

Champagne days: (from left) Fred Trueman, Dexter, David Sheppard and Colin Cowdrey celebrate after winning the Melbourne Test, January 1963 PA Photos/Getty Images

We cannot jump past golf without mentioning the game at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney when Ted partnered Norman Von Nida against Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. So enamoured of Ted's golf were they that Nicklaus suggested Ted follow him back to the USA for a crack at the tour. Player has long said that Ted was the best amateur ball-striker he ever saw and Von Nida just thanked him for securing the one-up triumph that day. Eighteen months ago Player told me that in their one head to head with each other, Ted beat him up the last at Sunningdale, receiving only four shots. "Little so-and-so," said Ted, "we played level!" They were due for a game last summer but Covid stood firmly between them. The last time I played with Ted, two summers ago now, he beat his age, shooting 83 round the Old Course at Sunningdale without breaking a sweat.

This was a man of Jaguar cars, Norton motorbikes, greyhounds, race horses and an Aztec light airplane that, in 1970, he piloted to Australia with his young family beside him, to cover the Ashes as a journalist. They flew 12,000 miles and made about two dozen stops at British military bases along the way.

Ted married the very beautiful Susan soon after returning from Australia and New Zealand in the spring of 1959. How she is hurting today. So too Genevieve, Tom and the grandchildren.

There was an eccentricity in him that was occasionally misunderstood but otherwise immensely appealing and it is with that in mind, that I turn to the man himself for the final word. It comes from his blog, which is a splendid read and will remain a platform for the family to share their thoughts about this husband, father and grandfather who brought us so much joy.

Dexter and Frank Worrell at a BBC interview with Peter West, August 1963 Harry Todd / Fox Photos/Getty Images

It was in my last term at Radley College when I had a hard game of rackets in the morning, scored 3 tries with two conversions for the 1st XV in the afternoon, was heard listening to operatic voices in the early evening, before repairing to the Grand Piano in the Mansion and knocking off a couple of Chopin preludes. "Quite the Renaissance man it seems" said my Social Tutor and I admit I liked the sound of it, if not quite knowing what it meant.

The Encyclopaedia Brittanica description of Renaissance man (or polymath) is as follows: one who seeks to develop skills in all areas of knowledge, in physical development and social accomplishment and in the arts. A point is made that you do not need to excel at any one activity. It is enough to tackle it seriously and see how far you get. I like the physical development bit obviously and I feel the social accomplishment bit is covered by my willingness to take on responsibilities all my life. Perhaps the arts bit is a bit shaky but a love for music, and particularly opera, and love of language - being fairly fluent in French, Italian, rudimentary German and Spanish - may be some modest qualifications."

Some different cat, huh. What a man. What a cricketer. Goodbye Ted, and thank you.

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projectalbum · 7 years ago

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First 100 down. 96. “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” 97. “Ben Folds Live,” 98. “Songs for Silverman,” 99. “Way to Normal,” 100. “Stems and Seeds,” 101. “Lonely Avenue,” 102. “So There” by Ben Folds

I owe Nick Hornby for the introduction.

The High Fidelity author’s collection of essays on pop music, Songbook, made the case for Ben Folds’ contributions to the canon in a chapter on “Smoke.” Hornby writes so persuasively, in a deceptively casual style that I’m perhaps a bit too pretentious to ever approach with my own pop culture writing. There’s a lot of music covered in his book that I failed to investigate on my own. But that particular passage must have triggered something in the back of my mind, some residual impression of “Brick,” perhaps, which sent me to the Web for those first BFF tracks (none of which were “Smoke,” by the way, though I agree with Hornby’s appraisal of its lyrical strength).

It quickly became a total fandom— I now have all the official LP’s, band and solo, and the EP’s are floating in the digital ether of hard drives and burned discs. I even bought the soundtrack to the little-remembered Dreamworks quirky CG animal picture Over The Hedge, to which Folds contributed several original tracks (a soundtrack that marked his most recent collaboration with William Shatner, a pairing that also yielded a full-length, Has Been, which is a simultaneously ironic AND unironic great listen.) No one is going to bestow the crown of ultimate Ben Folds fanboy on my head— I’ve ONLY seen him live twice, and neither time was even with a symphony orchestra! Nevertheless, I’ve been following his output for a good decade, and my record is solid.

His records are also solid (as is this excellent segue), exploring the outer limits of musical flavors available to a largely pop-oriented guy with a piano and an ear for harmony. Rockin’ the Suburbs (#96), his first post-Five record (exempting Fear of Pop: Volume 1, an experimental doodle from the era of the Messner recordings, which I only mention to smugly show off my bonafides yet again), incorporates synthesizer squeals, a Korn-parody guitar breakdown, treated keyboards, and strings, but his ivories are still at the forefront. His lyrics here are the ultimate template for the rest of his career, featuring: the irreverent humor of a class cut-up (like “Rockin’ The Suburbs’” self-aware chorus or the climactic, harmonized shout of “Motherfucker!” that ends “Fired”), the incisive character sketches of a short story author (“Fred Jones, Pt. 2” is a mini-masterpiece of well-observed details, but I think “Carrying Cathy” is downright shattering), and the delicate balance of sentiment any memoirist must strike (“Still Fighting It” hits the bullseye, but “The Luckiest” is a bit too goopy for me).

I have always had a big soft spot for Songs for Silverman (#98), which has been painted by some critics and BFF fans as a turn into mopey adult contemporary. There are a couple of skippable tracks, for sure, but it doesn’t sound as far from the old days as the doubters believe. After handling most of the instruments on Suburbs by himself, and doing a quite literal solo tour- just the man and his Baby Grand- as documented on the superb Ben Folds Live (#97), Folds missed the sonic chemistry that came from having a band in the studio. Though Jessee and Sledge had followed their own paths (the former touring with Sharon Van Etten, the latter adopting an existence of a lower key than the music business), Folds assembled a more than capable bass/drums duo to pump up the jazzy breakdown in “Bastard” and the chorus of “You to Thank.”

“Landed,” even without the orchestral strings that he later decided overwhelmed the melody, has rightfully earned its place in the classic Folds firmament. Hearing the introductory notes at my first Ben Folds show was enough to conjure a lump in my throat. Seemed weird for me to get unduly emotional about it: the chorus is upbeat (complete with signature “Ba-ba-ba-ba”s) and the story of a man emerging from a controlling relationship is not something I’ve experienced or even witnessed, so I can only interpret this as a reaction to the beauty of hearing a masterful pop song.

As the Web became more of a presence in daily life, and piracy was taking huge bites out of the music industry, Folds ably kept pace with the evolving relationship between an artist and his fans. That included embracing the nascent social media networks- which by the mid-2000s meant MySpace- and posting new music before it hit the streets. During my first couple years of college, I had one of these tricked-out profiles myself. This may have been the way I first heard, in 2008, the “fake” tracks.

Alternately crude and tremblingly earnest, they were a collection of “leaked” songs ostensibly from Folds’ forthcoming album, Way To Normal (#99). There was “Bitch Went Nutz,” a 1st person narrative about a Republi-bro scandalized in front of his peers by his Anarcho-Socialist fuck buddy that plays like the most profane “Weird Al” Yankovic pastiche ever. And “Cologne (Piano Orchestra Version),” a stunningly pretty concerto-ballad that gets absurdly overblown with a chanting male chorus and a dozen keyboards playing at once. And a handful of winkingly self-serious social justice ballads. All written and recorded, it was later revealed, in about a day, and launched into the bootleg blogosphere as a prank.

These were eventually officially released on Stems and Seeds (#100), alongside alternately-mastered versions of the “real” songs. The legitimate tracks found on the official LP are only slightly more tasteful, with a somewhat explicit Divorce Record vibe on kiss-offs like “You Don’t Know Me” (with Regina Spektor lending her magic) and “Brainwascht” (about the battle lines that can be drawn between mutual friends of split couples). When the lyrics are slightly regrettable (like the stereotype-mining “Bitch Went Nuts”), the melodies usually carry it. Exceptions would be the intentionally-grating “Errant Dog,” and the limp celebrity satire “Free Coffee” (skippable on record, but in live shows, Folds illustrates how he gets the treated piano sound by placing Altoids tins on his strings, which is a bit of nerdy fun).

Things came pleasingly full circle when it was announced that Folds was co-writing an entire album with Nick Hornby. The mutual appreciation society of these two artists had become a collaboration outlined right on Lonely Avenue's (#101) cover art: “Ben Folds Adds Music and Melody to Nick Hornby’s Words.” It’s a magical working relationship mirrored in their biographical tribute “Doc Pomus,” about the irascible musician who penned classic rock standards like “This Magic Moment” and “Save The Last Dance For Me” alongside Mort Shuman. This sense of pop history permeates 70’s-influenced arrangements like “Password” and “Belinda,” the latter about a Manilow-esque crooner reflecting on the love that inspired his greatest hit, who he callously abandoned for a fling with a flight attendant sporting “big breasts, a nice smile, [and] no kids, either.”

My 2 favorite tracks are a study in tonal opposites: “Claire’s Ninth,” a delicately affecting portrait of a young girl in the middle of a chilly but courteous divorce, and “Saskia Hamilton,” a gleefully nerdy ode to the most phonetically pleasing poet’s name ever. Their musical commonality is that neither one is a slow-tempo plaintive ballad, which have their place, but are the Folds tunes that I tend to skip in his later releases. “Claire’s” chords are jazzy and gently driving, with gorgeous vocal harmonies in the chorus; “Saskia” is frantic, driven by old school Moog synthesizer, with quirky flourishes like the female opera singer making a vocal cameo in the breakdown— it feels like a mutual homage between the song’s authors to “Weird Al”’s more esoteric original compositions.

So There (#102), while technically reaching full-length status with the inclusion of a real-deal “Concerto For Piano and Orchestra,” feels oddly slight. It was hyped by the artist himself as a unique new collaboration: pianist and new classical ensemble making pop songs together. He had experience with performing full-orchestra arrangements of his older songs (as on the excellent DVD “Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth”) and overdubbing strings on new recordings, but this he advertised as a from-the-jump co-written project with yMusic, a sextet of players bringing strings, woodwinds, and brass. The Chamber Pop tracks that result have their delicate beauty, but the album resists falling into a snoozy easy-listening trap by alternating the ballads with the kind of sprightly, pazz and jop numbers that similarly kept Silverman moving.

It’s all just so… pleasant, and it seems to slip out of my mind and soon as I’ve heard it. If you were to strip-mine it for a Ben Folds playlist, I would pick out the title track for one, with its trilling strings, burbling brass, and father/daughter harmonizing. The instrumental section after the first chorus- what it might be appropriate to call the 2nd Movement- gets closest to fulfilling the promise inherent in the album’s Chamber Pop experiment. I might sound overly harsh on this release— re-listening to it while writing this post, there’s nothing that’s a huge turnoff, or a waste of time (except maybe the metaphorically one-note novelty track “F10-D-A,” which, granted, doesn’t outstay its welcome, running a second under 2 minutes). However, nothing there really sets my heart on fire like the first time I heard the swirling arpeggio of “Zak and Sara” (first through the raucous solo piano version on Live, then the filled-out studio recording on Suburbs), or the chorus of “Landed,” or first “ba ba BA ba ba ba!”ed my heart out as a human “Army" trumpet in the crowd of my first Ben Folds show.

#Ben Folds #benfolds #cdcollection #cdcover #pop music #piano pop #Nick Hornby #Zak and Sara #Landed #Annie Waits #Rockin' The Suburbs #Songs for Silverman #yMusic #classical #chamber pop

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suckmycoxon · 7 years ago

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Hi :) could you give me a little background on omd? I don't know anything of the band except for a few songs, so maybe you could say your knowledge of the band and the members?

OH MY GOD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW THRILLED I AM TO DO THIS

Let’s get to the band members first!

Andy McCluskey

Here’s the bossy one. As he puts it, he’s the butcherwho cuts off the raw materials of the song; the director who basically tellsPaul what to do, the one who sees the big picture, while Paul is the surgeonwho splices the details. He sings, plays bass, and writes the lyrics for mostof their songs. And he always dances madly, even in the recent years! For a58-year old guy with bad knees, he’s VERY energetic. So as you can see, he’sthe dominant one. Powerful, loud, cheerful, salty as fuck, thoroughly hatesrock ‘n’ roll, claims he hates cliché love songs but writes them anyway. I lovehim nonetheless

Paul Humphreys

THIS IS MY FAVORITE GUY OFF OMD. MY LOVE. MY HANDSOMEHAMSTER. HE’S CUTE ISN’T HE? Alright, so… he’s the keyboardist, the creativeand technical one. He’s the one who usually comes up with a melody and thenAndy directs how the song should turn out. He’s the one who does most of thesynth sounds! In the old days, he used to build his own “noise machine” bymessing with the circuits and such of old, broken radios. Don’t tell me that’snot badass. He also sings in a couple of OMD’s songs, most notably in“Electricity”, “Souvenir”, “(Forever) Live and Die”, and “Secret”.Personality-wise, he’s the complete opposite of Andy. He’s more quiet, shy,soft, and just lovely overall

Other members are MalcolmHolmes (the long-haired one in the picture above) who was the drummer from the beginning of the band until 2013. Inthat year, he had a cardiac arrest and temporarily died so he had to retire.From 2013 onwards, Stuart Kershaw tookthe drummer position. Another member is MartinCooper (the one with the blue shirt), the saxophonist/keyboardist/occasional bassist. He’s still with theband until now! Except when OMD broke up because he and Mal went along withPaul instead of Andy, but I’ll get to that later…

They embrace the “punk” attitude in terms of music. Youknow, making music as simple as possible. They always say this joke of “We’rethe punks of electronic. Punk plays with one chord, we play with one finger!”

Now, it’s history time. Let’s go back to the 70s

Andy and Paul had always been the hipsters of that era. Theylistened to electronic bands like Kraftwerk, Neu, La Dusseldorf (Kraftwerk,mostly) while their peers listened to prog rock. Andy was in a band and Paulwas the roadie. Despite always being in the same school, that was when theynoticed how they shared the similar interest towards Kraftwerk, so Andy quitthe band and formed his own with Paul that we now know as the pretentiouslynamed Orchestral Manoeuves in the Dark

They started off as a supporting band fo Joy Division inEric’s Club in Liverpool. They didn’t expect to have a longlasting career… theyreally thought it would be their first and last gig. They just wanted to provethemselves and their mates that they dared to go on stage doing somethingdifferent; doing weird electronic music, hence the odd band name. With such apretentious name, they wanted to show the audience how they were doingsomething different

And then they were offered a second gig in Manchester.That’s where they met Tony Wilson, and he signed them up to Factory Records.Then “Electricity” was recorded, and Tony sent it to various major labels, oneof which was Virgin Records, so they moved to Virgin. It was in 1979/1980 Ithink? And with their 1980 album, Organisation (their second one. Their firstone, the self-titled one, was released in the same year) – which they claim asbeing influenced by Joy Division, so this album is basically the child of JoyDivision and Kraftwerk – which included “Enola Gay”, they became well known.They got even bigger with the Architecture and Morality album, which has“Souvenir”, “Joan of Arc”, “Maid of Orleans”…

They commercially dropped dead with Dazzle Ships (1983). Itwas an experimental album, which I personally think sounds great, but probablynot acceptable enough at that time. Despite having quite successful hits like“Telegraph” and “Genetic Engineering”, that album almost single-handedly killedtheir career. So they took a safer path in their next album, Junk Culture(1984), embracing a more pop-ish sound. It can be heard on their catchy hitsfrom Junk Culture, like “Locomotion” and “Talking Loud and Clear”

Their 1985 album, Crush, was produced by Stephen Hague, whowas also the producer for New Order and Pet Shop Boys. They finally got intoUS’ charts with that album, I guess?? Regarding that album and that year, theyoften say something like “We were trying to break America, but America broke usinstead”, so I can’t be quite sure of what happened… commercially, it waspretty successful, I think… with singles like “Secret” and “La Femme Accident”

It was also in circa 1985 where their most notable song, “IfYou Leave”, was also made. Fun fact: they only wrote it in a day, because JohnHughes changed the ending suddenly and called them and said, “Hey, the song youwrote won’t fit to the new ending, could you write a new one?” right beforethey went on tour. The track that was initially going to be used in Pretty inPink, “Goddess of Love”, was later put on The Pacific Age (1986). Speaking ofwhich, that album has “(Forever) Live and Die”, which is a BANGER and is sungby my handsome hamster, Paul

Then they broke up sometime in late 80s. 1989, I think. Theyowed the company a lot of money, so they made a Best Of album. But even thatwasn’t enough. Their choice was either to make another new album (which canmake money, quite possibly, but due to their past experiences, they barely gotany money left because the touring expenses, royalties to their manager, etcwere so expensive) or to stop and just wait for the money to come from theirprevious albums’ royalties (I’m not really sure about this one, they’ve toldthe story a couple of times during interviews but I could never 100% understandthe story). This is where Andy and Paul went their separate ways. Andy chose tocarry on while Paul chose to stop. So Andy carried the name OMD alone (underhis stubbornness). A couple of years later, Paul, Martin, and Malcolm formedThe Listening Pool. Both were obscured by the new trend in 90s that was Britpopand such (Andy often implies that he blames Britpop for the obscurity ofelectronic bands and I loathe him for that smh I’m a Britpop hoe, fuck youAndy). Andy (as OMD) released 3 albums on that decade, tho. Later on, he formedAtomic Kitten

And then they were reunited in 2006/2007, because they wereasked to perform in a German TV. Then they thought, “Oh, people still like us.Maybe we could make music again.” And so they did… they released History ofModern in 2010, English Electric in 2013, and their latest record, ThePunishment of Luxury, was released a month ago! Unlike the 80s, they are nolonger pressured by their record company, so they’re really doing this purelyfor fun. By the way, their latest single off their latest record, “What Have WeDone”, is sung by Paul and it’s fucking glorious. You should listen to it ifyou haven’t

On a more personal note, I find it weird how they’re bothvery influential and infamous. I mean… they don’t only influence other synthpopbands, but also an alternative like Radiohead. I heard that “Fitter Happier” byRadiohead was influenced by “Genetic Engineering”, and now that I think aboutit, “Fitter Happier” does sound like something out of Dazzle Ships. I’ve been aRadiohead fan since 2011/2012 and yet I literally never heard of OMD until thisyear; not until I got to New Order and was getting more cultured regarding 80ssynthpop acts

Lastly, here are some trivia you might not want to know butsounds like fun to share:

Before realizing that they could be actual musicians, Andy wanted to be an archaeologist, while Paul wanted to be an electric engineer

Atomic Kitten was basically Karl Bartos’ (Kraftwerk) idea. Andy wanted to keep writing songs, but he wasn’t confident enough to perform the songs as OMD, so he thought of just handing them to someone else. Then Karl suggested that he should create a pop group where they would sing his songs. Andy thought, “What’s the most popular group nowadays? Oh, I know, 3-piece girls!”

In the recent years, OMD often have underwears thrown at them lmao. Especially during “(Forever) Live and Die”. Poor Paul having to deal with nasty fans (but honestly… I’d do the same). But sometimes they have hazardous shits thrown at them too. One time, Paul had his head hit by a glass bottle (I’LL FUCKING MURDER ANYONE WHO DID THAT. HOW DARE THEY HURT MY BABY). And Andy almost got decapitated when someone threw a metal tray aimed to his neck. Terrifying

Somehow, when they were touring, the bus they rode on resemble a group of terrorists’ bus, so they were surrounded by guns… and luckily, “Enola Gay” was already a big hit, so Andy just waved a magazine with their faces on it and said “’Enola Gay’! Pop stars! Not terrorists!” jesus Christ

There’s actually a version of “Souvenir” where it was sung by Andy. In 2015, Paul was hospitalized in New York, but he insisted that they should do this gig in Perth, so they did, only 3 of them… “Souvenir” was on the set, and Andy sang it. It was… okay, I guess. I’m so used to Paul’s soft voice singing that, so it’s kinda weird to hear Andy’s powerful voice singing it

…I’m sorry if you expected a shortsummary and get this re-writing of OMD’s Wikipedia page instead. I never realizedhow deep I am in their ass until I answered this message with a 1600-word essayabout OMD that was based on my memory alone. Good god

I’m awfully thrilled every time someonementions OMD-related to me, so don’t hesitate if you want to talk about them tome!!

#I rarely get any anon so I’m always delighted every time I get one #ESPECIALLY THIS ONE #the 1600-word part is not an exaggeration… I wrote this on word and it was literally more than 1600 words #which is why I took a long time to answer this… sorry!#also I made that gif especially for this anon

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tpprpracticalskillsblog · 5 years ago

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2nd October 2019, Summerhall Edinburgh Field Trip, The Summerhall Tour

On Monday 30th September 2019, the two classes from Inverness and Perth UHI went to Edinburgh for a tour of Summerhall and to listen to a couple working artists talk about their own practices.

The following post is a direct reflection on my reactions in the moment as well as after the fact of the tour of Summerhall. The disjointed jumpiness of text is how I received the information.

At the beginning of the tour, we were seated in a Victorian lecture hall, where an employee of Summerhall spoke to us about the history of the building and what exhibitions we were to see on the tour. This employee mumbled a lot when he spoke making it difficult to catch what he was saying including his own name, thus him being referred to as employee throughout this post. Within the first two minutes of his talk the employee complained about how he was underpaid which was fun banter, to begin with yet soon he kept bringing it up which for me drew the line into unprofessionalism. I am not your HR team don’t complain to me about these things. Due to his mumbling, it appeared that he kept jumping from one story to the next making it very hard to follow and understand what he is saying. The employee also spoke ill of other artists saying “90% of artists you’ll work with will be absolute c words other 10% will be alright.” this to me seemed uncalled for as again it wasn’t anything to do with the tour.

Finally, the employee started talking about Summerhall.

The building of Summerhall has been around for hundreds of years, in the 1600s this area of Edinburgh was quite seedy and rough, in the 1700s a brewery was built and is the property of McGlenans Summerhall still has a brewery/distillery to honour this heritage. The gin distillery does tours also.

Summerhall has a cafe that is mainly occupied by mums with small children or people with laptops working away.

Summerhall Mission Statement is to be a multi-arts centre complex and over the past few years has become one of the best locations of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Summerhall was a veterinary nurse school for hundreds of years many rooms in Summerhall have changed very little from these times. They try to incorporate the history of the building and make them a part of the exhibitions.

Summerhall has theatrical programs, as well as comic and musical programmes they run. They also do wine festivals and other events.

They have hardly modified the rooms other than modern health and safety standards and heating.

However, there are some exceptions they do transform some spaces for certain exhibitions temporarily but when they’re done the room goes back to how it was.

there is a war memorial library in the veterinary school.

they have a waiting list for use of studio spaces but it is very expensive.

Summerhall has a visual arts programme, sociated programme, and curative programme. the Sociated Programme is to have Summerhall make money you pay for a lot of the spaces etc. the Curative Programme is where they go out and look for artists and bring them in.

Summerhall has five shows at the moment of which it is my understanding we were seeing some of these on the tour.

Photography exhibition by the New York Times on climate change

Painter from Edinburgh painting exhibition deals with the exploration of sexuality, gays etc. Abstract painting.

Jane Frairs exhibition mural is highly political, Brexit, immigration, refugees. The employee describes it as a “beautiful exhibition”. The exhibition consists of murals and three short animated films. Sor politics has been talked about an awful lot in the beginning talk of the tour and it is getting irksome.

Alan Smith exhibitions life exhibition of him right up to his death artworks and a couple films where he speaks his mind about his life as an artist and illness.

In the basement, a mental health exhibition is being prepped so cannot visit today. Opening on 10th October 2019 non-alcohol opening the employee expressed how he didn’t like this and how openings with alcohol available are better.

The exhibition is about art therapy the employee stated “surprisingly they show real talent without and formal training” his tone and body langue tell that he is a believer you need formal training before even considering submitting your work to an institution.

Richard D’maro is an artist in 60s, 70s, and 80s patron and collector of the arts in Scotland and South-East Europe he has an admirable archive library which recently has been opened to the public.

The employee expressed his views that an artist (because of the mumbling didn’t catch their name) was involved in Nazi practices because they grew up during the third riech the employee said “make that as you will” all though his body language and attitude said he believed they did based on one technicality no other evidence.

Finally, the tour began. We were herded into a room full of photography no context as to what the art means or who the artist was, we were barely in there and taken a couple photos before being shuttled off somewhere else.

Although the images have been displayed in a very professional manner I cannot give further thoughts on this exhibition as there wasn’t enough communication as to the context.

Next, we were taken to a room with art based around the themes of Brexit and immigration by artist Jane Frere. As personally I do not like mixing art and any form of politics my brain had instinctively switched off.

However, this being said one element of the exhibition 9 enjoyed and was very interested in. It was the placement of a Japanese shadow puppet box on a black plinth.

I have used plinths to display my artworks before and like here the plinth and wall colour was the same so it gives the impression of a floating artwork. Yet this is where the similarities end. Where I use the plinth as an extension of the artwork Frere uses the plinth purely for display purposes seen as the distribution of the artwork is printed directly onto the plinth branding it as a mere stand.

Sadly this all I can say on this room and exhibition as once again after a few short moments we were escorted away to a room which I was only able to have a glimpse at the reasoning for showing this space I am unsure.

The next room greatly interested me as it holds prints of works from Leonardo Da Vinci as being known as one of the artistic greats seeing these is an experience not to be forgotten. There were also works by David Boyes.

At the end of this room there is an interesting contraption. The employee informed us that it was used to separate bone from tissue, back when the building was a vetinary school. This to me was the current highlight of the tour as these vintage machines and ways of various surgery’s are an interest of mine.

In the climate change exhibition the photographs are very uniform, each shown in the same thin black frame, the same dimensions, and same high quality resolution. Again because of the messaging I didn’t pay enough attention, but I could still appreciate the art for what they are. High quality photographs.

At this point the employee asked me what my favourite exhibition was. To which I explained that the I don’t agree with the mixing of politics and art, I don’t want to see it everywhere when I know the world is going to pot. He wasn’t pleased with this answer looking me up and down like filth before abruptly turning away to talk to other students. Over the course of the tour I had be getting more and more annoyed with the employees unprofessionalism from his complaining about being underpaid to his mumbling, this pushed me over the edge. Do not ask for an opinion if you are not willing to hear any type of response.

The tour was still not over.

The employee showed us th drool where they hold staff parties. It was a room where the vetinary school would hold dissection classes, the students stand in the balcony while the lecturer directed various animals. On the side of the room there is the original lift where they’d transport the large animals such as elephants, horses, and cows to be dissected.

After this we were lead out into the courtyard where the tour ended and we made our way back into the building to listen to Anthony Shraug talk about his practices as a working artist.

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bloginstahiphop-blog · 5 years ago

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Man Utd: Has strategy changed and is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the driving force?

On Tuesday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returns to Norway with his Manchester United team for the first time, for a friendly match against his home town team Kristiansund in Oslo. With less than two weeks until the Premier League season starts - and only two friendlies remaining - Solskjaer has yet to make any big-name signings, a significant departure from the approach of his predecessors. Also absent have been avoidable headlines and controversies. Instead, the 46-year-old has gone about his work in a quiet, understated way, completely at odds with the tenures of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal. The status of those two men within the game ensured United were box office, even if the actual team were not. So, have United really changed their strategy - and, if so, is Solskjaer at the heart of it? No big names for the sake of it When Zinedine Zidane seemingly sounded the death knell for Gareth Bale's Real Madrid career, it was informative how quickly word came out of United that they would not be in the market for the Welshman. Bale to United stories have been a staple part of every summer transfer window since before he left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013. It is not that Solskjaer is against signing big names but they have to fit his preferred way of playing. Angel di Maria, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and, more recently, Alexis Sanchez have all been bought despite, seemingly, their style being at odds with the manager's philosophy. Big money has been spent on others - Memphis Depay, Radamel Falcao, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and current squad member Fred - all of whom lacked either the fitness, ability or application for the task in front of them. Bale's China move called of by Real Madrid Solskjaer wants a squad of younger, motivated players - very much in keeping with how Sir Alex Ferguson managed. As was the case with Mourinho and Van Gaal, he will choose his targets in conjunction with the recruitment department. It will then be up to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and head of corporate development Matt Judge to do the deals. Solskjaer is keen to bring young talent through into his Manchester United squad Mourinho and Woodward ended up at loggerheads this time last year, when the former wanted to sell Anthony Martial and buy a central defender and the latter blocked the Frenchman's sale and then determined there was no attainable target better than the centre-backs United already had. Over the past week, Nicky Butt has also had an upgrade to head of first-team development. The Treble-winning former United midfielder will work closely with Solskjaer to decide which players are capable of moving from the junior ranks to the senior. The former England midfielder will be responsible for steering each one through the transition. Developing and recruiting the right players is one thing, getting rid of those he deems surplus to requirements is quite another. It remains to be seen whether the "baby-faced assassin" can cull stars in the brutal way his former boss did with such regularity, but there is evidence he can use the carrot and stick approach to positive effect. It is understood Jesse Lingard was given a severe dressing down over a controversial summer social media post. Yet, rather than react badly, the England international has responded by putting in a series of outstanding performances in training. Solskjaer has noted how 26-year-old Lingard finishes either top, or close to it, in many of the individual tasks. He has been willing to forgive, therefore, an indiscretion he puts down to the exuberance of youth, confident his harsh words will ensure it won't be repeated. What will Solskjaer's Man Utd look like? The Solskjaer-stikk: The wrestling move named after Ole's dad Over the past five years it has not always been obvious how United intended to play. Either the system changed, or personnel arrived who did not appear to fit a particular pattern. It was not scattergun but at times it did appear that signings, sometimes for big money, were made without sufficient thought being put into how they would fit the overall team shape. United were supposed to be appointing a technical director to address these recruitment flaws, though that is still to happen. Even without a role now in place at many of Europe's elite clubs, Solskjaer has his own clear idea of how he wants his team to play. Four at the back, two deep in midfield, three attacking in front of that and a centre-forward. Crucially, he wants them all to have pace and he wants players who can interchange. New £15m signing Daniel James may be viewed, even by some at Old Trafford, as a bit of a gamble - but he fits Solskjaer's template. And on tour the Wales winger was a significant threat, though his final ball was not always up to scratch. James arrived from Swansea on 12 June - Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka became United's second summer signing just over two weeks later Eight times in four games James was sent flying by opponents not quick enough to stop him, and three of those instances involved Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko. "Pre-season is not about results," said Solskjaer. "It is about finding a style that suits the players. We've made good strides towards becoming the team we want to be." It was informative also to see how Marcus Rashford and Martial interchanged positions. Both were used as the main striker, as well as wide in the line of three in behind, and Solskjaer has been working to make them more of a goal threat. Rashford's highest club tally for a season is 13. Martial's is 17 but that was in his 2015-16 debut campaign. Those figures need to rise. Romelu Lukaku, for all his obvious faults, has scored 27 and 15 in his two seasons with the Old Trafford club. Solskjaer's wrestling past and formative years Tough training at the Waca When United set off on their four-match tour of Australia and Asia on 7 July, there were more questions than answers surrounding Solskjaer and his team. Some of the questions remain. Will Lukaku leave? Will Harry Maguire arrive from Leicester City? What is going to happen with Paul Pogba? Are United going to sign a new midfield player? However, over the 20 days they were away, some aspects of Solskjaer's management became obvious; as well as the formation he prefers, there was his own work ethic and the demands placed on his players, as well as his trust in youth. At the end of last season, when United's encouraging response to a change of manager gave way to a series of disappointing performances that culminated in an away draw at Huddersfield - who had taken four points from their previous 23 Premier League games - and a home defeat by already-relegated Cardiff, Solskjaer knew his squad were simply not fit enough for the front-foot style he wanted to implement. United addressed that problem at the historic Waca cricket ground in Perth, which they used as their training base during an 11-day stay in Western Australia. Training sessions have included extra high-intensity sessions this summer Solskjaer scheduled 14 training sessions over 10 days. All but three were closed to the media but it was not unusual to see the famous floodlights shining across the eastern part of the city as United's players were put through their paces. Virtually every player took part in every session. The one notable exception was Lukaku, who did not play a single minute in United's four tour games because of injury. The sessions themselves could change and match days were lighter, as would be the case at virtually every club. Interestingly though, high-intensity work rose by 50% on the previous summer. During the two games in Australia, against Perth Glory and Leeds United, total distance covered rose by 10%, although, in the heat and humidity of Singapore and Shanghai that fell slightly in matches against Inter Milan and Tottenham. Although most certainly not a return to the old days of going on long runs to build up endurance, Solskjaer does place value on running and expects an element of this in most aspects of training, even during tactical drills. There were more gym sessions and more preventative work on the hamstring and groin areas, in addition to a greater amount of core strengthening work. This might be viewed as routine stuff. But Solskjaer felt he had to address the fitness of his squad as a matter of urgency. In his view, Mourinho had built it to counter attack, not to dominate and press as sides such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham do, and which he feels United's tradition demands. By its nature, this requires greater fitness, allied, in theory, to better technical ability. It is no surprise City are one of the Premier League's most hard-working sides, in addition to the most skilful. "We've been working on intensity and pressing," said Solskjaer. "We've got players who like to be on the front foot and we want that to continue." The transfers that could happen by deadline day Watch: Man Utd youngsters ease past Rangers The peace project The one other aspect of this Manchester United pre-season that has fundamentally changed from the last is that club officials no longer need to be concerned about what the manager is going to say to the media. It may not be much use for the journalists who travelled to cover their trip but Solskjaer does not do public confrontation. The Norwegian is very much a disciple of Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino who, after the two sides had played in Shanghai last week, told the press there was no point asking him about potential signings, or even those he might sell, because it was a club matter and any information would be released on the official website. Neither will Solskjaer publicly criticise Woodward or even United's decision to organise a long overseas tour - in truth no manager likes them - because he views it as counter-productive. None of this guarantees United will win matches, which is, in the end, how Solskjaer will be judged. And, with just over a week left before the English transfer window closes, his squad is still not the one he wants. Lukaku seems certain to leave. A new central defender - specifically Maguire - is the top target but there are alternatives, and one will surely come in. Confidence has been expressed often that Pogba will remain at the club but if he did leave for Real Madrid or Juventus, the Frenchman would need replacing. Either way, further strengthening in midfield is possible. Some senior squad men may go as Solskjaer intends to use younger players, such as striker Mason Greenwood, in the Europa League rather than pack his team with experienced ones who cannot get a game in the Premier League. Whatever the eventual make-up of the squad, the Norwegian will have the final say: "There won't be any players here I don't want." Of course, there remains a large degree of uncertainty over United and Solskjaer given how last season finished. Given the reset United appear to have undergone, it will also be interesting to discover what targets Woodward - and by extension the Glazer family - will judge Solskjaer by. In every season the club has failed to qualify for the following season's Champions League, the manager who started it has lost their job at some point. If they miss out again this term, penalty clauses will cost them sponsorship money from Adidas. Yet, unlike with Solskjaer's three predecessors, Woodward is acutely aware that if things go wrong again, it will not affect the Norwegian's status amongst the club's fans. If anything, it will shine a light even more sharply on how he is running the Old Trafford outfit. There is no clear road ahead. It was suggested in a private conversation in Australia that if United started the season without further reinforcements, they would need good fortune at the start of the campaign in order to avoid major difficulties. As yet, and not for a lack of trying, additions are yet to be made. However, 12 months after they approached a new campaign with the manager in conflict with the club, Old Trafford officials can at least be assured that this time around there is a unity of purpose between the man in charge of the team and the one in charge of the purse strings. Read the full article

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thisdaynews · 5 years ago

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Man Utd tour: Is Australia's A-League about to take off?

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/man-utd-tour-is-australias-a-league-about-to-take-off/

Man Utd tour: Is Australia's A-League about to take off?

12,000 fans paid for tickets to watch Manchester United’s open training session in Perth

Perth Glory have taken a risk by agreeing to play Manchester United at their Optus Stadium on Saturday night.

The A-League Grand Finalists will be without a number of key players, including former Republic of Ireland striker Andy Keogh, when they provide opposition for the touring Premier League giants, as Australia’s domestic campaign doesn’t start until October.

Two 15-year-olds, midfielder Joshua Rawlins and striker Gabriel Popovic, son of Glory manager Tony, are likely to be involved in the friendly against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

But Glory owner Tony Sage was never going to turn down the game. Almost 60,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game. In 2018-19, across their entire 14-game regular home A-League programme, Glory’s total attendance was 144,955.

As with their meeting with Chelsea 12 months ago, facing United offers exposure that does not exist in the A-League and offers an opportunity for Sage to put forth his ambitious plans for the league’s future.

Premier League model may provide A-League spark

Sage is one of the key figures in Australian domestic football.

The 59-year-old says it is “100% accurate” that, since it was launched in 2005, the A-League has failed to establish the same kind of footprint in a market dominated by traditional sports as Major League Soccer has managed in the United States.

Average regular-season A-League attendances have fallen from a 2008 high of 14,610 to 10,411 last season. Despite signing Usain Bolt at one stage, Central Coast Mariners attracted just 3,703 fans to their game against New Zealand side Wellington Phoenix on 9 March.

However, Sage believes a decision earlier this month, due to be ratified on 1 August, gives genuine reason for optimism.

Football Federation Australia, the game’s governing body, has agreed to hand over control of the A-League to the clubs, in a move similar to the one that launched the Premier League in England in 1992.

“You are about to see an explosion in the professional game,” said Sage. “Under the FFA system, because they have so many aspects of the game to deal with, A-League clubs only ended up with 30% of the money they generated.

“When the split is confirmed, we estimate A$80m [about £45m] will come to the clubs that can be used to promote the game, through marquee players like they do in MLS.”

Former Ireland striker Andy Keogh, who plays for Perth, with Glory head coach and ex-Australia defender Tony Popovic

Multi-national expansion plans

For the past seven seasons, since Western Sydney Wanderers replaced Gold Coast United, the A-League has been a 10-team league.

In December it was announced that two more teams, from west Melbourne and south-west Sydney, would be introduced from 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively. The FFA also said further expansion was on the agenda. In a recent fans’ poll,Canberra, Tasmania and Wollongong were the only areas that drew significant support for a new club.

Sage has a much wider vision. New Zealand side Wellington – technically not even from the same Confederation after Australia were affiliated to the Asian Confederation (AFC) in 2006 – play in the A-League, so why not introduce teams from other countries whose own domestic competitions are weak?

He said: “I don’t see the expansion of the A-League as being through Australian cities, because we are saturated at the moment.

“But if we had one team in Jakarta, one in Manila, one in Kuala Lumpur and one in Singapore, that is expanding your potential audience by 400 million people. That would drive TV revenues up – then, maybe, we would be looking at A$1bn [£560m] instead of A$400m.

“It works perfectly in terms of time zones. And the rivalries between those cities already exist.

“It wouldn’t happen immediately but in 10 years’ time, my vision may come to fruition.”

The obvious flaw in Sage’s plan, beyond gaining Fifa approval for a cross-border competition, is the travel time. He calls it a “non-issue”. It may be true for Perth, given the flying distance to Singapore is only 400 miles greater than it is to Sydney. It certainly isn’t for Wellington. They would face a near 5,500-mile trip to reach Kuala Lumpur, which a slightly greater distance than London to Los Angeles.

The battle for recognition

Australian rules side West Coast Eagles play their home games at the Optus stadium

The other issue for the game in Australia is the strength of the competition. In New South Wales and Queensland, rugby league is king. In Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, Australian rules football dominates. Rugby union offers a popular international dimension Aussie rules lacks, while cricket captures attention across the whole country.

Yet, even among long-established sports fans, soccer has reason to be optimistic.

Richard Moody owns the Hill Street Sports Bar in east Perth. On Thursday evening, the place was fairly full as punters watched Australia’s ultimately doomed Cricket World Cup semi-final against England.

“Soccer will grow because of the international spread of the game,” he said. “Slowly, Australia, and Perth in particular, is edging into the rest of the world and youngsters in particular have a knowledge of the game people of my generation didn’t have when we were kids.

“Domestically, everyone in this city knows who Perth Glory are and while AFL fans don’t tend to watch in bars in great numbers, when Premier League games are on, we are always busy.”

Not that a shift in the Australian sporting landscape can be expected any time soon.

David Steel, an AFL fan for 50 years, and part of a 56,251 crowd at the Optus Stadium on Friday to see Collingwood edge West Coast Eagles 78-77 in a thrilling Grand Final rematch, doesn’t envisage one.

“I can’t see soccer ever taking over,” he said. “It is growing a little bit but it will never reach the status AFL has. It just doesn’t have the same traditional rivalries.”

Download and listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

#A-League #Australia's

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wecocogg-blog · 5 years ago

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[Image Source]

As one of the richest and most beautiful countries in the world, Australia has a lot to offer. From huge cities to the wild outback, it seems Australia has something for everyone. The best part of this amazing country is definitely the untouched nature the government fights so hard to protect. Of course, this country is also huge, meaning that you have to have an elaborate plan if you plan on seeing everything worth seeing.

Author: Mianna Korben.

Your journey starts with a high-quality bicycle that’ll be able to withstand the hardships of the road ahead. After all, there’s no better way to get to know a country than to bike through it. You get an intimate feel of the land and form a relationship with it few others get to. For your adventure to be fun and successful instead of stressful, you’ll need to find out which bike routes are the best and cover the most interesting points. As well as that, you should pick the perfect time to visit Australia, as you’ll want to see the whole country in bloom. With the tips below, you’ll be ready for an adventure of a lifetime.

Where?

The cycling routes you can take are all beautiful, but which one you choose depends on what you want to see and how long you want your trip to last. Australia is a very popular country to cycle so you won’t have trouble finding the scenic route that suits your needs just right. As well as the views and spots you’ll see and pass through along the way, it’s important to choose a route based on your skill level. If you want to challenge yourself along a scenic yet dramatic route, you’ll love The Gap to Mt Glorious via Mt Nebo in Queensland. This might be a shorter route starting in Brisbane, but it’s also rather challenging. Though this is mostly a climbing ride, it’s suitable for both mountain and road bikes. If you prefer travelling with a mountain bike, don’t miss out on the fire trail that’s part of this route. It runs parallel to the road and is even more adrenaline-inducing than the original route. It’ll be safer to travel clockwise as the road in Samford Valley is much steeper and not maintained. Those looking for something easier but just as scenic should consider riding along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Located near Melbourne, this is one route not to be missed. The 12 Apostles of Australia and the crystal clear waters are only two things you’ll get to marvel at along this route. You’ll also get to explore numerous nooks and crannies along the way. One of the most popular plans for this route is to start in Warrnambool and finish in Geelong, thus riding the full 281km of pure bliss. It usually takes around five days to complete this route. One of the longest and most beautiful routes in Australia is definitely the Munda Biddi Trail through Western Australia. Being a 1000km long, this route takes you through numerous fire trails, railway lines and bush tracks, river valleys, forests, rural villages, and small towns. It seems the whole of Australia is contained between Mundaring and Perth, all the way down to Albany. The best part about this route is that there are many ways you can approach it. This means that you don’t have to be an experienced cyclist and can travel according to your level of skill. Generally, it takes around three weeks to complete it, but you can also divide it into sections and take your time completing it. After all, there’s around 50km between towns with places where you can rest, meaning that you don’t have to miss out on anything just because this might be one of your first biking tours.

Margaret River, Western Australia [Image Source]

How?

The question of how is more complicated to answer than just saying “on a bike.” You have a long road ahead of you, so it’s imperative to travel with the right bike, as well as to prepare it properly. The biggest issue here is that you can’t simply bike into Australia because it is a continent completely cut off from the rest of the land. Instead, it’s much more convenient and cheaper to purchase your bicycle once you’re already in Australia. In a new country, it’s tough to find a good local bicycle store that you know won’t rip you off. It’s also very easy to get lost in a huge city like Sydney or Melbourne. Thankfully, the internet’s got your back. Shopping in a well-stocked online bike store can save you a lot of time and money. You’ll get to decide on the perfect bike without pushy salesmen in your way, you won’t waste time on scouting the perfect local store, and you’ll be walking away with a quality product worth every cent. Now that you’ve got your bike, it’s time to start preparing it. Service your bike when you first get it, then once more right before the start of the journey. This way you’ll be sure you won’t be dealing with technical difficulties while you’re on the road. Of course, you can’t just jump on your freshly-serviced bike. You need to bring the essentials with you in order to have a truly comfortable trip. Food and water should be at the top of your priority list. Next, don’t forget the pump and spare inner tubes and tyre levers. You’ll also want to have money in cash with you and your house key. This way, you’ll be prepared for almost any situation that you can encounter on the road. It also might be a good idea to do this with a riding buddy. If you’re a beginner or this is your first biking tour, having a riding body is essential. You’ll want to have someone you can count on when the going gets tough. God forbid you encounter danger or have an accident, it’ll be much easier to get out of it if you have someone with you. Riding buddies take care of each other no matter what.

Marrinup, Western Australia, Australia [Image Source]

When?

Finally, all that’s left to answer is when. The success of your trip can depend entirely on the weather conditions. Most bicycle routes take only Tasmania into account, as it has only one climate zone and is fairly easy to ride through. The Australian mainland is vast and therefore features a lot of different weather conditions. This is why it’s important to pay attention to the time of year you visit, as you’ll know exactly what cycle you’re walking into by the month of your arrival. Generally, the best time to visit Australia depends on where you start your journey. If you’re going from Melbourne, you should start between November and April. It’s advised to skip January and February, though, as the weather can be too hot. Starting at the top, we’ll have the opposite situation. As the north of Australia tends to be unbearably hot in the summer, it’s best to start your journey in winter. As well as that, there can be heavy rains in this region in the summer, potentially harming your whole trip. June, July and August are the best times to visit Queensland, as the temperatures are mild and ideal for cycling. Another useful piece of advice is to take a look at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. This website holds information about Aussie whether in specific towns, as well as the history of each town. Aside from the weather, you’ll need to watch out for the wind conditions. Thankfully, the site also features handy wind diagrams you can easily understand. The hardest wind patterns to master will be along the WA coast. You’ll need to look into this part of the route in great detail to figure out when and how to move. Also, take into consideration the duration of your journey to figure out when it’s best to start it. On average, it takes people around 47 weeks to cycle through all the most beautiful parts of the mainland. This timeline includes Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. Of course, there are many small towns you’ll see along the way.

Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin, Australia [Image Source]

A well-planned trip and a real adventure have the power to set you free. Not only will you get to see the world with different eyes and find out many new things about it, but you’ll also get an insight into yourself. When you’ve got nothing but your bike and yourself in the world, you tend to have a lot of time for self-reflection. As well as that, you’ll encounter a lot of situations you’ve never been in before. This will all give you the chance to get to know yourself better and see what kind of person you actually are. Pulling of a biking tour is a challenge in itself, but it’s also filled with innumerable opportunities and small challenges along the way. The promise of the rewarding feeling at the end of the journey will be enough to keep you going regardless of what you face.

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Author Bio

Mianna Korben is a travel writer whose specialty is Australia and all about our beautiful Land Down Under. She has also contributed to many lifestyle, travel and business online publications. When she's not wordsmithing, Mianna enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

#element-9169dae1-1790-4b81-9db3-ae5d4cd5efd7 #f4f7f8;

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thecreativeseries · 5 years ago

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Michael Goh Perth Landscape and Astrophotographer

Firstly, can you start with a little bit about yourself?

My name is Michael Goh, and I’m a professional photographer covering a range of subjects including but not limited to portrait, time-lapses, virtual tours, commercial, events, but I’m mainly known as a landscape astrophotographer. I picked up my first DSLR around November 2009 and am self-taught.

What equipment do you use to create your images, and why did you select it?

My primary camera is a Canon 6D. I have some other cameras as well. I chose it because at the time I was already photographing with Canon cameras and the 6D was (and still is) well regarded for low light performance. I use a range of lenses – mainly the Tamron 15-30mm F2.8 as it is very sharp, fast and has very little coma around the edges. I often use portable tracking mounts – the Move Shoot Move SIFO rotator if I’m hiking/travelling due to it being very light and small and the Skywatcher Star Adventurer for more substantial jobs when I’m close to the car. Also, a remote cable release/intervalometer so that I can take photos from a distance away (can anyone say self-portrait?).

Additionally, I use a Fiesol CT-3442 Carbon Fibre tripod with a Sirui ball head. The Tripod is very light and stable. I also have a range of speed lites and other lighting equipment that can be triggered remotely. I have a Timelapse+ view that assists with the time-lapses when it’s going day to night (and to the moon), so it automatically adjusts the exposure settings. I have a syrp genie mini as a rotator for time-lapses as well.

What inspires your creative vision?

I have been a science fiction fan for as long as I can remember. So this naturally gravitated towards an interest in space and astrophotography and want to show it - so it was a bit about being epic and technical. As time has passed, though, I think I have moved forward a bit towards the emotions and feelings of the space. So with astrophotography, it’s expressing the sense of being small in the universe.

Which photographers have inspired you, and how did they influence you?

Corrie White – Corrie White is a photographer in the UK who specialises in drop collisions – having water drops hitting other water drops and spreading out and being frozen at that moment. When I first got into photography (with my entry-level DSLR), I saw her work in a magazine at the office, and it opened up my mind that photography could do much more than what the eye could see. She was also very open in her techniques and sharing them on Flickr. So this opened up the experimentation with photography and the full sharing philosophy that I have to share knowledge to improve the art.

What drew you to focus on astrophotography as your niche?

Initially, it was a love of science fiction and the technical side of it. I am inclined to continuous improvement and experimenting, so this seemed like a natural direction.

What other genres of photography do you enjoy?

I enjoy photographing people through portraits and event. While astrophotography and landscape help me feel connected to the universe, photographing people helps me have a connection to people. These genres are also useful to promote positive causes. Time-lapses are a fantastic genre. The acceleration of time is impressive, as you can see what you can’t usually see with the eye. It also links in with astrophotography. Virtual tours/360 photospheres are often just fun, and it was a special thing to learn. I too do aerial photography. I have been doing more and more video recently. I used to do many macros – but have drifted from that a bit. I think I like to get outdoors a bit more.

One of my photographic philosophies is – know as many techniques as possible because you never know when you can use it.

What equipment do you typically take with you on an astrophotography shoot?

Camera, lenses, remote trigger/s, Speedlite/s, light modifiers, tripod, star tracker, 2+ light sources (headlamp and handheld torch), handheld GPS, hand warmers, compass, levelling head, panorama head, cold weather gear, drone (good for scouting), first aid kit, gaffa tape, batteries, memory cards, food and water, a coffee machine, light stand.

What has been your proudest body of work to date?

That’s a difficult one, and I have a few for different reasons.

1 – The Light Within – I got someone else to come up with this title. It’s a Milky Way archway over the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park in Western Australia. A crescent moon sits on top of a Pinnacle creating a backlit image with shadows, and the zodiacal light reaches up to the Milky Way core. I’m proud of this particular work as it took me 2 years to get the image, ended up on NASA’s APOD (astronomy picture of the day), won an international photography competition (Photonightscape Awards), was in a book “Universal: A Journey Through the Cosmos” by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw,

2 – Exploring the Great Expanse – a self-portrait image of myself standing in a salt lake with a thin layer of water reflecting all the stars around me. It took a long time to plan, but probably represents the feeling of astrophotography the best, being a tiny person compared to the universe around me.

I’ve got a few others that I’m very proud of, with long stories – but those two are probably the most representative.

How do you prepare before heading out on a shoot? What considerations do you have to make?

Moon cycle and luminosity – I love an amount of moonlight over the landscape. Some additional light lights the whole scene creates depth to the image with shadows. Also, the cloud cover, temperature, over multiple locations. Expected location of the milky way core (using apps). Travel time and conditions, recent historical rain and temperature (depending on the site and time of year). I’ll confess that I do plan the whole year in terms of the sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset, moon luminosity to work out the best times of the year to shoot.

What subjects do you generally prefer to capture as part of your astrophotography shoots?

Foreground interest is vital for landscape astrophotography. I’ve been known to take self-portraits a lot with the images. In part, due to the rest of the landscape being limited, the individual adds to the image and creates an additional connection between the person and the universe. Adding a person in the picture emphasises the scale in the image.

Are there any specific tools or tricks you would share that have helped develop your astrophotography skills?

Hmmm – do we have a word limit?

I do workshops, and they take quite a long time 😝.

· Know as many different photography techniques as possible, you never know when you need to use it. Some of my more popular styles have been developed from improvisation.

· Scout when it’s daytime. When it’s dark, you can’t see much so you won’t be able to tell if a better image is 5m away.

· Check your photos for focus before you end up taking a lot of unfocused images.

· Have a plan – frequently I’ve written down a list of different shots I want to take for either tests or compositions. I’ll even have tested some of these before I go out (e.g. panorama types or noise control).

· Make sure you photograph something safe and then get carried away experimenting.

· Challenge your camera and equipment. Get uncomfortable and push it more than what you usually.

· Get constructive feedback from someone you respect.

· There’s an app for that – apps have certainly made planning for astrophotography very easy. I use sky safari and photo pills.

· Remember to set aside the camera and appreciate the night sky. I believe you can best express how it feels by not being distracted by taking photos.

How did you learn about astrophotography and what steps taken to develop your skills over time?

Shortly after starting photography, I discovered Flickr, and it was an excellent resource for people to share their knowledge. I started my first steps into astrophotography that way. To begin with, I made star trails from the back yard. Then I discovered you could photograph the Milky Way, so that was a natural progression. Initially, it was following formulas of exposure, as wide open aperture as possible and go to ISO 1600. I did follow formulas, to begin with, but I can't remember what prompted me to start breaking all the rules, but about four years ago, I started photographing ISO 2000 and then 6400 and beyond.

Now with developing my skills - I write down ideas, visualisations, experiments, and tests and work out how to do them. I practice and test on a very regular basis. When I go out for night shoots by myself, I often have a list of compositions and experiments to try. I may not get through all of them, but I like having a plan as I'll be more productive that way.

Where can we find more of your work?

Webpage

Facebook

Instagram

500px

I have a youtube channel somewhere – I’d better post more to it

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for photographers looking to focus on astrophotography?

Learn as many techniques as possible as you never know when you need to use them.

Get to the location before it's dark - generally, you'll make a much better composition the more you can see.

Remember that you're taking a photograph, you still need to think about your composition.

After you've taken some "safe" photos, make sure that you experiment.

#Astrophotographers #Perth #Workshops #Western Australia #Star Trails #Time Lapse #Learn Astrophotography

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/i-have-a-lot-more-to-show-to-this-world-pujara/

I have a lot more to show to this world: Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is the ice water that runs through the red-hot veins of the Indian Test team. It was his calming influence in the heat of the battle which saw India clinch its first-ever Test series in Australia with a 2-1 margin earlier this year. With 521 runs in four Tests and an eye-popping average of almost 75 (including three 100-plus scores), Pujara was the peg on which India built its historic edifice Down Under.

During his visit to the TOI Mumbai office last Saturday, the 31-year-old displayed the same tranquility while fielding some tough questions-on his batting strike rate, being dropped from the Test XI against England and his yo-yo test results. He agreed on the need to incentivise Test cricket, calling it the purest form of the game. The accolades for his batting notwithstanding, Pujara said he had a lot more to show to the world. He also laid stress on having the right balance in life, saying a professional sportsperson should be focused on the game but when there are no games, he needs to have another life too.

After finishing his 75-minute chat with the TOI Sports team, Pujara was waiting for his car to escort him back to the airport when he was mobbed by a few fans who requested him for pictures and selfies. We asked him, “Cheteshwar, Australia ke pehle ye hota tha?”. “Kabhi Nahin” was his blunt answer.

Excerpts from an interview where he talks about Kohli, Ranji Trophy and home…

Have your feats in Australia sunk in?

It was a special series for me personally as well as the team. All the players said that this is the most special win overseas. We have a young team and none of the team members had the experience of winning an overseas Test series. But at the same time we want to get better and stay at No.1. We don’t want to get carried away.

When you landed in Australia, people were looking at Virat as the main batsman and suddenly you go and dominate the series. Did you see the attitude among the Australians change?

Everything changed after the first innings (Adelaide). Whenever you go for a big tour, preparation is important. I prepared very well. Then I just tried to execute my skills and I knew what the bowlers could do because I had been there in 2014. I had faced Lyon, Starc and Hazlewood in 2014. Cummins was the only new addition to their bowling line-up. But I had faced him too in India in 2017. I knew their strategies and what line and length they would bowl.

I just wanted to bat normally. We were in deep trouble in the first Test when we were 40 for 4. I thought something special is needed to win this Test and I knew that I just had to bat through the first two sessions and didn’t think about anything else. And when we lost Ashwin, I thought that I will have to accelerate at some point since I was batting with tail-enders and at least put up 200-plus. I was really pleased with the kind of shots that I played despite us being in trouble.

You played more positively. Was it a conscious decision?

The situation demanded that. When you are batting with the tail, you always have to play your shots. There is a perception about me that I don’t play too many shots, but I try and not play them until the situation demands.

From the 2014 Australia tour to the 2018 tour, what has been the journey like and what are the changes you have made to your game?

It has been a different journey. I was inexperienced in 2014 and was on my first tour to Australia. We went to England and New Zealand too in 2014. All those series were my first series in those countries. Before that my first away series was in South Africa in 2010-11. Once you play in those conditions, you realize the changes that are needed. I made those changes over a period of time. I realized the mistakes I had made and worked hard to overcome whatever technical errors were there. Mentally I was very confident that I would do well because even in 2014, I batted well without getting the big scores. I was getting 30s and 40s and in one of the Tests in Australia, I even got an 80-plus, I just wanted to get past the 100-mark. Even in 2014, we put up a good show as a team, but we had never won a series. This time, even when we went to England we wanted to win the series, we played good cricket, but unfortunately we did not win. When we went to Australia, we were determined. There were two big away series in South Africa and England before, we were very sure that this unit can win away from home.

Did you make technical changes to your stance and grip?

Not my grip, but some changes to my stance and some other things. I don’t want to talk about them in interviews, because bowlers will prepare accordingly and plan.

Do you feel your stance is more upright now because in the Duncan Fletcher era, your stance appeared more crouched and wide which was causing you and other team members, problems?

There is a minor difference. My stance is pretty similar to what it was, but I have made some adjustments. In 2014, if I and the other batsmen failed, it was not because of the wide stance. Yes, Duncan Fletcher had his inputs. Some players liked it, others did not. It is obviously up to the individual to take the suggestion. There was no conflict.

Your father Arvind was unwell during the Australia series and was undergoing a heart procedure. How tough was it for you to focus on cricket and block everything out?

My father has been really supportive and is someone who really motivates me. He has always been there for me throughout my cricketing career. Before the surgery, our family doctor told me not to worry about anything and to just focus on cricket. Dr Patil was the guy who did his bypass five years ago. He assured me that there won’t be any complication in his procedure. My father too asked me to just focus on my game. I was lucky that my wife was there with him. She also told me to just focus on my game as we had an important game the next day. (Sydney Test). I was confident that he will be fine. But when I was walking in to bat on Day One, it was not easy. Subconsciously I was still worried and I was waiting for the end of the day so that I could quickly message my wife and check on him. I am glad I could still focus. I just watched the ball. Since I had scored runs before the fourth Test, I was confident and I just wanted to focus on batting. It was an important Test for the country. We had a chance to create history by drawing the Test or winning it. I had to be focused. Luckily, I am a tough cricketer mentally.

Can you tell us how tough is it to play in Australia? You’ve been there twice now.

They’re very strong. They’re well-aware of all the conditions … and their bowlers always have a very good plan to get the batsman out in their conditions. So, they’re well-prepared and they know what they’re doing. Even their crowd will always support their team. They’ll appreciate a good boundary hit by you, but not as much as what other people do in countries like England or South Africa. So their crowd is always behind their team.

Even their media…

Yes…everything. Even their media is always supporting their team. if you make any error, they always let the opponents know. So, as an Indian player, if there’s something wrong, or even if there is a minor discussion in the team, and if their media-person gets to know, then they’ll always go behind that player. It’s part of their strategy, which we understand. Mentally you’ve to be tough. At the same time, there’s always a little bit of sledging which is going on. But luckily, I’m someone who doesn’t get affected. In fact, I get motivated when they try and sledge me.

Do you remember any instance when the Aussies tried to intimidate you? If yes, how did you react to that?

There were many instances. But I remember the first Test. Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine tried to sledge me. They almost felt that the game was over when we were 40 for four, or when we lost the wicket of Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin)..,they thought that we’ll be bowled out for 150-160. And even later on, I think in the third or fourth Test, they were trying to sledge me but at the same time they started laughing in the end. Lyon came and told me: ‘Aren’t you bored of batting now? You’ve scored so many runs.’ So, yes, they tried to sledge me initially, but then got friendly.

Is that Lyon remark the best sledging comment that you’ve received?

Yes. I never thought that he’ll say such a thing. And then when we were playing against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi in 2017, one of the players came and told me ‘Now if you don’t get out, we’ll have to ask for wheelchairs.’ I was batting on 170-plus. That’s the best sledge I remember from an Aussie player.

Josh Hazlewood said that yours was the most precious wicket for the Aussies, and not Kohli’s. What’s your reaction to that?

I wasn’t following any of their comments, especially when the series was going on. I got to know after the Test that he had said that. I had mixed feelings. Virat is a good player. Hazlewood probably said I’m a prized wicket because I was performing well. I had scored runs in Adelaide. I think he made that comment during the second Test in Perth. He had bowled against me even in India in 2017 and knew that getting me out was challenging. It was a special comment. But as a cricketer you have mixed feelings, because you also want your players to play well.

Is Adelaide your best knock? Former Australia player & coach Darren Lehmann said that it was the best hundred he’d seen at the Adelaide Oval …

Yes, for sure. Because it came in a winning cause.

After your amazing performance in Australia, where does all the talk about intent and strike rate go?

If you look at this series, people have realized what’s required to perform well in Test cricket. Cricketing fraternity all over the world has started passing comments that this is how Test cricket should be played. People started appreciating the way I was batting, not just the Indian team management. Everyone has realized that there are different methods of playing this format. And because of white ball cricket, there’ve been players who’ve been playing many shots … they’ve been very aggressive. I still respect that because we still need players like Virender Sehwag, who’ve played Test cricket and still entertained people and scored runs for the team. So, there are different kinds of players, and each and every individual should be respected. You need to understand each and every player’s role. And when talk about intent and strike rate was going on, I just kept believing in myself, in my ability. I actually don’t get worried about what people are saying. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing for the team. When I’m playing for the Indian team, the most important thing is how I score runs and if I score runs, whether it’s helping the team or not. And if the answer is yes, you have to stick to your game.

This mindset of batting on, where did you inculcate that?

If I’ve won matches for any First Class team or the Indian team and contributed in a winning cause, you know that this is how games can be won, so you become even more confident. If you see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, they have been very classical. Obviously Tendulkar was a different player, he liked to dominate, but there have been other players who have played Test cricket the way it has been played. Even Tendulkar when the situation demanded, has scored just 50 runs in 150 balls, so there is nothing wrong in that. You just need to understand what situation you are playing in and bat accordingly. Sometimes you have to score a 100 at a strike rate of 80 or 90 if you are batting in the second innings and the team is planning to declare.

With your brand of cricket, you will be under constant scrutiny depending on how the team has performed…

In Test cricket you don’t get criticised if the team doesn’t win and if I have scored a 50 in 120, 130 or 150 balls. I don’t think that it’s a batsman’s fault. Because there is a lot of time in the game. We may not win because other batsmen haven’t scored runs or we haven’t bowled well. But it is not because I have taken so many balls to score my runs. If I get criticised, I would still take it because out of 10 times, I’ll win games 8 or 9 times.

You are part of a side whose captain is very aggressive. You are someone who is very calm. Is there a risk of a personality clash?

Not at all. Ultimately, he (Kohli) also understands what is required to win. Many times I’ve given him suggestions and he has been more than willing to accept them. He might have a different personality but that’s his nature and that is how he should be. There’s nothing wrong in that. He can behave the way he wants to as long as he respects the game. He hasn’t been disrespectful to anyone else. He is not someone who will go and abuse everyone, but yes, I mean, sledging is something which he likes at times. And there is nothing wrong in that as long as you don’t cross the boundary. He also respects my nature.

How’s it like batting with him? You guys have had several partnerships…

I always enjoy batting with him and with all top-order batters. It is always good to have a good rapport with them. Someone like Ajinkya and Murali Vijay have played a lot of cricket with me. Playing with Virat is a special thing, and the way he plays his shots I think it’s remarkable. If you’re standing at the non-striker’s end, sometimes you just enjoy watching him play.

When he’s at the crease, does the opposition think twice about sledging?

Nowadays, opposition always wants to sledge whoever is there at the crease. When it comes to sledging, people wouldn’t think about that because they still want to get him out. Why do teams sledge? The reason is they want to get him out. So even if it’s Virat or me, or whoever is batting, I think they’ll try and say a few words. Obviously, they’ll just be careful of what they are saying.

How do you manage to bat for long hours? Do you practise meditation for such high levels of concentration?

I don’t meditate, but I have a routine. I pray every single day which helps me – it’s kind of a meditation. I also do yoga which helps me have a proper mindset. Yoga has helped me have a positive mindset. As a batsman, you should not have any thoughts. If you can have a blank mind, you can execute your skills better. Yoga has helped me to reach that stage where I’m thoughtless when I bat or even if I have thoughts, ensure that they are positive.

How do you react when you see guys like Rishabh Pant playing the shots he does, or a Prithvi Shaw? Do you cringe, do you smile, do you tell them ‘thoda aaram se’?

I laugh about it. Sometimes I get worried and say ‘what is he trying to do?’ But over a period of time, I’ve realized that you still need to respect them and their style because Pant has come from white ball cricket and we’ll have to give him some time to understand that if you want to play Test cricket, yes, you have to be attacking, which is his natural game, but at the same time, understand what is the right time to attack and when he cannot. That is what he has to figure out. If he’s battling with a tail-ender then it’s a different story, but if he’s batting with a top-five batsman, he might have to change his game a little bit and that is what I and the team management have tried communicating with him.

Growing up, your dad was really strict with the way you played. Do you ever regret that being too technically correct has sometimes not helped you establish yourself in white-ball game?

Not at all. My father always used to tell me to play according to the merit of the ball. And it’s not as if I wasn’t allowed to play any lofted shots. But he made sure that if I played a lofted shot, I had to execute it in a manner where it goes over the top. It should not just pop up in the air where someone can take a catch even in a practice session. Not many people have seen my white ball cricket and people have this perception. But the moment I play lofted shots, I always execute it in the manner where I get a four or a six. But in Test cricket it is not required as you are taking extra risk and risking giving your wicket away. You may end up scoring only about 30. But if you play down the ground you could end up with 150-160. If you can execute your shots then you should, but you should consider the chance of success. That’s important. If the chance of succeeding is less than you must curb your natural game and bat according to the situation.

Who is the best bowler that you have faced and can you recall a particular spell where you found it really hard to survive?

When I went to South Africa in 2010-11, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were at their peak. The way they were bowling, I was struggling, to be honest. That was the toughest bowling I have faced. There I realized what all I needed to succeed at the international level. There were some changes I had to make. The kind of swing Steyn was getting and the kind of pace and bounce Morkel was generating was very tough to negotiate.

Your father has often spoken about how flawlessly he has seen you bat in the nets. It’s his one wish that the world should see you bat like that. Would you say your performance in Australia fits the description that your father talks about?

Not completely. I have many more things to show the world. Obviously, I have been working hard on my game. I am still young and I am very sure that it will come at some point. What my father has been telling me has really motivated me. It gives me a lot of confidence because sometimes you start doubting yourself. But my father is the one who has always had faith in me and he told me that the world hasn’t seen you the way I have seen you. So don’t doubt yourself. At some point I thought because he is my dad he keeps motivating me then I started hearing things from other big coaches and then I feel what my dad is saying could be right. It could be technical also because sometimes I have seen many foreign coaches or Indian coaches say that what I am doing is technically perfect and I should not try and change anything. I try to communicate that with my father and try and tell him that what you have been telling me is right. But then he still tells me that I need to focus and not get carried away.

Pujara autographs the December 28, 2018 sports edition of Toldnews that captured his feat of scoring a century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Speaking about technique, coach Ravi Shastri recently said that you were left out of the Birmingham Test in England because there was a slight problem with your stance, something that can happen if you are playing continuously in county cricket. Can you recall if there was any such problem and how disheartening it was to be dropped for the 1st match of the series? I don’t discuss technical things much. The reason why I was not scoring many runs in county cricket were different. The kind of wickets I was playing on, if you look at the scorecard, the average score was 180-200 and even other batsmen didn’t score runs. There was one game where I was batting with Joe Root, Jonny Bairstaw and Adam Lyth who have played for England. Despite such a good batting line-up, we got bowled out for 50. When you look at such a line-up on paper, we were almost a Test team. We still won that game, but it was a challenging wicket. County cricket is different especially when you play for Yorkshire up north in April and May. The conditions are so challenging that you might not get a 50 but a useful 30-40 could be crucial. There were times I also got bad decisions which is part of this game and I accept it. If your time is not right people start thinking ‘oh, he hasn’t scored runs in county cricket.’ But people are not there to watch what is happening over there. It is very easy to say things from a distance. When I was dropped from the 1st Test, I was disappointed but at the same time I knew that my opportunity will come at some stage and I trusted my preparation because every player you asked would have vouched for the hard work I was putting in to succeed for Yorkshire. That helped me to play well in the next four Test matches.

How has country cricket helped you? You are someone who has played a lot in England. Do you feel other Indian batsmen should be encouraged to play county cricket to improve their game?

County cricket has been really helpful for me personally. Now whether it should be encouraged, I don’t know. I support it because if that’s done, it will be very good especially for our Test cricket. But when the IPL is going on most of our players are playing the tournament. And when IPL finishes it becomes difficult for players who are playing all formats because of workload issues. But if players who are just playing the Test format have time then I am sure they should go and participate in county cricket. Even white-ball specialists who aspire to play Tests should play in county cricket because it needs technique. Conditions are really challenging. Sometimes your weaknesses are exposed very quickly and then you can go to the nets and start working to rectify them.

In the current team, there’s Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and you who are all Gujarat-based players. Is there a lot of Gujarati being spoken in the dressing room?

(Laughs) Yes, there is. Sometimes we just joke about it and say that everyone will have to learn Gujarati at some stage. But on a funny note when we want to pass some comment on other players who don’t understand, we speak in Gujarati. There’s no sledging but cheerful banter. Even other players respect Gujarati culture and many of them have been to my home so they like Gujarati food so they sometimes ask where is your thepla or some other food.

You came back from Australia and straightaway joined Saurashtra’s Ranji team. When you look at a regular domestic cricketer, do you see a “Pujara” around you? Do you see a player growing up with the kind of culture you have cultivated for yourself?

I see many young talented players. I see a lot of commitment nowadays in domestic cricket. The importance of Ranji Trophy might have decreased a bit because of the IPL but at the same time I’ve seen many players who want to play Ranji, perform well, be recognized for the Indian Team whether it’s red ball or white ball cricket. A classic example is Mayank Agarwal and Vihari who have come from Ranji Trophy and performed well at the international level and when the team required it the most.

The average fan outside thinks that players are only interested in playing the IPL..

It’s not the case but if you look at young players who are coming up, someone who is below 14 or 16, when you speak to them they might say that they want to play in the IPL. They won’t even say they want to play in the Indian team. So sometimes there are players who just want to be famous but majority of cricketers still want to play for the country. At the same time, IPL is a good league, but the preference should be to play for the Indian team and your state team. If you are good enough, you can play in Ranji Trophy, IPL and the Indian team.

So there is much for Keery O’Keefe to come and see here.

I heard it only 3-4 days later. I read somewhere later that he apologized and that he didn’t mean it. I hope it’s true. I believe that he was just trying to be a little funny and it wasn’t serious. There shouldn’t be any questions on Indian First Class cricket. Ranji Trophy is up there.

After his comments, everyone came and spoke about Ranji Trophy and praised it. Was that a conscious move?

Little bit because there were so many questions. It wasn’t a conscious effort but if the questions in a press conference are asked then you have to answer. Players know how valuable it is. There’s a lot of importance in Indian First Class cricket and at the same time a lot of players are coming from U-19 and India A and credit goes to Rahul bhai (Dravid).

Did Rahul message you after the Aus tour?

Yes, he messaged me and congratulated me for what I and the team achieved.

Saurashtra have been very consistent over the past few years. What have you’ll done differently?

Since the time me and Ravindra Jadeja’s made their debuts, players have realized that if they perform well for Saurashtra, they can play for the Indian team. So many young players got inspired by that. Jaydev Unadkat also came in. We have three players who are representing the Indian team. Players are working hard. Actually sometimes even I get inspired by their commitment to the Saurashtra team. The team culture and commitment is good and that’s why I always look forward to coming and playing for them.

In the semis, you edged the ball but didn’t walk. That led to a huge debate. Did you feel bad about what happened?

Sometimes I do, but at the same time, my focus is helping the team win the game. If I didn’t walk that doesn’t mean I disrespect anything. Sometimes you get bad decisions and you accept it and just move on. So it’s part of this game. There have been many occasions when we have got some players out and they haven’t walked. No one else notices it because he’s a domestic cricketer. But now since I’ve performed well and the matches are telecast, there was a lot of attention on the game so people started passing comments.

When you started dating your wife (Puja), there were reports that she hardly knew the game. How are things now?

When we got engaged, she did not know anything about cricket, she didn’t know I was. Her knowledge of the game has improved a lot and my father and she discuss the game a lot. As he knowledge has improved, she has become very supportive of the fact that I am a professional cricket player and I have to be away from home. I miss my daughter very much but with technology around, it is not very difficult because I can make a video call. But when I am around and especially when I am in Rajkot, I try and spend quality time with them, I don’t go out much and I try and look after Aditi because as a mother it is very difficult to manage Aditi on her own and as a father I believe I should always support her whenever I am around.

Will you inculcate the same values in her like your father inculcated in you? Will you allow her to ride a cycle or as in your case, will you allow her to fly a kite.

It is a tough call. But I will be little more balanced. I will be strict for sure. But at the same time, with all the knowledge, I can strike the right balance I have always had this argument with my father and ‘you don’t allow me to celebrate any festivals and if we have to go out, you don’t allow me because you feel I have to rest. Over a period of time, he also realized that you have to switch off somewhere. So It is important to have the right balance in life or as a professional sportsperson, you should be focused on the game but when there are no games, you need to have a hobby or play different sport. Now I play badminton, I play table tennis. It is important to have the right balance and that is what I will teach my daughter.

Are you going to call Rishabh Pant for baby-sitting duties?

Now we have a new member in the Saurashtra team, Jaydev Unadkat. He has taken over the duties. Now that I am committed to play more domestic cricket, he has promised to baby sit my daughter for a couple of hours. Let’s see whether he can.

What’s your view on the Dukes vs SG vs Kookaburra issue?

I think we should stick to the SG Ball in India because in our domestic cricket we play with the SG ball and the player gets used to playing with this ball whether it is the batsman or bowler. You know what it does with the new ball, with the old ball. So I don’t think we should change at all. The debate was on the quality of the ball. The BCCI has communicated with SG and during the semi-finals, we got a different quality of ball. They worked on it and it is much better now. I am sure the seam and shape is lasting a little longer and even the bowlers from the Indian team have communicated what they felt with the ball.

Do you think the balls should be standardized?

Not at all. I think the beauty of this sport is having different balls in different conditions. In England, we have the Dukes ball. You cannot play with the SG in England. In their domestic cricket they play with the same ball so they have a slight advantage. So if you are visiting a country, the question is how quickly you adjust to the different ball. That is the beauty of Test cricket. Let’s stick to these differences.

In the Duleep Trophy you hit a century against the pink ball. Officially, the Indian team has not played with the pink ball in Test cricket. When do you think we should?

We are still in an early stage to decide about the pink ball. In India, it is very difficult for a bowler to pick a wicket. Most of the times, teams have scored more than 500 runs which should not be the case. If you are playing the longer format of the game there has to be a balance. It can’t be a batter’s game. In white-ball cricket, it is a batter’s game and the bowlers do not have too many chances to pick many wickets. In the longer version, bowlers should have enough leverage to get a batsman out so when we start playing with pink ball, it reduced that.

For the kind of pressures that a young cricketer is having these times, Rahul Dravid is advocating a backup cover. What is your take on it?

I completely agree. Now when you see that the young generation is well educated, even the young cricketers are well educated, not just in India, but overseas too. If you are educated, it helps you think better in this game and education is something that I always loved. I am not a graduate, but I want to do an MBA at some stage. Because I am playing this game continuously, I am not able to study. I think once I retire or whenever I get time, I will go back to studies because that is something that I love. It is very important to have a backup in life for a sportsperson. Because if you have a basic degree or some level of education, then there is less pressure because if you fail as a cricketer you can always go back to doing what you studied. If you want to play, it should not be for survival, it should be for enjoyment of the game because you love the game.

Do you think that is the case, domestic cricketers are playing for survival?

I think so because most of the cricketers are from the middle class level although the financial structure or the match fees have changed, in domestic cricket and even Indian cricket. So if you look at them, they are mostly from the middle class background and that puts that extra pressure on success and when you have such pressures, you may not always succeed.

The World Test Championships will begin later this year. Do you think it will revive interest in Test cricket? The Test Championships will begin when India tour the West Indies. How excited are you about this?

Not just me. I have spoken to other players and all of them are very excited. We have already started discussing about the format and points system. We don’t have all the details, but we have already discussed about the various possibilities. I am sure Test cricket will get a lot of importance going forward with all the boards thinking about the survival of Test cricket. That is the purest format of the game and it will survive. I have no doubt about it.

Rahul Dravid also made a very important point about finance management for young players. They are looking at serious money. How do you draw a balance when faced with such a situation?

Some monitoring should happen. I am not trying to say that they should be restricted with the money, but they should have the right guidance in life where they should understand that it’s not only about money. They should understand that focusing on how to manage money is also important. Once they start earning money and buying things, they should also think what if they are not as successful as what they are today. There has to be right planning and I am sure there are many corporate courses and the BCCI can think about guiding them too.

There is a perception that India, with all the money they are pumping into the game is killing Test cricket. So are we killing Test cricket or are we the flag-bearers of Test cricket today?

If you speak to any player in the Indian team and ask them about which format they like the most, all of them will say Test cricket. May be talent wise, they are not very successful in Test cricket but they will still say that this is the format that they would like to test themselves in. That is where the real challenge for a cricketer is and if they start performing in Test cricket, that is where the actual pleasure is. Because if you score a 100 in a Test and also in the shorter format, players will always say my Test 100 is always the more special one. The same goes for the bowlers. Yes, the game is moving on, there is a lot of white-ball cricket. Our ODI and T20 team is doing well in that. There’s nothing wrong, but at the same time there is a lot of respect for Test cricket in India as well.

Should a player who plays only in Tests and does not play IPL get a higher contract? That will give players more incentive to play Tests?

I agree. I have read things and I am assuming that that is the way forward to promote Test cricket. But at the same time, I also feel that First Class cricket and Ranji Trophy should be given more importance financially. I don’t know what should be the right structure, but players should get enough money even in domestic cricket because that is where Test cricketers are produced and if we can take care of players playing in Ranji Trophy well, then we will produce more Test players. The players too will focus on not just playing IPL, but focus on playing in Ranji Trophy and playing for India in Tests.

You have also been motivated to turn up for Saurashtra? You came back from a tough tour of Australia and immediately played in Ranji.

I always look forward to playing for Saurashtra because of the team atmosphere. Also, because that is where I started playing cricket. My roots belong there. I became a Test player just playing for Saurashtra. Whenever I get an opportunity, I never miss it. But now because I play a lot of matches, I have to look after my body, but I will always try and play for Saurashtra or any First-Class game.

Are you a fan of Yo-Yo Tests? And what is your score?

Yes. Yo-Yo Tests are good. My score is 17.5. Importance of fitness has increased overall across formats Yo-yo tests give you an idea of where you stand fitness-wise. If you are not working on your fitness, in the next Test you will find out that your score has decreased.

Have you finally mastered the ra dance?

No. I think Rishabh (Pant) was trying to do something and they forced me to do that and I couldn’t do that and ultimately it became the ra dance.

How does it feel to be the most wanted batsman in Tests?

It’s a great feeling when you are wanted in Tests. When you are liked about the purest format of the game, it’s a different feeling altogether. When players all over the world say that this is the format they love the most and if I am doing well in that, it is the proudest moment for me.

Australian coach Justin Langer said that you watched the ball closer than Tendulkar and Dravid…

It’s the best compliment I have ever heard in my cricketing career. Langer is someone I respect a lot He has brought in a lot of discipline to the Australian team, and although they were losing, he didn’t lose his temper. It is tough when Australia lose in Australia. Their team is going through a lot. I am very hopeful that he will take the Australian team upwards in the next couple of years.

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topweeklyupdate · 8 years ago

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TØP Weekly Update #32: Tour de My Dreams (4/2/17)

You know, I’m starting to think that I need to stop posting these on Sundays. Too much stuff happens Sunday nights/Monday mornings.

This Week’s TØPics:

Tour de Columbus Announced

Australia Tour Recap

Interviews and Fun Schtuff

End of an Era: “Heathens” Departs the Hot 100

Upcoming Show in Perth and the End of the Emotional Roadshow (Kinda)

Major News and Announcements:

Ya’ll know the only thing that can go in this spot. On Monday warning, without any head’s up from the Blurryface Twitter or anything else, the band announced via a video featuring our old friend Nigel that they will be officially ending the album cycle in June with a mini-tour of historic venues from their early history in Columbus: the Basement (a 300-capacity club that hosted many very early shows and the Vessel launch), the Newport Music Hall (the first major music venue they ever played and recorded official performance videos in), and Express Live (the renamed LC venue, where they also performed a number of iconic shows and announced their signing to FBR). To avoid scalping, the tickets were distributed via lottery (though heavy competition and creative scalpers still ensured tickets were quickly made scarce).

Frankly, this scale of a project just for the purpose of remaining true to their hometown fans is something that I’m not familiar with from any other artist. Immediately there was speculation about what the setlist(s) will be- “We’re coming home” seems to indicate that, yes, you’ll finally be getting your “Taxi Cab” performance- and even if there might be a few more shows added on at other, larger Columbus venues after the initial lottery- the Schottenstein Center, which held their first arena headliner in 2015, was popular, as was the 100,000 capacity Ohio Stadium, which would be their first show with anywhere near that audience. The former proved to be perfectly reasonable, as a show at the Schott was added just a few days after the initial performance as the final show they will play in the Blurryface Era; after that sold out, another show was added into the middle of the lineup at the Nationwide Arena across town. Some remain convinced that the stadium could still be included, but the announcement of the Nationwide show seems pretty final to me.

While I would definitely love more shows and setlists composed of their entire discography, I think we can all agree to be satisfied with this amazing gesture for their fans. I’m definitely satisfied, if only because it fulfills months of speculation I’ve had over how they needed to end the era in Columbus after being away for so long, and I can now say “I told you so”.

Interviews, Performances, and Other Shenanigans:

In addition to all that craziness, we still got the expected touring content. The shows have all, of course, been great, with Tyler practically incapable of containing his affection for the country of Australia. Perhaps the sweetest on-stage moment came in Adelaide, where a fan had to give up their kangaroo balloons dressed up as Tyler and Josh due to safety hazards; the boys made sure to keep them included in the show.

The New Zealand TV program Seven Sharp ran a pretty good interview/feature with the band, with more content posted on their website. Josh gets a good focus, the interviewer referring to him as a “second frontman”; they discuss how he couldn’t feel the earthquake that Tyler felt because he’s “always shaking” (tru) and how he’s had to struggle to become comfortable with a microphone in front of him. Tyler (referred to as a “lyric-monster”) discusses how he never gets tired of being praised (ok, dude) and says that the secret to being successful is finding a “really good drummer”.

The bonus content offers even better nuggets from Tyler about his process. Ty talks about how he’s always dreamed of getting to share their songs with people all around the world. He talks about how he feels like he has several different songwriters in his head who have come into being at different times in his life: the oldest is a guy who “talks about something deeper, internal, introspective struggles, trying to answer the big questions”, a “worldly satire” dude who makes dry observations about the world, and the newest one, a guy who writes about being in love. The last one is the most interesting: Tyler says that his love with Jenna “is not always sparkly, but it’s powerful and hard not to write about because it’s so real”. Did I mention it was their second anniversary this week? I’m crying (also screaming, because that definitely means that we’ll be getting more “Tear In My Heart”-style tracks on the next album, and I’m so down). Ty wraps up by emphasizing that their music is “a living, breathing thing”; they feel pressure to keep the songs real because they have to “live it every night” and not get sick of performing them. More than that, he finds it amazing that the words of a song originally meant to get them through one challenge can transform over time to have an entirely new meaning. Album 5 literally can’t come soon enough.

Finally, funny men Jono and Ben interviewed the guys for a second time. They have pretty good chemistry with the guys, bringing out a lot of their humor. Some examples:

Tyler: “It’s pretty incredible that we decided to do this interview with you guys.”

“Where are the other 19 pilots?” Josh: “I gotta go.” Tyler: “We’ve gotta figure out an answer to that one.”

Tyler: “I’m pretty sure they forgot to give us our Grammy.”

Other highlights include the interviewers playing a game of blackjack with the boys (and Tyler pointing out that the card-dealer’s fly was down- “Get your dick out for Twenty One Pilots, mate”) and Josh lamenting that his skin is even paler than Tyler’s.

Chart Performance:

Sad news today: due in part to the arrival of Drake’s “playlist” More Life, "Heathens” was pushed off the Hot 100 chart due to being under the #50 mark after more than twenty charted weeks. The song will live on for months on the Rock and Alternative charts, but, in America at least, Twenty One Pilots’ presence on the pop charts- a presence that lasted for about a year and a half- is gone. For now. We’ll just have to see about that next album...

Upcoming Shows:

Show 7: Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, 4/8

Capacity: 15,500

Twenty One Pilots isn’t doing anything until the very end of this week, when they will wrap up their Oceania tour in the Western Australia capital of Perth. One of the most isolated major cities in the world the span of time between their shows in Sydney and Perth still only make sense if a) they’re going somewhere else this week or b) they’re driving cross-country and getting some sweet Sleepers content.

The Perth Arena is one of the cooler looking arenas I’ve seen; it hosts Perth’s basketball and netball teams when it isn’t hosting massive international artists. This will technically be the last show in the Emotional Roadshow, as the festival shows and Tour de Columbus haven’t been placed under that label. The festival shows will likely just use the standard festival lineup, but I fully expect the Columbus shows to be full of surprises.

Power to the local dreamer.

|-/

#twenty one pilots #tyler joseph #josh dun #emotional roadshow #tour de columbus #top weekly update

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eat-travel-live-repeat · 5 years ago

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U.K. Travel Bucket List – Best National Parks

The month is May and the year 2020, the World as we know it, has been in lockdown mode for the better part of the year now, as COVID – 19, is spreading like wildfire everywhere. The silver lining is that Mother Earth is healing, and while the world heals from this Pandemic, with all of us Staying at Home, we all can make the most of this Quarantine Life by adding different destinations to our Post COVID – 19 Travel Bucket List. Which in reference to this blog post is the Best National Parks in the UK.

More than 10 Travel Experts have contributed their suggestions about the Best National Parks in the United Kingdom, that I have curated and compiled for your ease, in alphabetical order, in this UK Travel Bucket List – The Best U.K. National Parks.

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Brecon Beacons National Park

The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of the three national parks in Wales. The park is home to the famous Brecon Beacons range of mountains in the south of Wales, These mountains are the highest ones in southern Britain and they are famous for its magnificent upland formations.

This National park is less than 30 miles from Cardiff and 100 miles from Birmingham in England, and just a three-hour drive from London. Its outstanding waterfalls, caves, ancient landscape and beautiful lakes attract adventurers and nature lovers from all over the world. Here is where you can get active and create some unforgettable memories.

There are numerous walking routes and hiking trails for any fitness levels. If you want to take your hike an extra mile, you can go rock climbing on some amazing spots in the park, where you have a coastal view.

Cycling and mountain biking are also a great way to explore The Brecon Beacon. Some cyclists like to enjoy riding peacefully on a canal path next to the river while some prefer to go for more challenging climbs. There is different terrain in the park, including roads, lanes and hillside tracks.

If you are looking for a fabulous place to mountain bike you can head to the south to Bike Park Wales, where you can find several downhill tracks of varying difficulty.

The national park is also a great destination for horseback riding. There are bridle paths and tracks. Some people might say The Brecon Beacon is one of the best ridings in Europe.

There are many brilliant organised group activities like Canoeing, Kayaking, Paddleboarding and White Water Rafting in the national park.

You can stay in Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer which offers different types of accommodations such as cottages, lodges, and chalets. This centre also offers different activities including caving, stand up paddleboarding, and canyoning.

There are also various caravan and camping sites in the park. Make sure stargazing when the sky is clear. Here is one of the best locations in the UK to watch the sky during the nights.

While in the Brecon Beacons, make sure to take the Four Falls Walk which takes you to four amazing waterfalls.

By Mansoureh Farahani from Travel With Mansoureh

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Cairngorms National Park

Cairngorms National Park – Largest National Park in UK

If you’re an outdoor/ nature lover, you need to put the Cairngorms National Park onto your Scotland Itinerary. This incredible place is the largest National Park in the UK and was voted one of the top 20 places to visit IN THE WORLD by National Geographic!

The park is 4500 sq kms (which is bigger than the whole of Luxembourg) and contains mountains, valleys, castles, distilleries and watersports. There’s something to do for everyone.

One of our favourite things to do was hike. There are multiple trails and walks within the park (guides are available from the tourist offices if you’d like one), or you can just turn up and wander wherever you fancy. Dog walking is encouraged, but the area is full of wildlife, so please be aware and obey local signage.

It’s possible to walk for a short time, find a quiet spot and enjoy a picnic, or plan a more advanced hike right up into the mountains, where the views are breathtaking. A word of caution- the weather can change VERY quickly in this area, so please carry appropriate equipment/ clothing.

If hiking isn’t for you, how about some sport? Within the Cairngorms you can enjoy cycling, skiing or play golf at one of the 12 golf courses! There’s also a bungee-jump (the first permanent one in the UK) and a sled dog centre.

For water lovers, there’s fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, rafting, swimming or gorge walking. There are several watersports centres in the park and they offer lessons, hire or even wildlife watching tours from the water- where you can glide quietly past local birds and animals as they sit on the river banks- a magical way to start the day.

If you’re not travelling Scotland in a motorhome or camper, there are plenty of places to stay within the park, including local B & Bs, hotels, hostels, campsites and log cabins. You need to stay for at least 3 days to really experience everything the park has to offer.

If all the sport and hiking sounds utterly exhausting, many of the hotels offer beauty/ spa services and pools, so you can relax and unwind as much as you like.

There are many places to eat and drink within the park- restaurants, cafes and shops are plentiful, but there are also farmers markets, local artisan shops, food and drink workshops and of course the distilleries, where you can enjoy a ‘wee dram’.

By Kathryn Bird from Wandering Bird

Exmoor National Park

Exmoor National Park is located in the South West of England on the borders of Somerset and North Devon. It was designated as a National Park in 1954, It is located south of Minehead between Taunton and Tiverton and its outer boundaries are just a short distance from the M5 motorway. It has a wide range of landscapes from high moors including Dunkery Beacon. This peak is the highest point in the south of England outside of Dartmoor. From the moorland farmland tumbles down to the Somerset Coast. This is unique in the UK and was one of the reasons for the National Park designation. The moorland reaches the coast in spectacular 400m cliffs with Great Hangman being the highest sheer sea cliff in England and Wales at 244m.

Dotted through the landscape are small villages with old cottages with thatched roofs and beautiful gardens. The landscape is ancient with archaeology being present in the form of hillforts and Norman Castles including the stunning red Dunster Castle. Tarrs Steps near Dulverton is an ancient clapper bridge and is believed to have been in place since the Bronze Age.

Exmoor is wild and remote with a wide range of nature. In the autumn it is one of the best places in the country to experience the red deer rut. Stags battle for territory, battling with other males to win the right to mate with their hinds. Their deep calls can be heard echoing across the landscape and the clash of antlers is a sight to be seen. Finding this behaviour is not easy but there are a number of ‘stalkers’ who can help you find and watch the stags.

Exmoor also has its own Exmoor Ponies. These are small, stocky ponies that have roamed the landscape for over 50000 years and are documented in the Domesday Book in 1086. They have a dark bay colouring with a lighter mealy colour around the muzzle and underbelly. They are semi-feral and roam across the moorland helping to conserve the landscape with their grazing. Completely silent they have a gentle and docile attitude to life and will slowly saunter off if they are disturbed.

Exmoor has beautiful walks, some of which can be quite technical, especially in the winter months. The coast is perfect for rock pooling and sea kayaking although access down the steep cliffs has to be planned at access points.

Exmoor can be visited at any time of the year. In winter the higher points near Dunkery Beacon can have a dusting of snow and driving can be hard. In the summer months the moor can be busy with visitors but there is enough space to escape and be alone in the landscape.

By Suzanne from Meandering Wild

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Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park – The 4th Largest National Park in UK

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park in UK is a relatively young park with its birthday/confirmation of formation date being 19th July 2002.

It is the 4th largest national park in the British Isles and it covers 1,865 square kilometres of Scottish Highlands, and is an integral experience of your Trip to Scotland, when you plan your 7 Day Scotland Travel Itinerary. The park is easily accessible by car, or public transport from Perth or Glasgow with many accommodation options all around the park.

An outdoor enthusiast won’t be bored visiting the area, in fact rather opposite; be prepared to be spoilt by a choice of activities.

Those who love walking can find 21 munros (Scottish mountains with a summit of more than 3000ft), with Ben Lomond being the most southerly munro. But this is not the end yet, the park is home to 19 corbetts (mountains over 2,500ft), with Ben A’an being our all-time favourite due to its amazing views over Loch Katrine.

For experienced climbers, The National Park offers many multi-pitch routes and bolted sport climbing, with the iconic mountain The Cobbler (or Ben Arthur) in Arrochar Alps. If you have no previous climbing experience but are keen to try, visit McLaren Community Leisure Centre in Callander for an indoor climbing wall and/or get lessons from a qualified instructor.

Cyclists can enjoy many car-free routes, including a route along Loch Katrine, suitable for the whole family. Within the park borders one can find routes at different levels of difficulties, suitable for road and mountain bikes.

Since Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is also a home to the largest lake in the UK, and over 20 stunning lochs (Scottish word for lakes) opportunities for water sports are endless as well. If you dare you can dip for a swim in freshwater, but it is Scotland after all, so expect the water to be very cold.

Kayaking, canoeing or paddling are very popular activities. The park provides opportunities for each level; try smaller and sheltered Loch Lubnaig if you are a beginner. Love the challenge, then enjoy amazing Loch Lomond or try open water at Loch Drunkie. The options are endless!

Even windsurfing lovers won’t be disappointed visiting the park as Loch Lomond is a popular windsurfing destination.

It is not common to find golf courses in a national park. But we are talking about Scotland, the home of golf. So you probably won’t be surprised to learn that there are 7 golf courses within the borders of the park.

By Beata from Stunning Outdoors

Longshaw Estate

When looking for the best national parks in the UK, the Peak District springs to mind. After exploring some outdoor spots in and around Sheffield I went to look for the closest places to visit in the Peak District from Sheffield. The residents of South Yorkshire will tell you just how lucky they are to have the Peak District on the doorstep. However, with the Peak District covering such a large area you can’t explore all the sites in the national park within one day. Because the park stretches over many counties, depending on where you are on the map, your experience will be completely unique. From Sheffield, you can easily visit the Longshaw Estate.

As part of the National Trust, this charity is set up specifically to conserve historic and natural landscapes, and own a percentage of the land in the Peak District National Park. These are landscapes that makeup and can be seen from the Longshaw Estate and bordering footpaths. This gives nature lovers an opportunity to be amongst some of the most preserved nature in the UK. Arriving at the visitor center of this National Trust Property you can start your route at the in house shooting lodge offering spectacular views of the rolling hills of Desert Valley. Following the windy trails, you discover unusual sites here such as millstone quarries to packhorse routes. If you are located in the nearby city of Sheffield you can arrive here by means of a car or public transport.

The Peak District and estates like Longshaw offer visitors looking for things to do in Sheffield and want to escape to the outdoors in a short space of time. Like most of the national parks, there are many things you can get involved with. Many visitors come here for hiking, abseiling, bouldering and even camping plus there is even more you can get up to. The grounds are open all year round apart from the 24th to the 26th of December. The area has total access including disabled toilets and available wheelchairs. Fox house pub is also another popular local stop which serves a traditional

British lunch located along the walk nearby, this is also a great starting point to get to the Longshaw Estate or walk further in the Peak District. So when looking for a national park in the UK to get outside and enjoy the crisp taste of air, head out to Sheffield’s peak district and the Longshaw Estate.

By Daniel James from Urban Road

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North Yorkshire Moors National Park

The North Yorkshire Moors National park is a beautiful national park in the north of England. Famous for moody landscapes, pretty purple heather, old steam trains and beautiful coastal villages there is so much to see and do in this wonderful UK national park. It is perfect for adventure and nature lovers alike!

The North Yorkshire Moors was one of the first national parks in the UK. It is easy to see why with its wonderfully varied landscapes. Nature lovers can choose from 3 main types of landscapes in the North Yorkshire Moors: woodland, coastal and moorland. There are also many ways to explore these Yorkshire landscapes.

The North Yorkshire Moors is a hiker’s paradise. You can climb wonderfully named peaks such as Roseberry Topping or walk along the coastline. There are also strange features such as the Devil’s Punchbowl to wander in! For many though, just wondering amongst the heather in August is a highlight of any trip to the North Yorkshire Moors national park. Also, the abundance of rain in this national park means there are some wonderful waterfalls! The waterfalls in Yorkshire are spectacular and you must add Old Meggisson and Falling Foss to your waterfalls in the North Yorkshire Moors bucket list!

Nature lovers will enjoy the beautiful landscapes whether on foot or by train! The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway that runs through the North Yorkshire Moors national park. It was closed but has reopened and is now a major tourist attraction in the area. Therefore, if you don’t fancy getting muddy boots, you can sit in the warmth and admire the beautiful landscape from the comfort of your train seat. If you would like to admire the coastline why not hop on a boat?! There are tours of Whitby harbour or you can join the Three sisters boat trip for the chance to see whales, dolphins and sea birds!

If you are an adventure lover you might enjoy an adrenaline rush at Dalby forest! Dalby Forest is one of the biggest trail centres in England which offers trails for all abilities. If you are looking for an adventure in the North Yorkshire Moors this is a good place to find it!

There is so much to see and do in this magnificent UK national park. Both adventure lovers and nature lovers will love visiting the North Yorkshire Moors.

By Anna from My Travel Scrapbook

Northumberland National Park

Northumberland National Park – England’s Northernmost National Park

Northumberland National Park is England’s northernmost National Park connecting the area between Hadrian’s Wall and the Scottish border in the north. Northumberland National Park is all the more stunning as its one of the least visited and populated of England’s National Parks.

The park covers more than 1,000 square kilometres and includes historic houses, like Cragside, to the immense Kielder Water reservoir and the incredible Hadrian’s Wall, which runs from the east to the west coast of the country.

Northumberland National Park is an outstanding park to visit for adventure and nature lovers because of the outdoor activities it offers. The Park is a Dark Skies site and I can think of nowhere better to get a great look at the night sky without light pollution. There are many holiday cottages that can be rented within the park areas that are literally in the middle of nowhere, so if it’s splendid isolation you’re looking for, then it’s here you need to come.

There are more than 700 miles of walking paths in the National Park, with trails for all standards – including the Hadrian’s Walk trail from coast to coast and sections of the Pennine Way. The Kielder Water National Reserve, which is entirely within Northumberland National Park provides for canoeing, sailing and water skiing and is surrounded by glorious walks. For history lovers, the iconic Hadrian’s Wall is a fascinating trail to talk, either in bite-sized daily pieces or in its entirety – the 135 kilometres route goes from east coast to the west coast.

As one of the least populated and least visited National Parks, Northumberland National Park is a fabulous place to see the natural world. Here many rivers are home to salmon and trout and annual salmon leaps – where salmon’s return to their spawning ground to breed is a sight to behold. And when it comes to animals Northumberland has one of England’s secrets. The park is one of the few places that is still home to the native red squirrel. In most of England, you can only see the grey squirrel, introduced from the United States, but the red squirrel has made its home here in the woodlands and forest of the National Park.

Northumberland National Park is a stunning, vast area that is all the more special because there are very few visitors here, so head north and experience this amazing place!

By Sarah from Let’s Grow Cook

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Peak District National Park

Peak District – The first National Park in the UK

The Peak District was the first national park in the UK, and still remains one of the most visited. The national park spans 555 square miles and is located within five counties, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. It is one of the most accessible national parks in the UK as it is within a four hour drive for 80% of the UK, making it no surprise that over 10 million people visit a year. The Peak District has 65 miles of off road cycling trails, and 1600 miles of hiking paths and even one of the longest walking trails in the UK, the Pennine Way passes through the Peak District.

The landscape of the park is made up of moorlands, hills and farmlands, and the highest point, Kinder Scout is 636 metres above sea level.

One of the quaintest villages in the Peak District is Castleton in Hope Valley. It has long been a hotspot for hikers, outdoor lovers and history buffs. Situated in Derbyshire, the village can be reached by car or train. The train journey from Sheffield is only half an hour, making it highly accessible.

The charming village of Castleton, is known for being home to Mam Tor, also known as Shivering Mountain. The top of Mam Tor provides dramatic views of the Peak District, and the hike takes only two hours from the village centre, making it a popular amongst families as well as seasoned trekkers.

Looming high above Castleton is also the 11th century ruins of Peveril Castle, one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. The castle makes for another great hike in the area as it is perched well above Hope Valley.

For those who would rather take in some history, Castleton is home to some of the best show caves and caverns in the country, such as Speedwell Cavern, Peak Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern. To end your visit a traditional afternoon tea or a pub lunch is a must, especially when visiting this beautiful English village in the Peak District.

By Roshni from The Wanderlust Within

Pembrokeshire National Park

Pembrokeshire National Park – The only coastal National Park in UK

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is unique among all UK National Parks, as it’s the only coastal National Park in the country. Most of it is concentrated around the coast of the county of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales, with a small section inland encompassing the Preseli Hills, a wild, remote range in the north of the county.

Pembrokeshire has always had something of a historic divide, between the Anglicised south and the Welsh-speaking north. The coastal scenery is often wild throughout the county, but it’s more rugged in the north, and there are also far less beaches than the south.

As far as adventure goes, one of the best things to do in Pembrokeshire is the coastal walking. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path was always a bit of a holy grail for long distance walkers, keen to cover the 186 miles (299 km) – this has since been incorporated into the Wales Coast Path, of which it’s one of the best two or three sections. I’ve walked most of the Path, just not in one go.

If you’re a beginner, an 8-mile (12 km) circular walk starting and finishing in the tiny city of St David’s, with the golden sands of Caerfai Bay your first stop. If you’re a more seasoned walker, the final northern section of the walk, from Newport to St Dogmaels, is one of the best coastal hikes you’ll ever attempt.

There are plenty of other activities for the adventurer in Pembrokeshire. It’s one of the places where coasteering – navigating the coastline at sea level – began, and St Non’s Bay, to the south of St David’s, is a great setting for this. You can also try your hand at sea kayaking at nearby Porth Clais, or surfing 6 miles (10 km) east at fantastic Newgale beach.

Pembrokeshire is also known throughout the UK and beyond for its beaches. Barafundle Bay, in the south of the county, is one of the most popular, and I’d also recommend Whitesands Bay near St David’s and Freshwater West, in the south of the county. As for a base to explore Pembrokeshire, St David’s is great, with a medieval cathedral that is the most impressive church in Wales. The seaside town of Tenby is another favourite, with three awesome beaches and one of the most picturesque harbours on the planet.

By David Angel from Delve into Europe

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Snowdonia National Park

The Snowdonia National Park is located in a mountainous region in the Northwestern part of Wales. It has a total size of 823 square miles and was actually the first to be designated as a national park in Wales in 1951. It is home to some of the highest peaks in the UK outside of Scotland.

Why should you visit? Well, Snowdonia is a dream. It consists of lush green hills, picturesque villages, lots and lots of fluffy sheep and a totally romantic scenery. Still, there is lots of adventure waiting to be discovered – from intense hikes over mountain biking at Coed y Brenin to trying out the longest zip line in Europe at Zip World Velocity. There is really so much to see and do!

But there are also a few hidden treasures that you should put on your list: The South of the park in particular is still a real insider tip away from the hustle and bustle and the demanding tours on the ridges of the Cader Idris is amazing as well as Bodnant Garden, which is one of the most beautiful British gardens.

Even if Snowdon can be overcrowded at times, you shouldn’t miss the highest mountain in Wales. There are many paths to its summit in various degrees of difficulty and it does give you the best feeling to actually reach the peak, feeling super tired but also super proud.

A trip to Newborough Warren, one of the most beautiful dune landscapes in Great Britain, is also worthwhile. This patch of Earth is very popular with the Welsh. The beach is full of families and youth groups splashing, grilling and/or drinking beer in the water. We suggest taking a leisurely stroll to the tidal island of Ynys Llanddwyn. According to legend, Dor founded a monastery at Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers.

Not an insider tip, but the hike up to the Cnicht is still nice and quite lonely! The Cnicht is often referred to as the “Matterhorn of Wales” due to its striking shape. According to our hiking guide, the tour to its summit should last 6 hours, whereas it took us 3 hours to make it to the top. I don’t know how we did it, but I guess we found a secret shortcut, which is so secret that we met no one but dirty sheep. We won’t tell you where it is, but we’re sure you’ll find it!

By Clemens Sehi from Travellers Archive

South Downs National Park

South Downs National Park – Youngest national park in Great Britain

South Downs National Park is located in south-east England. This is the youngest national park in Great Britain. It covers an area of approximately 1,600 square kilometres and stretches over 140 kilometres between the city of Winchester in the west and Eastbourne in the east. South Downs National Park was established only in 2010. Although its creation was recommended in 1947, it took the authorities 52 years to make a decision. Implementation of the plan took another decade. Finally, the park opened its doors officially only on April 1, 2011.

The park stretches across three counties: Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex. It covers the range of Cretaceous South Down hills, which terminate in the chalky cliffs of Beachy Head in Eastbourne, and much of West Weald, which is characterized by heavily forested sandstone and clay hills and valleys. Visiting this part of England is a must! Our favourite place is Seven Sister Cliffs – one of the most stunning landscapes in Southern England. 160 km South Downs Way runs through the park, which is one of the National Trails long distance routes in Great Britain and the only one that lies entirely within the national park.

Thanks to very good train connections with London, the area is the favourite destination for weekend getaways for the residents of the British capital. The hills are a great place for walking, cycling and horse riding. There are as many as 3200 kilometres of well-marked paths throughout the park, so everybody will find a suitable trial.

South Downs is not only nature, but also history. Man has already inhabited these lands in prehistoric times. Most archaeological finds come from the Roman period. However, the most famous is Cissbury Ring – the second largest fort in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. The chalky cliffs of Beachy Head attract not only tourists but also film crews. It was here that he reached the shore after the crusade “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves” played by Kevin Costner.

If you love nature and plan visiting one of the National Parks in the UK, start with South Downs. It really is one of the most stunning parks in the United Kingdom!

By Darek from Darek and Gosia

Yorkshire Dales National Park

Yorkshire Dales National Park – One of the Most Stunning National Parks in UK

Yorkshire is the largest county in the UK so it is no surprise that it is also home to one of the most stunning National Parks in the UK. The Yorkshire Dales National Park was formed in 1954 in recognition of its extraordinary natural beauty and was extended to reach further into Cumbria, Lancashire and more of Yorkshire in 2016.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a vast and interesting place to visit and can occupy any outdoor enthusiast for months with an array of activities, sights to see and more. You won’t just be filled with natural beauty and stunning views but also warm welcomes and kind hearts welcoming you into their homes and villages.

Depending on what you love to do will depend on where in the Yorkshire Dales National Park you want to go. Though anywhere you go you will find something to do. If you like to visit film locations then the Yorkshire Dales is a place for you, with scenes from Harry Potter films at Malham Cove’s stunning limestone walls and villages such as Kettlewell playing a big role in the 2003 Calendar Girls film starring Dame Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

One of the biggest challenges for hiking enthusiasts is the Yorkshire Three Peaks, a 24-mile hike up three of the biggest hills, Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales. This can be done as part of a tour, by yourself (there are some rules before taking on the challenge) or as part of fundraising activity.

One of my favourite activities to do while in the Yorkshire Dales is walking and hiking. There are stunning views and walks around the villages, to waterfalls and by rivers. Visit some of the stunning limestone features with the most popular being Malham Cove and don’t forget to see the peaceful reservoir of Malham Tarn.

Other activities include rock climbing, nature works and visiting some of the many waterfalls in and around the hills and villages. Many of the local village pubs have beer gardens that back onto rivers and streams so you can spend a sunny afternoon having lunch by the water. Along with visiting places above ground level, you can also explore some of the natural caves such as Yordas Cave or Ingleborough Caves.

There are so many diverse activities you can do in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park that it would take a lifetime to see and do them all.

By Helen & Cora Harrison from Inside Our Suitcase

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