tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204270722024-03-18T03:03:48.508+00:00random thoughts...on London, climbing, running, cycling, writing software, photography, music...See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-8705230447368783582021-01-17T17:47:00.021+00:002021-01-18T08:57:22.915+00:00Inov-8 Trailtalon 290 review<p>As winter sets in, and mud takes over, I need a pair of decent trail shoes that can take me from my doorstep to the local woods in London. I recently bought a pair of Inov-8 Trailtalon 290 online, and having put them through a few long-ish (up to 18 miles) multi-terrain runs in London and in the Cotswolds, I have decided to write a quick review.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeGh94HgG0fkTQnwsziKDViu_2fUsuummUp179UbT0a95MCsohno1CGormW3JePaBZiFnT5HV0EfVugrNNNo708bCdlDp-CRD0pDMm2B5xKsCb_PoNldw3sC5ofWmOgBljUQg7w/s4160/IMG_20210117_114737916.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeGh94HgG0fkTQnwsziKDViu_2fUsuummUp179UbT0a95MCsohno1CGormW3JePaBZiFnT5HV0EfVugrNNNo708bCdlDp-CRD0pDMm2B5xKsCb_PoNldw3sC5ofWmOgBljUQg7w/w640-h480/IMG_20210117_114737916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Grip</h2><p>I will start with what they is not. With 4mm deep lugs, they are not going to cope well in deep mud - you will be sliding around. I feel more confident running in my Roclite in similar situations. However, Trailtalon's lug pattern seems to be surprisingly effective at shedding mud, and I actually think they offer much better grip than the other shoes with similar lug depth that I have worn, including the Parkclaw.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWWbOf-dYtBMlIzMFSGFV4riPFf4hzZfIoo01aGfCOLab5EGGGV2GQ7ULCfPHbSpWqcTRA5yum9GCxhiCOarPpJXwxuBRiQy4z7iiELrO4gdusyCMJqAKSkidI8fHeKS4NFRIfg/s4160/IMG_20210117_114950232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWWbOf-dYtBMlIzMFSGFV4riPFf4hzZfIoo01aGfCOLab5EGGGV2GQ7ULCfPHbSpWqcTRA5yum9GCxhiCOarPpJXwxuBRiQy4z7iiELrO4gdusyCMJqAKSkidI8fHeKS4NFRIfg/w300-h400/IMG_20210117_114950232.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Road feel</h2><p>Living 2 miles from the nearest wood, I need a pair of shoes that would not turn running on tarmac into a chore. Specifically, I don't want a pair of shoes that constantly remind you that you are running on a bed of pointy studs every step you take. The Trailtalon really excel in this department. I can run for miles thinking that I am wearing a decent pair of road shoes.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fit and comfort</h2><p>Another reason I bought the Trailtalon was because I wanted a pair of comfortable shoes for an upcoming ultra. The event was cancelled due to Covid, so I cannot comment on how comfortable they are for ultra-distance running. However, having done a few long-ish runs in them, I certainly appreciate the wider toe box. They are roomy enough without compromising control.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Weight and material</h2><p>They are, and certainly feel, light. One more point I will highlight is how fast-draining they are. Having run through many ankle/calf/knee-deep puddles in them, I am impressed by how quickly they dry out, after just a few minutes of squelching strides. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a pair of poor-draining shoes in the winter.</p><div><i>I will probably write a long-term review after running 200+ miles in them, but for now I think I have found the perfect pair of road-to-trail shoes.</i></div><p><br /></p>See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-27973136810603796902020-06-21T21:09:00.000+01:002020-07-10T20:40:55.626+01:00Fixing bike tyre cuts using neoprene glueI have always used the most bomb-proof puncture resistant tyres on my bikes. Over the years, I have put to test the following on the mean streets of London: <i>Continental Gator Hardshell,</i> <i>Schwalbe Marathon Plus</i>, <i>Vittoria Randonneur</i>, <i>Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase</i>, <i>Panaracer Pasela</i>...<br />
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While they all have pretty sturdy protection layers, some are more cut-prone then others. Every time I pick a bit of glass out from the tyre surface, my <i>OCD</i> makes me want to do something about the damaged rubber. Most cyclists would argue that as long as the protection layer is not compromised, one should not need to worry too much about these holes. However, there is always the chance of the holes getting bigger from further wear, or future sharp bits getting trapped causing more damage.</div>
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I have tried different types of superglue in the past, but none has really worked - the hardened glue just falls out over time. Recently, I read somewhere that neoprene/wetsuit glue, which is flexible, works quite well, and I decided to give it ago. I bough a tube of <a href="https://www.stormsure.com/neoprene-queen/neoprene-queen-5g-tube.html">Stormsure Neoprene Queen Wetsuit Repair Adhesive</a> for a couple of quid online.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHznBxCbHVTWq_rPMZwPZFIDTfdlbXlfAgupkrUQPgdLcliMgoBHmk6-2MwGTdIezIx0gbqVyqtIwLoqXnltygJtzCUUHOj0EwHvZ1c5J2xpkIz835zRNGeiSNZXnBcYgi0MkFg/s1600/IMG_20200619_175246649_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHznBxCbHVTWq_rPMZwPZFIDTfdlbXlfAgupkrUQPgdLcliMgoBHmk6-2MwGTdIezIx0gbqVyqtIwLoqXnltygJtzCUUHOj0EwHvZ1c5J2xpkIz835zRNGeiSNZXnBcYgi0MkFg/s320/IMG_20200619_175246649_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggryJxFA-lD6yyHyYRz9NEep972PM5FIaQ8sjj0YuIh5YgHv0_qzavfbyGUOXazvEYs55FNnWHmWNx2AyLcApBKHU-c9GxWHXqOZHXxK7RZiUlzn3IUFYZZWxbD7QZk34-rcjl4A/s1600/IMG_20200619_175258178_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggryJxFA-lD6yyHyYRz9NEep972PM5FIaQ8sjj0YuIh5YgHv0_qzavfbyGUOXazvEYs55FNnWHmWNx2AyLcApBKHU-c9GxWHXqOZHXxK7RZiUlzn3IUFYZZWxbD7QZk34-rcjl4A/s320/IMG_20200619_175258178_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The glue is quite thick, so I had to use a stick to try and push the glue into the small opening to fill it up.</div>
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This is how the cut looks before and after the repair:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDC_ba30ka8sC3tmHKuJlST9UYNVn_HJlIEn4V9FSCiN3yDdvbHUYzd9LpEZtKoVWTWusDGuZC-vYW2uSl-S2-tF3ags9auotQSuxM8EwfFOY0p80DMg-Grail5gt5C9vRY8ChQ/s1600/IMG_20200618_094236030_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDC_ba30ka8sC3tmHKuJlST9UYNVn_HJlIEn4V9FSCiN3yDdvbHUYzd9LpEZtKoVWTWusDGuZC-vYW2uSl-S2-tF3ags9auotQSuxM8EwfFOY0p80DMg-Grail5gt5C9vRY8ChQ/s320/IMG_20200618_094236030_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut on the Continental Gator Hardshell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6u5qexOt-Mb3uz9bR8VMUjAgoMmphzH9-NuHfO3CBmBc_O6yC2lZf7tslUYT3rBMj9Lx6l09FfN5Uraxl7BydgT332VKVHqY-c2hSRyJNvhomtWAHUte_vhDIRUKcIigSYsDZg/s1600/IMG_20200618_203053242_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6u5qexOt-Mb3uz9bR8VMUjAgoMmphzH9-NuHfO3CBmBc_O6yC2lZf7tslUYT3rBMj9Lx6l09FfN5Uraxl7BydgT332VKVHqY-c2hSRyJNvhomtWAHUte_vhDIRUKcIigSYsDZg/s320/IMG_20200618_203053242_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After applying the glue and leaving overnight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63fO_QdiJSaKd6f8PKJmXrtEsL1DzjDn9ebLaIAq6ml4hRf0wFhX80WvfTpGHyP6DHBu3gvkts4o5Rm3bYpyxQ1e8tRHnRLEaaZt84oyk0yjD3iHPs0G-1aXtDNvhcGruQlP5mA/s1600/IMG_20200619_175547479_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63fO_QdiJSaKd6f8PKJmXrtEsL1DzjDn9ebLaIAq6ml4hRf0wFhX80WvfTpGHyP6DHBu3gvkts4o5Rm3bYpyxQ1e8tRHnRLEaaZt84oyk0yjD3iHPs0G-1aXtDNvhcGruQlP5mA/s320/IMG_20200619_175547479_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 30 miles of road riding</td></tr>
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The glue seems to be holding up after 30 miles of riding on tarmac. It certainly seems more promising than anything I have tried before. Let's see what happens after hundreds of miles!<br />
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<i>Update: The glue is still holding up after 100+ miles. Certain bits are starting to look a bit thin, and I suspect I will need to "top up" every now and then. So far I am pretty happy!</i></div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-71245861560752860182018-06-06T00:17:00.000+01:002018-06-06T09:17:50.055+01:00Pen-y-Ghent - running my first fell race<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwUZJyPC0lRqbTOv_nyJRfA8QnallFowC3OHIPI9_RCH9EodS7YyX2SAaXQMdUyIbvxSAYW_LUT1qugeIti1vyuJbKiPNnCxqr0a6CVsk4H8g5UGv3YDXb_F7p_8YZXtX-wTWyg/s1600/20180602_145456+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwUZJyPC0lRqbTOv_nyJRfA8QnallFowC3OHIPI9_RCH9EodS7YyX2SAaXQMdUyIbvxSAYW_LUT1qugeIti1vyuJbKiPNnCxqr0a6CVsk4H8g5UGv3YDXb_F7p_8YZXtX-wTWyg/s640/20180602_145456+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bumbags everywhere</td></tr>
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"You should give it a go!" The voice of <b>Roger Baumeister</b> echoed through my head as I let gravity take over, trying desperately to stay with a group of runners on the grassy slope of Pen-y-Ghent.<br />
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As a runner and a lover of hills and mountains, I have always been fascinated by the history of fell running in the UK. I had read about all the superhuman achievements in <i>Feet in the Clouds</i>, and I was absolutely gripped by <b>Steve Birkinshaw</b>'s Wainwright record attempt as documented in <i>There is no Map in Hell</i>. However, I had never really expected to take part in actual fell racing myself. In a weird way, the more I read about the fells, the more they, and the runners on them, wanted to remain in this shroud of mystery. The idea of fell racing seemed to be just too removed from my daily existence.<br />
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This all changed after a chance meeting with a legend. Earlier on in April, Sze Kiu and I were running along the ridge of Mam Tor during our Easter holiday break up in Edale. When we got back down to the village, a walker started talking to me. We started talking about running, and he told me that he used to do a fair bit of running and racing. At some point, we mentioned the Double Bob Graham Round. It soon transpired that he was the previous record holder until <b>Nicky Spinks</b> broke the record in 2016. His name was <b>Roger Baumeister</b>. I was struck by how humble Roger was despite his achievement, and I felt genuinely inspired.<br />
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Fast forward a month. Sze Kiu and I were planning our trip up North to see a few relatives end of May/June. Suddenly I had a light-bulb moment - maybe we can attempt our first fell race! When I discovered on the <a href="http://fellrunner.org.uk/">Fell Runners Association website</a> that there was to be the <a href="http://www.settleharriers.org/PenyghentFellRace.php">Pen-y-Ghent fell race</a> in the Yorkshire Dales in early June, I immediately got in touch with the organiser from the <a href="http://www.settleharriers.org/">Settle Harriers</a>, Gary, to enquire about the event. I did not know whether it was going to be an event dominated by local club runners, but his response was extremely welcoming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKmoMu9UPEyvJNnPP3SDidugp8wbD5NADIc9oQlLyAY8SKYWMQlZIIlvwWLXw-UQv2WdOESTIW5xN8KZTdg_kEKfZMTRfxF5DTTivx0NVOv4cpBgvLCUi3lkWWloYWpHuR0pw_w/s1600/14553997033_278cebe10f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKmoMu9UPEyvJNnPP3SDidugp8wbD5NADIc9oQlLyAY8SKYWMQlZIIlvwWLXw-UQv2WdOESTIW5xN8KZTdg_kEKfZMTRfxF5DTTivx0NVOv4cpBgvLCUi3lkWWloYWpHuR0pw_w/s640/14553997033_278cebe10f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/levestane/14553997033</td></tr>
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So on Saturday 2 June, we found ourselves driving into Horton-in-Ribblesdale, the starting/end point of the race. We parked our car in a designated field next near the village centre. Minutes later, another car pulled up beside ours. Its owner was a runner from <a href="https://www.barlickfellrunners.org.uk/">Barlick Fell Runners</a>, who started chatting to us, and we talked more about the route. The race is classified as an FRA AM-category race, which basically means it is medium distance (6.8 miles) and steep (1700+ ft ascend). We paid our £5 per-person entry fee, and pinned our race numbers to our tops. Before long, more runners arrived and we started running around the field to warm up. There were no pre-race shenanigans. It was all a fairly low-profile affair (although the village gala was also taking place at the time). Ten mins before 3pm, Gary gathered the 140 bumbag-wearing runners to the start line, and with a simple send-off message of "look out for one another on the hills", we were off. We made our way across the bridge up to the foot of Pen-y-Ghent. As it was quite a misty day, I could not really see what was high up above us, and it felt slightly surreal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9yKnFOgV6-YloK2K6X-dYLctVE2yBLZzHdzuIMPdHy8L9ybRrLU9TRLTjXT9LE5vx_tPpm8O5NWikyat7fgkGbussbDQZeP74UMaAOoT5BKK8jgsPcXlYV9JsLIwPUslk0owbw/s1600/Screenshot+2018-06-05+at+23.58.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="923" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9yKnFOgV6-YloK2K6X-dYLctVE2yBLZzHdzuIMPdHy8L9ybRrLU9TRLTjXT9LE5vx_tPpm8O5NWikyat7fgkGbussbDQZeP74UMaAOoT5BKK8jgsPcXlYV9JsLIwPUslk0owbw/s640/Screenshot+2018-06-05+at+23.58.15.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I stayed with Sze Kiu for a mile before saying goodbye to her as I picked up my pace to start the climb. Soon slope turned into steps. Steps turned into higher steps. I had to resort to the hands-on-knees technique, while making sure I didn't lose pace. After 2 miles of relentless climbing and a short flat section, the ground dropped abruptly, and nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. I paused for half-a-second, and a bunch of runners out of nowhere sprinted past me downhill! Trying to follow them, I started to pick up my pace again. I looked at my watch and I was surprised to see that I was running close to 6:30 min/mile, and people were still overtaking me. I watched how the other runners were planting their feet. I soon learnt to relax my body, and started to trust the springy mossy ground, while still very much concentrating on where I was heading. It was hard work trying to keep up the speed, but it was becoming actually quite enjoyable.<b> Suddenly it all clicked, and I felt I knew what fell racing was all about.</b><br />
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There was another short hill to climb before a "gentler" descend down to the village. Runners were cheering when I got to the end. I was happy to see plenty of cakes waiting for us tired runners! My time was 1 hour 7 minutes, almost 20 minutes behind the fastest runner. It was a respectable time, and I was more than happy with my middle-of-the-pack finish. Sze Kiu finished 19 minutes after me (1 hour 26 minutes), and I was happy to see how she crossed the finish line with a big smile on her face. For both of us, it was an incredible experience. It was pure, unpretentious running - just a bunch of runners enjoying the hills.<br />
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I must thank Gary and Karen, and the rest of the <a href="http://www.settleharriers.org/">Settle Harriers</a>, in particular the marshals on the hill, for putting on this amazing annual event and for cheering the runners along the way. We felt very welcomed and we will most certainly be back next year!See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-41457767794099577512018-03-25T19:24:00.000+01:002018-03-25T19:24:11.309+01:00Hornsey Town Hall - another art demo gem with an uncertain futureWe were lucky enough today to go on a tour of the grade II* Listed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornsey_Town_Hall">Hornsey Town Hall</a> in Crouch End today. It was designed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Uren">Reginald Uren</a> in the 30s, after his European modernist grand tour with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Holden">Holden</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Pick">Pick</a>. As of mid 2018, it is scheduled to be turned into a hotel/art space/co-working space complex. While some of the original features will no doubt be retained, I would not be surprised if the interior and the layout are going to undergo huge transformation, with some of its highlights, such as the airy Council Chamber, at risk. Here are my attempts to capture some of its faded elegance:<br />
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<span id="goog_827872757"></span>See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-68745644285350226272018-02-04T18:21:00.000+00:002018-02-04T18:21:03.085+00:00Seville in photos - the past, the future and the presentRecently, we had the privilege to visit Seville in Andalusia, southern Spain. Apart from the major tourist attractions, such as the Real Alcázar and the Plaza de España, we also visited a few other slightly less frequented sites. Here are 3 of my favourites in photos, which, together, embody the evolution of the amazing city.<br />
<h2>
Centro de la Cerámica de Triana</h2>
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The neighbourhood of <b>Triana</b> presents a pleasant contrast to the Mudéjar elegance of the Seville old town across the river. Tucked behind the <b>Mercado de Triana</b>, which itself is well worth visiting, is the <b>Centro de la Cerámica de Triana</b>. Not only does the museum showcase Triana's industrial ceramic-producing past, it also documents other important aspects of the neighbourhood's history, including flamenco and fiestas.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti-ed shopfront on Calle Antillano Campos, next to the museum </td></tr>
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<h2>
Expo '92 Grounds</h2>
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Visiting the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_Expo_%2792">Expo '92</a> grounds can be a surreal experience. With abandoned structures either rusting quietly behind gates or nestling uneasily next to business buildings - half of the site is now part of the Technology Park of Cartuja - the site is not exactly tourist-friendly. We approached from the southern end of <b>Jardin Americano</b> via the Pasarela de la Cartuja bridge. How or whether the expo benefited the economy of the city is perhaps hard to quantify, but what remains of it certainly gives us, present-day visitors, a rare chance to catch a glimpse of the early 90s optimism. I recommend reading <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/07/arts/the-talk-of-seville-in-expo-architecture-mishmash-means-eclectic.html">this 1992 article</a>, followed by <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/seville-expo-cnngo/index.html">this article on a 2015 visit</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hungarian Pavillion</td></tr>
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<h2>
Metropol Parasol</h2>
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How the residents of Seville allowed this alien structure to land right in the middle of the old town I do not know. However, I applaud the city for having the audacity and the vision to create this amazing structure. Tourists take the elevated walk on top of the structure to drink in the stunning view it has to offer, while local children rollerskate around the plaza that it sits upon. It was almost a true Utopian vision, except for the sight of a sad lonely food store sitting in the arcade underneath, which for whatever reasons, remained largely unoccupied.</div>
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See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-38891615624430911112017-12-10T19:03:00.000+00:002018-03-03T13:00:32.097+00:00Trail running in South East LondonAccording to <a href="http://www.gigl.org.uk/keyfigures/">statistics from GiGL</a>, 47% of London is "green". Although it is true that, around central London and along major roads, fumes can often overcome your senses, as a long-term Londoner, I find it surprisingly easy to find an oasis nearby to escape from the noise and the smoke.<br />
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I am a big fan of running on mud, grass, gravel and rocks. Compared with pounding the pavement, running on (semi-)natural terrain is infinitely more liberating for your mind and less harsh on you body, in my opinion. While you are not going to get the same experience as you would running in the Lakeland fells, with a bit of research, you should be able to find a route within London which would reward you with miles of freedom.<br />
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We live in Brockley, south east London. Since starting running in 2016, I have been seeking out trails around south east London, mostly along the excellent <a href="http://www.greenchain.com/site/index.php">Green Chain</a>. Here are my 4 recommendations:<br />
<h2>
Dulwich Wood</h2>
<i>Last remnant of the Great North Wood</i><br />
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Closest station: Forest Hill<br />
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<b>Dulwich Wood</b>, along with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood, is a slither of woodland that stretches from the the <b>Horniman Museum</b> in <b>Forest Hill</b>, down to <b>Crystal Palace</b>. Though popular with local residents, it has a rare unspoilt feel, and it is an absolute joy to run along the soft trails inside. First-timers may find the winding trails confusing, but owing to its slender shape, nagivating the wood is not as taxing as it seems. We usually run from Brockley to the north-western corner of the Horniman Museum Gardens, follow the footpath down the western side of the gardens, before crossing the busy South Circular Road to enter the wood via <b>Lapse Wood Walk</b>. From there, I tend to follow a mile-long trail to the southern edge of the wood, and climb up the steep and sustained <b>Low Wood Cross Lane</b>, before running along <b>Crescent Wood Road</b> to re-enter the wood for more off-road running.<br />
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Tips: combine this with loops around <b>Dulwich Park</b> via <b>Cox's Walk</b> (there is a nice walking/running trail around the perimeter of the park) or loops around <b>Crystal Palace Park</b> via <b>College Road</b>.<br />
<h2>
Oxleas Wood</h2>
<div>
<i>Nice cafe for a cuppa</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/alihodza/4577668903/</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer/5331065939/</td></tr>
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Closest station: Falconwood<br />
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Compared with Dulwich Wood, <b>Oxleas Wood</b> is slightly out of the way, but it is well-worth visiting for the view from the top of Shooters Hill (where the cafe is), a more varied terrain, and the opportunity to visit a unique 18th-century folly. We usually start from the carpark by the <a href="http://www.oxleaswood.com/the-oxlea-wood-cafe/">cafe</a>, and follow trails in a semi-random manner inside Oxleas Wood and <b>Jack Wood</b> (where you will find <a href="http://www.oxleaswood.com/the-oxlea-wood-cafe/">Severndroog Castle</a>). Across Rochester Way, there is also <b>Shepherdleas Wood</b>, which also offers excellent running.<br />
<h2>
Beckenham Park Place</h2>
<i>An oasis divided by a railway line</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/clogsilk/38401131216/</td></tr>
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Going crazy!</div>
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Closest stations: Beckenham Hill, Ravensbourne<br />
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<b>Beckenham Park Place</b> is effectively divided into two parts by a railway line - the eastern half is an open meadow flanked by the river Ravensbourne, which joins the mighty Thames near Greenwich, and the western half is beautifully landscaped around the <b>Summerhouse Hill Wood</b>, with the classically designed <a href="https://www.beckenhamplace.org/">mansion</a> sitting near the western edge of the park. Beckenham Park Place is a great place for off-road running. You can explore the various paths inside the wood, but you will never get lost since, as soon as you get to the edge of wood, you will either see the railway line or the mansion! I do encourage any runner to lose themselves, forget about any fixed routes, and just explore this beautiful park.<br />
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<h2>
Nunhead Cemetery</h2>
<i>A hidden gem</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclzRGybguHenDV_2sCN5P5P9sx_nTvsmzQh1XFtVjFzypR_w2ruWRXb9x4T8r4Fin4yzqailXcst3N_xrJiytWX5u6T3WXJUDXO2qF9CCBrDHNgq6ZQiDDTCasMyRsCBNBzMW6Q/s1600/Screenshot+2017-12-10+at+18.51.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="780" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclzRGybguHenDV_2sCN5P5P9sx_nTvsmzQh1XFtVjFzypR_w2ruWRXb9x4T8r4Fin4yzqailXcst3N_xrJiytWX5u6T3WXJUDXO2qF9CCBrDHNgq6ZQiDDTCasMyRsCBNBzMW6Q/s640/Screenshot+2017-12-10+at+18.51.47.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Closest station: Nunhead<br />
<br />
This is our local favourite. It is compact (the outer loop is just exactly 1 mile long), but it is atmospheric and it even has a hill with a surprising view of St Paul's! <b>Nunhead Cemetery</b> is one of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificent_Seven_cemeteries">Magnificent Seven Victorian Cemeteries</a>. While it is not as famous as some of the others, it is, in my opinion, the most magnificent. (OK, Highgate is pretty awesome, but you have to pay to go in...) Even if you do not plan to go running, you should definitely pay this beautiful Victorian gem a visit.<br />
<br />
Tips: combine with the loops round <b>Peckham Rye Park/Common</b>.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br />
<i>I went for a run around Nunhead Cemetery on an unusually snowy March morning, and was inspired to write the following haiku:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Footprints beside tombs;</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Snow melts, returning to earth.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Memories remain.</span></i></div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-55933276137908760972017-02-12T18:55:00.004+00:002017-02-21T14:21:33.692+00:00Cyclists: how to stay safe on London's roadsFirst of all, as a daily bike commuter in London town, I would encourage anyone to consider cycling to work. Yes, there are inherent risks, and I have seen many close calls since I ditched the Tube for the bike (coming up to 10 years now!). However, if you keep your wits about you, you can really enjoy a safe, stress-free experience on the road. 🚴😎<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The internet is full of helpful tips on cycling in the city, so I am not going to go into details here, but it is worth reminding yourself every now and again to:<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>be seen - wear high-viz or high-contrast clothing</li>
<li>light up - don't forget your lights, especially during winter mornings</li>
<li>signal - let other road users know your intention</li>
<li>be assertive - hold your position and don't get pushed to the pavement</li>
<li>look behind you - be aware of the traffic around you </li>
<li>not jump the lights - traffic lights are there for a reason</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
Instead, I would like to focus on a few scenarios that can lead to potential accidents.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<h2>
Beware of <i>slow</i> traffic 1 (oncoming traffic turning right)</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When traffic starts to slow down, watch out for gaps developing.<br />
<br />
Imagine this: on a two-lane road, you are cycling along the left-hand-side bus lane, and to the right, cars are starting to go slow, maybe even slower than you. Suddenly a car in front stops to let another car in the opposite direction turn right. While waving "thank you" to the friendly driver, the right-turning driver step on the accelerator and drive straight into your path - <b>they just cannot see you</b>.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9gUS7ZLqtj1yYX5UA5EbTSOVAmnHRNd2X7ByYgDm9tHh5rClsf0g2BDFGeDqawEFm4T6_gKCZTvDIHTaZSYAYXjqoljkjzKm9w0qPBAcXdCJMFrV3WiwO98nSpzQIdGyuo_-4A/s1600/IMG_20170212_212733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9gUS7ZLqtj1yYX5UA5EbTSOVAmnHRNd2X7ByYgDm9tHh5rClsf0g2BDFGeDqawEFm4T6_gKCZTvDIHTaZSYAYXjqoljkjzKm9w0qPBAcXdCJMFrV3WiwO98nSpzQIdGyuo_-4A/s400/IMG_20170212_212733.jpg" width="346" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oncoming traffic turning right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Bus lanes do not make you invincible</b>, so be extra careful when you are <b>undertaking</b> slow/queuing traffic. Reduce your speed, and watch out for gaps (as well as kamikaze pedestrians).<br />
<br /></div>
<h2>
Beware of <i>slow</i> traffic 2 (traffic ahead turning right)</h2>
<div>
<div>
<br />
OK, so undertaking is dangerous, what about overtaking by filtering between opposite lanes? I mean, motorcyclists do it all the time, right?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Remember, you are only fast enough to overtake traffic if cars are slowing down. Why do cars slow down? A car in front maybe waiting for an opportunity to turn right (hence holding up the traffic behind). The driver may then have spotted a gap and, without noticing you, they drive straight into you.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fi_iBQ8SdcEawMLFxUgcSxIjn_CsafZpmaaAwFs1KmEZ0S3B4le42GAB5l_DJJ5JnZDGqC4ngogm72xd81-pgXEZQ57PBXrfSzfKd5BZWTbLGyw2bM0vuNARKnTcxSgOxdEDLQ/s1600/IMG_20170212_212802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fi_iBQ8SdcEawMLFxUgcSxIjn_CsafZpmaaAwFs1KmEZ0S3B4le42GAB5l_DJJ5JnZDGqC4ngogm72xd81-pgXEZQ57PBXrfSzfKd5BZWTbLGyw2bM0vuNARKnTcxSgOxdEDLQ/s400/IMG_20170212_212802.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic ahead turning right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you want to <b>overtake</b> traffic, be extra careful and <b>watch out for cars turning right</b>. Again, reduce your speed, and <b>do not assume that drivers will always signal</b>.<br />
<br /></div>
<h2>
Don't blindly go into a bike filter lane</h2>
<div>
<br />
Finally, bike lanes and filter lanes give a false sense of security. While the traffic light is red, do not automatically think you need to cycle down the left of the waiting cars to get in front of them. Yes, the filter lane is designed to help you get to the front. However, there is no guarantee that, when the light turns green, the driver next to you is going to spot you (they may want to turn left and drive straight into you).</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
If you don't know when the light is going to turn green, <b>it is probably safer to stay behind the cars.</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<h2>
<b>Final words</b></h2>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Slow traffic is a bit like the calm before the storm</b>. One minute, you are happily filtering past traffic; another minute, a car is going to appear out of nowhere, before you can slam on those brakes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Stay safe and ride on!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-16010010205154632382016-06-30T22:23:00.000+01:002016-07-02T08:44:39.284+01:00Chromebook (+ Crouton) - first impressionI have been considering whether to buy an Android tablet with a keyboard or a Chromebook. While most of what I need to do at home on a daily basis can be done inside a browser on either a tablet or a Chromebook, two interesting Chromebook "features" swayed my decision: 1) one can supposedly run Linux on Chromebooks 2) one will soon be able to run Android apps inside ChromeOS. So I went and bought an ACER CB5-311 Chromebook. At £140, it is certainly very competitively priced.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPlUmxhy9QvKuvkv91Y1Ygce7LEOeqOlVeRCcrjDdsAmt-eVOBwxeqCKcw4udJIqBvzd3qpxlYiWogF3aEsME1fBOHwSWLLDvJ5GO4inIWfAOsZN9y0pFgyQemIenYEHMlz2shg/s1600/l_10029662_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPlUmxhy9QvKuvkv91Y1Ygce7LEOeqOlVeRCcrjDdsAmt-eVOBwxeqCKcw4udJIqBvzd3qpxlYiWogF3aEsME1fBOHwSWLLDvJ5GO4inIWfAOsZN9y0pFgyQemIenYEHMlz2shg/s320/l_10029662_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
During the first two days, I<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>used the browser heavily for GMail, GDocs, Slack, and Evernote</li>
<li>published <a href="https://medium.com/@seewahcheng/conquering-the-thames-7281ce49ad33">my first Medium post</a></li>
<li>used <a href="https://pixlr.com/web">Pixlr Web</a> to do a fair amount of image editing</li>
<li>installed Ubuntu via <a href="https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton">Crouton</a></li>
<li>installed Heroku CLI inside Ubuntu to create a Git clone of <a href="http://seewah.com/">my website</a></li>
<li>used <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/zed-code-editor/pfmjnmeipppmcebplngmhfkleiinphhp?hl=en">Zed Code Editor</a> for editing some of these HTML and JS files inside ChromeOS</li>
<li>pushed these changes live using Git inside Ubuntu</li>
</ul>
<br />
The physical experience of using the Acer Chromebook is a far cry from that of using a MacBook Air. E.g. the touch-pad action isn't great and <i>why is it that only Apple can design a light-weight laptop that can be opened with one hand?!</i> But at this low price, I am actually quite impressed.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Installing Ubuntu (without a Desktop Environment)</h2>
<br />
I will write a bit about my experience installing Ubuntu using <a href="https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton">Crouton</a>, which is a script to generate Ubuntu/Debian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroot">chroot</a> inside ChromeOS. I was reading quite a bit about Crouton before buying the Chromebook, and initially it all seemed a bit confusing. But as it turned out, the installation was plain sailing.<br />
<br />
First of all, I read that 1) x86 processor 2) 32Gb storage and 3) 4Gb RAM are what are required to run Linux on Chromebooks. I understand that the x86 requirement is an architectural one. My Chromebook came proudly with a "Intel Inside" sticker, so I should be fine. On the other hand, my budget machine only had 16Gb of storage and 2Gb of RAM. But it should at least cope fine with a bare-bone installation of Ubuntu? For what I have to do, I don't really need a graphical interface.<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Enable ChromeOS Developer mode</h3>
<br />
The first thing one needs to do is enable Developer mode. Refer to <a href="http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices">this page</a> to see how to do it on various machines. <b>Warning: switching between normal and developer modes will erase your ChromeOS account setting!</b> One thing I found was that after pressing Ctrl-D in Recovery mode to enter Developer mode, my machine appeared to be doing nothing for up to half a minute before it finally rebooted. Just wait until it reboots by itself!<br />
<br />
Note that, once you have committed to Developer mode, every time you boot up the machine, you will be presented with the "scary" warning message and a delay. You can bypass the delay by again pressing Ctrl-D at this point.<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Download Crouton</h3>
<br />
Get it from <a href="https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton">https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Open a shell</h3>
<br />
Inside ChromeOS,<br />
<ol>
<li>Ctrl-Alt-T</li>
<li>type <span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.0392157); color: #333333; font-family: "consolas" , "liberation mono" , "menlo" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 13.6px; line-height: 21.76px;">shell</span></li>
<li>press ENTER</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Install Ubuntu without a desktop environment</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Inside the shell, run <span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.0392157); color: #333333; font-family: "consolas" , "liberation mono" , "menlo" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 13.6px; line-height: 21.76px;">sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -t cli-extra</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Instead of specifying xfce as the target to install the Xfce Desktop Environment, I chose to install Ubuntu with the cli-extra target to keep the installation small.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When asked for a new username and password, pick something sensible. You will need the password when you do <span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.0392157); color: #333333; font-family: "consolas" , "liberation mono" , "menlo" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 13.6px; line-height: 21.76px;">sudo</span> in Ubuntu in the future.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Log into Ubuntu</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
Once the installation has completed, just <span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.0392157); color: #333333; font-family: "consolas" , "liberation mono" , "menlo" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 13.6px; line-height: 21.76px;">sudo enter-chroot</span> to log into Ubuntu!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs6BfCw2Q-w5EMZsxOeR2Np5UTdzUrzuLSD-rbddZyRReKQvQC85JRfp9jqsP21laPeOZjbr-xOQGWR08uqfbYFdzQAm42FMAAMkLLN0GKJ_elYchREVhCZ5_mIlrhLrPxIkXMA/s1600/Screenshot+2016-07-01+at+16.14.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs6BfCw2Q-w5EMZsxOeR2Np5UTdzUrzuLSD-rbddZyRReKQvQC85JRfp9jqsP21laPeOZjbr-xOQGWR08uqfbYFdzQAm42FMAAMkLLN0GKJ_elYchREVhCZ5_mIlrhLrPxIkXMA/s320/Screenshot+2016-07-01+at+16.14.04.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that it has worked :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When you are done, just type <span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.0392157); color: #333333; font-family: "consolas" , "liberation mono" , "menlo" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 13.6px; line-height: 21.76px;">exit</span> inside Ubuntu to log out. Your Ubuntu installation is safely saved inside your machine storage.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Final words</h3>
<br />
I am impressed with how Ubuntu runs on my Chromebook so far. I am able to have the Ubuntu session open, alongside a number of Chrome tabs, and see no noticeable performance issues. I like the fact that the ChromeOS Downloads folder is automatically mapped to ~/Downloads inside Ubuntu, and that copy-and-pasting works well between the two OS's.<br />
<br />
However, there is one thing I still wish for, and it is the ability to run Docker. From what I have read so far, this is not going to be an easy task, as it would involve some serious kernel customisation...See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-51601412460577145492015-10-15T21:34:00.000+01:002015-10-16T23:04:05.788+01:00Bar-end brake lever and best bike maintenance trick everI decided to finally get rid of my old-skool Weinmann brake levers in favour of some bar-end brake levers, to give my single-speed a neater, more streamlined look. After some googling, I bought a pair of <b>Dia Compe 188 Reverse Brake Levers</b>. They are pretty reasonably priced, and well-made. My handlebar is a <a href="http://seewah.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/bullhorn-conversion-chop-and-flop.html">DIY Chop-and-Flop affair</a>, with an inner diameter of just under 20mm. Initially I did not realise the aluminium tubes that came with the brakes were actually shims for handlebars with wider inner diameter (>20mm) - they looked to me to be parts of the brake levers. I tried to force the levers with the shims into the bar ends. Realising my mistake, I installed the levers without the shims and was happy to find that they sit very snugly inside my handlebars after some tightening.<br />
<br />
From:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqXS2U1R8DR8W0NPn5R-UgIR7EpmwAf_n02dqHHxAEeGQ-l_LiCm20PX7YsdWHL1w1sdmtH1rpl2NQzkPE2kSsC08D1nEQbf9jcfaUW2wadiVMbXhyd7qNF34Px3dJonVv1EEUQ/s1600/weinmann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqXS2U1R8DR8W0NPn5R-UgIR7EpmwAf_n02dqHHxAEeGQ-l_LiCm20PX7YsdWHL1w1sdmtH1rpl2NQzkPE2kSsC08D1nEQbf9jcfaUW2wadiVMbXhyd7qNF34Px3dJonVv1EEUQ/s320/weinmann.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bullhorn with "normal" (non-reverse) brake levers mounted</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
To:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNRlgtHVEXKZyjNs2G1tx0s38LiovFvnURxbdL1HyjgZHCzVQcwUJtDb3Bqaie7_JMNd6p2BCJmANlsoDKl7P3XKje8B9pfUB2T532MFhmclxv1SJojWoE-BKNmKZUhgmlzQHxQ/s1600/dia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNRlgtHVEXKZyjNs2G1tx0s38LiovFvnURxbdL1HyjgZHCzVQcwUJtDb3Bqaie7_JMNd6p2BCJmANlsoDKl7P3XKje8B9pfUB2T532MFhmclxv1SJojWoE-BKNmKZUhgmlzQHxQ/s320/dia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now with Dia Compe 188 Reverse Brake Levers installed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LDLe43hEJU/Vh9ogdqRIqI/AAAAAAAAAzk/oFzInz8YFZ8/s1600/IMG_20151015_084326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LDLe43hEJU/Vh9ogdqRIqI/AAAAAAAAAzk/oFzInz8YFZ8/s320/IMG_20151015_084326.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Cables neatly concealed underneath the bar tape</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</h3>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />
p.s. the levers are designed to work with BMX-style barrel brake cable nipples, but I decided to keep my original brake cables with road-style pear cable nipples. Personally, I think the levers work with pear nipples just as well.</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Best bike maintenance trick ever...</h3>
<div>
<br />
So what is the best-kept secret? I had to shorten my brake cables as the cables now run from underneath as opposed to from the top of the levers. The problem with trimming brake inner cable with normal pliers is that the inner cable tends to squash under pressure, and refuses to cut cleanly. While some people would insist on buying specialist bike cable cutter, I found out that <b>if you wrap the cable tightly with a bit of insulation tape before cutting through it, you can actually achieve a clean cut with normal pliers!</b> Trust me, it works a treat.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-55699226772028737362015-07-15T01:24:00.000+01:002015-07-25T09:03:54.897+01:00Visualising 2015 Tour de France yellow jersey dataThe Tour is here! I have always been fascinated by how GC (General Classification) contenders fight for their rights to wear the yellow jersey up in the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps. Names like <i>Col du Tourmalet</i> and <i>L’Alpe d’Huez</i> evoke scenes of epic battle between climbers riding out of the saddles, pushing their very limits.<br />
<br />
So I decided to have a go at visualising the stage-by-stage times for the top yellow jersey contenders, to see how they gain and lose ground over the 21 stages.<br />
<br />
Voila:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.seewah.com/tour-de-france-2015/" target="_blank">http://www.seewah.com/tour-de-france-2015/</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/tour-de-france-2015/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTInsT_rmufmVx81SKznUA7BtEUVgXAhcCD6t81tweX_WXj-DCyNrDMpqgc1Ll9AfOuj4BGWt58TQYmar7ObEjWBXYrLs2MYj0pBuEaxk7noU4saZFW26mO7r4oi_a2XRz1AHtVw/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-07-15+at+22.31.53.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I used the excellent (and free) <a href="https://import.io/">import.io</a> tool to extract data from <a href="http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/">http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/</a>. By creating an import.io <i>extractor</i>, I was able to<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>specify <a href="http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/classifications.html">http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/classifications.html</a> (or similar urls for previous stages) as the target classification listing url</li>
<li>train the tool to extract names, rider ids, time gaps from the classification listing</li>
<li>export as a simple REST api</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
I then wrote a couple of Node.js scripts to, on a daily basis,<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>fetch fresh data using the REST api and persist results from each individual stage into MongoDB</li>
<li>create and persist the json array required by the Google Charts library to render the line chart, based on the <i>latest</i> top 10 GC contenders</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
I came across the problem of having too many asynchronous operations (e.g. MongoDB queries) to manage in the second script. To avoid callback hell, I gave the <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/q">q npm package</a> a go. While I had been using jQuery <i>promise</i> (on the client side) for years, this was the first time I tried such technique in Node.js on the server side. Good news is the package worked a treat - below is a simple code snippet to illustrate how simple it was to use:</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<script src="https://gist.github.com/anonymous/1c76205ce6816ea19de9.js"></script>p.s. Today Chris Froome destroyed everyone during the climb up La Pierre-Saint-Martin to stretch his advantage to 2 minutes 52 seconds. Let's see whether he can maintain his lead all the way to Paris!See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-40249181910353957742015-06-14T21:24:00.002+01:002015-07-03T09:33:37.855+01:00Mapping the Lisbon Tram 28 route<i>Trying to figure out whether Tram 28 is going to take you where you want to visit in Lisbon? Now you can see the route on an interactive Google Map.</i><br />
<br />
At some point, most visitors to Lisbon will have been on the legendary no. 28 yellow trams which run from <b>Martim Moniz</b> to <b>Campo de Ourique (Prazeres)</b>, climbing many incredibly steep slopes and negotiating numerous impossibly tight street corners.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPx16yBZ0jrN4IGVsyOmNSnewPod1SBnz_IfRIrDI3UHK-B9DIqQFRhPKV0cAjrPR5fjuSYF-QR5WTQj7jamEzTDK-8toMY6PR-Jn6GH-afrMqxCKlB9_vozFP8D2IiWnN3W9A/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPx16yBZ0jrN4IGVsyOmNSnewPod1SBnz_IfRIrDI3UHK-B9DIqQFRhPKV0cAjrPR5fjuSYF-QR5WTQj7jamEzTDK-8toMY6PR-Jn6GH-afrMqxCKlB9_vozFP8D2IiWnN3W9A/s320/28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While the <a href="http://carris.transporteslisboa.pt/en/tram/28E/ascendente/" target="_blank">Transportes de Lisboa</a> site provides information on the Tram 28 stops, the map downloadable from the page is sadly not terribly useful for visitors who are not acquainted with the maze that is the winding streets of Lisbon. For example, the map does not show easily recognisable metro stations or street names. We wanted to travel to the <b>Campo de Santa Clara flea market</b> (open Tuesdays and Saturdays) but the map did not really give us a good idea of how easy it would be to get there by Tram 28. So I naturally googled to see whether there was an <b>interactive online map of the Tram 28 route</b>, and I found none.</div>
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Coming back home, I decided to create one.</div>
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Tram 28 on Google Map</h2>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.seewah.com/tram-28-lisbon/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1FLR6enlzpaAr-BzWlJV4du-yJyNqbamnwbbtI6ugFXoTlw4C9x9bjGfwtJj9vhR-_DG4Zhm9rNCJ8J2von26MORO-BRO2zyxpY96krNJ-cjZ_3ybIbER34l-s3rOVt2NHCltA/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-06-14+at+20.57.38.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.seewah.com/tram-28-lisbon/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/tram-28-lisbon/" target="_blank">Explore the famous Tram 28 route on Google Map</a>, where you can search for places and access Street View, etc. I hope future visitors to Lisbon will find this little map useful.</div>
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<i>(I used http://www.plotaroute.com/ to plot the route, and to extract the coordinates in KML format, before overlaying the route on top of Google Map)</i></div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-59494135376201647092015-05-02T21:50:00.001+01:002015-05-03T08:02:41.429+01:00London Underground Metropolitan Line Luggage RackSze Kiu and I went to the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/museum-depot" target="_blank">London Transport Museum Acton Depot</a> open day last week, and we could not resist the temptation of buying a reclaimed luggage rack from the now de-commissioned London Underground Metropolitan Line "A Stock" trains.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaVXIyvYXNdqbrQ5VbsWzSRgmZM2CW3WkzVDUPuqg_zjBZ3LzJwUPcnu-7jRhVlbc5gCdiNkG7eWA-6s8F1vb7a6fP_iHnxJyWRnHDN9Y1pxNZGQC0xs94ikicgN7W6Y8DGXObw/s1600/8027121599_b27fbef0a5_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaVXIyvYXNdqbrQ5VbsWzSRgmZM2CW3WkzVDUPuqg_zjBZ3LzJwUPcnu-7jRhVlbc5gCdiNkG7eWA-6s8F1vb7a6fP_iHnxJyWRnHDN9Y1pxNZGQC0xs94ikicgN7W6Y8DGXObw/s1600/8027121599_b27fbef0a5_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old "A Stock" train - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaggers/8027121599/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7IEBlHL6huU8MOMytbEKE5YBkTLMGdsNZwE93bLGpfr4Wpa2mjoMAu5TqJj4_X1wKeLiST2GjY3CIlsQhaeH4BWqWMWnGJN8MmiyXhSb13VmIFSEHJsD9Jibio-x7hLUJcKbDw/s1600/7045697605_29f2a23b9a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7IEBlHL6huU8MOMytbEKE5YBkTLMGdsNZwE93bLGpfr4Wpa2mjoMAu5TqJj4_X1wKeLiST2GjY3CIlsQhaeH4BWqWMWnGJN8MmiyXhSb13VmIFSEHJsD9Jibio-x7hLUJcKbDw/s1600/7045697605_29f2a23b9a_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaggers/7045697605/</td></tr>
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Not only is the rack a piece of iconic London history, it also proves to be an extremely practical and stylish item for our living room. Voila:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1kOgIZP_apf2JTp8MvDwfOTIjbxS9-ZjWxiSxOhElNaudna1ussEzxhh0FzB1BvDzOFVuZ7abfWMMrPEw144TXFstZD45moQHIyykBnBHkfDINRmBdcmRN_eVAGLZ4tPXYf4og/s1600/IMG-20150502-WA0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1kOgIZP_apf2JTp8MvDwfOTIjbxS9-ZjWxiSxOhElNaudna1ussEzxhh0FzB1BvDzOFVuZ7abfWMMrPEw144TXFstZD45moQHIyykBnBHkfDINRmBdcmRN_eVAGLZ4tPXYf4og/s1600/IMG-20150502-WA0006.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0337zZeA3tRtUfSTobfpbBskyZPYvNbomlixG93j_xNlnYQTRCMunvKFBXMddM_EKTn3vIieX2aii3dwS4NVWLc9VHQ66UFCIEMpzJar-WZH0a8EIZw6j6fk4ua5LxJnPRRXRw/s1600/IMG-20150502-WA0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0337zZeA3tRtUfSTobfpbBskyZPYvNbomlixG93j_xNlnYQTRCMunvKFBXMddM_EKTn3vIieX2aii3dwS4NVWLc9VHQ66UFCIEMpzJar-WZH0a8EIZw6j6fk4ua5LxJnPRRXRw/s1600/IMG-20150502-WA0019.jpg" height="163" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5Q0bSpzrGTKeRkbZL69_K9JpXmyyek2cnzlAWgjhuhy9ylXHEdkS589XtcMJQPcoa1vuAKD6OKQZZw-Nk0ea_-Bg1e93XlTYJl5r7C4cTJQrQVqy6Ja7gu1wH5Qqn2_-y9uehQ/s1600/IMAG0511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5Q0bSpzrGTKeRkbZL69_K9JpXmyyek2cnzlAWgjhuhy9ylXHEdkS589XtcMJQPcoa1vuAKD6OKQZZw-Nk0ea_-Bg1e93XlTYJl5r7C4cTJQrQVqy6Ja7gu1wH5Qqn2_-y9uehQ/s1600/IMAG0511.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></div>
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They are available from the <a href="http://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/home.html" target="_blank">London Transport Museum online shop</a> (at a considerably higher cost than what we had to pay for at the open day, incidentally)See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-58624229006286356372015-03-28T01:34:00.000+00:002015-03-28T10:44:01.854+00:00Product management: a walk in the wild<b>Roadmap</b> is often used as a tool to plan how a product gets developed and evolves. Being a keen walker and also a product manager, I was pondering today on the "map" metaphor.<br />
<br />
Here is a series of simple analogies:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>As a walker, you set the <b>objective</b> to climb to the top of a hill.</li>
<li>As a product manager, you set the <b>objective</b> to reach a targeted number of active users.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>As a walker, you establish a <b>strategy</b> to climb the hill by taking the most direct route.</li>
<li>As a product manager, you establish a <b>strategy</b> to grow your active user base by developing a specific set of features to differentiate your product.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
(Hopefully, you will have somehow <b>validated</b> your strategy!)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>As a walker, you <b>map</b> out the segments and plan your walk.</li>
<li>As a product manager, you <b>map</b> out the features and plan the development work.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>As a walker, you make <b>tactical</b> decisions during the walk on when and where to stop for food, when to put on your waterproofs.</li>
<li>As a product manager, you make <b>tactical</b> decisions during the project on what user stories to prioritise in the product backlog.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>As a walker, you <b>monitor</b> the distance and make <b>adjustments</b> to make sure you make it to the top.</li>
<li>As a product manager, you <b>monitor</b> the product metrics and make <b>adjustments</b> to make sure you hit the target.</li>
</ul>
<br />See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-36674545216937033002015-03-22T23:28:00.000+00:002015-03-23T22:50:00.323+00:00Two-brewery walk - from Brockley to Peckham Microbrewery seems to be a popular business in London nowadays. There are two rather excellent, friendly breweries close to where I live, in southeast London - <a href="http://brockleybrewery.co.uk/home/" target="_blank">Brockley Brewery</a> in Brockley and <a href="http://www.brickbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brick Brewery</a> in Peckham Rye.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaLQsTsCFmwPJMdbFeSlg9Nyb07AaIChEDYllemX_d-YScOyw1jkyUMgB3Rgyd8N4ycrkmshqBujR9S2dxIenJRs0vaNNiHl15PG4GLSlvRX9UhIL-1NtRPFmfO2B0syxTslHAw/s1600/3537_167894713364877_1270124417_n.jpg" height="200" width="138" />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90ujAqXfbTlglW3epNX_xjYHmKN92EphjDslIninHFt2HFql-g3pma3KWNDaaQZkAb8mBQTCpkRP5-2PgQkJehwDQ9MSt6vjsYz9HD-pHkkZkxaQ2bkTFVGLWyTRJdtKCF6A7Og/s1600/ht20PBS-.png" height="200" width="200" /><br />
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I regularly walk these neighbourhoods, so I thought I would map a walk linking the two breweries. This simple 2.4-mile walk takes you past a couple of very pleasant parks, an old Victorian cemetery and down one of the most vibrant shopping streets in London.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/London+SE4+2AJ,+UK/London+SE15+4QL,+UK/@51.4655691,-0.0549105,15z/data=!4m39!4m38!1m30!1m1!1s0x4876024fe0ffe72d:0xa75ca38bcb166ee8!2m2!1d-0.036472!2d51.4622823!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0418217!2d51.4660254!3s0x48760253c739c085:0x3e1edf3e25cea411!3m4!1m2!1d-0.046116!2d51.4654957!3s0x487602532f551b49:0x208bc598a8acdcff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0529186!2d51.4645922!3s0x487603ae79a30537:0xf87618c898479c22!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0617118!2d51.4611924!3s0x487603bb21ce39a7:0x67319fc2af91c236!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0694701!2d51.4679194!3s0x487603a1f416e5b7:0x98d090c887a33b99!1m5!1m1!1s0x487603a1d898c373:0x2e17a202096b64ff!2m2!1d-0.0702895!2d51.4694264!3e2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHYZ5ij04xgU9ZHkNHEyjT2toLbgTEQydoc07lNr4e6LYDv_agx8Ii4C5LIHJl3FSkyeETqiISDIq8hRzmqVacUJbbHwOnn0sKktv0rHdFX4vf-a4kbFVKvwrYPH85cF2XFcgrQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-22+at+21.35.05.png" height="247" width="400" /></a>
<br />
<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/London+SE4+2AJ,+UK/London+SE15+4QL,+UK/@51.4655691,-0.0549105,15z/data=!4m39!4m38!1m30!1m1!1s0x4876024fe0ffe72d:0xa75ca38bcb166ee8!2m2!1d-0.036472!2d51.4622823!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0418217!2d51.4660254!3s0x48760253c739c085:0x3e1edf3e25cea411!3m4!1m2!1d-0.046116!2d51.4654957!3s0x487602532f551b49:0x208bc598a8acdcff!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0529186!2d51.4645922!3s0x487603ae79a30537:0xf87618c898479c22!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0617118!2d51.4611924!3s0x487603bb21ce39a7:0x67319fc2af91c236!3m4!1m2!1d-0.0694701!2d51.4679194!3s0x487603a1f416e5b7:0x98d090c887a33b99!1m5!1m1!1s0x487603a1d898c373:0x2e17a202096b64ff!2m2!1d-0.0702895!2d51.4694264!3e2" target="_blank">Click here to see the route on Google Map</a>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A brief description of what you will expect on the way:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuPsDTtRnJpzjZgB0WESHpdr9SE3aL3xscH4ZT1pHnV1f3rDZXSsfl39_IM0cAQ-XEPxkt5eNBrI27T1sYtfpUu7NgLcRz46tLock-yMHjMcuWnRxiTmfG0GbVAI9as_z35GSLA/s1600/6441779865_6ff6197400_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuPsDTtRnJpzjZgB0WESHpdr9SE3aL3xscH4ZT1pHnV1f3rDZXSsfl39_IM0cAQ-XEPxkt5eNBrI27T1sYtfpUu7NgLcRz46tLock-yMHjMcuWnRxiTmfG0GbVAI9as_z35GSLA/s1600/6441779865_6ff6197400_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/6441779865/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><a href="http://brockleybrewery.co.uk/home/" target="_blank">Brockley Brewery</a></b> is on <b>Harcourt Road</b>, pretty close to the Brockley Overground station, housed inside what looks like an old garage. After enjoying a tasty pint (or a half) there, make you way back to the station, cross the bridge, turn right to reach <b>Drakefell Road</b>, a typical Victorian terrace-lined road in this part of London.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUL9-6GH5a_DCRMQ8w1NnbkGRODwOyoXc3hI3POSfHgDZktvmtH6ZfnmUQiFDGIpovJup7erQ6IJQGTJAxkA4KIiK_YtjAP2Y_YnSdk-byxL9QLHYzggjzBxVvaLUJuCoF5RpIw/s1600/15811678452_f6f9bf348f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUL9-6GH5a_DCRMQ8w1NnbkGRODwOyoXc3hI3POSfHgDZktvmtH6ZfnmUQiFDGIpovJup7erQ6IJQGTJAxkA4KIiK_YtjAP2Y_YnSdk-byxL9QLHYzggjzBxVvaLUJuCoF5RpIw/s1600/15811678452_f6f9bf348f_z.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/randomlylondon/15811678452/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You will walk past the entrance to <b>Telegraph Hill Upper Park</b>. I encourage you to pop in, if only just to check out the wonderful view across London from the top.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKAz6yuSYo_Yj18vSaxF3X_owaieBI-W0xMVcN2wUH4sGVBes_SItiWkjKWK99za1pcNw1HhrBeSko6-gAyIKiL0KCCfZxL63rqNm8cdcejEYefuxCEuWKi_4IW7iippVhpHLNQ/s1600/12388558945_58af4d579e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKAz6yuSYo_Yj18vSaxF3X_owaieBI-W0xMVcN2wUH4sGVBes_SItiWkjKWK99za1pcNw1HhrBeSko6-gAyIKiL0KCCfZxL63rqNm8cdcejEYefuxCEuWKi_4IW7iippVhpHLNQ/s1600/12388558945_58af4d579e_z.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bexwalton/12388558945/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Go through a foot tunnel/bridge and follow the route to reach <b>Linden Grove</b>. Here you will find a real hidden gem - <b>Nunhead Cemetery</b>. This is one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificent_Seven_cemeteries" target="_blank">"Magnificent Seven"</a> Victorian cemeteries. Again pop in to experience the tranquil and magical environs, but don't get lost - you need to get to the other brewery!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jz2wSFrY7hlYVgejgsne3ZuzhwduZ3voQ_AK4zvW2gIrCQbSrYgscxoMY7YmzO9zGead-BdVaF3d1L-G3ZbWG0ztd8mk3Cy5kFWADsphNeyWUkW6zofIGjjCY4_hsIO6GrTpUQ/s1600/8495443545_53112ffa26_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jz2wSFrY7hlYVgejgsne3ZuzhwduZ3voQ_AK4zvW2gIrCQbSrYgscxoMY7YmzO9zGead-BdVaF3d1L-G3ZbWG0ztd8mk3Cy5kFWADsphNeyWUkW6zofIGjjCY4_hsIO6GrTpUQ/s1600/8495443545_53112ffa26_z.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/kotomi-jewelry/8495443545/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Go down <b>Forester Road</b> and then <b>Solomon's Passage</b>. You will soon find the vast green space of <b>Peckham Rye Common</b>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9nHyCM_UaIliaZcZtOw0VTbL-lqfW1YreaXZUdkb2AP9faP97C792W-KjKGnMLzlYLH_Qp4DwS3rMxZsBSqKnXpkpCDS67yMt8S7J0ijDpqRz4rU51qq8r3aeUH4VHG7BSR9qw/s1600/9170895836_d0918b6c15_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9nHyCM_UaIliaZcZtOw0VTbL-lqfW1YreaXZUdkb2AP9faP97C792W-KjKGnMLzlYLH_Qp4DwS3rMxZsBSqKnXpkpCDS67yMt8S7J0ijDpqRz4rU51qq8r3aeUH4VHG7BSR9qw/s1600/9170895836_d0918b6c15_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevekeiretsu/9170895836/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Head north along the edge of the common to reach <b>Rye Lane</b>. The combination of <a href="http://www.peckhamvision.org/wiki/Art_Deco_Quarter" target="_blank">Art Deco architecture</a> (yes I am a huge Art Deco geek, check out my <a href="http://www.seewah.com/art-deco-london/" target="_blank">Art Deco London map</a>) and diverse cultural vibe always fascinates me about this busy shopping street. Also worth mentioning is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/busseybuilding" target="_blank">Bussey Building</a> on the right which hosts some interesting art and music events.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKarQyHJGFdDH2HRn7_UqbqKGj5n0hea_6IgjL_r77z7yWMneAAi8y9-TwcajkNdjvNfNJT2y5-SE-99kC5BKrZMwMQkBOpLLwCmBKVwTr9tSaXNBcL2RXJ8WGqkHuKHttgpD5aw/s1600/5343539639_26f3ce5511_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKarQyHJGFdDH2HRn7_UqbqKGj5n0hea_6IgjL_r77z7yWMneAAi8y9-TwcajkNdjvNfNJT2y5-SE-99kC5BKrZMwMQkBOpLLwCmBKVwTr9tSaXNBcL2RXJ8WGqkHuKHttgpD5aw/s1600/5343539639_26f3ce5511_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/5343539639/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH01EwIf51hDiK6r9PFVaaNOu8NADqtqS1O8Trk7puxTfTO5TX1bgIZyi63lFzgSy7jR3U5AMp4i9kuxBwVugk1KCw9CNWot37erFhdqP7_UcYiqLbQpIlnaY3mvXsDjOAKdk2sQ/s1600/3593772498_2ed3e01c58_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH01EwIf51hDiK6r9PFVaaNOu8NADqtqS1O8Trk7puxTfTO5TX1bgIZyi63lFzgSy7jR3U5AMp4i9kuxBwVugk1KCw9CNWot37erFhdqP7_UcYiqLbQpIlnaY3mvXsDjOAKdk2sQ/s1600/3593772498_2ed3e01c58_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/3593772498/in/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Turn left into <b>Choumert Road</b>, and then right into <b>Choumert Grove</b>, and you are in a decidedly different setting to the hustle and bustle of Rye Lane. Look out for the beautiful <b>Girdlers Cottages</b> before being stunned by the quaint <b>Choumert Square</b> - I bet you would never believe a place like this would exist right in the middle of Peckham.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaunZgfuMBih_g9C5SldQuEejPqf1INEnhyQtLG7l5sdtzlU6HSYMtc3Ol5bdF7GDSgbg-xbJOM4H_yxfMlBFEzK__-MWJPhuiFOeBk9Fo-IcpCfrYKncGm8d43eg_u3eRTEcMXA/s1600/8668916406_3f9863f8ea_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaunZgfuMBih_g9C5SldQuEejPqf1INEnhyQtLG7l5sdtzlU6HSYMtc3Ol5bdF7GDSgbg-xbJOM4H_yxfMlBFEzK__-MWJPhuiFOeBk9Fo-IcpCfrYKncGm8d43eg_u3eRTEcMXA/s1600/8668916406_3f9863f8ea_z.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/16801915@N06/8668916406/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXR8lexVYunQkIHNngbRELDJdiXJR4Dj4amVqaXk9o0aLBE0l5hBvfkNSp8WSpC3I30NqL2TDhaF8WuKRyLfPHPZBGsNwPyGZUmlbZgBIxbPpW4v1sHguoAX-pOuyGYv_6Mu5fg/s1600/2141590050_e39564b527_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXR8lexVYunQkIHNngbRELDJdiXJR4Dj4amVqaXk9o0aLBE0l5hBvfkNSp8WSpC3I30NqL2TDhaF8WuKRyLfPHPZBGsNwPyGZUmlbZgBIxbPpW4v1sHguoAX-pOuyGYv_6Mu5fg/s1600/2141590050_e39564b527_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/pgasston/2141590050/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Find <b><a href="http://www.brickbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brick Brewery</a></b> on <b>Blenheim Grove</b> to claim your well-deserved pint!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSTWLi3aIX0TCAoAWRoEpnhlMi9cMYzrv0z7CBNLCsS6yKjvwvy7S-0huLlIwjadwUhw1ugckh0bKDTdhrql2ilthhTEEjFbhbzqTrpuIFYM1oJYNYKs1iU4jRWSLvJ-TtU_nCw/s1600/14141079999_bf4b5c77d4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSTWLi3aIX0TCAoAWRoEpnhlMi9cMYzrv0z7CBNLCsS6yKjvwvy7S-0huLlIwjadwUhw1ugckh0bKDTdhrql2ilthhTEEjFbhbzqTrpuIFYM1oJYNYKs1iU4jRWSLvJ-TtU_nCw/s1600/14141079999_bf4b5c77d4_z.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/14141079999/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
PS - remember to check on the brewery websites for opening hours (Saturday afternoon is a safe bet)!See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-27608201450211997762015-01-25T20:13:00.001+00:002015-01-25T23:00:05.897+00:00Recycled bike tyre belt and Terry RileyAfter my first long hill ride this year (to <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Ide+Hill,+Kent,+UK/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47df517646f6e6a3:0xb4140c1576e9b37a?sa=X&ei=R0LFVO7sL6WE7gaDloD4Bg&ved=0CH0Q8gEwDQ">Ide Hill</a> and back), I was quite quite happy to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at home, resting my legs. I also thought that would be the perfect opportunity to start my little project - a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tyre+belt&espv=2&biw=1156&bih=634&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=yCjFVLaxCai07QbrxIHQAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#tbm=isch&q=recycled+bike+tyre+belt">recycled bike tyre belt</a>. I came across this idea in a bike exhibition recently, and I happened to have a retired <b>Bontrager Hardcase Race Lite</b> road tyre lying round. Plus, my old (faux) leather belt is falling apart, so I didn't even need to buy a buckle to make my new belt.<br />
<br />
I came across this <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Tire-Tread-Belt">wikiHow</a> page with detailed steps on how to make a tyre belt, but I did not have either a Chicago screw or a leather hole puncher.<br />
<br />
My other thought was whether I could cut through the kevlar/puncture-resistant material that the Bontrager tyre was supposed to be lined with. As it turned out, cutting through kevlar was not a problem, but, instead, the wire bead around the tyre presented some challenge. Luckily I have a mini hacksaw.<br />
<br />
After rummaging through my DIY cupboard, I gathered the following and decided to have a go:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>a mini hacksaw</li>
<li>a sturdy pair of scissors</li>
<li>a penknife with a reamer/punch tool</li>
<li>some garden wire</li>
</ul>
<h2>
</h2>
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Step 1: cutting the tyre (or sawing, if you have a wire-bead tyre)</b><br />
<br />
Using a mini hacksaw, I managed to cut through the tyre to turn it into one long, curved strip of rubber.<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Step 2: trimming the edges and digressing...</b><br />
<br />
At this point, the strip was still too wide and curved up to make a useful belt. So, using a pair of sharp scissors, I trimmed off the edges, retaining about 2cm of rubber in the middle (similar width to my old belt).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The process proved to be quite time-consuming (and boring), so I opened up BBC iPlayer to find a program to watch, while fighting my way through the length of the tyre. I decided to go for <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cw8g0">this program on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells</a>. I must admit I knew nothing about the album, apart from 1) its opening riff, and 2) that it is famous. The program turned out to be extremely fascinating, as it looked at Mike Oldfield's troubled adolescence (incredibly, he made the album at the age of 19!) as well as the beginning of Virgin Records, with Tubular Bells being it first commercial release, recorded in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manor_Studio">a manor house</a> in Shipton-on-cherwell just north of Oxford.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not to downplay the genius of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_Bells">Tubular Bells</a> itself, I was, however, most excited by this mind-boggling piece of work mentioned in the program - <b><i>A rainbow in curved air</i> by <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Riley">Terry Riley</a></i></b>. Psychedelic electronic jazz?! Have a listen:</div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hy3W-3HPMWg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div>
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<div>
Anyway, back to belt-making. After trimming off the edges for just over half the tyre length, I chopped the rest off, to keep what was now effectively the belt (check the length of your favourite belt to make sure it doesn't end up too short!!).</div>
<h2>
</h2>
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Step 3: attaching the buckle</b><br />
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<div>
I used the reamer tool to make a hole 4cm from one end of the belt. I then folded it back to fit the buckle removed from my old belt, as follows:</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi297d_iqg5931_rog_tPD-6zxqKqv8YfL0egx_ofU2QA3cL2WLlJvI6ud67yfhI7Xdkh397TtfQqeLvjO8VzaN7FKdWL_KAz5zl3Xh5XPx6clGgwxdbIJ-OJ86Ls3JoZ7B4hY4Rg/s1600/IMAG0469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi297d_iqg5931_rog_tPD-6zxqKqv8YfL0egx_ofU2QA3cL2WLlJvI6ud67yfhI7Xdkh397TtfQqeLvjO8VzaN7FKdWL_KAz5zl3Xh5XPx6clGgwxdbIJ-OJ86Ls3JoZ7B4hY4Rg/s1600/IMAG0469.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBBaaHqUnymJup7nTyKlvdEMa3Yw1iUfnNKkFwvo3NbeUWeCArbZdgaV3FhlBQfHyNvOXiZ1cgDFxajfIaf2UM26DT4Dy0wxUTTMgPzdYXYiTfBUKzPsTYmQB6r0OQ9E_GfHZpg/s1600/IMAG0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBBaaHqUnymJup7nTyKlvdEMa3Yw1iUfnNKkFwvo3NbeUWeCArbZdgaV3FhlBQfHyNvOXiZ1cgDFxajfIaf2UM26DT4Dy0wxUTTMgPzdYXYiTfBUKzPsTYmQB6r0OQ9E_GfHZpg/s1600/IMAG0468.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
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<div>
As you can see in the photo, I had to somehow secure the folded end back to the belt itself. Without any suitable screws or bolts, I resorted to making a couple of holes and threading some garden wire through them to secure the folded end. I then covered it with some pvc tape.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was not pretty, but it worked. Otherwise, if you care about how it looks, use one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_bolt">these</a> instead.<br />
<br /></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Step 4: making a belt hole</b><br />
<br />
<div>
I just used the reamer tool to make a single hole somewhere appropriate along the belt to turn it into a functional one!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The final product (note the pvc tape finish won't even show):</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju65BGcCSaSW9vbtbECoHMJtVU6rSXVPvbnMT4UPNvNfAkQfSCstoOF8T7G1CIKXFs7p2dU8hwyKTEIrDXCGwc-AEPcACwoqN9HvnjSxsFEssn0OXxzm766Y0zDtlBnRRYkOuviA/s1600/IMAG0470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju65BGcCSaSW9vbtbECoHMJtVU6rSXVPvbnMT4UPNvNfAkQfSCstoOF8T7G1CIKXFs7p2dU8hwyKTEIrDXCGwc-AEPcACwoqN9HvnjSxsFEssn0OXxzm766Y0zDtlBnRRYkOuviA/s1600/IMAG0470.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UujelBRPd545aJCyPnz-OhVnNfqKljJDXbiF0Qcs9s0kdeZEPjK6Q7tTfuXMoXQFX1loIdGwf7hhH_C7kGMBEHtkNfopGgxJ7o87DXYQhE_mFG-mTg49ba1tQYRCCioon8P5qw/s1600/IMAG0473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UujelBRPd545aJCyPnz-OhVnNfqKljJDXbiF0Qcs9s0kdeZEPjK6Q7tTfuXMoXQFX1loIdGwf7hhH_C7kGMBEHtkNfopGgxJ7o87DXYQhE_mFG-mTg49ba1tQYRCCioon8P5qw/s1600/IMAG0473.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
A 65k ride, a new belt, and a new music discovery - not bad for a Saturday afternoon.</div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-79750139391681661532015-01-18T19:09:00.000+00:002015-01-18T19:22:33.626+00:00Up to elevenJust having a bit of fun making word clouds based on famous Stratocaster, Telecaster and Les Paul players. All images created using <a href="http://tagul.com/">Tagul</a>.<br />
<br />
First up, my fav guitar - Tele: (<a href="https://tagul.com/show/m6um7y246bmz/Telecaster%20players">https://tagul.com/show/m6um7y246bmz/Telecaster%20players</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U-ySnDhkNtlOKNg1EHb__V0uzkEX1X4dzwTdVt_x5nKg7TXq4Co2P_A23eKMwEYwjoU-wpC44WA4ftG1AEv66a1YqX7bsSpLYr2i2duZQQWnb7u2FA3jjvJSIoAb-QVebMWCHw/s1600/Telecaster+players.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U-ySnDhkNtlOKNg1EHb__V0uzkEX1X4dzwTdVt_x5nKg7TXq4Co2P_A23eKMwEYwjoU-wpC44WA4ftG1AEv66a1YqX7bsSpLYr2i2duZQQWnb7u2FA3jjvJSIoAb-QVebMWCHw/s1600/Telecaster+players.png" /></a></div>
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Next up, Strat: (<a href="https://tagul.com/show/3nqljkwsxa3g/Stratocaster%20players">https://tagul.com/show/3nqljkwsxa3g/Stratocaster%20players</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6Sfw41gel3lD574B7a8hWA4296L1w8ITOexf3pdJ2OFPH2RpQ3ZNs2KnQ4zd1dy6wT5j6g6EukEiPshIlkG4EOycVcINpKq7zC1PXuZtT_Iv5Slu8U450NEpYRm_9jEmAQwxKg/s1600/Stratocaster+players.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6Sfw41gel3lD574B7a8hWA4296L1w8ITOexf3pdJ2OFPH2RpQ3ZNs2KnQ4zd1dy6wT5j6g6EukEiPshIlkG4EOycVcINpKq7zC1PXuZtT_Iv5Slu8U450NEpYRm_9jEmAQwxKg/s1600/Stratocaster+players.png" /></a></div>
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Finally, Les Paul: (<a href="https://tagul.com/show/7zc7yyu2gshp/Les%20Paul%20players">https://tagul.com/show/7zc7yyu2gshp/Les%20Paul%20players</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU_eHbGYxsHnISV6Y5UPOUESvIU23Ol3xxTpiF0eke6cfATbvMam0RqaEmb9SS0bBStksSgV7J0RbDuQq5pAOnvFr1hUbfgX65s-Kh0Q-jpJs9k0RAHMrZIJGFkAJVqxdFvRLZw/s1600/Les+Paul+players.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU_eHbGYxsHnISV6Y5UPOUESvIU23Ol3xxTpiF0eke6cfATbvMam0RqaEmb9SS0bBStksSgV7J0RbDuQq5pAOnvFr1hUbfgX65s-Kh0Q-jpJs9k0RAHMrZIJGFkAJVqxdFvRLZw/s1600/Les+Paul+players.png" /></a></div>
<br />See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-35058953445826679482015-01-15T22:34:00.000+00:002015-01-18T18:54:45.879+00:00Chain skip and lubricantChain skipping (jumping between rear gears) is damn annoying, especially when it happens as you are riding out of saddle. There are a number of reasons why this may happen: badly adjusted derailleur, worn cassette, worn chain. Last week, my bike started to suffer from chain skip all of a sudden. The cassette did not seem worn, nor did the derailleur look misaligned. So I decided to just give the chain a good lube and see what would happen.<br />
<br />
The problem went away!<br />
<br />
I cannot really figure out why lubricating the chain would fix the problem. There isn't really any literature on the internet I could find on this topic either.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, next time if you can't figure out why your chain is skipping, get the lube out and give it a go. It may solve your problem. Who knows...See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-5949835242942634402014-11-02T22:31:00.002+00:002014-11-02T22:59:45.770+00:00A real Art Deco gem: London Fire Brigade HeadquartersWandering around the streets of London often rewards one with sights of amazing buildings from all architectural ages, but it is not often that one would come across an entirely unfamiliar building which so perfectly epitomises a particular style. On Saturday, walking along the Thames from Westminister towards Battersea, we discovered the old <b>London Fire Brigade Headquarters</b> (<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/8+Albert+Embankment,+Greater+London,+UK/@51.4925355,-0.1215369,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x487604ea41c8536f:0x29d467bd95b13f67?sa=X&ei=4J1WVIHdIo_B7AatkIGYDw&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA">8 Albert Embankment</a>, Lambeth). Its construction, along with its external ornamentation, is for me the complete embodiment of the <i>30s Art Deco spirit</i>. I am, of course, adding it straight to my <a href="http://www.seewah.com/art-deco-london/">Art Deco London list</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPU9eY9VcqlnbVy0w4gzY1MPwWRRPQxYwkpGUcjuxs01XoMDt0ZyNpklcSk-US-q3bkl8d5ByUHbRw42_DeioKL9fpgzKOVPUBAhoJGEQIOzBOqavLvj1oZZpA-efeEDz3uXDwQ/s1600/7157764648_0d3e0405e1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPU9eY9VcqlnbVy0w4gzY1MPwWRRPQxYwkpGUcjuxs01XoMDt0ZyNpklcSk-US-q3bkl8d5ByUHbRw42_DeioKL9fpgzKOVPUBAhoJGEQIOzBOqavLvj1oZZpA-efeEDz3uXDwQ/s1600/7157764648_0d3e0405e1_b.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/acb/7157764648</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
Doors</h2>
Arguably, the most eye-catching features are the fire engine doors, with their oriental motifs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiLXuk8OvRVhs63vdCm65-ek_Ky9rayZo5QMCH2s7rplO5He7CBsfg5Gc3yWYliFib8pgWoIJdw7pgqoO61oARoDpOyOU0tVm-HlhcjMFURi04-J27hR7fj3UDwTQ2alz4hvfuA/s1600/503874865_45a14abbab_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiLXuk8OvRVhs63vdCm65-ek_Ky9rayZo5QMCH2s7rplO5He7CBsfg5Gc3yWYliFib8pgWoIJdw7pgqoO61oARoDpOyOU0tVm-HlhcjMFURi04-J27hR7fj3UDwTQ2alz4hvfuA/s1600/503874865_45a14abbab_b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bagpus/503874865</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
Relief works<b><br /></b></h2>
The sculptor behind the amazing relief works is <b>Gilbert Bayes</b>, who was also responsible for the <a href="http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptlondon/queenoftime.htm">Queen of Time</a> statute welcoming shoppers into Selfridges.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJW0dHCF_HYr8_KdfRGkW7zksE97t1ypz_dkLDTlq2HgjAM5M8J2zaiI0rqZsbz1-vPp8vzkV6NgNcuZAr9jYdcq3PD7KGJ4WeS1hGTzs31Mgv5CpWMSm21lTlnPVfl5iv_kciQ/s1600/3448839472_5f116a174f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJW0dHCF_HYr8_KdfRGkW7zksE97t1ypz_dkLDTlq2HgjAM5M8J2zaiI0rqZsbz1-vPp8vzkV6NgNcuZAr9jYdcq3PD7KGJ4WeS1hGTzs31Mgv5CpWMSm21lTlnPVfl5iv_kciQ/s1600/3448839472_5f116a174f_b.jpg" height="120" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicamulley/3448839472</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The work above depicts the story of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaethon">Phaethon</a>, who was the original boy-racer, almost reducing the planet to ashes.<br />
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This next frieze is my favourite piece of ornamentation on this building.
Firemen with shell-shaped helmets, putting out fire with water-spouting
fish! Hell yeah!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR4isC9gbcR-6AgdmC8qGTLKOK9o7vWPKWJnqqUVJsxSK4yVSAfunkn_vnSp3Wq5L7xBCKyAJue4S-mfOV-Cex5mq1t9W3_7hqeQrcGY3lx7ZtAxXTc58yl8xJj-wm-xk8irKiQ/s1600/DSCF2055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR4isC9gbcR-6AgdmC8qGTLKOK9o7vWPKWJnqqUVJsxSK4yVSAfunkn_vnSp3Wq5L7xBCKyAJue4S-mfOV-Cex5mq1t9W3_7hqeQrcGY3lx7ZtAxXTc58yl8xJj-wm-xk8irKiQ/s1600/DSCF2055.JPG" height="116" width="400" /></a></div>
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A couple of superbly carved blocks pay tribute to our brave firefighters. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3616/5808517415_1a4e5310ec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3616/5808517415_1a4e5310ec.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/theurbansnapper/5808517415</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2538/5809083744_39bb41a7bb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2538/5809083744_39bb41a7bb_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/theurbansnapper/5809083744</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Note the hook ladder the fireman on the left is holding in the photo above. Not sure how it is (or was) used? Check out this crazy Youtube video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wQKHc6xgk5o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<h2>
Future unknown</h2>
The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) stopped using this building as its headquarters in 2007, and has been trying to sell it off. Neighbouring residents campaigned against private redevelopment plans in 2013. The future of this Grade II listed building is yet unknown. This seems to be a classic case of a clash of interests, not an uncommon problem when it comes to heritage buildings:<br />
<ul>
<li>current owner wanting to sell off a disused building to make money</li>
<li>private investors wanting to make loads of money</li>
<li>English Heritage wanting to save the building</li>
<li>local residents (quite rightly) looking after their own interests</li>
</ul>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-58678587730314249552014-11-01T11:57:00.000+00:002014-11-01T12:02:50.592+00:00More Candies...<a href="http://seewah.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/shimano-spd-vs-crank-brothers-candy.html">I wrote a post</a> just over a month ago about my first impression of Crank Brothers Candy 1 on my road bike. I can say that after what must have been around 300 miles, I am pretty happy with them. I like the float and the smooth unclipping action, while, at all times, I feel fully confident that the pedals are firmly attached to my feet, even when I'm climbing the steepest of ground.<br />
<br />
After riding with <a href="http://seewah.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/power-grips-and-crud-roadracer-mk2.html">Power Grips</a> for years on my singlespeed, I decided last week to buy a new pair of Candy (Candy 2) for my road bike, and swap those Power Grips for my Candy 1.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0jas_UT3zXjTmtZYPvrTGRehZilZ89z2sCrw3NJXtdYsCUs9JBrQw3ab787P4Qj6o1m-Qv88z8jdELUUl3tguIUp7_DBDlbqU3cOZhDZAck7r9KEi_uejMmXCWXi6LW72jrImQ/s1600/IMAG0434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0jas_UT3zXjTmtZYPvrTGRehZilZ89z2sCrw3NJXtdYsCUs9JBrQw3ab787P4Qj6o1m-Qv88z8jdELUUl3tguIUp7_DBDlbqU3cOZhDZAck7r9KEi_uejMmXCWXi6LW72jrImQ/s1600/IMAG0434.jpg" height="400" width="238" /></a></div>
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Here are the new shiny orange <b>Candy 2</b> on my road bike. Unlike the Candy 1, these pedals have machined aluminium bodies, which should add to their durability (and sexiness, dare I say). Otherwise the two versions are pretty much the same. They still use bushing inner bearing. Only Candy 3 and Candy 11 offer needle inner bearing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ko66lqsB1TRamIdBIqU5XGdyGqe0nvhEm_yGkwcV8kWwxCvCq5_KJYfKmjZ9MXtuFV34vKfth8geBS88IhkFZc-3nFAomomzR94WUwndhQ5o6Gy3m1G-6e2Fxe_KshCKdG4r1A/s1600/IMAG0439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ko66lqsB1TRamIdBIqU5XGdyGqe0nvhEm_yGkwcV8kWwxCvCq5_KJYfKmjZ9MXtuFV34vKfth8geBS88IhkFZc-3nFAomomzR94WUwndhQ5o6Gy3m1G-6e2Fxe_KshCKdG4r1A/s1600/IMAG0439.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Candy 1</b> now on my singlespeed!<br />
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Of course, it is still too early for me to comment on their long-term reliability. People seem to have mixed experience with them. Watch this space!See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-48367215122336650532014-09-29T22:54:00.002+01:002014-09-29T23:24:41.523+01:00Shimano SPD vs Crank Brothers Candy: First impressionI have always used <b>Shimano M520</b> on my road bike (I am ignoring the disdainful look from some of you - I like the fact that clipping in is easy when commuting!) and I am curious about other multiple-entry MTB pedals, so I decided to try out <b>Crank Brothers Candy 1</b>, which, like the Shimano, do not cost the earth.<br />
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Disclaimer: this really is a <i>first impression</i>. I have ridden less than 30 miles on the new Crank Brothers pedals.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYLbWRV5fLyjQZKLJLVXmGnfRkhL-v-VqH61rquX9SqQjK1l0Wr8A2fzCf1QE2aLMEVaGMlMclwkQBLvhn5Ltx8X8pXJcWV80xCQ91odE27pqFVl8hYiruzaZfJD0KC5RvSob8g/s1600/IMAG0422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYLbWRV5fLyjQZKLJLVXmGnfRkhL-v-VqH61rquX9SqQjK1l0Wr8A2fzCf1QE2aLMEVaGMlMclwkQBLvhn5Ltx8X8pXJcWV80xCQ91odE27pqFVl8hYiruzaZfJD0KC5RvSob8g/s1600/IMAG0422.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shimano M520</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8LjI3UPDJ4uYtmTA5gH0Da-XV57Az1vVJcxxWSihF-_sdD9SF-LbJxzIkY0R-IjfzPVXH89XJkD1HKrrv0bq2VMPNYLKbV7AgM90OQvsDicXC5h-ZpoteLrzmbt1l506gDDD-w/s1600/IMAG0421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8LjI3UPDJ4uYtmTA5gH0Da-XV57Az1vVJcxxWSihF-_sdD9SF-LbJxzIkY0R-IjfzPVXH89XJkD1HKrrv0bq2VMPNYLKbV7AgM90OQvsDicXC5h-ZpoteLrzmbt1l506gDDD-w/s1600/IMAG0421.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crank Brothers Candy 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwFrb3r2k67TDMFdL-hDv0aVukfrqGqd4E3Pz-qfy0daemqhyphenhyphenRDOiDIuZf4bub_7aJ8WULCQsBS1TY42idSJtREGOg6TSVzYBr-0weY1Kv85_MWFn1TJX_mX8MzIJJ7WQHqT7bw/s1600/IMAG0423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwFrb3r2k67TDMFdL-hDv0aVukfrqGqd4E3Pz-qfy0daemqhyphenhyphenRDOiDIuZf4bub_7aJ8WULCQsBS1TY42idSJtREGOg6TSVzYBr-0weY1Kv85_MWFn1TJX_mX8MzIJJ7WQHqT7bw/s1600/IMAG0423.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crank Brothers Candy 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Installation</b><br />
<br />
<div>
One has to use a 8mm Allen Key, and not a pedal wrench, to install the Crank Brothers pedals. No problem!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>First "click"</b><br />
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<div>
Alright, it took me a couple of goes to actually clip in, but that was probably more to do with my excitement than anything.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>First "unclick"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div>
Well, it is more a <i>slide</i> than a <i>click</i>! I have to say, I am surprised by how smooth the unclipping action was, while all the time, my feet felt perfectly secured when pedalling. It just <i>feels</i> good.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Further thoughts</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>The extra platform seems to help with power transfer when pedalling, though it may just be a psychological thing. There are plenty of people online comparing the Eggbeater (basically Candy without the platforms) with the Candy, and concluding that there is little difference between the two, as long as you have reasonably stiff-soled cycling shoes (I have Shimano M087).</li>
<li>Likewise, a lot of people comment on the extra "float", i.e. how much you can rotate your foot before the pedal unclips, which I can definitely feel. Not sure how much it actually helps with saving the old knees. I guess I will probably find out after a longish ride.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I will provide another update once I have actually been on longer rides. I hope I will grow to like these pedals!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-43607240679066051182014-09-21T23:20:00.001+01:002023-08-20T11:31:11.687+01:00Wainwright 214 Fells Data VisualisationWe are off to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_District">Lakes</a> soon (pretty excited!), and I thought, since I have always wanted to do a data visualisation project, why not play around with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wainwrights">Wainwright 214 Fells</a> data a bit, and see what I can come up with.<br />
<br />
So I started off looking for the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>data source</li>
<ul>
<li>which I managed to find on <a href="http://www.hills-database.co.uk/">http://www.hills-database.co.uk/</a></li>
</ul>
<li>a data visualization library</li>
<ul>
<li>I went straight went for <a href="http://d3js.org/">D3.js</a> after reading a bit about its <a href="http://latentflip.com/imperative-vs-declarative/">declarative</a> approach and its rich animation support. Though as it turns out, I could have done my project using jQuery just as easily, but learning and using D3.js had been fun!</li>
</ul>
<li>a bit of inspiration (as I am not at all a designer!)</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/mbostock/d3/wiki/Gallery">D3.js gallery</a></li>
</ul>
<li>and after I decided to include a map, a better map than Google Map</li>
<ul>
<li>Google Map is great but does lack details for outdoors mapping. I guess they have not employed Google walkers yet!</li>
<li>Comes the power of crowdsourcing! <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/">OpenStreetMap</a> turns out to be excellent for the Lake District fells.</li>
<li>It is possible to show OpenStreetMap tiles using the usual Google Map v3 api, but on the OpenStreetMap wiki, I came across the <a href="http://leafletjs.com/">Leaflet</a> api, which is what I went with instead.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
Initially, I wanted to try out some animated graphs showing the height distribution of the fells, but I soon became obsessed with the idea of displaying the fell names inside the shape of a, well, <i>fell</i>! Scafell Pike, standing at 3209 feet, right at the summit, and Castle Crag, at a mere 951 feet, at the base. I could not quite figure out how to flow text inside a isosceles triangle using css, but I did come across the idea of <a href="http://alistapart.com/article/css-shapes-101">css shape-outside</a>, and this excellent <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/webplatform/2014/05/12/css-shapes-polyfill/">polyfill</a> from the Adobe web team. So I decided to go with a right-angled triangle instead, which I think actually works better!<br />
<br />
This is the end result, voila:<br />
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/wainwrights/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_lYNzlGKqiXSJizvLs35cUqVj297-qGcwSjsY7K7j1wv8xkS0snmgHteoKwL31H_P43jVMOeHxzNPG7eWAuhzUKA7ujBLjEOFM8_JrPXk0cFo6pkGURQrd4jYigUT1U2obxKKQ/s1600/dataviz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is how it looks on a larger screen. In order for the contents and iteration to work on a smaller mobile screen, I decided to offer a pared-down mobile responsive design:<br />
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/wainwrights/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1GSKxUe_wixg9_xZapD9cuk9gHzTMDvGIXmSqBIjxz93OMGxjt0WcVzW7IF91ncdVmT-kYZ9y2tGh2ijs6kqURO_GENkb9H9KVWyejUo4KONIFqlbsMXb11-SwEpadyAHCU4xQ/s1600/dataviz.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<br />
Check it out on my site: <a href="http://www.seewah.com/wainwrights/">http://www.seewah.com/wainwrights/</a>.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, so far Sze Kiu and I have walked up (ordered by summit height):<br />
<ul>
<li>Helvellyn</li>
<li>Skiddaw</li>
<li>Bowfell</li>
<li>Great Gable</li>
<li>Catstye Cam</li><li>Fairfield</li>
<li>Crinkle Crags</li>
<li>St Sunday Crag</li><li>Hart Crag</li>
<li>Coniston Old Man</li>
<li>Green Gable</li><li>Dove Crag</li><li>Red Screes</li><li>Great Rigg</li>
<li>Carl Side</li>
<li>Froswick</li>
<li>Birkhouse Moor</li><li>Pike o’Stickle</li><li>Loft Crag</li>
<li>High Pike (Scandale)</li>
<li>Fleetwith Pike</li>
<li>Base Brown</li><li>Heron Pike</li>
<li>Haystacks</li><li>Blea Rigg</li>
<li>Low Pike</li>
<li>Wansfell</li><li>Nab Scar</li>
<li>Helm Crag</li><li>Silver How</li>
<li>Walla Crag</li>
<li>Loughrigg Fell</li>
<li>Black Fell</li>
</ul>
<div>
And we hope to go up a few more this time!<br />
<br />
p.s. big thanks to all those OpenStreetMap contributors, js library contributors, as well as folks behind <a href="http://www.hills-database.co.uk/">http://www.hills-database.co.uk/</a></div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-66948969483338411502014-09-15T00:13:00.001+01:002014-09-21T23:27:26.253+01:00Regent's Canal: Angel to CamdenSze Kiu is still busy with her dissertation, so I went onto the ever resourceful <a href="http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/">IanVisits</a> to figure out what to do on Saturday. I found this voluteer-led canal walk from Angel to Camden (<a href="https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/blog/heritage-team/volunteers-help-us-to-create-a-museum-without-walls">https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/blog/heritage-team/volunteers-help-us-to-create-a-museum-without-walls</a>). Over the years, I have walked quite a few times along both the Regent's Canal and the Grand Union Canal, but the section from Angel to Camden (and the associated history) was unfamiliar territory for me. It is also an area of new exciting development, with Central St Martins and Google establishing base north of King's Cross station.<br />
<br />
I turned up outside Angel tube station and found Neil the guide waiting in his hi-viz. Soon, others started showing up, and we ended up with a group of about 10. I have to say, much to my surprise, I was by far the youngest person in the group (At 33, I am not even that young!)<br />
<br />
It suffices to say that I was extremely impressed by Neil's knowledge and also his delivery, and I would absolutely recommend this walk to anyone who has the slightest bit of interest in canals and the history of London. Neil is running this walk on a trial-basis at the moment, and there is one remaining date in October this year. Refer the <a href="https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/blog/heritage-team/volunteers-help-us-to-create-a-museum-without-walls">Canal River Trust webpage</a> for date and details.<br />
<br />
Here are ten interesting things I learnt about the Regent's Canal from the 2-hour walk:<br />
<br />
<b>1) Boris Johnson</b><br />
<br />
Apparently he lives in one of those Georgian terrace houses by the eastern entrance of the Islington Canal Tunnel (the Regent's canal runs underground through Angel). The worst-groomed man this side of Hoxton?<br />
<br />
<b>2) Tolpuddle Street (and Copenhagen Fields)</b><br />
<br />
Perhaps rather ironically, not far from chez Boris, one would find the site where, in 1834, thousands marched in support of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolpuddle_Martyrs">The Tolpuddle Martyrs</a>, who had been
sent to Australia for forming a trade union.
<br />
<br />
<b>3) Caledonian Road</b><br />
<br />
So named because there existed an orphange for Scottish children. I have always wondered.<br />
<br />
<b>4) The Plimsoll Line</b><br />
<br />
The area along the canal north of King's Cross station used to house a number of coal yards in the 1800s. One of the owners, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Plimsoll">Samuel Plimsoll</a>, was also a Member of Parliament. He found out that boats were sinking, and crews were getting killed, due to overloading. As a result, he invented the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterline">waterline</a> which can still be found on vessels nowadays.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>5) A lonely watertower</b><br />
<br />
A Victorian Gothic water tower can be seen opposite the newly relocated <a href="http://www.kingscross.co.uk/heritage-gasholder-no-8">Gas Holder no. 8</a>. It is, of course, a genuine George Gilbert Scott (architect of St Pancras station) monument. It used to be part of St Pancras. It was removed brick by brick, as the station was getting converted to a Eurostar terminal, and reconstructed in its new location. <a href="http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/water-tower.htm">More info and photos here</a><br />
<br />
It now looks yearningly south towards its former home, across the huge industrial wasteland that separates the two.<br />
<br />
<b>6) Gas Holder no. 8</b><br />
<br />
Grade II listed gas holder! <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28939812">A park is being created inside it</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>7) Mary Tealby</b><br />
<br />
One of the abandoned warehouses along the canal used to be a shelter for dozens of stray dogs, run by a lady called Mary Tealby, who went on to create the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea_Dogs_%26_Cats_Home">Battersea Dogs & Cats Home</a>.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>8) A crenellated Starbucks</b><br />
<br />
Near Camden Lock, the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremai/7297308208/">castle-looking Starbucks</a> used to a Victorian pumphouse. The pumphouse was supposed to power the then newly-invented hydropneumatic lock, which was subsequently replaced by a more traditional lock.<br />
<br />
<b>9) The Ice Wharf</b><br />
<br />
Next to it, you will find a Weatherspoon called <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ontheroad_nk/7294475974/">The Ice Wharf</a>. There used to be an ice well, similar to the one inside the <a href="http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/">London Canal Museum</a> in King's Cross. Before the invention of refrigeration, this is how people would keep ice. Needless to say, ice was a luxury item back then.<br />
<br />
<b>10) Electricity and water</b><br />
<br />
Along the towpath, you would often find yourself treading on concrete slabs with water seeping through to the surface. Underneath your feet are in fact high-voltage electric cables. Canal water is being used to keep them cool!<br />
<br />
Thanks, Neil!<br />
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See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-81260294793605627272014-08-26T00:58:00.000+01:002014-08-28T21:18:58.905+01:00Bateman's and a Kipling poem: "If—"Over the bank holiday weekend, Sze Kiu and I went to visit <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans/">Bateman's</a>, the former home of <b>Rudyard Kipling</b> in Burwash, East Sussex. I must admit, previous to the visit, I only knew Kipling to be the author of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_Book">The Jungle Book</a>, and I was more interested in the Jacobean house itself and, potentially, its surroundings than the fact that Kipling used to live in Bateman's.<br />
<br />
To a certain degree, the visit itself was more educational than inspiring. In fact, as it turned out, I was more intrigued by the accompanying watermill than the house itself. Don't get me wrong, the house was immaculately preserved by the National Trust, and it contained a large number of fascinating objects belonging to the Kipling family - I was just not that into Kipling.<br />
<br />
Before we left, we made our customary cake stop in the little teashop. I noticed, written across two horizontal beams, two lines from what I could only assume to be a Kipling poem:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;</i><br />
<br />
<i>If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;</i><br />
<br />
Later on, when we got home, I went online to find out more about the poem <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If%E2%80%94">"If—"</a>. I was mesmerised by how simple, and yet how profound, this poem is. Ironically, I suddenly had this urge to read up more on Kipling and his works. What a fascinating character! On the one hand, he was, almost certainly without doubt, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man%27s_Burden">a supporter of imperialism</a>. On the other hand, he seemed to be able demonstrate boundless ambivalence in his works. He called himself an atheist, but he was clearly a God-fearing man.<br />
<br />
Despite the imperial/colonial connection with this poem (it was inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leander_Starr_Jameson">Leander Starr Jameson</a>, a British administrator of the then <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Colony">Cape Colony</a>), I am totally mesmerised by it. I have never seen so much strength and depth conveyed by so few words.<br />
<br />
Anyway, <b>as a tribute to this great poem</b>, I wanted to play with a few design ideas to create a little web project. I had this idea of a line transforming into the word "if" as one reads/scrolls down the page. I even had a play with <a href="http://processingjs.org/">processing.js</a>, but it soon became apparently that my artistic skill left a lot to be desired. So I went with a simpler idea, which was to turn the word "if" into "dot-matrix" text, with the dots becoming filled in, as one scrolls:<br />
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/if-rudyard-kipling"><img alt="http://www.seewah.com/if-rudyard-kipling" border="0" src="http://www.seewah.com/graphics/projects/if.jpg" height="136" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.seewah.com/if-rudyard-kipling/">Check it out</a> and, more importantly, enjoy reading this great poem.<br />
<br />
I hope you will be inspired too.<br />
<br />
P.S. On the subject of poems, we came across the following, presumably etched onto a pane of glass in the watermill by Kipling...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI0aijkvpTRc03pCFCc6w9OUi6798IwxvrMO77gpOccqyhXJLHOXHmV_a51qyI0fK_lDGnA46RqX8LGu2BALGsfml5VOLoaaC1nyUXGt3y5ZOxWi8ZbvWB3vBuoGZJt7WQGTx4w/s1600/20140823_162924.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI0aijkvpTRc03pCFCc6w9OUi6798IwxvrMO77gpOccqyhXJLHOXHmV_a51qyI0fK_lDGnA46RqX8LGu2BALGsfml5VOLoaaC1nyUXGt3y5ZOxWi8ZbvWB3vBuoGZJt7WQGTx4w/s1600/20140823_162924.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-26301898255573521142014-07-03T01:26:00.000+01:002014-07-03T08:47:35.526+01:00London hidden gems: museumsLondon is famous for its world-class museums, but what constantly amazes me is the abundance of small museums. Some are often run by no more than a handful of volunteers, with limited opening hours during weekends.<br />
<br />
I am going to try and pick my top five hidden gems. Yes, there is going to some bias, i.e. my wife and I are very much into historical buildings. One important selection criterion is: they must be open to the general public. <a href="http://www.londonopenhouse.org/">Openhouse</a> one-offs don't count.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>#1 House Mill</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>"An 18th-century tidal mill"</i><br />
<br />
Location: <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview?q=E3+3DU">E3 3DU</a><br />
Web: <a href="http://www.housemill.org.uk/">http://www.housemill.org.uk/</a><br />
Opening times (check website for latest): Every Sunday from May to October, and first Sundays in March, April and November<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmReQbZnJfmV7Lt50kX17uecAHKPsuByABtl_SB35dOK7c8x_7qlaDHQbYVhZQr6WrG4UBvYHQq15r6qHhW55AmJX9neWHVuWwstQb5ACPlL7aC80D7LhZDA1A3fgypfSunAPhtg/s1600/11237753285_e00f074102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmReQbZnJfmV7Lt50kX17uecAHKPsuByABtl_SB35dOK7c8x_7qlaDHQbYVhZQr6WrG4UBvYHQq15r6qHhW55AmJX9neWHVuWwstQb5ACPlL7aC80D7LhZDA1A3fgypfSunAPhtg/s1600/11237753285_e00f074102.jpg" height="264" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fallstreak_holes/11237753285">https://www.flickr.com/photos/fallstreak_holes/11237753285</a><br />
<br />
Hidden behind the Hancock Road Tesco by river Lea, this four-storey mill is possibly the largest surviving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_Mill">tidal mill</a> in the world. Built in 1776, the House Mill once produced flour for the bakers in Stratford, before being taken over by a gin distiller - JW Nicholson & Co.<br />
<br />
The building is now Grade I listed, and is managed by a trust which runs guided tours on Sundays.<br />
<br />
When we were there, the visitor centre was not very busy, and we were taken on an extensive tour to see all floors of the building (which incidentally is a timber structure, clad in bricks on the entrance side to make it look expensive). Detailed explanation was given on the working of the sack hoist, the mill stones and the tidal sluices. Though eerily empty now, one could easily picture what it must have been like when the multiple mill stones were all turning at the same time, sending vibration throughout this giant of a building. There was also a fascinating collection of wooden pattern blocks for the different machine parts.<br />
<br />
Speaking to the volunteers, it sounded like the arrival of the Olympic park round the corner did not bring a huge increase in the number of visitors to the mill. Bromley-on-Bow is still a bit of a backwater. But who knows - with more funding, perhaps the machinery would be brought back to life one day, showing the future generation how nature was once harnessed in an eco-friendly way (I assume!) to produce energy.<br />
<br />
<b>#2 Kirkaldy Testing Museum</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>"Facts not opinions"</i><br />
<br />
Location: <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview?q=SE1+0JF">SE1 0JF</a><br />
Web: <a href="http://www.testingmuseum.org.uk/">http://www.testingmuseum.org.uk/</a><br />
Opening times (check website for latest): First Sunday of every Month<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vxaosDSsIuduN3NemzpFF6KUMYObDPY3IrpduunoexInFi76grxdqVvKn3NeDeBoUMomeqntJOyMvI026m9p4G56JJuXs_MzT0JvUteyBXtA0f54vFw8d6fGsjknfWfGF4nXVA/s1600/2885981202_5aff060e6d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vxaosDSsIuduN3NemzpFF6KUMYObDPY3IrpduunoexInFi76grxdqVvKn3NeDeBoUMomeqntJOyMvI026m9p4G56JJuXs_MzT0JvUteyBXtA0f54vFw8d6fGsjknfWfGF4nXVA/s1600/2885981202_5aff060e6d.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/2885981202">https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/2885981202</a><br />
<br />
This place is all about one man and his machine. David Kirkaldy designed and commissioned the testing machine which is still functional inside this building.<br />
<br />
Cast iron and steel were the crucial materials that drove the industrial revolution, e.g. the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iron_Bridge">first iron bridge in Coalbrookdale</a>. However, the Victorians did not necessarily understand the characteristics of such materials initially, which resulted in many disasters. Kirkaldy's business was to provide the facilities for material testing for construction and for accident analysis.<br />
<br />
The place felt very much like a workshop (or a lab) with the machine taking the centre stage. The volunteers gave demonstrations of the machine literally pulling metal apart, and in doing so, on how to work out the tensile strength of the metal. There were also smaller rooms showcasing other testing apparatus.<br />
<br />
The museum's website suggests that they are currently undergoing lease negotiation. Situated between London Bridge and Waterloo, the museum is sitting on a piece of premium land. I really do hope the future of the museum will be safeguarded. All the skyscrapers around owe much to this man and his machine.<br />
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<b>#3 Museum of Immigration and Diversity</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>"19 Princelet Street is home"</i><br />
<br />
Location: <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview?q=E1+6QH">E1 6QH</a><br />
Web: <a href="http://www.19princeletstreet.org.uk/">http://www.19princeletstreet.org.uk/</a><br />
Opening times (Check website for latest): Occasional openings on Sundays<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewiping/5351886511">https://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewiping/5351886511</a><br />
<br />
Situation between the old London ports and the City, Spitalfields used to be home to generations of immigrants. There are still rows of Georgian terrace houses off Brick Lane. They would have housed many of these immigrants, from the French <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot">Huguenots</a>, the Jewish, to the Bengalis.<br />
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On the outside, no. 19 was just like any other Georgian houses on the street, with fading paintwork, and a generally distressed appearance. However, unlike the others, which I could only assume were rather posh in the inside, the interior of no. 19 had not been modernised. Generations of occupants extended and converted the house until the last resident moved out in the 60s. This place is a real time capsule.<br />
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Walking through the hallway where the ceiling was propped up by metal poles, I totally did not expect to find that the house would suddenly open up to become a synagogue, complete with a gallery for female worshippers. Downstairs in the basement, a volunteer explained to us that we were standing on the spot where the locals once held meetings to halt the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Mosley">Oswald Mosley</a> march into the area.<br />
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Around the house, one would find artwork to do with the theme of immigration. These objects and the building itself constantly challenged the visitors to reflect on the subject of identity. In a way, this is less of a museum, more of a space for storytelling.</div>
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Though listed, the place is desperately in need of maintenance, which is actually stopping the museum from opening more often (for health and safety reasons). Magical and thought-provoking at the same time, the Museum of Immigration and Diversity deserves to be visited by more people.<br />
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p.s. <a href="http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/">Dennis Sever's House</a> nearby is also worth visiting.<br />
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<b>#4 Brixton Windmill (aka Ashby's Mill)</b><br />
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<i>"An inner-city windmill"</i><br />
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Location: <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview?q=SW2+5EU">SW2 5EU</a><br />
Web: <a href="http://www.brixtonwindmill.org/">http://www.brixtonwindmill.org/</a><br />
Opening times (Check website for latest): Usually second weekend of each month from April to October<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kitreno/834649214">https://www.flickr.com/photos/kitreno/834649214</a><br />
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Situated next to Brixton prison, this windmill is unknown to even a lot of the local Brixton residents. I could not easily spot the windmill from a distance as it was hidden behind trees. However, once it revealed itself, this jet black <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_mill">tower mill</a> was completely at odds with its surroundings - a middle finger up to modernity in many ways.<br />
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Built in 1816, and leased to the Ashby family the following year, this is the last remaining windmill in central London. Later on, as the surrounding area became more built up, the spot where the windmill stands became more and more sheltered from strong wind. The windmill was deprived of its driving force, and the sails turned for the last time 46 years after the windmill's construction. <br />
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Volunteers run guided tours to take visitors to see all four floors, explaining the workings of the various parts of the mill.<br />
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<b>#5 Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret</b><br />
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"Miseratione Non Mercede - For Compassion and not for Gain"</i><br />
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Location: <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview?q=SE1+9RY">SE1 9RY</a><br />
Web: <a href="http://www.thegarret.org.uk/">http://www.thegarret.org.uk/</a><br />
Opening times (Check website for latest): Everyday apart from 16/12 to 06/01<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/swishphotos/8713875117">https://www.flickr.com/photos/swishphotos/8713875117</a><br />
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Unlike the others on this list, this museum opens every day. There were two parts to the visit, the garret where herbs had once been dried for medical use, and the adjoining operating theatre itself.<br />
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Just opposite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Thomas'_Hospital">St Thomas' Hospital</a>, the entrance to the museum was peculiar enough. One had to climb a very narrow spiral staircase up the side of a church to get to the shop/ticket office. The garret and the operating theatre literally sit on top of the church.<br />
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The garret - a massive timber-framed loft - contained displays of medical-related animal specimens, herbs and apparatus. I learnt that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_test#History">frogs were once used for pregnancy tests</a>. There were also constant reminders that, with the lack of medical knowledge which we now possess, people did not use to live that long. This led us to the highlight of the visit - the Old Operating Theatre itself, where those who were operated on did not seem to stand a high chance of surviving. Surgery was often seen as a last resort. Death aside, this was a wonderful place, and one really could see where the name "operating theatre" came from. I saw a little note which indicated that, to prevent blood from seeping down through to the church below, sawdust was packed underneath the floorboard.<br />
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This place is full of wonderful, if slightly morbid, stories. Well worth stopping by if you are in the area.</div>
See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20427072.post-56555673266564586202014-06-29T19:47:00.001+01:002014-06-29T21:15:52.454+01:00Trundling along the Thames PathFor me, the river Thames represents <i>continuity</i>: It links Oxford, where my wife used to live, and London, where we now live; George Gilbert Scott built a gothic bridge across the river in Clifton Hampden, while his grandson - Giles Gilbert Scott - built the imposing Art Deco Battersea Power Station downstream; Marc Isambard Brunel built the first tunnel under the river near Rotherhithe, while his son - Isambard Kingdom Brunel - built the Moulsford Railway Bridge further upstream.<br />
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My ambition is to walk the whole length of the <a href="http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/thames-path">Thames Path</a>. I have perhaps walked a third of it so far.<br />
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This started off as a fun design / visualisation exercise, where I came up with the idea of representing the outline of the river using names of cities and towns that it passes through. After I made an interactive version, I decided to actually write about my walks, and here it is: a little website about my journey along the Thames.<br />
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<a href="http://www.seewah.com/my-thames-path-journey/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCIFNQV-eJOxw94VacdNHuykccPCkd9p520kMk1gketuB88DzGI0QuwpZ3yB4nuuRmqahjJl2hKRDZsZ7D8pgGCja_wXghPC0upHS4O2KB6LuyYkhdnx85Ct4xB0knIWogkZTXQ/s320/thames.jpg" height="136" width="400" /></a><br />
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Check it out here: <a href="http://www.seewah.com/my-thames-path-journey/">http://www.seewah.com/my-thames-path-journey/</a>.<br />
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I hope this will inspire you to embark on a journey, be it along the Thames or anywhere else. Go out there and explore!See Wah Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08504655870498748611noreply@blogger.com0