Diary of an Ordinary Van

[Altransit]

No Photoshop jobs please, unless totally hilarious.

[Vee4]

It's Déjà Blue all over again

The Ordinary Van has been schlepping round the country in pursuit of funds and knowledge, and with no time to write up the Diary.

Inspired by Emmylou Harris' touching tribute to her friend, Kate McGarrigle, on the Hard Bargain album, I acquired a copy of Kate and Anna McGarrigle's eponymous first album on CD, for listening in the OV. My original LP version wouldn't fit in the slot on the dash - I did try folding it in half but it was still too big.

Driving along a certain road in Oxfordshire, it occurred to me that I would have been listening to the original album in one of the Ordinary Van's predecessors while driving along the same road many years before. Accordingly, I have added Blues in D (track 3) to The Ordinary Van's Top Twenty. My personal favourite from the album is Talk to me of Mendocino, one of those classic 'yearning for home' songs, but it doesn't have 'blue' in the title ...

[Vee4]

Update for Pylon Spotters

If, like me, you have glanced at the horizon while driving your Transit (Transit content firmly established there) and thought, "that looks like an L12 in outline but surely it's too small", then your worries are over.

The Pylon Appreciation Society has updated its guide to include the following reference to the new L4M:

"L4M is the current design of 132kV tower with the slightly upturned crossarms that L12 have and look just like miniaturised L12."

Pylon Transit footage is at the processing lab, so watch this space.

[redcube]

you know cause of you and your pylon i was tiring to work out the one near me and almost crashed still have no clue what it is but it look funny

[Vee4]

I was trying to work out the one near me and almost crashed - still have no clue what it is

It goes without saying that road safety comes first! I don't know which pylons are used in County Clare, but you may find some information on the EirGrid site.

Congratulations on reaching 1500 posts!

[redcube]

this is my one i live near a wind farm and the local power station grid lines you can see his mate across the road
http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&ll=52. ... ,,0,-17.22

and thank never notice i'd gone that far on my post well here is 1501

[Vee4]

A Day Trip to Sheffield

The Ordinary Van joined the Sunday drivers on the M1 for a run up to Sheffield to see the Makeover Project in action. A long way to go for a cup of tea, but well worth it.


The Ordinary Van outside the original venue.
The new, larger venue is across the yard to the left of the picture.

There were plenty of pylons to see, as they straddle the M1 just south of Sheffield. The cooling towers have gone, despite protests:


Picture from Daily Mail

See the Daily Mail article for pictures of them being blown up (or down).

[transitandy]

keep up the good work

[Vee4]

Wheel like a heart or Heart Like A Wheel?



Bear with me on this one - I was going to approach it in a different way but something happened in Sheffield last weekend ...



When I described the Kate and Anna McGarrigle album, if time permitted, I would have pointed out that one song provided the title track for Linda Ronstadt's 'breakthrough' album, Heart Like A Wheel:



It was probably her most successful album and the impressive statistics are given in the Wikipedia article. The album features an eclectic selection of country and pop standards, and was produced by London-born Peter Asher. Older readers will remember him from the pop duo, Peter and Gordon, and because of his sister Jane Asher, once the girlfriend of Sir Paul McCartney.

The simile in the title track is "Some say the heart is just like a wheel, when you bend it you can't mend it ..." It came to mind last weekend when I saw wheels being bent and mended very successfully!

The album also features a version of the Little Feat classic Willin'. The song appeared on their eponymous first album, although the better known version appears on Sailin' Shoes. It's a little incongruous because it's normally assumed the protagonist is a man, but Linda sings it so well ...

"And if you give me weed, whites, and wine *
And you show me a sign,
I'll be willin', to be movin' ..."

Those guys have real trouble sayin' the letter 'g', don't they!

The Ordinary Van confides that Willin' is his favourite truck-driving song, although it doesn't have 'blue' in the title, or even in any of the verses.


Put on your Sailin' Shoes!

* Note from Health and Safety Officer: this is poetic licence and NOT recommended practice.

[Vee4]

Transit with Pylon - Number 1 in a Series

You asked for it! The first in another occasional series.



I thought I'd start 'small' with a PL1b and perhaps work up to an L6 or even an L12. To find the best angle for this photo, your intrepid photographer ended up with severe stinging nettle rash - the ditch was much deeper than it looked.

[Altransit]

Oh, how you "journalists" suffer for your cause

[Vee4]

Oh, how you "journalists" suffer for your cause

Rupert made me do it - but I deny everything.

[ake]

I must get some pics of my van with a Pylon or two

[transitandy]

I must get some pics of my van with a Pylon or two

me too

[redcube]

I must get some pics of my van with a Pylon or two

me too

Me three
i'll go the hole hog and take one at a switch broad for Money point power station