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The photos of 2010

And here's 2010 in pictures.

























 

Tweetlights of 2010

Here's a list of the best bits of 2010 compiled from my tweets :-)


Off to Scotland for the weekend. Hoping for some good boarding tomorrow!
10 Dec



Had a ball playing in the snow! Pics and vids later!
4 Dec


Tonights poker play inspired by @katiewaissel24 . Cos I'm a survivor too! Gutting on that 7 tho. Should have entrusted in my lucky number!!
27 Nov


@
@KrisBurgess verge emerge!!
20 Nov



Quite desperate for a nice pint now, like.
19 Nov



Last night was the absolute definition of "letting ones hair down"! Fun times! Haha!
13 Nov


Stereophonics, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2010 [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=738]
7 Nov


Get in Wagner!!
7 Nov


Stereophonics - Word Gets Around, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2010 - Photos : http://tinyurl.com/378br6r
18 Oct



TOTALLY worth it!
18 Oct


West Highland Way Blog and photos now online. http://tinyurl.com/33ulvrb
17 Sep



Shhhh, don't wake the chinese! I love you All. Even France. Jibbly bong. X
12 Sep



We did it, we diiiiiiid it! Hell yeah! I'm not ashamed to admit this is an emotional moment :) http://yfrog.com/0qn5oej
11 Sep



Well plans have changed somewhat after I had an argument with a tree. I lost but I'm fine. Cars a bit bent.. http://yfrog.com/1qsd2dj
7 Sep


Time to go. It seems to be raining already, and I've not even got to Scotland yet! The West Highland Way adventure begins...
7 Sep



Oh dear god- the expendables- what a terrible film!!
1 Sep



And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire... :)
27 Aug


Oopsy... http://www.seetickets.com/stereophonics-tickets/?filler3= Buyers remorse? a little, excited much? A lot!!
27 Aug



Greetings from sunny and lovely scarbrough! http://yfrog.com/jy77580856j
22 Aug



On the trail, the trail for ale! :)
7 Aug



Fish net titty pig
6 Aug



And so begins our slightly epic journey. Tweet you in Whitby!! http://yfrog.com/bfqghsj
31 Jul


Rest In Piece Jake Marsay. Bark Bark. [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=729]
23 Jul


Latitude 2010 - Mini Reviews! [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=728]
21 Jul



Just seen the x x. Totally brilliant!
17 Jul



Latitude organisation: fail. Girls in wellies and hot-pants: win.
16 Jul



Chilling in the sun. Tom jones in the forest at midnight :)
15 Jul


Mustering some last reserves for Maximo!!
2 Jul


I'm sorry, but you don't need any clever technology to see that was over the line. Unbelievable!
27 Jun


Stereophonics - Summer in the City - Cardiff City Stadium - June 2010 [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=724]
13 Jun


Neighbours confuses me. They are all constantly in different houses :-S
11 Jun


R.I.P. Stuart Cable http://www.nme.com/news/stereophonics/51379 :'(
7 Jun


Reet. Off to catch up with the KJ and co!
5 Jun


Durham? Again?! Oh... Go on then ;)
30 May


@Stereophonics Cardiff tickets despatched. This fills me with mixed emotions.
12 May


Check it out: MapMyBeer.com!! http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/Durham/824127327872379639
8 May


West Highlands Way: It\'s on... [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=723]
3 May


Bit of retail therapy has blown a hole in this months bonus.. Infact to be fair it's completely obliterated it!!
1 May


Ash - O2 Carling Academy - Newcastle - April 2010 - Mini Review [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=719]
26 Apr


Done all my chores, so now can go out to play! Ash! Ash! Ash! Woop! :)
25 Apr


Tweet Dump... [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=717]
21 Apr


As the day cometh to an end, hence beginneth the countdown! Thank you to all you lovely people. I feel blessed :)
20 Apr


Manchester Weekend! [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=716]
18 Apr


Been to the lakes with my bro to watch go-karts. And now I want I one!!
11 Apr


@
@pkryder flares was awesome! So was the @KrisBurgess after party! Woooahh Mysterious Girl!
10 Apr


Weekend at the Cairngorms :) [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=713]
5 Apr



Pow pow pow!! Big :-D
4 Apr



Cairgorms really is a winter wonderland! Playing (semi) responsible uncle today, will let rip tomorrow :)
3 Apr



Push button. Wait for signal.
1 Apr



I am now officially a Sage.
26 Mar



More nom nom! From the colpitts, durhams portal to the past! :)
20 Mar


Yay for Pollys quirky lil Tea Rooms. Especially the scones. Yumm!!
7 Mar

pkryder Paul Ryder
The view from our new office http://twitpic.com/16qlap
5 Mar


Spent most of the day driving a bug van around! Successful move day. Love the new office!!
4 Mar


Stereophonics: Keep Calm and Carry On - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=711]
2 Mar


Great gig. The highlight definitely "Uppercut". And yes, they ended with Dakota. My bad. Their good :)
1 Mar


I really really love the latest Phonics tune to come from KKACO. I mean, obviously I do, but really, I do. Could you be the one for me?
21 Feb


tellmesomethingidontknow.co.uk - Coming Soon! [http://maybetomorrow.co.uk/blog.php?id=706]
18 Feb


Wow. Wow. And wow. Dances with smurfs was A May Zing!! Never want to see a 2d film again!!
17 Feb


Off to see Dave Gorman. Hope he talks about his lean mean grilling machines!
12 Feb


I'm at @CairngormMtn for the final leg of the adventure. Conditions look great. 4hrs power boarding then home!
8 Feb


I uploaded a YouTube video -- Greetings from the Nevis Range! http://youtu.be/tZ1n_net_o0?a
7 Feb


I uploaded a YouTube video -- Hello from Glencoe! http://youtu.be/KDxI3xpukmc?a
7 Feb


Today been to glenshee, it was utterly immense! Can I stay here please with a permanent ice age on order too :-)
7 Feb


What a beautiful day,check out this astonishing view and scenery... :) http://twitpic.com/11h0ac
5 Feb


I have a new car! Well. Is!. http://tinyurl.com/yadt6ew
4 Feb


Over new year, I went snowboarding in Innsbruck.... http://tinyurl.com/ygq4avh
4 Feb  

Stereophonics, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2010

Die hard Stereophonics fans were treated to a celebration of the Word Gets Around album on Sunday 7th October at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Luckily, I was one of them, taking in Phonics gig number 13.

The gig started with a montage of old clips set to "Live Wire" by AC/DC. And then In an emotional and party atmosphere, which Kelly dedicated to late ex-drummer Stuart Cable, the band reeled through the Word Gets Around album as well as playing a number of rarely heard live B-sides.

The connection between the band and the crowd was palpable, with Kelly pausing between songs to tell stories and generally jape around. It was a privilege to hear songs that the band had not played live for about ten years, and, in many cases are unlikely to ever play live again.

With Word Gets Around done, the lads then launched into a selection of their greatest hits from the next ten years, and, with two encores, the set ran well over two hours, at then end of which fans were still gagging for more.

Refreshingly Dakota did not close the show. It was second to last, with Kelly urging fans to "take the fucking roof off" when they brought this amazing show to an end with Bartender.

All in all, it was an amazing gig and one which will live long in the memory. Best Phonics gig ever?. Hmmmmmmmm, possibly actually!

Set list:
Looks Like Chaplin
More Life In A Tramps Vest
A Thousand Trees
Carrot Cake & Wine
Tie Me Up & Tie Me Down
Same Size Feet
Poppy Day
Traffic
Goldfish Bowl
Check My Eyelids For Holes
Home To Me
Not Up To You
She Takes Her Clothes Off (Punk Version)
Buy Myself A Small Plane
—
Billy Davey’s Daughter
Raymond’s Shop
Last Of The Big Time Drinkers
Local Boy In The Photograph
—
Just Looking
Pick A Part That’s New
Have A Nice Day
Dakota
Bartender & The Thief

Check out my photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/philmarsay/StereophonicsHammersmithApolloOctober2011#

And some videos from the gig here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philmarsay#p/c/788DE2210748B7EA/0/nrP0FdUzw6Y  

Stereophonics - Word Gets Around, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2010 - Photos

 

WHW - Day 5 - Glasgow - Darlington & Summary!

Just to complete the journey and the blog, we headed up out of the hostel and headed to the train station where we went our separate ways. Me on a slow and dull train trip back south, and my brother for an equally slow, but slightly more interesting journey north.

And so, that was that. West Highland way done. It was tough. far tougher than I'd imagined. There were times when, I can't lie, it wasn't very enjoyable. However, for the sense of achievement, and the sense of triumph against adversity. And the challenge of seeing just what your body really is capable of when you push it, it really was great.

There's also the wonderful feeling you get when you chat to walkers, and they tell you you are crazy. Proving them wrong when they tell you "you won't get past this bit" is fun too.

There are also some magnificent views, and scenery. Even the sparse and remote, and barren sections are beautiful. Theres some fun, technical and challenging cycling to be found, and some brilliant downhill sections. I still wouldn't reccommend it though. If you're thinking of doing it, you must be mad. Luckily, we were, and we did :-)  

WHW - Day 4 - Rowardennan - Milngavie - Glasgow - Asda!

After being woken up by a bunch of oldies who decided it was fine to make loads of noise and have all the lights on while people were still in bed (got to love youth hostels), we got up to enjoy a nice cooked breakfast. I decided to get my own back for the early morning by trying to get the rest of the hostel out of bed by setting off the fire alarm by truly cremating my toast (nobody told me it wouldn't pop on it's own!!).

We were off by 9.30. The route continued along the side of the Loch, but was much tamer than the day before. There were still sections of pushing and climbing but also some nice fun and tricky downhill sections. Eventually we left the Lochside and found Balmaha. Here the route climbs up and then splits. There was a choice of another fecking big hill (Conic Hill) and a road route from Balmaha to Drymen. We actually intended on doing the hill (well we figured, we'd done it the hard way so far, why not continue!), however, at the point of the split, the only way markings were down, so we ended up missing the ascent and doing the road route.

From here back to Milngavie, the route was mostly flat and easy. Only the numerous gates were a pain! With Milngavie approaching, we upped the pace. we arrived at the official end point at about 4.30pm. Approximately 32 hours and 118 miles from when we started (including the Glencoe round trip). It was such a great feeling to reach the end. A real sense of achievement!

That wasn't quite the end though. After a victory pint in a nearby pub, we set off again! This time to Glasgow for our last overnight stop, via a Garage for a well needed jet-wash for the bikes!

Even when we got to Glasgow, we weren't done. Having arrived in Glasgow with nothing but the dirty bike clothes that had gotten us there, we needed to take a trip to buy some clothes from the "local" Asda. After taking charge of the map, I rapidly got us lost, but eventually we got there, purchased matching £15 outfits, and made our way back through the busy streets of Glasgow fighting the fading lights!

We had a few beers in the hostel and a curry and then went in search of some pubs which had been reccommended to us. Somehow though we failed to find them all (we'd managed to navigate the entire route south, and then couldn't even navigate to a pub in Glasgow centre! - I blame tiredness!). we did find a nice little pub though and after a couple of the barstaff had a blatant giggle at the matching outfits and celebratory beers (and even a whiskey) flowed. We left after last orders and snuck in to the hostel room so as not to wake up our chinese roomys.

How I wish we hadn't been so considerate after they started making a whole heap of noise at 5AM the next morning, and managed to continue making noise for a further THREE HOURS! Quite why it was necessary to hairdry a waterproof coat at 7.30am, when it was bright sunshine outside, is beyond me!!

 

WHW - Day 3 - Tyndrum - Rowardennan

Following the late night, we had a bit of a lie in, and didn't surface til 9am. With the rain pouring down outside, there was no real rush to go anywhere. We finally did head off at 10.30. A late start which later proved to be both the breaking and the making of the day. The day started simply enough along Glen Falloch between a number of mountain peaks on mostly easy terrain. The first section to Crianlarich was through Moorland and woodland with some climbing up the side of the valley. We found a number of stys along the way particularly awkward and annoying to get the bikes over, but that was nothing compared to what was to come!
We took a slight detour off trail to Crianlarich for a brief snack, to get some cash and what was a well needed and enjoyed cup of tea.

The trail from Crianlarich follows the river Falloch, road and railway. On one of the climbs, my bro did manage to topple the bike sideways into the shrubs, which levelled us at 1-1 in the fall count! As we approached the Loch there were some good fun Marshy moorlandy bits with wooden trails and steps to negotiate. we soon got some good views of the Loch which was to be our hell for the next 4 hours!

As we hit the start of the lochside section, it started to get difficult. The trail narrowed and got more uneven, and before long became unridable. When we reached the banks of the Loch, we had a choice: Soldier on through what we knew was unridable and difficult territory, or, cheat and take a ferry across the Loch so we could ride along the road on the other side, before taking another ferry back across further along - missing out the most of the bad section, but also meaning, technically, we wouldn't have completed the full route. We decided, for sensibility, safeness, and enjoyment reasons, that we would indeed take the cheating option and headed for the ferry. we took a lovely leisurely ferry trip across the Loch and bumped into some locals on the other side. Having enquired about ferries back across the Loch further down the way, we were told we needed to phone the hotel that ran the ferry trips. We were duly informed that the next and final ferry back across was in 15 minutes... and we'd never make it! So, after a long wait for the ferry driver to come back from running his errands (and by ferry, what I really mean is boat), we were travelling back across to begin what was without a doubt the toughest 3 hours of the trip.
It was about 4pm by the time we got back across the Loch, so time was against us now as well, as we still had quite a distance to travel before reaching our overnight stop in Rowardennan.

The next 2 and a half hours were hell! Lifting, pushing, carrying, scrambling, climbing, all with a bike in tow. Incredibly difficult. This included one section where we had to carry our bikes down about 20 near verticle wooden steps with just rocks and Loch below us. Did not like that. One slip, or loss of balance and there would have been much pain. Scary! (the pictures just don't do it justice). Following that, and more scrambling, I'm not sure there are words to describe the sinking feeling in my heart, when, after 2 hours of pure torture, we were faced with a 30ft climb up and round rocky steps barely wide enough to get one foot in at "Rob Roys" cave. At about 6.30pm, we made it tired, weary and broken (well, me at least!) to Inversnaid, the ferry point we would have arrived at had we had more luck earlier. We took the chance to fill up well empty water bottles here from the bar in the hotel (They must have loved me... but at least they took pity rather than throwing me out!!)
We then had to push on as we still had 11km to go before our overnight stop at Rowardennan. Luckily, this leg was much easier going. There were still some pretty tough and long hills to negotiate, but with the up came the down. We rolled in at 8.30 and there was a real feeling of elation (and relief!) to see the lights of the hostel. After a quick wash, it was off to the pub. Sadly we missed last food orders, so it was peanuts and 4 pints for tea in the one hour that we had!


 

WHW - Day 2 - Glencoe - Tyndrum

After a continental breakfast at the hostel, we set off at abour 9.30 on the next leg of the journey. My elbow was giving me some jip as it was making it very difficult/painful to bend my arm, but We had to traverse back along the pass of coe (A82 - a rather spectacular road...), to get back to the bottom of the Devils Staircase where we ended the day before, and back on to the trail. This in itself was about 6 miles uphill, but at least it was all on the road, which, whilst requiring a bit of "lorry dodging" was in the most part pretty easy going.

The trail then traversed around the foot of the mountains before a steady but long incline along by some hills opposite the Glencoe ski centre. We were then into Rannoch Moor territory, and this was easily the most barren and desolate part of the route, but it was at least relatively straight forward with a few occasional steep climbs. We then hit the cobbled Drove road which took us to Bridge of Orchy where we stopped to eat our hearty packed lunch from the hostel.

The remainder of the route from here to Tyndrum was straight forward enough, largely following the railway line along the valley. Unfortunately though, my suspension had decided to pack in, which meant that even the downhill sections from here on in were hard work as a had to cling to my bike with the bumps going right through my arms and rattling all my internal organs!

Arriving at Tyndrum at about 5.30, we took some time to clean up the bikes, and get our Wigwam (wooden tent) organised, before having a shower and then getting back on the bikes to head into Tyndrum and the Irish bar, Paddy's for 6 pints of Guinness and an amazing Venison and haggis burger.

I think it was here that we formulated the plan to get all the way to Glasgow as that would mean I could get the train south, and my bro the train back north to Fort William and his van. After such successes, we headed back along the road to the wigwams, with a head torch for a front light and me holding a flashing RAC torch at the rear. Possibly the most dangerous part of our whole trip - especially after all the Guinness!, but we arrived back safe and sound to join a curious lesbian pairing, and a fox, for a couple of beers and some friendly chit-chat.

 

WHW - Day 1 - Glen Nevis - Fort William - Glencoe

Set off from Glen Nevis at about 9am, to the start point at Fort William. Here we had the necessary start photos at what is technically the end of the "walk". We were tackling the route North to South as it is reccommended that ways for the nutters daft enough to do it on a bike. We set off on the trail out of Fort William by 10 am.

The start was steady climb out of fort william on wide mostly even tracks before some fun undulating sections in the Nevis Forests. It was here that I took a trip over my handlebars when I let my front wheel run off the trail and into a ditch running down the side. This was an early warning that I needed to treat this trail with a little more respect! Hilarity ensued.

I got up, brushed myself off, thanked my £2.99 shin guards that I had on my forearms for limiting the damage and got going again with only a badly bruised elbow to show for my escapade.

We then levelled off onto a long and arduous ride along the old military road. Large and loose rocks made it slow going across a U shaped valley on the mountainside. All around us loomed the impressive mountains of the scottish highlands in and around the nevis range.

We stopped half way along here for lunch at some old farm ruins. Some rather interesting but actually very tasty Egg, bacon and pate sandwhiches, concocted from the food we had left over from the stop-over.

At the end of this road was a short, steep, fun and technical descent into Kinlochleven where we paused for much needed liquid refreshment, chocolate and ice creams!
It was just as well we had taken on board some extra energy as the next 2 hours involved a brutal uphill - largely walking slog out of Kinlochleven, continuing to follow the old Military road up to the highest point of the way (548 metres), where we paused to take in the spectacular views of the peaks of Glencoe and Ben Nevis, and catch our breath before the steep descent down the "devils staircase" into the Pass of Coe.

From here we took a slight detour down into Glen Coe where we were staying for the evening. We met up with some guys doing Lands End To Jon-o-Groats in our hostel room. We felt rather humbled by this, but, did later in the trip decide that actually, road cycling was for pussies...

We showered and headed to the Claichaig Inn for a few pints and an amazingly nice Venison Casserole before stumbling back to the hostel for some "sleep".

 

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