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Don’t Kill Weeds Forage and Eat Them

by steve blakesley on March 17, 2011

 
One of the things about Dorset ,for such a small county it has so much to offer , I really cannot think of a better place to visit or live, amazing places to visit , scrumptious places to Eat , Exciting things to do, Great things to Learn, Terrific places to see.
Whilst speaking to a friend of mine about a totally different subject I was introduced to Rob Harford, and I stumbled on his eatweeds web site , to say I like what he does on this site is an understatement , I hope you take a few moments to visit , I am sure you will not be disappointed.
 
While Visiting the West country .
 
How about spending a day on a foraging course , included in this is what as known as the Edible Shore Line, Natures Larder , Wild Food Fermentation, and Foraging for the Family.
 
 
With times as they are we never know what skills we will be required to learn , course’s are conducted every month by Fraser Christian & Robin Harford.
 
Fraser until recently worked for Hugh Fernley-Wittingstall and ran his Fish Skills & Cookery’ course at River cottage.
 
I will not spoil what is on offer in the course , because its a real treat you can find out more yourself at .
 

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Deep Sea Diving , In Dorset

by steve blakesley on March 16, 2011

Deep sea Diving might seem a strange subject for a B&B Owner to write about , but in this area of Lyme Bay many of our guests are divers, and there are many dive boats that operate from West Bay Harbour.

There are scores of interesting dive sites , not just Ships but World war Bombers as well at a depth of 11m on a sandy bottom you can find

The remains of an American Flying Fortress which is a great dive for novices . The 18 metre wings along with the undercarriage wheels still remain in place along with the fuel tanks , but the main fuselage and engines are missing and as of yet have to be discovered . unfortunately sometimes after winter storms, parts of the wreck can become covered.

Further along the coast at a depth of 35 m on a sandy bottom you can find the wreak of M2 a very sad story, built in 1918 by the Famous Vickers factory , The m2 sunk in 1932 and its full crew of 60 were lost to the sea.

Salvage attempts were made just after the disaster struck, but the weather conditions and the weight of the ship stopped the salvage ship just as the wreck was breaking the surface , so close.

There was a 12 inch gun on her foredeck originally but was removed in 1927 before she sank , to convert part of its deck to carry a small folding-wing sea-plane .

The theory behind the sinking is that her hanger doors were left open which led her to taking on to much water and casing her to sink, you can still the hanger door and the winch which was used to lift the plane into position for launching.

She  sits complete and upright. Her hangar doors are  open and you look inside admittedly silt filled. which is now the home of crabs, pollock, wrasse and congers which can be seen inside her.

She can dived at slack water as currants, at times are quite strong here.

And a little further out at Depth 36m,  a  submarine the UB74 she was a world war one U-Boat which terrified allied shipping during the 1st World War , it was sunk by depth charge drop by an armed yacht named the Lorna in May 1918.

The UB is broken up ,and has been used by the navy as an ASDIC Target , but remains an interesting dive.

Another submarine a  British ‘S’ class sunk in Portland Harbour in June 1955, after an explosion in her torpedo bay.

She was raised , moved out of the Harbour and re sunk in 1957 to use as a ASDIC Target , but still makes a great dive

There are numerous older wrecks in Lyme bay and if you would like further information of Dives out of Westbay here is a link to skipper Keith Ferris web site

http://www.westbaydiving.co.uk

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Hells Barn , Chideock

by steve blakesley on March 15, 2011

Defiantly Heaven Not Hell

Shigeaki and Diana Takezoe own and run Hells Barn near Chideock near Bridport Dorset, far from being hell its a beautiful tranquil place, Shigeaki and Diana Many years ago and settled here in Dorset and Shigeaki never forgets his routes in Japan , and is of course a top chef.

 
Using his natural gifts as a chef , He often gives master classes in preparing and cooking Japanese food , and also exhibits at Bridports Food Festival.
 
But best of all he will take Bookings of Six people or more and his beautiful kitchen and Dinning room .

 
Offer you a varied set of menu’s and cook them a very special traditional Japanese Meal at a very reasonable cost.

 
So if in the Dorset Area and looking for that something different give Hells Barn a Visit

 
 
 
 

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Flying Frenzy , Paragliding , Lessons in Dorset

by steve blakesley on March 15, 2011

Have you ever wondered whats its like soring into the Sky like a bird , or doing something really exciting , in fact daring, well how about soring thousands of feet and gliding for miles on a breezy day.

Well that’s exactly what you can do when you come to visit the dramatic Dorset coast , People have even called it relaxing, how can that be your adrenaline must soring ,but if you would like to give this a try then Flying Frenzy based just down the road from the White House are more than willing to teach you , if its your thing you can learn to throw your para glider around to do some of the most dynamic acrobatics that’s come to mind.

It is said to be quite easy to learn how to para-glide, and even possible to fly solo on your first day.

Don’t ever forget that paragliding is dangerous when not been trained properly and you must fully understand the risks involved .

Taster days are available at about £140 for the  day, or you could book a Tandem flight which might be good fun without so much of the risk ,you can even purchase a gift voucher if you would like to give a friend or family member a real exciting ,  novel gift.

To get to Elementary Pilot (EP it would cost about £500, you must take into consideration weather conditions  for safe flying, so bare this in mind if you are considering booking a course.

Part of joining the flying frenzy club itself is the away trips they go on like Maritime Alps near Nice, where the French Alps meet the Mediterranean sea

Well have fun and here is a link to flying frenzy

http://www.flyingfrenzy.com

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King Tutankhamun , Facts , Found in Dorchester,

by steve blakesley on March 13, 2011

If you are in the Dorchester area at any time and you have an hour to spare or the weather is bad how about visiting

Tutankhamun Exhibition Dorchester

Well worth the price of admission as the Tomb and treasures of King Tutankhamun have been recreated to such a high spec. you will not be disappointed.

Its a splended recreation of the real thing in the Valley of the Kings

Rated 5 star

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Saniflow-Radiator-Wife’s Finger-and the Baby

by steve blakesley on March 13, 2011

If  you have a Saniflow system (its a toilet system if you are unaware) you can have some sympathy with me, one of mine gave me a £150 problem though ,water was seeping though the overflow and setting it off every 3 minutes , and the noise drives you mad , so we could not rent the room until fixed ,its  fixed now.
Soon after this I was bleeding the radiators in one the bedrooms , well I got a pint glass to catch the water  as it was coming out to fast and with a glass I could catch more water , I was just holding the valve in by the last thread so I would not have to take it out.
Anyway I thought I would speed the process up a little calling the wife up to empty the glass and use another glass so that  I would not have to re tighten the bleed valve every time it was full .

 

So after about five glasses being emptied , I got a little careless and drop the valve into the glass , I told the wife be careful you do not poor the valve down the sink ………………..Opppppps she says.
That’s great I say, there I am bloody finger stuck in the hole to stop the water, and she cannot see the valve ,so we change places I go see if I can find the valve , no chance., and I cannot move the U-bend its to tight.
Anyway I say to her I will have to go down to the plumbers merchants and get a new one , so she will have to keep her finger in the hole while I’ve gone to stop the place flooding, but as we have a three year old I will have to shut the bedroom door with them both inside while I am out. 

I went to three plumbers merchants none have a valve …………OMG , I have the now been gone 35 minutes, well as  I arrive back , I get it both barrels from my dearly beloved .

As the little one , once finding out his mother cannot stop him doing anything he wants has turned on every tap , bounced of the bed like a trampoline, pulling off the clean washing at the same time, we also have sweats and chocolate biscuits in the Rooms for the guests , i can leave it to your imagination as to the state of the room on my return.
 

I of course tell the wife I have to go out again and her finger will have to stay put, I back out of the room slowly as she explodes into a torrid of expletives, anyway I go back into the bathroom and attack the pipe work with renewed vigour, I manage to undo the U bend and retrieve the offending valve and replace it in radiator , do I get any thanks????

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Winning lottery ticket is at the Local rubbish Tip

by steve blakesley on March 13, 2011

Winning lottery ticket is at the Local rubbish Tip,  Well it seems like it to me
This all happen a few months ago and I thought you might like to get to know me a little better.
Well it started with a thought , its time to make the forth bedroom a deluxe un-suite,I started by knocking out two walls to make a bedroom bigger with  the en-suite etc, well the wife didn’t like the idea , as she’s seen my building work. 

Knocked it down anyway, all went  well apart from a short trip to the hospital , my son jump off a ladder straight onto a 4 inch nail (its ok he’s a rugby player and likes pain,) anyway I thought won’t waste a trip I will go to the Rubbish Tip as well , save a bit of time, then comes the phone call!

Better get home water pouring though ceiling …..Op’s , when I get there cant find where its coming from so I go get my Axe , good things Axes, I proceed to hack down ceiling to see if I have bust pipe, no such luck!

The liquid coming  though smells like disinfectant so I race up stairs to the store cupboard with a torch and shine it though the floor boards down though where I made a hole in the ceiling with the Axe , yep they see the light, but there is only a dribble on the floor , , I move the containers and find the 5 ltr container of highly toxic disinfect or What’s left off it leaking though.

My wife bought it the day before , and the Liquid ate though the container and leaked though.

So I come down look across to my Lap top OMG it has gone all over it , its Kaput ,  and so is my ceiling, great weekend.

Ok week latter now , put the ceiling back , the bath has been delivered, stud wall up now waiting for plaster , electrician, plumber, and the bloody bill, no more dramas yet, not much poker either Grrr, OH and one more Thing……… My spare Lap top is ruined as well , will not power up, that’s 2 lap tops knackered,

A few days latter I Had a great result with my lap top , I rung up and got them to look at the one that was eaten ,they virtually replaced all the parts except the screen which was not damage , as it was under warranty, and for some reason they could not find out why it kept breaking down Op’s .

Since I started the ole building program , I have been a regular at the local tip, now I cant wait to get up there to see what bargains they got on offer, my god you could start your own market stall business with some of the stuff being thrown awayits like finding the winning lottery ticket.

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X53 Jarassic Coast Bus

by steve blakesley on March 13, 2011

There is nothing to compete with this bus ride from Poole in Dorset traveling along the Jurassic Coast though Weymouth , Abbotsbury, Westbay, past the White House , on into the Market town of Bridport, then the fossil hunters paradise of Charmouth, Lyme Regis, seaton where you ould get off and have a ride on the Tramway across the wetlands ,then on to Beer, also passing  by The Donkey sanctuary near Sidmouth in Devon and passing some of the most breath taking scenery in the world ,and finally finishing in the city of Exeter where you can shop until your heart is content before getting the bus back for your return trip.

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Pecorama Beer Devon

by steve blakesley on March 12, 2011

For a great day out , this is definitely recommend for all ages , in saying that its possibly not to good for those who have difficulty walking.

Apart from being a great little fishing village , there is loads to do here from Pecorama which features beautiful landscaped grounds,  extensive 7 and a quarter inch gauge track , landscaped gardens, aviaries , exotic birds, a leisure trail and a mini golf ,A great in door model Railway Exhibition.

There is a wonderful old Pullman carriage where you can take Tea, coffee,and light Meals

Not forgetting the caves , take in the 2000years of history of these quarry caves, and view the massive chambers and vaulted ceilings ,the quarry was first worked in Roman times , and has supplied the stone for twenty four cathedrals any many more famous buildings like Windsor Castle, Tower of London,Hampton Court Palace.

The  stone at Beer was in much Demand by the masons, as when  quarried it is perfect for fine detail carvings,but hardens on exposure to the air, turning a beautiful creamy white colour.

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Swanage Railway

by steve blakesley on March 12, 2011

Swanage Railway & Corfe Castle

The Swanage Railway

One of my most favorite experiences is when I take my 4 year old son out for the Day, we drive down to Nordons station which is about a 15 minute drive from Dorchester heading for Wareham, you cannot miss the signs, We find this the easiest way to travel into Swanage as we have no problem with the parking because you can leave your car there all day.

It truly is a magical nostalgia Steam train ride if you are into this kind of yesteryear travel, the train has a number of stops and you can hop on and off where ever you choose to., which are Corfe Castle,Harmans Cross,Herston Holt and Swanage.

There is a buffet on most of the Trains which run about every 20 minutes in the summer.

The Railway offers a more intensive heritage steam and diesel timetable train service than virtually any other preserved railway. Steam and diesel galas, Family events plus regular Evening Dining and Sunday Lunch services complement themed events such as the highly popular Santa Special trains during the  Christmas period.

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