The King and I

Went to the Festival Theatre to see the King and I. It was OK but also very dated.

Christmas In Northern Ireland

Nice Christmas Celebrations in Northern Ireland with Maxwell, Michael, Lusi and MichaelAngelo.

Queens Drive 5k Race

Out for a race around Arthurs Seat on a very cold morning. Weather pleasant enough with sun shining. Maintained a reasonable pace round the course and finished in 25:13 just beating my personal best for the race from 2008. Nice to get one PB this year.

More Zurich

Stayed over in Zurich for some sightseeing in the City Centre and a walk in the hills above the city. The weather was cold but clear skys - although foggy on the lower ground.

Zurich

Colin had several days in Zurich at the CRO Assembly run by the Geneva Association. The event was held at the fantastic Centre For Global Dialogue owned by Swiss Re. A beautiful building in the suburbs of Zurich. 2 days with the risk community wasn't exactly inspiring given the global challenges and threats at the current time.

Tinto Hill Race

Last big hill race of the year at Tinto. Beautiful afternoon with clear skies and temperatures around 12 degrees. Pushed myself hard on the way up reaching the summit in around 33 mins. Decent run down catching up quite a few places in the home stretch. Faster than last year but 3 minutes slower than personal best - I must have been very fit a couple of years back.

Lloyd Cole

Max and Colin went to see Lloyd Cole at the Pleasance on Thursday evening. Lloyd is now 50 years old and was clearly self conscious about his advancing years and expanding belly. The first hour was mainly new stuff including work in progress. Good banter with the crowd made for a pleasant folksy hour of music. After the break and a pint he played through his fantastic back catalogue of hits. Lots of songs that sound like Number 1 hits but looking back at his chart history he only managed 6 top 40 songs with a highest position of 17. Forest Fire only managed 41. Great concert and Max, the only youngster in the audience, enjoyed it after some initial trepidation.

Orienteering at Deans Livingston

Max and Colin headed out to Livingstone on Sunday morning for the first orienteering in ages. We both had a go on the green course. Max headed off 1 minute before Colin but was quickly caught just after the first control. Colin then headed off in the wrong direction and Max was up about 30 secs by the second control. A neck by neck tussle for the next few controls until Max made a big error at 10 and Colin came home about 6 minutes faster.

Beautiful day and great to be out racing again.

Colin 8th, Max 13th of 45 on the Green Course. Colin now 1000 th in the UK Rankings.

Tori Amos

Colin and Hannah headed off to Glasgow on Sunday evening to see Tori Amos at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall. Good support act Mark Hole warmed up the event and then Tori and her string quartet played. Not the easiest of artists to get into as she is very intense but heated up towards the end. Unfortunately had to leave early for the train home.

Prize Winner (second anyway)

Max received a couple of certificates for his orienteering efforts over the past year. Second in the Light Green SOSOL for 2010/2011 and second in the 16B class at the Scottish Championships.

Well done !

Winter Warmers 5 km

Hannah entered the British Heart Foundation winter warmer event for a circuit of Holyrood Park. It was never quite clear whether this event was a walk or a walk and run. Hannah was definitely there for the former but most participants had come for a run. We set off at a good pace and had plenty of people behind us on the way up the hill. Hannah didn't quite find the puff for a run down the hill but got round in a very respectable 45 minutes and raised £65 for BHF.

Sigur Ros Inni

Went to see Sigur Ros movie INNI at the Queens Hall. Screening was of good quality with the sound crisp and clear and good and loud. Film was really excellent with the arty images and really intense ending. Stand out track Festival attached.

Dun Rig

Colin headed out for a walk in the hills by Peebles. Weather ok at lower levels but from about 550 m was cloudy and very wet. Couldn't navigate the planned route so went beyond Dun Rig and then retraced steps. About 4 hrs total walk.

Survival of the Fittest

Max headed out for the 10 K Survival of the Fittest race in Edinburgh. Lots of tough obstacles to negotiate. He did really well getting round in just over an hour and in the top half of the generally very fit looking field.

Had a nice meal out at Cafe Rouge in the evening.

John Muir Country Park

With Max Senior visiting we headed out to Dunbar and the wide beaches and dunes for a walk of 4 or 5 miles. A bit windy but the weather stayed quite nice. Beautifil scenery.

Enjoyed a nice tea on Friday night at Zizzi's.

Manor Water Hill Race

Max and Colin headed down to Peebles on a very wet Saturday afternoon. Max did well in the Junior race and was faster than Colin. Colin still not fully fit struggled up the hill getting a fairly poor time.

Max finally got recognition for his performance. First of 1 in the long junior he should have got a prize on the day but eventually got a voucher in the post several weeks later.

Weekend in Helensburgh

Colin went off to Helensburgh with Warren, Tim and Ian. Stayed at the Hill House and enjoyed lots of beer and good food. The weather was horrible. We managed a short boat trip to Balmaha and a small hill walk in the drizzle.

Henry Rollins

Colin went out to see Henry Rollins at the Queens Hall.

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Went out on Friday night to the tattoo. First time for the children and first time in a long time for Colin and Cherry. Great spectacle and the rain held off during the show.

Caerketton Hill Race

Colin and Max headed out on a very wet Wednesday evening to this hill race in the Pentland Hills. Colin agreed to take it easy and run alongside Max as this was his first senior hill race. It didn't quite work out that way as Max pulled away on the steep ascent and put about 10 m between him and Colin by the stile. He maintained this lead on the rest of the ascent and by the turn was around 15m ahead. Colin pulled back some ground on the steep grassy descent closing it back down to around 10 m and in the end finishing just 12 second behind. Horrible weather but great fun nevertheless.

Exam Results

Max did brilliantly in his Standard Grade exams with top grade in everything except history where he just missed with a 2. Celebrations at Pizza Express and on Saturday we went to the cinema to see Super 8 which was good.

Last Day

Checked out of the hotel and went to Van Dusen Botanical Gardens before the flight home later in the afternoon. Lovely gardens - not as pristeen as Butchart but more interesting.

More Bikes

After a long lie in Colin, Max and Hannah went for a cycle going all the way round False Creek and back over the Burrard Bridge. Cherry went to the Chinese Garden. Nice dinner at the Market at the Shangrila Hotel across the road from our own.

The Ultimate Day Tour

Set off at 9am on the Prince of Whales boat to do some whale watching. Saw some seals and bald eagle and then lots orcas. Arrived in Victoria at 1 pm with just a short time to look around before getting a coach to the beautiful Butchart Gardens. The return boat left at 5.15 arriving back in Vancouver 7.45. Saw some of the killer variety of orca having some seals for dinner !

Bikes round Stanley Park

With the weather looking a bit better we hired some bikes at Canada Place and went round the Stanley Park seawall. About 2 1/2 hours with some lengthy stops. Harry Potter at the cinema in the evening.

Trolley Tour of Vancouver

Another wet day with heavy rain. We took the city Trolley bus tour and spent most of the day going round the city with pretty good commentary from the driver.

Sky to Sea Highway

Headed on to Vancouver. Short stop en-route at Horseshoe Bay and a visit to Stanley Park. Evening stroll around Canada Place.

Whistler Day 2

Max and Hannah went for a mountain biking lesson and enjoyed a generous 1 1/2 hrs of tuition.

Whistler Day 1

Our first day in Whistler saw heavy rain in the morning. We wandered around a soggy village and checked out the sights. With the sky clearing a little we hired bikes in the afternoon and had a pleasant cycle around the Valley trail with Max and Colin doing an extra hour on the easy single tracks around Lost Lake.

Kamloops to Whistler

Another long drive arriving at the lovely Whistler on Tuesday evening. Max and Colin went out for a run and we all went for a swim at the hotel pool.

Kamloops

A long drive today from Jasper to Kamloops. Beautiful mountain scenery first with the giant peaks like Mount Robson and then lower rolling pine covered hills. Arrived at Kamloops late afternoon and had a walk down to the park and the giant Thomson river.

Jasper Day 2

With the weather looking slightly better we rented bikes and spent 3 hours around the flat bits of town. Went for a walk near Pyramid lake in the afternoon.

Jasper Day 1

The sky remained overcast all day. We headed off to the local leisure centre and to our surprise found it almost empty. We all enjoyed a game of squash. After a bit of shopping when Hannah bough a wooden bear we headed off for a short walk along the spectacular Maligne Canyon with a 50m deep gorge and as little as 2 m wide in places. Excellent dinner at Caruso's.

Icefields Parkway

Drive from Banff to Jasper. Stopped at Johnson Canyon for a 2 mile walk along the river to the lower falls. Visited the Athabaska glacier at the Columbia Icefields and the Athabaska Falls.

Banff Day 3

We headed out to Lake Louise and went for a long hike to the Plain of the Six Glaciers. Fantastic weathers and views taking us from sunny lakeside up into the snow. A nice tearoom at the highest point.

Banff Day 2

In the morning we headed off for a cable car ride to Sulpher Mountain. From there we all walked to the peak at Samson's Peak. Colin and Max headed off in the other direction as well for some scrambling up another peak.

In the afternoon we went to the outdoor hot-tub at the hotel and in the evening went for a boat trip on Lake Minnewanka and for wildlife tour which was somewhat disappointing.

Banff

We travelled today from Calgary to Banff. A bit of trouble to start with getting used to the automatic car but fine once I got the hang of it. Beautiful scenery amongst the Rockies at Banff. Spent the afternoon in the village of Banff and at the Cascade gardens. The Hidden Ridge hotel and apartments was really excellent with a spacious and very well equipped flat in a very pleasant hill top location. Short drive round Vermillion Lakes in the early evening.

Calgary Zoo

With body clocks now getting into sync with local time we headed out on the tram to the zoo. Large and attractive zoo kept us busy from around 10 am through to 4 pm. Some nice gardens as well within the zoo grounds.

Calgary

After a very long flight we arrived in Calgary on Saturday evening and had a walk round the deserted streets of downtown. The area immediately around the Sandman Hotel wasn't particularly appealing so we made do with a quick meal at MacDonalds before getting to bed around 7 pm.

We were all up early the next day- body clocks waking us at 2 am but making efforts to lie in as long as possible. We had an enormous breakfast at the hotel with some incredibly large portions North American style. We walking into the very central area of Calgary which is very pleasant amidst the many gleaming skyscapers. Headed up the Calgary Tower for great views over the city and surrounding plains and onward towards the Rockies. The Tower included a very scary glass floor to stand on just blow the 191 m top.

We then went to the Glenbow Museum for a look at the exhibition on the First Nations in Canada and the US. Also looked at the modern art and the children and Cherry had a go at producing some modern materpieces.

In the evening we had a pleasant stroll to Princes Island and a nice meal out before getting back for bed at 9 pm.

Lairig Ghru

My third outing in the excellent Lairig Ghru race. Modest expectations given recent poor form. Started slow and steady right at the back of the field through to Mar Lodge. Passed quite a few as we started on the rougher ground and was pleased with my running through to Derry Lodge. Good river crossing passed a good few runners and after a walk up the steep bit continued quite strongly on the remote value towards the Pools of Dee. Down to a walk on the ascent to Pools of Dee and then couldn't get moving again on the extended run of rough ground and boulders through to the forest. Discovered that my two tuna rolls had disintegrated in my bag to an inedible mush so was somewhat lacking in fuel for the run home. Just managed to run through the forest but by the foot was too tired to run and walked most of the way back. Short flourish right at the end. Came in at around 5 hrs 50 min. Not a great time but in line with my target for the day.

Bon Jovi

We all went out to Murrayfield stadium for a night of rock and roll with Bon Jovi. A very good show.

Peer Gynt

Hannah performed at her end of season drama show. Multiple roles including boy and boig.

Meadows 2 Mile Race

Colin was out at the 2 mile race round the Meadows. Not a great performance coming in around 14 mins. Wasn't expecting a great run after hard sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

Traprain Law Hill Race

It rained all day on Saturday and the East Linton summer fair was almost totally washed out with 9 degree temps and cold winds. This didn't stop 71 hardy runners turning up in T-shirts and shorts for the race up Traprain law. This is one of my favourite races with a nice start at the fair in East Linton. A run down the highstreet and then along the river. Through the river after about a mile and half, through fields and up a very steep, rope assisted, climbed up Traprain Law. Lost a couple of places on the ascent but strong fast descent pulled back 3 places. 41st place at foot of hill. A bit of road and then farm tracks before reaching the river again, this time crossed by bridge, near Hailes Castle. Good strong run home saw me hold off a strong young runner and pass one other to come in 4oth place. Best run in a long time. Not a personal best but only 30 secs off a very good run last year and felt much better than I have all year.

Street O - South Gyle

Decided to go Short for the street-O given recent failures. Ran quite nicely and navigation was pretty sound. Came in second of ten just 50 secs behind the winner.

Long O FAIL

Colin was out for a long orienteering event in the Southern Uplands. Mountain Marathon style event but proved to be too tough and bailed out after 8 controls. 4 hrs 15 total out.

Scottish Championships

Max and Colin head up to Auchingarroch near Crieff for the Scottish Champs. The difficulty of the course always ramps up a notch for a Championship and it proved to be a very tough and rugged course. Max came second on M16B and Colin came second last on M45L.

Rosemary Elizabeth Ledlie

Rosemary sadly passed away at the age of 72 on 18th May 2011. She was a fabulous mother and loving wife. The funeral took place on 21st May with large numbers of friends and family paying their respects.

Explosions in the Sky

Max and Colin went to see Explosions in the Sky. That's not fireworks but a band from Texas playing at the Picture House in Edinburgh. Loud !

Loch Leven Half Marathon

Colin headed off to Kinross for the Loch Leven half marathon. 4th time in this nice race which takes a scenic and slightly hilly route around Loch Leven. Terrible performance coming in by far the slowest time ever on this course or this distance.

Grease is the word

Hannah and Colin went out to the Playhouse on Friday night to see Grease. First time either of us had seen the story having never seen the film. The music was pretty good but the acoustics weren't brilliant.

Happy Birthday Max

Colin and Max went for a speed walk from home to the summit of Arthurs Seat. 1 hr and 1 minute to make the whole journey which was pretty good going.

Meadows 2 Mile Race

Colin and Max out on a sunny evening to race in the Sri Chinmoy 2 Mile race. Colin came in with a decent time of 13:44 followed closely behind my Max at 14:42 with a PB at both 2 miles and his 1 mile split.

The Garden's Looking Good

Another lovely sunny Sunday. Enjoyed a bbq of saugage in rolls on the patio.

Ben Lawers Range

Colin headed out on a sunny saturday morning for some Munro bagging. Set off early at around 7.45 and got to the hills for a 9.45 start. Headed up the hills at a good speed and knocked off the first 4 munros in about 3 hrs. After a bit of a rest the last hill proved a bit of a slog and was reached after 4 hrs. Took a lower route following a track to the south of the range at about 600m then contoured round to follow the path the last mile or so back to the car park. That's 63 munros now completed.

Bangor

Visited Maxwell and Rosemary in Bangor as we stayed over 3 nights and spent the days at the JK events.

JK Day 2 - Tyrella

Drove down to Tyrella area for day 2 of the JK in a great area with lots of very complex dunes. Colin ran an absolute dog of race with a massive miss on the first control. Really struggled to get the map for the first 4 or 5 controls before getting into the groove. Finish 95 of 107 - oh dear ! Max came in 4th of 8 in a long 16 B course.

JK Day 1 - Sprint

Excellent Sprint course at Stranmillis College in Belfast. Great crowd and atmosphere on a gloriously sunny afternoon. Spent some time beforehand at the museum with Hannah and Cherry staying on there a bit longer. Colin ran a decent steady pace with not too many mistakes. 69 of 100 in age class. Max came in 39 of 58 runner in M16 class.

Hunters Bog Trot

Colin raced in the Hunters Bog Trot a short sharp race in Holyrood Park. Hannah came along to eat ice-cream and support. Felt like a fairly good run but time was slow compared to previous two runs in the race. Haven't been on very good running form for quite a while now.

Boghall Handicap Race

With feet still a bit fragile after the weekend Colin headed out on the Carnethy Handicap race from Boghall. Lungs in fairly good condition for the climb but feet definitely not so I saw an awful lot of runners go past me. Trundled in in second last place as the sun was setting. Nice evening out even if seriously off form.

SOSOL at Cademuir

Max and Colin ran in the last SOSOL of the season at Cademuir Hill in Peebles. Hannah and Cherry came along for a walk. absolutely glorious sunny day. Max came third but will be pipped at the post for the Light Green championship in which he will come second. Colin did ok on a long hard course.

Source Code

Super saturday outing to the cinema to see Source Code. Excellent film. Edge of the seat all the way through.

Nice & Cap Ferrat

Stayed over for an extra night after the conference and walked from the Centre of Nice to the Villa Ephrusi Rothschild at Cap Ferrat. Took in many sights along the way on a lovely sunny day. Nice centre and seafront, old town and Castle on the hill, past the port and round the headland of Mount Boron through to Villefranche Sur Mer and then to the villa and garden on Cap Ferrat. A good 8 hours walking.

Actuarial Directors Conference - Cannes

One of the occasional perks of the job - a trip to Cannes to attend a conference with actuarial directors from around Europe. Stayed at the Majestic Barriere Hotel on the front. Not a bad view from the hotel room.

The Might Deerstalker

Went off on Saturday to Traquair House for the Mighty Deerstalker Run. The race started on a pleasant saturday evening at 5.45 pm. The course went through lots of mud and water before climbing the first hill. Fast run down a mountain bike course and then through town and a 100m walk along a freezing river as darkness descended. The second big hill then followed with what felt like a pretty dangerous climb up a steep scree slot. Down through the forest and through waste high drainage channel to finish at Traquair House. Felt pretty strong throughout and came home at a decent pace. Great fun race although I do think it's an accident waiting to happen with some of the runners our for 4 1/2 hours on a freezing cold evening after running through freezing water at several points along the way.

522 place of 1673.

SOSOL - Palacerigg

Max and Colin headed out to Palacerigg Country Park near Cumbernauld. Snow was still on the ground and temperatures low. Max had a poor slow run and was near bottom of the field. Colin had a good first half and then fell apart in the second half with some big misses.

KB5

A cold snowy day for the 5 mile race in South Edinburgh. The pavements were all covered in slush making the going very tough. Enjoyed the race but with a slow time - part conditions part form to blame.

Night O at Blackford Hill

Hannah joined Colin for her first orienteering outing in a few years. A gentle jog and walk round selected controls. Lots of bats in the woods. Some fierce snow and winds on the hill by the end.

SOL 1 - Dalrulzion

Out for some orienteering to the North of Bridge of Cally. A lot of standing about beforehand as I was helping out as our club was running the event. Very poor performance in the difficult forest. Got a bit lost on the second control and the terrain was very hard to get any speed on. Near the bottom of the pack unfortunately.

Fight with the Night

Spot of Night Orienteering at Riccarton Campus. Struggled a bit with the map. Running form pretty good.

Sosol - John Muir Country Park

Lovely sunny morning. Headed out to Dunbar for the orienteering. Max did well coming 3rd on the Light Green course. Colin wasn't too bad coming 10th on the Brown. Nice location which we must visit for a long walk some day.

Gran Canaria

We had a lovely week in Gran Canaria enjoying the warmth and constant sunshine. Just one day out exploring the island. The rest of the time we enjoyed the pool and the pleasant area around the hotel. Stayed at the Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort.