Vauxhall Cavalier MkII – about a 1988 job with a 1.6l engine and 4 speed ‘box.  It was utterly rubbish… and old… and unreliable.  But it was mine and it was ace!

Age 22 I think – sometime around 1997

It looked a bit like this… but much shonkier… even back then!

(Plus it streams the pictures onto my Amazon Fire TV!)

It seems to have got better… the new(ish) app sits on my desktop and just does everything behind the scenes and keeps everything up to date.  The new “backup” feature is a God send – previously you had to move everything into the drive and then wait for EVER!

The 16 shots I took today are all showing as backed up on t’web, including the raw files (which I convert to DNG) and my edits… and they are MAHOOSIVE files too ;-)

It isn’t without it’s faults, big uploads sometimes grab too many resources – although I haven’t had that in a while – or sometimes take a few days to catch up, but that was only whilst I was getting the backup schedule up and running as I wanted.  Now it is all good, runs in the background without me noticing most of the time, and since I have Prime anyway it isn’t costing me anymore than I would have been paying anyway.

Amazon Prime – unlimited photo storage.  All mine back up there :-)

Had a Jura which was great and lasted quite a long time – sold it onto a friend as needed something a little more versatile after 8 years of use!

Now have a Melitta Barista which is at least as good as the Jura, whilst also making a fab flat white/other milk based coffee beverages (or when you want to REALLY wake up it has something called a “Dead Eye” which is the blackest, strongest most savage cup of caffeine I have ever come across) and I would absolutely recommend one of these machines to anyone!

https://electrical.coop.co.uk/Melitta-F750-202-Barista-TS-Bean-to-Cup-Coffee-Machine-Black-MEL-COF-F750202-B?gclid=CjwKCAjwlcXXBRBhEiwApfHGTYp1OBdJ29WrFmgSH7uOCFb45zYE9kDwb3cAyerzTKfO9btGLH6xLhoCaIwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My lightweight rig:

Olympus OM-D E-M5 mkII
Olympus 12mm f2.0 (it is a thing of beauty)
Olympus 45mm f1.8 (very cheap, very sharp)
Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro
Olympus 9-18mm f4.0 – 5.6 (cheap superwide that doesn’t do a bad job)
Olympus 70-300 f4.0-5.6 (budget supertele)
Lee 75 system (ND Grads, Circ. Polerizer, Superstopper)

This all fits in a bag about the size of a DSLR and kit lens holster (pictured below).  It is capable of some seriously good results – I have had several published in magazines, sold more stock and had a few awards along the way with it.

My full frame Nikon is “better” – the results from that thing are in an entirely different league – but the mini camera is not leaving me!  It is also easier to carry walking up mountains/mountain biking/motorbiking than a mahoosive backpack of kit to offer the same basic functionality.

OMD does okay….

Jimjam – this is why I have an Olympus OM-D system as well as a Nikon D850/D800E set up.

Thinking of trading the D7000 as I am not using it these days as a result!

I would be very tempted by the Fuji system too if I were buying at the moment.  I know some National Geographic photographers who have switched to them over the last few years and are getting (as expected) superb results.

MPB or Ffordes are my usual go-to sites… but good kit, even used, really isn’t cheap!

Look for a mid-level last gen/one before that camera.  I still like my D7000, although don’t use it really these days, but something of that era or newer would be a good starting point.  The standard “kit” lenses are usually pretty good quality for the money.

So – ferinstance…

A very lightly used Nikon D7000 for £289
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-digital-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d7000/sku-721982/

Perhaps go a superzoom – Nikon 18-200 VRII for £334
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-digital-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d7000/sku-721982/

That would give you a decent starting point – you can work out future lenses from there depending what you find your needs are!

There is one half way up the hill from the village which I haven’t tried yet – about 500m from the door.   I have ridden one further along the same ridge a while back though (before moving here) and it was a clag-fest so I haven’t had the urge yet!

Going to give it a go if we get a nice dry spell over the summer and see what it is like I think.  It would allow me to link all the way out to Parkamoor with barely any road, which would be nice!

Depends on what you are trying to start too – big V Twins eat batteries at an alarming rate!  I had a pile of dead ones in the garage before I could keep the thing on a charger!  Italian electrics weren’t really helping either mind…..

If it starts up nice and sharp then I wouldn’t worry about it.  If you find that it is struggling get a new battery (I switched to LiPo jobs which always sound like they are struggling when you press the button… that sinking feeling that you are stranded a long way from home… but then they pick up some enthusiasm and get the job done… always fun!)

Go to a good guitar shop which caters for younger players (Promenade Music in Morecambe is brilliant), take her with you and see what they have to suggest.  A great shop like the aforementioned will spend a bit of time with her to get it right :-)

£100 should get something pretty reasonable.

85mm f1.8

I shoot landscapes in the Lakes (mostly at the moment).  I like the stack effect of a telephoto – but wouldn’t want to go too big for a single lens.  I stitch panos from them to get the field of view I want.

I keep thinking I should upgrade from the 1.8 to something a little faster – the Sigma Art 1.4 is looking tempting.

Just a local bimble around the South Lakes today – first time out on the bike for ages!

Only about 6 miles at most, but with a lot of up and down with no one else out and about.

18th March 2018 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

(Just down the valley and over the hill from Grizedale)

If you are going for ridiculous pickups… my brothers old one was ace ;-)

NeilsWheels by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

It was called “Thor”.  It had a great many ponies… and would drop an M5 off the lights in downtown LA ;-)

Mot by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

Although I stick by the Z4 Coupe… for the price of mine you would have had enough from your £10k for a tasty mountain bike too :-D

Vaude thingymabobs… just back from a ride in mine and they are grand.

Moab Mid GTX I think they may actually be called…. or somesuch.

I am there too – riding has become a struggle… any excuse not to go it grasped.  Getting out helps a lot, but my head would rather wallow than do anything productive about it.  I hit rock bottom around December – January and have slowly started dragging myself up from there since.  It is good to see I am not alone.

What has really hit me this time is the complete lack of interest in… well… anything.  I managed to keep the photography ticking over – just – but everything else was pushed aside and it still remains that way.  Hopefully the coming of spring will help.  The warmth usually helps a bit.

I know I should seek help, but I just seem to clam up when I try.  I blame the public school system for that… mostly….

Considerably slower than the z4m coupe, which you know deep down  is what you should have got

It is a bit slower… but a LOT cheaper ;-)

People in the know also suggest that the slower one is the better road car – something to do with less stiff suspension, lower nose weight, smaller wheels with more tyre squish… and a non-fat steering wheel.

I wouldn’t know mind.  It was a pressie… and it is a lot of fun ;-)

(Did I mention it was very, very cheap)

As for a bike – I think you could mount a Saris on the back.  The boot is pretty damn large for such a car, but I haven’t tried fitting a bike in… think it would be a struggle though!

30th September 2017 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

My 42nd birthday pressie.  Considerably less than 10k, surprisingly practical… I think it looks lush… and it goes.

13th February 2018 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

20th January 2018 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

6th January 2018 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

Yep, any mention of fantastic pies WITHOUT reference to the Lochinver Larder is deeply flawed.

I should also add Humble Pie in Whitby to that list!

Pretty nice now – but cold.  I decided not to go to work today though!

Tomorrow… depends how this low tracks.  Looks like there may be a few snow showers come over and everything is going to freeze tonight so I am not overly sure I would bother myself – it’s the ice rather than the snow that would put me off!

Origins is fantastic.

Not started Witcher 3 or Horizon Zero Dawn yet, they are both installed and ready to go!  I am waiting for Red Dead Redemption 3 and Far Cry 5 at the moment too :-)

I did nothing.

I tend to ignore my birthday every year and make every possible effort to ensure that as many other people forget/don’t know as is humanly possible.  I think I got bored of it being a let down years ago to be honest!  (Plus since I haven’t attempted to celebrate a birthday since 29 I am never ageing… it’s like an alternative Dorian Grey experiment…)

So… do something if it’s what you want, hide in a cave and throw stones at anyone coming near if you would rather – it’s all good!

Just moved to Quickbooks ourselves. Seems generally pretty good.

Miele here too, it’s been great!

The last Dyson was not as good quality as the previous one, despite being damn expensive. Lasted 3 or 4 years and that was it – gone!

I use Muck Boots for work, which are great. Comfy, warm and grippy – bought from the local agricultural merchant which is always a good place to go and check what works in your own brand of local quagmire! If a Cumbrian hill farmer is happy to shell out on something it is going to work ;-)

The Sorrel boots mentioned above are pretty good too, mine are a bit more hardcore than the Carribou and I can’t wear them in anything other than deep snow and cold… they are a bit too warm (bought for the arctic circle in winter and don’t see much use in the tropical climate of the Lakes!)

I use both and Now TV.

Amazon I may not bother with, but I make a lot of use of their inclusive unlimited Photo Storage which makes it worth the price in itself… plus free Prime postage is good. Netflix is great for the kids, and we watch it a fair bit too. Now TV has all the good stuff off Sky. I was going to unsubscribe after Game of Thrones but we found plenty more to keep us entertained so it stays. Often get better movies on that than the others too.

(We don’t get to go out very much!)

Still haven’t sussed out cooking Christmas Dinner with an Aga – the thing always winds up loosing temperature, probably due to the hotplates both being open, and my cooking times go out the window.

When we eventually get the kitchen redone the Aga is so gone, although I may put in a more eco oil fired range that can turn off and on and heat up in 15 minutes rather than 15 hours… and an electric over and hob.

Damn things – and that’s without thinking about the environmental disaster that an always on oil fired block of iron is!!!

Find myself again.

I think that covers everything to be honest.

No one will want mine – it is a thin weedy thing with no buttons on it! And a scratch on the BMW logo and one of the spokes ;-)

Yes – I have had quite a few things from them over the years and find them very upfront and accurate in descriptions :-)

I may upgrade my Adobe account soon and get some cloud storage there too ;-)

2 x cloud drives (One Drive and Amazon)
1 x WD NAS
Laptop

That is my current set up anyway.

(This is the plan anyway – just trying to work out how to fund it atm. I need out the sewage before my health completely gives up on me… which may not be as far in the future as I like to think)

Set up my eco holiday let business with a sideline in photography tuition/guided trips. All could be done and dusted on that kinda funding without a loan. Nice lifestyle business achieved that could even be sold on at a later date if needed.

Sell the current home and invest that for a pension fund.

Altea Strada here – works fine with a long low 29er. Not tried with the plus wheels yet.

It was on offer on Roofbox… would have been rude not to ;-)

So far it as been very, very good – only a couple of short jaunts so far though.

There is plenty of evidence in the archaeological record of violence between individuals – so I would extrapolate that it was also true between groups. Throw in the anthropological experience of inter-tribal conflict in hunter gatherer societies and I would say that any article claiming otherwise is wide of the mark.

I even lived with such a tribe for a few months 22 years ago and learned what life used to be like for them – if anything moving into a more modern society and the links and communication that has brought with it had made them considerably less warlike ;-)

Tado here too – was an absolute doddle. I think I had it all installed and configured within half an hour… and my boiler wasn’t a listed model either so I was somewhat winging it ;-)