Google Head of Blogging Standards: 'So is this post about wargaming?'
Me: 'well, uhh, yes, definitely!'
GHBS; 'Really?'
Me: *shakes head* 'No...'
(though really, let's face it...based on their new blogger design flaws...who is the real winner here...this post took me hours!)
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'So, not seein' the wargaming here Duc! '
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With recent global appreciation and voluminous accolades (!) re. my last running post, this morning's walk with la Duchesse means that I can post more random pics of the surrounding countryside. Now many of the Duc on the Road posts have centred upon grand presentations of epic sites across the world ...that's not the case with this one...
Blackhead Lighthouse is near Whitehead village (it sounds complicated, it is), and just down the road from Islandmagee (the 'Island' from last post).
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'He said 'the Island' right? Wasn't that something to do with with Nijmegan and those guys from the 82nd? So it's wargaming right?' .....nope
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The area grew up around steam train development in the 19th century...(and has nothing to do with wargaming).
There are some epic volcanic rock formations, and walks, concerns with metallurgy (no, really) and as ever ...lots of gradient changes...
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The Blackhead route -3 to attack from all directions
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Not those Blackheads...
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The view east from the entrance to the path. Note the finely rusted finish on the signage...this will be a theme outlining the perils of not using marine grade stainless in your fabrications...
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...while this pic outlines the perils of letting the dogs out when the concrete on the path is drying...
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So, I'm guessing what happened here, is that they wanted a stainless steel sign, as it was near the water, but they ordered 304 (commercial grade) instead of 316 (marine grade)...oops. Somebody probably got promoted for that.
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View looking back east.
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I can't even...
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| More 304... |
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First good views of Blackhead Lighthouse
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Part of the cave network used by C18th smugglers in the area, smuggling alcohol. To be fair, there's a big market still ;)
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Part of Smugglers' Cove
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Bravest fisherman on the planet...
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Looking north toward Islandmagee Peninsula and the cliff from last post
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Blackhead Lighthouse
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The Hammer Horror Film version of the Lighthouse
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Whitehead from Blackhead...it makes perfect sense to me at least...
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The Cold War era early warning station that monitored the Lough for signs of Soviet Naval activity. Allegedly the entire Lough could be mined in 24 hours...though to be honest, with part time Naval reserve, I suspect we would have been speaking Russian by the time it was done. Had the Russian Marines landed at Whitehead, there would have been a Vodka party however.
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Whitehead from Blackhead (!)
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Ballycarry Skyline...
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Beautiful countryside and funny post. More!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan.
DeleteYeah, I'm finding loads of places when I'm not zipping past at 20mph on a bike :)
Beautiful scenery. Makes me want to fill my lungs with fresh sir.
ReplyDeleteNow with respect to the BloPol (Blogger Politzei) you could have covered your tracks by claiming it was a TEWT or research for a counter-historical game involving smugglers or Soviet Spetnatz.
By the way I rather like the colour that steel has gone.
Good point - I see a WWIII scenario with spetznaz taking out the EW building, then getting drunk with the locals.
DeleteI'll call it 'Spirits & Spetznaz' ...'Beer & Bolshoi' ...'Kretins & Kalashnikovs'
Yeah, I know the rust colour kinda has an appeal. I just can't help thinking it was an accident. I'm sure there's some issue with laser-cutting stainless steel which might have inadvertently caused the issue too...I just have this urge to paint it or something.
I reckon the steel choice was by design - they knew it would get that red patina... there's a guy down the road from me who does garden figures, cut out's of deer and the like, he uses the same steel for the same reason.. good post by the way, keep it up..!
DeleteThanks Steve. You have a point, but I'm concerned that 'rust has become the new black'. What's happening to the 'world of decorative metal'?
Delete(If that's not a magazine, it should be ...'in this issue...rusted crap!' lol)
Blackhead? You certainly know how to pick a spot, M le Duc. Lovely travelogue - thanks for this - I'm getting very bored with my garden and Tescos.
ReplyDeleteI know, I know...you'd think with its smuggling heritage they'd have come up with something like 'Hangman's Point' or 'Bloody Rock'...but no, Blackhead it is *sighs* ...where's the imagination?
DeleteHaving said that, you do live in the nicest part of Scotland sir!
Did you visit the Gobbins Visitor centre, or is it part of the Duc's property?
ReplyDeleteNot yet part of Le Duc's empire ...but working on it.
DeleteI was there before when I got round for free cuz I knew 'people' ;)
See:
https://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.com/2019/08/le-duc-on-road-xiv-gobin-at-gobbins.html
Think I'd have to pay next time :)
Take only photos, leave only... paw prints!
ReplyDeleteA(nother) excellent mix of humour and lovely photos. I have been defending the new blogger format, but getting the photos to behave is a little... tricky, isn't it? The old trick of the one that you click first being added first seems to have gone by the way, as has the insert where the current insertion point is located. Might have to work in html mode!
Keep 'em coming!
Regards, James
Thanks James.
DeleteYeah - I had said nothing about the new blogger format until it threw me into html mode, and it took me 10 minutes to get out of it again.
Clearly, this version is for younger people with more patience who can pretend to be hackers in the matrix or something...
Very entertaining, and I too suspect the rust effect may have been intentional. I'd make it about Delta CC Terracotta in hue...
ReplyDeleteThanks G.
DeleteI'm slowly being convinced of the 'rust protocol' being intentional here...
What has become of the decorative metalwork industry...*sighs*...*shakes head*
What happened to those halcyon days when polished stainless steel was 'the new black' ...no one cares...
Very nice pics and an entertaining read. I like your sense of humor. 😀
ReplyDeleteThanks Stew
DeleteNeedless to say, I'm the 'cynic' in the title bloc :)
Wow, cracking scenery sir.
ReplyDeleteCheers mate. I'm surprised by the pics myself. It must be the new phone camera, and the unlikely weather combo, not the photographer :)
DeleteNice post even if it has nothing to do with wargaming - I have done a few like that too to be fair! I really don't like the new Blogger but have managed to find some work arounds that have reduced my frustration levels to mild irritation so I guess that's the best I can hope for !
ReplyDeleteAgreed sir.
DeleteI'm probably being overzealous. I do see a few of the issues, but can work around. Mind you, I blog so infrequently, it probably isn't a real concern. I can understand the frustration if doing it every day though and having got used to the 'norm'.
'Embrace change' as a consultant once told me, before I pushed him off his chair...