Peter Cobley, Lancaster University, Isle of Mull, Found Us
Peter Cobley
Peter Cobley
Peter Cobley
Isle of Mull, Peter Cobley
Peter Cobley
Sunday. People. Thoughts. The Web. Social ...
Sunday. People. Thoughts. The Web. Social Media.
Peter Cobley, Isle of Mull, Travelling
Peter Cobley
Finding a Balance.
Finding a Balance.
Peter Cobley, Travelling
Peter Cobley
Lochgilphead. Where’s that?
Lochgilphead. Where’s that?
Peter Cobley, Isle of Mull
Peter Cobley
A Scottish Sojourn.
A Scottish Sojourn.

Tobermory

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Time in Tobermory. Time with Wifey. Time with the Parents-in-Law.

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Well I type as I watch vintage TV which I always enjoy with Claire and her parents in the house in Tobermory. Two Ronnies at the moment and very funny. I do think at times contemporary comedy crap.

This was this first full day in Tobermory and what a day. Claire off to school for her last day of term, with a half day then the hols, with a trip on the ferry to Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsular with fellow teachers for a meal. And they were very merry when I met them off the ferry. Ahem. All the more amusing as some of the soccer playing school girls bumped into them outside the Co Op and asked if they’d been drinking. He he he.

We bought fish and chips from the harbour and walked up to the house.

Earlier in the day Claire had headed for school whilst we pottered around at the house, with my eventually getting my arse in gear to put the running gear on and head up to Crater Loch: Lochan 'S Airde Beinn. A loch that sits in an ancient volcanic crater about 3 miles outside of Tobermory and accessed next to three lochs. It is a pleasant climb out of Tobermory on the Dervaig Road before you come off the road and climb a mile to the crater.

It is a spectacular sight, and maybe more so for me because of the strong wind, low grey clouds, and sense of isolation with my being the only person there. It is a highly recommended run or walk.

I ran back to shower to then walk with Josie and Ronnie to meet Claire at An Tobar (arts centre) across the road from where she teaches.

We were meeting there for drinks and food as next door at 2pm was a concert The Scottish Coast by the Inchcolm New Music Ensemble over from Herriot-Watt University with its Director of Music, Matthew Brown, someone I went to school with, sang with, performed with. A very talented, lovely fellow.

I’d had no idea at all about the concert and luckily a mutual school friend, Gareth Hatch, had spotted a Facebook post by Matthew and let me know. And I am so glad he did. The concert magical in the atmospheric Parish Church next to An Tobar. Matthew and his parents who were there, delighted to see us all. It made for good conversation.

The last piece (will need to find its name) was wonderful.

Ah, Tobermory. I love you every time I come.

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Journeys of an Englishman travelling foreign climes (well Scotland.)

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Today I type from a delayed Scotrail train to Oban. A three hour trip through beautiful scenery. With me are Josie and Ronnie, my parents in law as I chaperone them to Oban and then onto Craignure on the Isle of Mull via Calmac ferry the Isle of Mull. At platform 4 Queen Street, Glasgow the Scotrail people could not connect the two trains together that form the service and we are now over 20 minutes late, with a potential arrival time of 3.54pm into Oban and the ferry 3.55pm. Sat at the very front of the train I can hear it labour as it chases time itself.

I travelled up yesterday from Dukinfield using the very excellent National Express service for Glasgow that calls into Hamilton. Long gone are the lyrical days of the using a service where you could both hide from, and see life.

Take the National Express when your life's in a mess
It'll make you smile
All human life is here
From the feeble old dear to the screaming child
From the student who knows that to have one of those
Would be suicide
To the family man
Manhandling the pram with paternal pride
And everybody sings, "Ba-ba-ba-da"
We're going where the air is free

National Express by the Divine Comedy - Verse 1 - Released 25th January 1999

My life was a mess but is no longer a mess, and I was happy to see both Josie and Ronnie, catch up on sleep in their comfortable house, with today being our journey from Queen Street via train to Oban, Josie deciding and preferring a taxi with a cheerfully pleasant driver. making the station with time to drink lovely coffee (Danish pastry and tart for me) in kaffateria opposite the station. And highly recommended for its coffee.

All fine and we mosied over to the estimated platform 4, which was where I departed from last time I was off to Mull. Now last time there was a problem, and as fate would have it the same problem occurred again. The difference being I was armed with two Scottish pensioners. Very simply the train is made of two parts. And at Crianlarich it splits into a Oban train and a Mallaig train, with the Oban section being the front of the train, normally four carriages, out of Queen Street. Last time they could not connect the train and everyone piled onto the Mallaig train after watching the Oban section sneak out of Queen Street having failed to couple to its mate. Same again, and we watched as our train, our seat reservations, fuck off into the dark tunnel. Sharp walk to other train, looking through windows for those unreserved table seats.

Now I must admit it was better than last time, which was Saturday, hot weather, and a platform knee deep in people, tourists, cyclists. Back then I’d managed to bag a seat opposite a dog named Snoop.

This time though a new train shot in to Queens Street and connected up with the Mallaig section to give a big train, midweek when less busy, and despite no original reservations we did bag a table and seats at the very front of the train. Mind you I did position myself right at the front of the train by the passenger door. Seat table sorted, bags stowed I wandered down the carriages checking on some unfortunate elderly ladies who were on a three week painting holiday taking in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, and like us armed with bags had been caught short on the platform; where we had spoken earlier. All three were good and I returned to the seat to type this post, eat some M&S crisps from a meal deal, and relax at the view, as were Ronnie and Josie.

Shame there is no Trolly Dolly as I could murder a coffee, but laugh inside at some more Divine Comedy lyrics that I remember from the old days of the National Express.

On the National Express there's a jolly hostess
Selling crisps and tea
She'll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks
For a sky-high fee
Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle
Back in '63 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
But it's hard to get by when your arse is the size
Of a small country
And everybody sings, "Ba-ba-ba-da"
We're going where the air is free
Tomorrow belongs to me

Verse 2.

Addendum:

As I proof read this I see the Trolly Dolly heading our way. Life is good.

Lego at 52 years of age, and I am not ashamed.

So it is with delight I write this post about Lego whilst watching Rio Lobo on the TV in a nice warm house whilst the cold and the wind swirls outside in Dukinfield. (And I think I may have caught a cold.)

I’ve been busy with making the lounge of my temporary accommodation Cobley friendly, and I think I have succeeded to a great extent, with room for improvement. Ho hum. I find Lego building has delighted and soothed me, and my housemates I honestly believe have felt the same.

I am enjoying my time in Dukinfield with ANEW and focusing on my recovery with over 7 months under my belt presently. But I keep it a day at a time and such a simple approach and listening to what I am told has and does make a difference; only took me over 12 years to the despair of myself and others.

Monday sees me work and study to a Level 2 qualification for counselling, and something I wish to follow, whilst running my beloved business found us. I finish the study first week of April and want to get myself onto Level 3 for the September intake, and suspect it will be with learndirect.

The challenge being for Level 3, hence learndirect, being that I will be in Mull by July/August. Claire and I had always wanted to live in Scotland, in the Highlands, not too remote mind you. So she decided to go for and get a role as Biology Teacher at Tobermory High School. Sheesh. There is remote Scotland, and there is a Hebridean island… She started teaching January and is living in rented accommodation with our ultimately buying a property.

I’ve been to Mull and must admit I am looking forward to it despite trepidation as it is a wonderful place and lifestyle in which to live and embrace.

Oh and the Lego is coming with me.