T E LAWRENCE SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM - Photos

The Oxford Backpackers, my lodgings during my time at the Lawrence Society Syposium 2010. I stayed in dormatory 11. I recommend this place, it is lively and has a relaxed atmosphere and is conveniently located near to the train station and also it is only a 10 minute walk from St John's College. £15 including a basic breakfast of cereal, bread and coffee.

St John's College, Oxford, venue of the 2010 T E Lawrence Society Symposium.

AW at St John's College

Oxford, a great cycling city.

Lawrence's Robes at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

Jesus College

Society members at Jesus College

The Lawrence bust in the Chapel at Jesus College

The Fellow's dining room at Jesus College

The fireplace in Lawrence's room at Jesus College. Further photography in the room was not possible because it is in use by current students.

Society members in the dining hall at Jesus College.

Place setting at Jesus College, Oxford.

A blurred photo of the Lawrence portrait in the dining.

Society members gathered at St John's College.

Symposium colleagues. From the left Nigel McMurray, Maurice and Dave.

An evening expedition to 2 Polstead Road, the Lawrence family home.

The former City of Oxford High School. Lawrence's old school and home to a famous commemorative plaque which was originally unveiled and dedicated by Winston Churchill.


I have just returned from the splendid 2010 T E Lawrence Society Symposium at St John's College. I enjoyed this weekend very much, wallowing in Lawrence matters and the fellowship of Society colleagues. Off particular note was Friday's guided visit to Jesus College where members were shown Lawrence's old room and were given the opportunity to examine the Crusader Castle thesis manuscript. The thesis is a priceless document and I expect it would fetch a million pounds if sold. I touched the thesis.

HANG GLIDING PHOTOS - Training in the Peak District circa 1992-1996

Training in the sport of Hang Gliding can be tough going, mainly due to the weather conditions in the UK. I attended the Peak School of Hang Gliding first in 1992 and it took untill 1996 to become qualified at Club Pilot level. However the first step is the Elementary Pilot award. EP takes five days of training. But those five days are usually broken over a long period while you wait for the light north-westerly winds which are needed for training at Wetton site in the Peak District. To cut a long story short I tenaciously hung in for four years to gain Club Pilot. Thanks goes to instructors Mark Booth, Trevor Ackroyd and John Clarke.

LAWRENCE LITERATURE - Recent additions

The Lawrence literature collection is steadily growing and now numbers about 20 publications. I will need to get another bookshelf soon. It will take a lifetime to read the collection + not forgetting other topics which interest me.

RAGBRAI - IOWA State map acquired

RAGBRAI 2012 (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) has become a goal. I acquired this very good State map of Iowa by Rand McNally. I think I will get a map of Minnesota too, if possible. I am building a picture of the trip with help from my friend Randy Castle of Minneapolis, USA.

News of the passing of Godfrey Runyard - LAWRENCE LINK

Godfrey & Cindy Runyard - photo taken at Christmas 2009.
Cindy Runyard's letter to AW reporting the sad passing of her husband Godfrey in February 2010. Godfrey was one of the last people alive to have known T. E. Lawrence or T. E. Shaw as he was then known. I will write to Cindy shortly.

HEART OF SCOTLAND 100 - Results sheet

The Heart of Scotland 100 report and results sheet has arrived. See the table above for my result. If you recall I retired at 76 mile check point in a time of 34:35 hours. I was happy with my effort and it was a great event. I am on course to enter the Housman 100 in Shropshire in May 2011.

(Double click on table to enlarge for reading.)

MADELEINE & PAUL Grape Pickers Extraordinaire

Madeleine is my good pen friend from Germany. Paul is from Marseille. I met them on the great grape picking season in Beaujolais in 2009. Grape picking can be physically very tough and it takes real character to face up to the challenge year after year. I met Madeleine and Paul in Lyon for a day just before the scheduled start date of 13th September. Last year the picking began on 26th August but this year the vintage has come too late for me.

SOME FRANCE Photos from recent trip

The source of the sweetest fresh water I know. The fountain near the campsite in Argentiere.

Argentiere glacier.

Argentiere glacier.

The gravestone of Edward Whymper (first climber of the Matterhorn) in Chamonix.

The grave of Edward Whymper.

Chamonix.

Chamonix

Dr Paccard, first climber of Mont Blanc.

While I was in Chamonix the 'North Face' Ultra Trail Endurance Racing events were taking place. This picture was taken at the awards ceremony.

Pretty Annecy

Annecy

Annecy

As I have already reflected in recent posts, this expedition to France was not a significant success on the face of it. A little time will be needed to find my feet again and take on board the lessons to be learned from the exercise.

GOING HOME - A good day - 12th September 2010

Today I am glad to be going home to dear old England after a pretty dismal trip. I never really found my feet. It has reinforced my view that Europe has become out of my league. I can barely think of a thing I want to do here. In Europe I feel a pauper and out of place due to the wretched Micky Mouse money that is the Euro. I pine for the old days. Also the Matterhorn was beyond my ideas, more for rich people who can throw money at it, and the young. The grape picking was beyond me due to the un-expectedly late start of the harvest, 13th September. I can take only successes of making rendezvous'es with some former grape comrades. In particular I met M. M, an object of my thoughts for one year. All to nothing though. I will keep on writing but those words from the film spring once more to my mind: "For some men there is only the desert.".

Ive got a few pictures to post from the trip when I get home. See you there.

STILL IN ANNECY 4th September 2010

I am still in Annecy. I will stay here untill the 8th before I take a train to Lyon Perrache. It is now clear that there is not enough time to take part in the grape picking. The picking is scheduled to begin on the 13th with a lee-way of two days either side. I want to be in Oxford for the Symposium on the evening of the 16th and in order to keep travel costs down I could do with using the return portion of my bus ticket from Lyon to London and then to Warrington, on the 12th. The bus only goes once a week. Otherwise the transport is an expensive and convoluted journey by train and whatever other modes of conveyance are to hand. Will see.