Turf Zone – PythonCastle
My attempt at achieving the Diversiest medal, taking 1000 Round unique zones is making progress, albeit slow progress. So far, in two weeks or so, I’ve taken 517 Round unique zones leaving another 483 required and only another two weeks to do so. However, the trouble with this type of time-consuming turf activity is that life gets in the way. Even when retired, free time is not always your own and other family members often make demands of it. Retired, mega-wealthy, super-fit 20-year old and single would be perfect but we cannot always have everything. I guess retired, pensioner, reasonably fit, 63-year old and married to a turfer ChoccyMuffin will do just fine.
To be honest, I’m not enjoying going for the Diversiest medal, I’ve run out of local zones and now need to travel further afield for fresh zones. Simply put, I cannot be bothered, so may leave it for another time. Cold weather also hampers my turf cycling as I get issues with my toes, a problem I’ve yet to solve. I’ve just bought a pair of Merrell insulated boots, a size too large for extra socks, which may help. Looking at overshoes as well. Fingers crossed.
Feel like I’d rather be hunting down turfer uniques, or FTT zones before arch-rivals Hodge and MuttsCycles get them before me. Or simply just enjoying turfing my local patch, taking zones from turf tourists from Penicuik as soon as they take them, just to be a naughty turfer. Or making up turfing mini adventures like attempting the Seven Hills of Edinburgh on the Brompton, when it arrives!
ChoccyMuffin and I have just spent a few days up by Stirling, staying at the King Robert Hotel, in the south of Stirling which is handy for a few turf zones. It does not look much, the hotel, appearing rather run down and in need of some TLC but the rooms are clean and tidy, the food good and staff are cheerful and friendly. Cost £380.00 for three nights including dinner, bed and breakfast. We picked off a good few unique zones in Stirling, Bridge of Allen and Dunblane.
We also visited in a few of the smaller surrounding villages such as Braco, Ashfield and Doune, ending the trip with a session in Alva, where I lived between the ages of 5 and 10-years old. However, turfing in foot is slow work and walking in tarmac all day is hard of the feet. Having the bikes with us would have offered much more efficient turfing, another reason for purchasing the two Brompton folding bikes I mentioned in Turf Blog 10-11-24.
I guess my favourite zone from the trip has to be PythonCastle, at Doune Castle in Doune, famous as a filming location in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Remember the trojan rabbit scene, and the swallow scene, “What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?” If not, you should watch the film. It’s classic Monty Python. Is that an African or European swallow? Be careful how you answer or be launched into The Gorge of Eternal Peril.
Another interesting zone is WhoDaresWins, a Monument zone commemorating David Stirling, founder of the Special Air Service during World War 2. And while on the topic of Monument zones came across three zones that might be worthy of Monument status. They are zone JohnstonePark in Alva, zone Deanston by the distillery in Doune (great scones in the coffee shop, by the way) and zone BracoThinPark in Braco. All three feature war memorials. I’ll be making the requests via Issues. Back again soon. Hopefully with two new shiny Brompton’s!
Turf Zone – WhoDaresWins
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