Thursday 7 March 2013

Le Tour de France

In 2014 - July - Le Tour de France is coming to the UK and the first stage in this country will be in the Yorkshire Dales and may even come past the end of our Lane (we haven't quite worked out the route yet, but it will at the very least come within half a mile or so).
My son, who is a Le Tour fanatic/afficionado/groupie - call it what you will, is ecstatic about the whole thing and is already deliberating on the best possible viewing place.

Our writer's group are wondering whether to produce another book for the event.   We have now produced two books, the first sold in aid of our local Wensleydale Railway and the second, due to be launched in a couple of weeks, for the local Air Ambulance Service.   Each member of the group writes two articles for inclusion and then the whole thing is put together by a committee, sent to a really helpful publisher and printed.   There is a lot of work involved.  But Le Tour does seem an ideal opportunity, too good to be missed.

As we are all going to produce a piece of writing for the next meeting, which is open manuscript, I have been doing a bit of research into the route this morning.   There is one troublesome aspect.   Once on a site it seems to be impossible not to read it all, follow links, find out more information and get side-tracked.

The other day I said on this blog that I still found it easier to pick up the Oxford Guide to English Literature to look something up  than to Google it.  Well, perhaps I am changing my views.   If I had wanted the information I have gleaned this morning, I would have needed to locate, lug around, look in the index, find the page and copy out the info I wanted from a dozen different books.

This morning I just printed off the relevant pages and have them here in front of me for when I want to begin writing the article.   Oh yes, I am coming around to a different way of thinking - particularly now that my new hub is here and things have speeded up no end. 

Anybody want anything looking up?  If so I'm your man - or rather woman.  

10 comments:

Angie said...

I had to smile at your post ...I love researching something for the fun of it ...but I too get side tracked and end up taking so many interesting twists and turns ...and time just disappears.

Heather said...

It's dreadful how much time can be spent just pootling about on the computer, but so interesting and after many years of resistance I too am being educated and brought into the techno age, albeit very gradually! I do like the idea of producing a book to mark such a special event.
Don't forget to have your Union flag at the ready if you go out to cheer the cyclists on their way. I wonder if Sir Bradley will be taking part.

Country Gal said...

I agree with both Angie and Heather it is fast and convenient but I can spend hours on the computer some days especially if the weather is yukky ! I used to watch the cycling as I was with a cycling club and did long distance cycling myself when younger but not any more interests have changed lol ! Good for the tourism there though ! Have a good day !

Friko said...

Nothing beats a conversation at the breakfast/dinner table opening up a subject which needs research. For us it’s still books which have the answers although when it’s just me, I use Google. I might use Google and bring the result to the table for further discussion.

I don’t think the Tour will come anywhere near the Shropshire Hills, so there’ll be little interest in it for us.

I am in a relatively new writers’ group in Ludlow under the aegis of U3A and was wondering how your group goes about its business? Do you set challenges, homework, etc. or does everybody write on anything they fancy for each meeting?

A writers’ group without challenges is not really a very interesting proposition particularly if the quality of writing is very mixed.

Gwil W said...

I can now confess, the statute of limitations having expired, that I was once a member of a little known Weekend Formation Cycling Team. Our task was to go on our bicycles and cycle through Last of the Summer Wine country down the middle of the lanes (a highly dangerous and dubious practice but we somehow survived unscathed) weaving from side to side singing a rustic song or two and roughly aiming for a decent pub. I bet there are similar 'goings on'. Do some research on the hoof, my girl!

Dominic Rivron said...

I just love those internet side-tracks, floppy disc music being my latest eye-opener.

BTW, pro racing bikes usually have 20 or 22 gears apparently.

Dave King said...

I, too, am a tour fanatic! Great news -- lucky you!

Em Parkinson said...

How exciting - I wish they would come here.

I haven't done any research work for a while, for money that is, and I do miss it. Hard to come by out here in the sticks!

Bert said...

I now find Google provides just as many side-tracks as looking up a word in a dictionary and seeing where that takes you - or maybe I am very practised in art of procrastination!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Still doing the research - an article will appear one day! Thanks for calling.