Drookit

Breathtaking scenery. Tropical weather. Different cultures. Copious amounts of food and drink. Everything you could ask for from a break away. But when you stay in Scotland, the tropical weather is more reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm opposed to blistering blue skies. And this was no different. Welcome to Fort William at the end of May.

Day 1

I did joke with Dad earlier on that if the weather is bad, this is pretty much going to be three days sitting in the pub. The 5-day forecasts weren't helping but we were still holding out a bit of hope [because we all know, forecasts are slightly unreliable]. Imagine the despair, when it was the rain battering off my window that woke me up on Monday morning. This was going to be a long three days. The plan was to get to Glasgow early, take time over breakfast then be in Queen Street in time for the northbound train. What happened next was basically the prerequisite for the rest of the holiday - the Gourock to Glasgow trains were off. In true Scotrail fashion, they resumed quicker than expected with no explanation and we eventually found ourselves in Glasgow with some time for fuel at the Counting House.

Even more surprisingly, the 09:07 Fort William train was on time and it was time for Dad to experience the sights of the West Highland Line.

Once we had passed the build up areas of Dumbarton and Helensburgh, the day was looking up. There were some blue patches around about the Arrochar - Crianlarich areas but this was short lived. The clouds came right down and the downpour pretty much stayed constant until Tuesday with it getting worse the further north we travelled.

We arrived in fort William just after lunch and to escape the weather we darted into the first pub we could.



Through the door, we were confronted with clouds of smoke. It turns out, the open coal fire was on full burn to counteract the weather; and it was good. The rest of the day continued to be pretty much of a wash out and a lot of time was spent in the hotel and it's bar. We were seven days off June, and this video from About Lochaber pretty much sums it up.



It was proper blowing a gale, and to compound matters even worse, Fort William was hit with a town wide power cut just as we finished our tea.


Day 2

Tuesday was to be one of the main events of the few days away. The tickets were booked and collected to travel on the Scotrail service to Mallaig and finish off the full West Highland Line route. This was scrapped beyond our control before I even got out of my bed. The radio was reporting major train disruption across the whole network, specifically naming the Mallaig service as one that was indefinitely cancelled. This break was getting better by the minute. Not to be too despondent, we wandered though the high street and noticed the Jacobite steam train was sitting in the station. We might be able to salvage some kind of photograph from the holiday.



A few snaps from Dad later and it was time for lunch. We decided to head back to the hotel and sample their snack menu to leave room for a big tea.

Numerous hotel bar hours later, and we began to get more hope. The dry spells were becoming more frequent so we decided to jump into full tourist mode. Banavie was the destination in the hope to see the the Neptune's Staircase section of the Caledonian Canal.



It was quite an impressive sight but due to the weather there were no boats about and none of the locks were in operation. To compound things, just as we got to the top of the locks, we got a day's rain in 5 minutes only to brighten up again after we were suitably drenched. The word scunnered came to mind but this was short lived as Banavie provided us with a nice surprise.



Ben Nevis is the biggest mountain in the UK. Being so, you would think that you would get some kind of view of it from the town that sits at it's base. This is not the case. The summit of Cow Hill, obscures any view of Nevis range from Fort William town centre. But not from Banavie. From here, you are afforded unparalleled views of the range.



The weather wasn't ideal but it allowed Dad to see how quickly the weather can change up a height. One minute there was not bad visibility and the next, you couldn't even tell there was anything there.


Day 3

The original plan for Wednesday was to get brekkie, check out of the hotel and head round to Nevis Range and take the Gondola up to the 650m top station to let Dad get a sample of what it's like to be up a height. That plan got scrapped on Tuesday. After the train cancellations and the changeable weather, we decided to head down the road on the earlier train.

So that was that and we were in Fort William station waiting on the 11:40 Glasgow Queen Street service. however, all was not lost. The return journey down the road had slightly more visibility than Monday's journey up. As well as getting good scenery, this was quite beneficial as seeing the areas on the line helps plan a few of the future hill walks I intend to do on public transport.

2011-05-23 - Fort William (Day 1)

2011-05-24 - Fort William (Day 2)

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Project Disney: La Belle et la Bête

Along with Tangled, movie no. 30 is the one that started this whole challenge. It is also the one that heralded a new era for animated film. Combining the strong fairytale elements of the early days, and the state of the art digital technology, Beauty And The Beast was such an event that it became the first animated film to be nominated in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards. This was probably the highest profile from the list I had previously not seen and I must admit, it deserves all the plaudits it receives. While I am not really a fan of the 'Princess' movies, this worked. And I think it is the lack of Royalty that made it work. Belle was an ordinary person. There was no King or Queen, no evil stepmother. The only regality was the Beast with the lavish colours and grandeur only on show to reflect his mood. All in all, a highly entertaining watch and it gets bonus points for putting me up to 166 films seen on the IMDB 250,


10 split on the modern best picture noms

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Project Disney: Crocodile Dundee

Following on from the success of The Little Mermaid, Disney would enter the nineties on a high. First up was the The Rescuers Down Under. This was breakthrough for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was the only time until now, a sequel would be added into the Classics canon. Secondly, and more importantly, it is the first entry to be fully constructed in a digital environment.

I didn't like 1977's The Rescuers, but this is a completely different film. The setting of the Australian outback really does bring a breathe of fresh air to the predominantly darker settings of the previous few decades. I really did like the fact they modelled McLeach on George C Scott as well as using his voice.

I have to admit, I have been struggling with this challenge. As much as I love my animated movies, I think I have been spoiled with the Pixar CGI-fests which is making some of these quite laborious. However, this one has reignited my drive to get this done.

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Project Disney: Splash

The end of the eighties signified a turning point in the history of Disney. Previously, each film would have a few years between each other with there being no more than 4 in a decade but this was to change. Just a year after Oliver and Company, The Little Mermaid would be released. This was to start a run which would maintain an average of one per year until present day. But more importantly, this was to be the start of the Disney Renaissance, widely regarded as the period which made them financially viable to be who they are now. I'll be honest, I didn't like it and I don't know why. It had all the elements you could ask for - visuals, music, characters and storyline but it just didn't grip.

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Project Disney: Holmes

Passed the halfway mark and it was the turn of Victorian England. The Great Mouse Detective follows Basil, a Sherlock Holmes-esque mouse who happens to live in the skirting boards of Holmes' Baker Street residence. Closely resembling what you would expect from a Holmes' inspired story, Basil provides some standard Disney fair - good visuals, simple story and likeable characters.

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Project Disney: Once Upon A Time In New York City

Thanks to the predictable British TV schedule at Christmas and the Blu Ray restoration of Bridge On The River Kwai, I kind of had the urge to watch a lot of David Lean movies in recent times. This meant I finally caught the definitive Oliver movie. With this still sitting in my memory, I was quite intrigued to see that Disney had indeed put their spin on the Dickens' classic with Oliver And Company. The first thing to notice about this movie is the setting. Unlike most of the movies where you could struggle to place a period in history, it is clearly set in contemporary New York City. This is another one that can go on the enjoyed pile.

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Project Disney: Gurgi

Based on The Chronicles of Prydain book series, The Black Cauldron marked the halfway point in the Walt Disney Classics canon. This movie marked a departure from the traditional disney fairytale. In this one, the usual array of fluffy animals and pets were replaced with a more sinister style of character. Ogres and goblins were the order of the day with the highlight sidekick, Gurgi, being completely non-descript. If you want an example of the Disney quality being used for a magic/fantasy storyline, I would highly recommend this.

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