On seeing ‘Nocturnal Rainbows in the English Lakes’

Nocturnal Rainbows over Coniston – photo Zoe Dawes

IF

“If a picture paints a thousand words
Then why can’t I paint you?”

David Gates, BREAD

Those were the words that came into my head as I tried to photo over 200 coloured LED lanterns slowly drifting across Coniston Water in the springtime dusk. Looming over the lake, the Old Man of Coniston, snow-freckled and shadowy, provided an impressive backdrop to this impossible-to-capture picture. I realised it was futile, put down my camera and sat back on the rocky lakeshore, to enjoy this unique spectacle.

Created by Charles Monkhouse, ‘Seven Nocturnal Rainbows for the English Lakes‘ is one of three special artworks commissioned by Lakes Culture for the Cumbria Arts Festival called Lakes Ignite 2016. Charles took his inspiration from the poets and artists of the Lake District, in particular  ‘A Shower’ by JMW Turner, showing an arcing rainbow over darkling Buttermere. I was fortunate to be invited to the launch on April 30th.

Ready for Nocturnal Rainbows over Coniston

At about 8pm we wandered down Brantwood Meadow to the edge of Coniston as the sun set and the Lakeland fells came into sharp relief. Birds choralled their evensong and a dog barked excitedly but was quickly shushed by its owner. In the distance a small boat puttered about and the first of the lights gradually appeared. Chairs were unfolded, rugs laid across laps, children hoisted onto shoulders and an air of quiet anticipation flowed through the crowd.

Watching Nocturnal Rainbows

Red lights were slowly joined by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, a vivid illumination of that childhood rainbow mnemonic, ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.’  People talked in undertones; somehow no-one wanted to disturb the mesmerising spectacle unfolding in front of us. A bat swooped across the water and a boy crouched down to peer into the pebbled shallows.Photographers checked lenses and adjusted tripods, hoping  to capture the nocturnal rainbows before they faded again.

Capturing Nocturnal Rainbows

As the night turned electric blue, the gently bobbing line stretched out across the lake, sending streams of colour into its depths. Perchance the spirit of Donald Campbell was enjoying the show as much as those on the shore. Coniston village opposite twinkled; some may have seen the rainbow and wondered if water sprites were having a party …

Coniston Nocturnal Rainbows

After half an hour or so the lights started to disappear, the violet ones going first. People slowly came back to reality, expressing pleasure at such a sensory treat. My amateurish photographs could not capture the beauty of this experience, but that is fine, for it was its gradual unfolding, transient nature that made it so special. Unlike a painting or sculpture that lasts, this is a truly unique artwork, ever-changing, dependant on its setting, the weather and the eye of the beholder. Charles Monhouse’s Nocturnal Rainbows are appearing on Coniston, Ullswater and Grasmere until May 6th. If you get the chance, take an hour or so to visit one of the lakes and enjoy them. Hopefully, Turner would greatly approve of this tribute to his art …

Lakes Ignite 2016

Lakes Ignite 2016

From April 30 to May 22nd Cumbria and the Lake District host numerous cultural events and exhibitions for Lakes Ignite 2016. Two more specially commissioned pieces are Museum of Water by Amy Shorrocks and 21st Century Landscape Art Class by digital artist Joseph Connor. Others include Rembrandt’s ‘Self Portrait at 63’ (get up close) at Abbot Hall, Kendal, Romance and Realism – Beatrix Potter; a life inspired by Nature (charming original illustrations) at the NT Hawkshead Gallery, Laura Ford ‘Seen and Unseen’ sculptures at Blackwell (spookily unnerving), the Go Herdwick Art Trail (family fun finding these sheep dotted around south lakes), the Freerange Comedy Festival (still some tickets left) at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, From Fjords to Fells at Heaton Cooper Studio, Grasmere (very good art shop too) and Design for Life (quirkily contemporary) at Brantwood. Find out more about Lakes Ignite events here.

The post On seeing ‘Nocturnal Rainbows in the English Lakes’ appeared first on The Quirky Traveller Blog.

from The Quirky Traveller Blog http://ift.tt/1NP1nh4

2016 Most Wanted Stand Bag

Walker, push cart user, range hero, cart rider, speed golfer - whatever your claim to this beautiful game is, we've identified the right stand bag for you.

With more metrics, a bigger team and more insight than ever before, we've sorted through the best bags in the market to bring you this year's most wanted stand bags.

The 2016 Stand Bags:

Ben Hogan	Callaway Aqua Dry Lite	Callaway Hyper Lite 3	Callaway Hyper Lite 5
Callaway Great Big Bertha Staff	Callaway Fusion 14	Cobra Excell	Cobra King
Cobra Ultralite	Dartrek Go Lite Pro	Datrek Carry Lite II	Mizuno Elite Tour Staff
Mizuno Comp	Mizuno Tour Scratch	Nike Air Hybrid	Nike Sport Lite Carry 3
Nike Sport Carry 3	Ping Hoofer 14	Ping Hoofer	Ping 4 series
Projekt Kozmak	Puma Superlite	Srixon Z Four	Sun Mountain H2NO
Sun Mountain 2.5	TaylorMade Purelite	TaylorMade Tourlite	TaylorMade Tour Stand
TaylorMade Quiver	Wilson Nexus II

 

The Metrics:

Just like with our Cart Bag Buyer's Guide - we're always fine tuning to ensure we deliver the best data. Continuing that trend, we've updated and refined this year to bring you the best buying advice we can.

*Weight is measured with straps and rain hood (factory weights do not include these or other accessories).
*Bags weighing more than 5lbs. are listed at 5lbs.

• How We Tested
• Scoring Metrics
• Final Grades

For 2016 we added more testers who put in even more hours of testing covering multiple days. They assessed more more metrics, creating more data and allowing us to boil down to the nuts and bolts of what makes the best bag for a range of users. We tested with two brands of push carts (Bag Boy Quad and Clicgear 3.5+).  Each bag was loaded with 14 clubs, 1 rain jacket, rain pants, 1 dozen golf balls, 20 tees, a laser, 6 pack of beer (if 6 fit), ball markers, two extra gloves, phone, keys, eyeglass wipes, Burt's Bees Wax lip balm, and a Ken Kershaw pocket knife.

Testers abused clubs and bags: inserting and removing clubs repeatedly, pockets stuffed, zippers were torn back and forth, bags were loaded and unloaded from push carts. Pockets were counted and recounted, full length dividers were noted, and any special features were loaded into our metrics.

Because stand bags were built to be carried, every bag was fit onto each tester's back while fully loaded with the previously mentioned clubs and extras.

• Club Binding - Regardless of the number of dividers, this metric simply measures how much club grab/binding occurred when inserting and removing clubs from a bag. (10 possible points)
• Storage - The number and usefulness of pockets. Types of storage, eg: external tee holder, insulated drink pocket, ball pocket. Ultimately, how functional is the available storage as a whole. (10 possible points)
• Comfort - Measure of comfort with the bag fully loaded and carried on each tester's back. (10 possible points)
• Adjustment - Ease of strap adjustment. Is the range of adjustment robust enough to allow the bag to fit a variety of golfers? (10 possible points)
• Durability - Testers examined each bag's stitching, sturdiness, build quality and overall construction to determine the likely durability of a bag. (10 possible points)
• Features - How feature-rich is a given bag. Do each of those features function as intended? Pockets, glove strips, towel loops, strap pass-through, velour pocket, cooler storage, grab handles... (10 possible points)
• Stability - Tested with the bag fully loaded and legs extended. (10 possible points)
• Top Grab Handle - How easy is it to use - is there enough space for someone with larger hands to fit their fingers between bag and clubs. Zero points awarded if not included. (10 possible points)
• Zippers - How easily do zippers open and close. (10 possible points)
• Recommended - Testers were asked to provide a score of 1-10 based on likelihood they would recommend a bag to a friend. (10 possible points)

Final grades were awarded based on total scores.

Best Overall and Runner up are our two highest overall scoring bags.

Lightweight stand bags never get past 5 pounds. These bags are designed to carry everything you need for a full round of golf and not too much more. They won’t leave you stranded, but they weren’t designed to pack your 6 pack and kitchen sink and thrown onto a cart every round. These bags should be designed with the ultimate bag carrying/walking purist in mind.

A Sunday bag allows a player to get out and play a pitch and putt course without needing to lug everything (14 clubs, 20 balls and so on) for a shorter course. Speed golfers also tend to embrace a more Sunday-style bag to allow them to carry everything they need and nothing more.

 

Golf's Most Wanted Stand Bags

Good: Whether you're the range hero, an occasional walker, a push cart user, or you always ride in a cart - this bag does it all and does it well. Everything is there.

Bad: It may be near impossible, but we'd love to see this bag drop to just below the 5 pound mark. Also, the strap adjustment could be simplified a little.

Notes: The straps are comfy, the bag carries the load well. It's sturdy and durable, and everything works just like you'd want it to.

View on Amazon View In ProShop

Good: There was a LOT of thought put into this bag - everything you need is within reach while you walk down the fairway with the bag on your back. ALL 6 dividers are full length.

Bad: Not a ton of storage for cold drinks and just a bit too heavy to be a true carry bag.

Notes: In speaking with the designer for Projekt, we had high hopes going into testing, and the Kozmak didn't let us down. It's a bag that was well thought out. We would LOVE to see what Projekt might do with a true carry bag or a fully committed hybrid design.

View More

Good: You want to play Pebble Beach or Bandon Dunes? You'll likely find yourself carrying your bag on your back - and our recommendation would be taking the Callaway Hyperlite 3 - tipping the scales just over 4 pounds, this bag offers storage, comfort and function.

Bad: We'd love to see an improvement in the club binding department. That bag definitely wants to keep your clubs in place.

Notes: The walking golfer who wants to carry a bag on their shoulders will find the Callaway Hyperlite 3 does what they need. It may not do a ton more, but that's the goal, to create a bag that doesn't let you pack too much, but allows you to bring the essentials.

View on Amazon View In ProShop

Good: Lightweight yet still providing enough storage to allow you to choose how many clubs you want to drag around. If you're a 4 club guy or an 8 club guy, you won't be left in a bind.

Bad: The bag may be a bit larger than some would want for a Sunday bag.

Notes: You like to parse things down on Sunday (I on the other hand want to bring extra beers). If you don't want to bring a 6 pack, but still want to carry enough clubs to allow a variety of shots - this bag is your workhorse. Storage that will allow a rain jacket and some extra balls - yet a weight that makes you wonder why other larger bags aren't this light!

View on Amazon View In ProShop

*When the specified feature is not available, the score field is left blank

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/1QNdMg3

FIRST PHOTOS: Titleist C16 Irons & Driver

Back in March, MyGolfSpy broke the story to the golfing world about Titleist entering the high-end market, and the effect and influence PXG was having on the "#1 Ball in Golf" company.  A few weeks later some images showed up on the USGA conforming club list.

Today the first in-hand photos have surfaced thanks to JapaneseGolfPro.  Titleist isn't known for having drivers that look ll that different from the USGA pics (black and white).  But, for those gear-heads that want to see a little red and shiny chrome here are the first pics in the wild of the $1,000 driver and irons.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/1TEbZON