About McEff
Journalist on The Northern Echo, former shipyard electrician, former quarryman and tunneller. Climbs mountains and runs long distances to make life harder. Gravitates to the left in politics just to make life harder still.
SO I’m sitting at work doing my job – which consists of creating and editing the national news pages of The Northern Echo and one or two other things – when my eyes alight on a story from the Press … Continue reading →
Walking on the wind in the Howgill fells . . . Continue reading →
YOU can see Scafell Pike – the highest mountain in England – from the forecourt garden of the terraced house in which I spent my early childhood. From the back garden of the bungalow the family moved to when I … Continue reading →
Posted in Camping, Chockhead, Climbing, Death, Hiking, HMS Theseus, Korean War, Life, Mountains, Sanquhar, Walking
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Tagged Lake District, outdoors, Scotland, The Lakes
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SOMETIMES it’s enough just to walk, to place one foot in front of another and allow the miles to slip by. What’s that old Irish saying . . . ?
Posted in Bronze Age, Climbing, Cup and ring carvings, Environment, Hiking, History, Mountains, Railway goods wagons, Railways, Walking
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Tagged Lake District, outdoors, The Howgill Fells, The Lakes, The Pennines
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BELDOO Moss is not the most spectacular hill in the north Pennines. Few people have heard of it; even fewer have tramped across it. But it does harbour one or two surprising features that make it worth a visit. I’ve … Continue reading →
Posted in Archaeology, Bronze Age, Cup and ring carvings, Great North Road, Hiking, History, Mountains, The Romans, Walking
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Tagged Lake District, outdoors, The Lakes, The Pennines
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A walk through the East End in search of the unusual – and a good pint . . . Continue reading →
Posted in Battle of Cable Street, Beer, Food, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Politics, Prospect of Whitby, Ranting, Walking
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Tagged London, outdoors, transportation
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The best thing to do on a visit to London is get the hiking boots out . . . Continue reading →
Posted in Beer, Dick Turpin, Environment, Great North Road, Hiking, History, Karl Marx, Politics, The Spaniards Inn, Walking
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Tagged London, outdoors, transportation
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THE last train steamed over Stainmore Summit in 1962. I missed it. It’s not my fault – I was only five-and-a-half at the time. But if I hang around there just might be another along shortly . . .
Posted in Environment, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Politics, Railway goods wagons, Railways, Walking
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Tagged outdoors, The Pennines, transportation
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North of Helvellyn, on the Old Coach Road, and the mysterious railway wagon . . . Continue reading →
Posted in Climbing, Environment, Ghosts, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Railway goods wagons, Railways, Walking
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Tagged Lake District, outdoors, Scotland, The Lakes, transportation
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I LIVE on an ancient highway. It’s called the Great North Road. For many hundreds of years it’s been the main arterial link between the capital cities of two countries – England and Scotland. It is woven into history, folklore … Continue reading →
Swindale has grit, bog, remoteness and bed linen. It’s a valley with attitude but no railway wagons . . . Continue reading →
Posted in Climbing, Environment, Hiking, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Quarrying, Railways, Slate quarries, Walking
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Tagged Lake District, Mining History, The Lakes
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This gallery contains 2 photos.
I HAVE a plan. Tomorrow is my day off because I worked Sunday. I’ll drive across the icy Pennines to the Lake District, abandon the car on a rough piece of land at a charming cross-roads above Dockray, climb Birkett … Continue reading →