Tai Chi Workshop with Andy James

Looking forward to October and meeting with Andy James. He is coming to run an "insight" into Tai Chi Chuan workshop for our Tai Chi Practice Group.

See more info here: http://www.netaichi.org.uk/

Andy James Founder and Chief Instructor of the Toronto Tai Chi and Meditation Centre. Sifu James was trained as a teacher of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) by the renowned Thai meditation master and author, Dhiravamsa. His first and main teacher in the Internal Martial Arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan was Miss Rose Li, Sifu James has studied medical and martial Qigong under Professor Jerry Alan Johnson and is a qualified Medical Qigong Therapist. He is also a Zen Shiatsu therapist. He is a member of the Forge Guild, an international association of trans-traditional spiritual leaders and teachers.

See Andy James Blog here: http://www.andyjames.ca/Blog/blogs/
and Andy James website here: www.torontotaichimeditationcentre.com

Names and words

This is great and it came from a super site called http://www.wordle.net/

Meanwhile the naming of the path moves on and is looking like the Caledonia Way. Not sure yet but watch this space.

Branding the Way

The Brand

This is the start of the branding of the path. The official title of the route between Oban and Fort William is - suprisingly - Oban to Fort William! Add to this the name we came up with and it becomes "Oban to Fort William - The Birlinn Way". We like it and the name has so far provided an inspiring platform for artists to engage with. There are some alternatives still being considered and we are happy to take on board these. However, the brand is looking good and the imagery of the brand is pretty well established. Of course the words can be changed but we don't really want to change the imagery as it is already being looked at as a starting point for creative pieces. The logo looks like (with variations) - I am still working on the graphical elements and some of the curves need some work but its getting there.

So here we go the Path is really starting to take off. The first of the artworks is being designed by Oban glass artist Karen Liversedge and the wood sculpture/seating by Ross Angell. Once these designs are finalised I will post them. The seating is being funded by Argyll charity ABCD Trust this first artwork is being installed on the Ganavan to Dunbeg stretch of the path. The design of the sculpture is based on the Highland Galley shape (loosely!) and has glass windows from which you can view the scene and also captures the scene. A camera that uses the mind and imagination as film!

Here is a first sketch ..

And next we have the access controls - i.e. the gates and chicanes. Once again I have used the Birlinn shape as an inspiration and have incroporated into the "gates" some childrens poetry from the school workshop that Norman Bissell did. These are the first stage designs and I am now working up the rest of the designs following a similar theme.

Rathad nan Bhirlinn

An email came in the other day and it went like this .... "Regarding the Birlinn Way. It's a good name (ties up the ancient form of transport along the western seaboard with the idea of birlin' wheels --a Scots word for turning. If we have it in Gaelic (something like Rathad nan Bhirlinn ---accent on the first syllable), there should be no confusion over Berlin!".

There is a fantastic book available "The Sea Kingdoms - The History of Celtic Britain & Ireland", by Alistair Moffat. There is some stuff about the Birlinn as well as a beautifully written, and tragic, account of the Clan Groups waiting across the battlefield for the battle to commence at Culloden.

This is a must have book for anyone interested in the history of Britain as told from the Sea Kingdoms.

So what is happening with the Oban to Fort William Cycle Path? firs tthe name, not sure what is going on with that yet. First indications are that we are going to use, "Oban to Fort William - The Birlinn Way". A bit long winded but my hope is that it will be know as simply the Birlinn Way. The Birlinn is a great symbol for the west coast of Scotland encompassing as it does, culture, history, coastal exploration and just a bit of mystique! Of course saying the word may sound like "Berlin" but hey if people think they are in Germany then maybe they need a better map! This is not a done deal yet - still waiting for the powers that be to come up with a yeh or nay! Have a look at and read some stuff about Birlnns here:
http://www.birlinn.org
http://macinnes.org/crests/NewArmsDescription.html
http://www.galleyaileach.co.uk/

What else ....

the first of the projects is about to make a start. This will be an artwork and seating design at the stretch of path between Ganavan Sands and Dunbeg. The plan at this stage is for a design using glass in a wooden totem of some kind. The seating will be a separate piece but have a synergy with the artwork. The two pieces are inspired by a stand of birch trees sitting opposite the location. Norman Bissell has written a poem that will inform the design of the two pieces:

silver bark
winter blaze
birch grove
opens a world.

The other items for consideration over the next 3 - 8 months are:

Poetry rocks at Kentallen
Slate carving and shelter at Ballachulish

More about these later.

Also on the go are some designs for access controls, i.e. gates and waymarkers, signage and interpretation.

We are kinda waiting for the name to be approved or if not an alternative name to be supplied. As to the Path progress itself - check with Sustrans about this one - I am just doing the artwork bit!

Another trip to Oban

In August I once again made a trip to Oban - this time it went like this:
Train from Wylam to Kilmarnock and then cycle to Ardrossan. Ferry to Brodick on Arran. A quick run over the top to Lochranza and then a ferry to Kintyre. Then a 68 mile ride to Oban. I got to the Youth Hostel at 10 pm! Altogether 110 miles - a great ride though but I must admit to being a bit tired at the end of it!!

The trip was mainly to look at my new project in Oabn and theat is to look at interpetation panels along the shorefront. I will be posting more stuff about this over the next few weeks.
But I wrote a poem when I was there, I was waiting for an otter to appear - along the harbour near to the Youth Hostel. It didn't but I watched a Cal-Mac ferry arrive from Mull and a sunset behind Bienn More!

Here it is:

The clouds flow over Bienn More
Waves slap the bare backsides

Of rock, not new
Born, but ancient

I wait for otters stirring
Herring gull flaps by

Un-noticed
Not caring

The sun, sinks
And is swallowed

By mountain
And the cold is felt

The clouds now
Settled

As mountain
Mergesintosea

My
Thoughts
Of
Otters

Renewed

Ideas for Interpretation and Gates

Some more ideas possible Access Controls, Gates, Posts and Interpretation Panels.

Below - these gate type structures are based on the sides of a ship with oars dipping into the ground. They can be used as a chicane for slowing traffic (cycles) as the Path approaches the road.

Below the posts are used to carry a disc showing route name. The penant allows for the adding of route information.





Above - Story fish are added to the gate from the children's poetry.
Below - a close up of the post showing the Path logo and penant with mileage engraved onto it. Next to it you can see a sketch showing a version in stone with a penant shape carved into for continuity.





Above - you can see stone versions of the curved steel posts with disc attached showing logo of Path and carved penant shape into the stone showing distances.
Below - detail of post with penant and disc attached.

Below - round interpetation panel supported betwen slate posts. The Panel could be carved wood with zinc etched discs attached.