Blog Posts in Category: General

Something a little different to normal as last week I graduated from the University of Exeter with an engineering degree or in its longer form as a ‘Master of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Engineering Class II Division I’. I did not know what to expect from the day but it was a truly special day, surrounded by friends and family celebrating finishing four years of study and the best four years of my life where I have done so much with caving, walking, climbing and even a bit of whitewater kayaking where I have had fantastic experiences, made amazing friends and gained many useful skills which I will take with me for the future. I am very lucky as I am leaving university with a placement on the Rolls-Royce Professional Excellence Graduate Development programme so it is after 18 years of study that I am finally leaving structured education and heading out into the working world.

Having missed the Olympic Torch in Exeter due to heading home to go rock climbing, I figured I should probably see it in Bristol. On the morning I was due to go back to Exeter the flame was leaving Bristol via the Clifton Suspension Bridge, this seemed like an iconic place to go and see the flame. So with a very early start and hoping the fog would burn off on the drive there we headed to Bristol. We got to the suspension bridge about 40mins before it was due so managed to get a great location viewing the suspension bridge from the side. The fireworks and streamers were a surprise as the runner crossed the bridge, once the runner was across I went for a run along Clifton Down to keep up with the flame for more photo opportunities. It was a great morning and there could not have been better weather for it and I am very glad I went to see it in the end as I nearly didn’t go which would have been a shame for such a once in a lifetime event.

This evening it was bonfire night again which meant it was time for my fourth trip to Ottery St Mary on the 5th November. At Ottery they celebrate the event by covering huge barrels with tar, setting fire to them and running down the streets which are crowded with locals and students. It is an event that I have no idea how it still happens with all the health and safety which controls everything else so tightly, but it is great fun and it will be odd possibly not going to it next year as I will have graduated. It is always a challenge to get photos at this event as there are so many people getting a view of the barrel without people in the way is only possible when it gets incredibly close to you so you have to get a photo before you get hit by a burning barrel and often there are then too many people to get out of the way! This year on the final barrel was busier than I have seen it in the past and moving out of the way was extremely difficult and I managed. Read the full article…

Every year in Ottery St Mary which is a town near Exeter for bonfire night the tradition of “Rolling” barrels through the extremely crowded streets is somehow still continued despite the trouble that it must cause in the health and safety mad world we now seem to live in. “Barrel Rolling” is where over a 12 month period barrels are coated with coal tar before being lit and carried through streets packed with people who have to make sure they get out of the way before getting hit by it! The event starts in the late afternoon with the children’s barrels and progresses as the evening goes on to the ladies and men’s event.  The barrels progress in size as the evening goes on with the final barrel weighing around 30kg!  In order to carry a barrel you must have lived in the town for all or most of your life. This year was my third year attending the event and for the third year in a row the beautiful British weather supplied us with rain, though thankfully it was only for about half an hour but long enough to. Read the full article…