You will see that I could obviously post this item elsewhere, and perhaps it is too serious-minded for "General Camping". But we all have to navigate on our outings, so here goes.
Sailors used to plumb the depths with a lead line, and coming "in from foreign" they frequently applied tallow to the lead and inspected what was stuck to it when brought up. This could be compared to the type of bottom (mud, sand, shells etc) shown on the charts. Deep-sea sailors would watch the birds, for the likelihood of a nearby island where they might roost.
I've found a topical and relevant aid to navigation for camper vanners who are too skint or snooty to use sat nav, and this technique is also ornithological.
If you follow the byeways rather than highways, and certainly not motorways when you can avoid them, you will encounter village ponds. The ducks there will tell you where you are, and this is always useful for navigation (after the yokel's advice: "If I were going there, Sir, I wouldn't start from here.....").
Starting in the South, ducks say "Quark" (perhaps there are more vegetarians down there). That is, except for Tunbridge Wells where they say "Quaik".
Moving north of Watford to Yorkshire, the ducks say "Quack". (As we all know, Yorkshire people don't have baths, they have batths).
Further north still, I'm sorry to have to write that south of the River Tyne our local ducks say "Quack effing quack". North of the River they can even be heard to say "Effing quack effing quack". I don't know what they do when they cross the River.
I hate to think what they say in Scotland.
So with this knowledge, at least you know roughly where you are, and this is always a good start........
Paul.
Sailors used to plumb the depths with a lead line, and coming "in from foreign" they frequently applied tallow to the lead and inspected what was stuck to it when brought up. This could be compared to the type of bottom (mud, sand, shells etc) shown on the charts. Deep-sea sailors would watch the birds, for the likelihood of a nearby island where they might roost.
I've found a topical and relevant aid to navigation for camper vanners who are too skint or snooty to use sat nav, and this technique is also ornithological.
If you follow the byeways rather than highways, and certainly not motorways when you can avoid them, you will encounter village ponds. The ducks there will tell you where you are, and this is always useful for navigation (after the yokel's advice: "If I were going there, Sir, I wouldn't start from here.....").
Starting in the South, ducks say "Quark" (perhaps there are more vegetarians down there). That is, except for Tunbridge Wells where they say "Quaik".
Moving north of Watford to Yorkshire, the ducks say "Quack". (As we all know, Yorkshire people don't have baths, they have batths).
Further north still, I'm sorry to have to write that south of the River Tyne our local ducks say "Quack effing quack". North of the River they can even be heard to say "Effing quack effing quack". I don't know what they do when they cross the River.
I hate to think what they say in Scotland.
So with this knowledge, at least you know roughly where you are, and this is always a good start........
Paul.
Aren't they different?
:so happy:
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