Introduction:
In March 2020 I received
an email from Elliot Windmill. Elliot
introduced himself and explained that he ran a website concentrating on travel,
life and adventure. He had recently come
across the Dull Men of Great Britain book and this, as it has with many others,
intrigued him.
Elliot wanted to meet
me, as he did others who appeared in this book.
He sent me a link to his site and the introductory article he had
written. This partly concentrated on mundane
habits he had formed over many years and how these played out in his life. These had similarities to many of the unusual
hobbies of those Dull Men portrayed in the book. However, although these activities, both his
and those in the book could be viewed as slightly eccentric (to put it mildly
for some, myself included), they are also something to celebrate and as Elliot rightly says in his introductory article; although we
would like to think life is full of wonder and excitement, it is in the norm, rather
predictive and routine.
Just as we were
arranging a day to meet, Covid-19 struck and the world as we knew it changed in
a matter of days.
When restrictions were
lifted and life got back to a semblance of normality, Elliot picked up our
email thread and we arranged to meet in late September.
Dull Men Philosophy:
Part of the joy of
operating the Mapping Mountains site are the enquiries from people who show
interest in either what the site offers or in this instance, me. Although this sounds slightly ego-centric, it
was a specific interest Elliot had and that was to examine the motivations of
people who appear in the Dull Men of Great Britain book.
|
Dull Men of Great Britain in all their glory |
When originally
contacted by Leland Carlson; the instigator behind all things Dull, and invited
to appear in his book, I realised this was an opportunity not to miss and encouraged
my ex-surveying colleagues to think likewise, stressing the point that one
never knows what opportunity may arise out of unexpected contacts. This philosophy also applied to Elliot.
Whether such a
philosophy can be described as dull, I do not know, actually, probably
not. However, I take pride in my
Dullness and wear it as a badge of honour.
Therefore, there was only one thing to do; meet Elliot and bore him
rigid with all manner of numerical nonsense whilst intricately weaving my way
through a minefield of surveying anecdotes!
Meeting, talking and visiting Maesgwastad:
When Elliot arrived and
after the customary handshake and getting-to- know-you chat, I drove the short
distance to Christ Church Cemetery and parked.
This would give access to a part of Powis Park and Maesgwastad; a field
rising above the Church giving open views across Welshpool and the Severn
Valley to the Breiddin hills beyond.
|
Elliot Windmill |
I’d come prepared with
the Trimble, its small tripod and external antenna, thinking these were
essential props for our discourse. In
fact, they were secondary, with only the Trimble making an appearance toward
the end of our time on top of Maesgwastad.
|
The Trimble GeoXH 6000 |
As we left the car and
headed down to the gate giving access to the field, Elliot and I talked, this
continued up the field and for the next hour or so on the top. Not surprisingly it was the person and not
necessarily their survey equipment that interested Elliot.
The majority of
conversation concentrated on the beginnings and motives that led me to the
activity of surveying hills. I’ve always
thought the appearance in the Dull Men of Great Britain book a bonus, as to me
the activity of surveying a hill is everything other than dull. However, perhaps this is one of the factors
at play; lack of recognition!
We talked about the
different categories of hobbies included in the book, from the wacky and weird
to the unusual and different. Although
I’d love to be a part of the former I think I’m more a part of the latter. The conversation flowed, much too much of it
for me to remember all but tiny segments.
We could of course, have stayed indoors and had a similar conversation,
but I’d suggested somewhere close with elevation as this at least is the
environment where I operate in, therefore all this was conducted on top of Maesgwastad
with the town of Welshpool and the Breiddin hills as backdrop.
|
Our backdrop from the top of Maesgwastad |
After an hour or so we
headed down to the car and I then drove the short distance to The Raven where a
table for two had been reserved for Sunday lunch. Thankfully for our walk to Maesgwastad the
weather was sublime with morning sunshine adding slight warmth whilst mature
trees showed the first signs of colour change.
We sat outside for our meal and continued our conversation, with the weather
remaining dry and becalmed.
We parted with another
handshake, with Elliot saying that when his article was written he would send
the text for me to go through. This I
appreciated and waved him off as he headed home.
After he’d left I headed
in to my bungalow, made a large mug of tea, turned my laptop on and prepared to
do the usual. Such routine has
comfort. However, it’s good to meet
different people who have their own motivations and philosophies. This challenges the reassured daily routine
and can take you out of your comfort zone, which is usually a good thing. Today was such a day.
Myrddyn Phillips
(November 2022)
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