THIS VIDEO
This ongoing Video Diary by myself John Neal, sometimes known as John Longcroft-Neal, as the whim takes me.
TODAY’S SUBJECT is a bike ride via the railway station to Whittleford Park and the Black Track.
GENERAL STUFF
I am retired from two careers of primary school teaching when I was deputy head of a Middle School and Primary School, and as a self employed Chalkboard Artist from 2002 until I reached the grand old age of 65 in 2016. Since I retired it’s like a second childhood but with more expensive toys.
I have written a book ‘Cursive Handwriting for Adults’
published by Ulysses Press and can be purchased from:
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA
My FACEBOOK Page https://www.facebook.com/Johnnealartist
I play guitar and write songs and have written about 14 songs for the local BBC radio station. I run a weekly (weakly) evening Acoustic session at a local pub and have been doing so for 14 years now.
Much of the music I use on this channel is taken from epidemicsound.com free to use on Youtube for a reasonable monthly fee, and sometimes I suffer you with my own music.
Gear that I use:
DJI Mini 3 Drone.
Iphone 15 Pro for camera, generally front facing so I can see myself in frame. Super quality especially if I keep the lens clean.
Go Pro11
Gimble is a Q2 Smooth by Zhiyun, I ought to use this more often because it was expensive.
Sony IC recorder
Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Rhode videomic to do voice over on computer
Video editing with Final Cut Pro X
Polarduck Mini Tripod for mobile phone. This is so good and under £10.00 I bought two.
Lamcou bendy leg tripod
Smatree Tripod / mono pod
Mono pod is a Manfrotto Compact MMC3-02 and is very useful for getting high angles that look like low flight drone shots and so easy to carry on my bike along with the mini tripod.
My bike is a e28 Estarli electric bike.
https://www.estarli.co.uk/
Money from ARTWORK SOLD will go to the MONA FOUNDATION
for details see https://www.monafoundation.org
I am a follower of the Bahá’i Faith and some of my philosophical ideas may show through in comments that I make, but, by and large, I’ll not make direct reference to my beliefs.
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131048357093583
See www.bahá’i.org
To hear my Bahá’i INSPIRED SONGS, (and others) GO TO:
https://soundcloud.com/jrwren/sets/bahai-inspired-songs
I also enjoy gardening but lay no claims to have any expertise, and you might catch me out in the countryside of Warwickshire and nearby Leicestershire on a walk with my wife or on a bike ride.
Please comment below to inform further plans for my vlogs. I’d love to hear from you. If you don’t you will just get whatever bubbly ideas float to the surface of my slightly muddled elderly mind.
8 Comments
thank you
Great video again….keep up the good work 🙂
I look forward to the video of your bike ride from Narborough 👍
Hi John. Loving your videos. I'm looking to semi retire this September 2025, and then properly retire August 2026. Looking forward to following your trails. Thanks for the ideas. I can't wait to start spending time in the town I was born in, and discovering the areas in North Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Have you been to the Book Barn in Anstley? That will be one of my first rides. As I'm in Hinckley now, I plan Long Shoot, through town, past Asbury Towers,.then a nice cycle in for a coffee and a bookcomic browse. Keep on chuggin fella
Great video. Jake's ears pricked up when he Heard his name 😂 Nuneaton such a great history. Don't know if you know the history of the famous blue bricks? Made at haunchwood brick factory which used to be in the wooded area to the left of the lakes well worth a read about and the clean air act. There is massive lake were they used to quarry the famous blue sand. The chase pub used to be the family home of the owners before it was sold. Thanks John🙏
Its the Railway Line that went from Stockingford sidings to Ansley Colliery my brother was a fireman on the steam engines and travelled that route to get the coal wagons from Ansley Pit he said it was a bad journey back as the coal wagons would push the loco down the hill at such a rate the loco had a job to hold them back both driver and fireman were glad to get the fully laden wagons into the sidings at Stockingford.
Galley common community centre paid for the morals on the bridge got to be 10 years ago, rosie goodwin the author had an I put aswell, was in the paper.
The wetlands you showed to the left has an accessible track going through it which is home to muntjac deer, herons and recently egrets, plus other wading birds. In spring parts of the area are covered with wild garlic which is a picture when in bloom. All in all a great place for a walk or ride even though it is surrounded by an urban environment.