In July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve.
Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me.
Arjan from Dutchnid
On my trip to Wisconsin last year I was talking to my friend Greg about the people who comment on the blog.
“That Arjan” he observed “comes across like a really nice guy”.
Never a truer word was said.
Arjan is our sole Dutch walker (unless you count Martin, who’s Irish really), and at 25 is the youngest member of Team Ocelot. He’s unfailingly warm, pleasant, enthusiastic, and supportive. And his English is a hell of a lot better than my Dutch.
Arjan blogs rather sporadically over at Dutchnid. He writes about a variety of stuff, Warhammer 40k, Dutch culture, photography, films, and his every day life. I’m always pleased when I see that he’s posted in my feedreader, and only wish he’d do so more often. His posts highlighting models he has painted always fascinate me. No mater what your opinion on the merits of wargaming, you can’t deny that painting this level of detail on a figure only a couple of inches high is anything but amazing:
Arjan’s blog is a window into another world, similar – but also very different to my own (Sinterklaas? what on earth is all that about then!?).
I’m pretty sure I first encountered Arjan over at Lee’s blog, although it was so long ago now I can’t really say for sure. Our friendship is a good example of how blogging can bring together disparate people who never would have met otherwise. I’m glad we did meet though, and I’m very much looking forward to doing so in person this July.
Cathrine from Some Vague Utopia
Cathrine wasn’t a blogger before signing up to Hadrian’s Walk – but she thought she may as well start one up seeing as though half the other walkers have one. You can now find her over at her wonderful blog Some Vague Utopia
If I remember rightly we first “met” in my comments section when she responded to one of my rant’s about misery memoirs.
There is another connection however. Both she and her fiance Richard are friends of Oli Walker, one of the original Dales Walkers. Still there is no reason to hold that against them, and I’m extremely pleased that both of them are coming on the walk. Especially as they have decided to arrange their own accommodation and food, thereby not acting as contributory factors to my impending nervous breakdown.
Considering she’s only just started, Catherine has managed to avoid all the pit traps of the novice blogger. She’s forgone all the tales of what she had for lunch at Debinhams cafe and painfuly dreary accounts of the dream she had last night, and gone straight in with interesting posts, wonderful prose, and beautiful photos.
The swine.
If you would like to learn more about the Hadrian’s Walk then you can visit our website. If you would like to donate then you can do so here.
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 5:31 am
I got you this time though, Arjan!
Great idea featuring all those great bloggers. I will check them out.
Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father)´s last blog ..The Afterthought
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 9:04 am
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Arjan´s last blog ..Micmacs à tire la larigot
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 9:23 am
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Arjan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 9:30 am
In Chrome I dó get the edit function *now editing* In IE I didn’t see it.
Arjan´s last blog ..Micmacs à tire la larigot
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 10:24 am
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Sam´s last blog ..A Hughes in Iran
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Metropolitan Mum´s last blog ..There’s a place called Kokomo
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
But trust me, you can definitely feel your feet by the end.
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Richard: “It should be sow surely, not swine?”
“Thanks.”
Catherine´s last blog ..Waifs and strays
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
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Catherine Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Catherine´s last blog ..Waifs and strays
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Based on your bold claim; ‘you can’t deny that painting this level of detail on a figure only a couple of inches high is anything but amazing’
I reckon it stands a fair chance.
Ian´s last blog ..Parenting tourettes
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
You manage to offend most people before you even get in the room (if you are downwind of course)
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Ian Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Ian´s last blog ..Parenting tourettes
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I have a tiny “following” on my blog…….generally people who like me, love their chickens ( and a few who like the lifestyle choice and movies—my other passion)
I love the fact that blogland resembles the POSEIDON ADVENTURE! ie a few mixed character brought together in the face of , well if not adversity, a common interest of words, events and pastimes!!
perhaps I am shelley winters?
peace!
john´s last blog ..Turkey dances
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Dan Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I feel a post waxing lyrical on this coming up soon.
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john Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
wax away!!!
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on Jan 29th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Erin´s last blog ..It hasn’t really been that bad
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