Sound-Trek

The West Highland Way started with Jim'll Fix It. Or to be precise, the Jim'll Fix It theme tune. Initially I wasn't sure why, but the seed had been planted in Brian's head when we mentioned that Jimmy Saville had a house in Glen Coe. So, being the sharing type of guy that he is, he told us that, all the way from Crianlarich to Tyndrum, he'd had the tune in his head. And thus began a peculiar and unexpected journey deep into the aural memory banks in all our heads for the rest of the trip.

For some reason I managed to link the 'Jim'll Fix It' theme tune with the opening brass section of 'Sweet Caroline', which looped around for most of the next day. Not a bad tune for a good steady hiking pace it turns out.

Every now and then a shout would arise from one of us, announcing a change of internal soundtrack which led us through Disco, Ska, 'The Bluebell Polka', and many obscure tunes which none of us could remember the title of, or the artist, but the lyrics all seemed to be lodged in some deep mental recess somewhere.

I was expecting the physical challenges, and the accompanying mental challenges but I wasn't expecting either of these to be accompanied by music.

And so, like some bizarre, slow-mo, linear marching version of a techno club, we padded on for 50 miles across the glorious glens and moorlands of Scotland to our surreal soundtrack.

Soul searching

Once again it seems that the U.S. is having to do some serious souls searching, especially on the issue of gun control.

I've been to the U.S. and I've spent some time with N.R.A. members on a family outing. And I admit it, I had a great time. Only half a dozen melons were harmed and I got to experience something which I never would have here.

Within the space of a few hours I'd had my hands on a Winchester, colt 45, 9mm handgun, pump action shotgun, 12 gauge double barreled shotgun, AR15 assault rifle and a survival rifle. I also witnessed the frightening power of a Desert Eagle and a deer hunting rifle.

The day was lots of fun, and the family atmosphere was great. Everyone was responsible, very careful and very respectful of what they were wielding. Everyone stopped shooting as soon as it looked like there was any kind of problem, and I got an insight into how it should be, and usually is.

However, I was also fully aware that I, a mere visitor to the country, could walk into a gun shop and hire almost anything I wanted for the duration of my stay. Which I just couldn't get to grips with.

I know that Tammy and Delvin, my instructors (and friends) for the day, will be distraught at the recent events in Virginia, they have 4 teenagers of their own. Well adjusted, spirited young adults, who've been surrounded by a veritable arsenal of weaponry since their birth. They're not rich, not super-bright prodigies or athletic heroes. But they bear no grudges, because they are respected by their peers and their family, and most of all they respect themselves.

So the soul searching will go on, and every state has to confront fundamental issues on a regular basis. A friend sent me this link this morning http://www.chrisjordan.com , maybe it gives some perspective or maybe it just clouds the issue even further.