Welcome to my blog, Whats this about then?

This is a place where I will be posting all sorts of things not just things relating to Derby and Derbyshire. On here you will find details of any videos I’ve made of things in Derby and also Time-lapse, stop motion animation, Tutorials etc. If I find some useful software for PC or iPhone then I will feature it here.I’m sure that there will be something of interest to someone on my many posts.Please leave comments on any posts if you like them.
Don’t forget if you are new to my blog and would like to read through the previous posts then see the Blog Archive section on the left side of this page.
Also there is a Search box at the top left of the page if you are looking for something but cant remember where it was. I am a trustee member of "Friends of Friar Gate bridge", aiming to get this bridge restored.

Sunday 30 September 2012

Videos - Derby to Littleover by Car in HD, August 2012.

Here are two videos I made in August, that I've only just got around to getting online.

Its a realtime car journey from Mercian Way in Derby to Littleover village. Recorded in two parts.

Part 1:

Part 2:


Thanks
Andy

Friday 28 September 2012

Sheffield beer festival 2012. The 38th Steel City Beer and Cider Festival, 3rd Oct to 6th Oct.

The 38th annual Steel City Beer and Cider Festival will take place from Wednesday October 3rd to Saturday October 6th at Ponds Forge in Sheffield city centre.

Around 150 real ales showcasing local breweries plus interesting beers from rest of the UK and a good range of real ciders and perry. Food available at all sessions, also features stalls and games.
Live music most evening sessions. Quiz Saturday afternoon.

The 38th annual Steel City Beer and Cider Festival in Sheffield.

Admission charges :
Wednesday 5pm-11pm: Entry £2.50
Thursday noon-5pm: Entry £2.00
Thursday 5pm-11pm: Entry £3.00
Friday noon-5pm: Entry £3.00
Friday 5pm-11pm: Entry £5.00
Saturday noon -11pm: Entry £5.00

Admission charges for Camra members :
Free entry Wednesday and Thursday
£1 entry Friday until 5pm and all day Saturday
£2 entry Friday from 5pm.

Glass rental is £2

Entertainment:
Thursday 5pm-11pm The Yorkshire Teabags
Friday 7:30 - Hummingbirds Blues Band + Amelia Carter Band
Saturday - Charity pub quiz (written) in the afternoon.
Live music in the evening - Natchez Burning + support

If your not a Camra member you can buy a package online :
Entry package sold online includes admission, souvenir glass, programme and some beer tokens to get you started at the bar. Further tokens can be purchased in the venue.
www.arenaticketshop.co.uk/whats-on/the-38th-steel-city-beer-&-cider-festival

Beer festival location :
Ponds Forge International Sports Centre
Sheef Street
Sheffield City Centre
S1 2PZ

Google Streetview of the venue.

45 degree Birds eye view on bingmaps.

Ciders and Perries on at the 2012 Sheffield beer and cider festival :



Producer
Product
ABV
Sweetness
Broadoaks
Bristol Port
6.0%
Sweet
Broadoaks
Moonshine
7.5%
Sweet
Broadoaks
Premium Perry
7.5%
Sweet
Gwatkins
Farmhouse Perry
7.5%
Sweet
Gwatkins
Kingston Black
7.5%
Dry
Gwatkins
Old Rats Tale
7.5%
Dry
Gwatkins
Squeal Pig Perry
7.5%
Sweet
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Black Dragon
7.0%
Dry
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Dog Dancer
6.5%
Medium
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Fiery Fox
6.5%
Medium
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Happy Daze
4.5%
Medium
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Pyder
6.0%
Medium Sweet
Gwenty-y-Ddraig
Two Trees Perry
4.5%
Sweet
Hecks
Hendre Huffcap Perry
6.5%
Medium Sweet
Newton Court
Dabinett
6.0%
Medium
Orchard Pig
Explorer
4.5%
Medium
Rathays
Old Goat
7.4%
Dry
Ross on Wye
Alpaca Perry
6.5%
Medium Sweet
Ross on Wye
Rum Cask
6.5%
Dry
Ross on Wye
Whisky Cask
6.5%
Dry
Sam's
Devon Cider
4.8%
Sweet
Westcroft
Janet's Jungle Juice (JJJ)
6.0%
Medium
WM Watkins
Oak Barrel
6.5%
Medium Sweet
WM Watkins
Perry
6.0%
Sweet
Woodthorpe Hall
Owd Barker
12.0%
Dry
Woodthorpe Hall
Ruby Suzy
8.4%
Medium Sweet


Beers list : here.

Follow latest news on their Twitter feed :
twitter.com/SheffBeerFest38

Facebook page for the 2012 Sheffield Beer festival :
www.facebook.com/events/259474807489093

By the way there is an excellent free shuttle bus service in Sheffield city centre. Its called the FreeBee and yes it really is free every few minutes around the city.
Leaflet for the Sheffield FreeBee.

Detailed route map for the Sheffield FreeBee shuttle bus.

If you would like to visit Sheffield Beer and Cider Festival from Derby then its worth getting a Derbyshire wayfarer.

Hope you found this of interest.

Thanks
Andy

Monday 24 September 2012

Pets at Home outlet now open at Kingsway Retail Park, Derby. September 2012.

The new Pets at Home outlet opened at Kingsway Retail Park, Derby at 9am on Friday 21st September 2012. I dare say that if you were in the area over the weekend you would have seen the massive green advertising balloon floating high over Kingsway Retail Park. The car park was extreamly busy on Saturday and Sunday.
You may remember that Pets at home used to be located at Kingsway Retail Park a few year back but left in the early 2000s, well now its back and a better store.

Want a 360 degree view here?
I made a 360 degree virtual reality photograph at Kingsway Retail Park which allows you to see which store is where. In this photograph you can see the exact locations of TK Maxx, Argos, Pets at Home, Comet, Harveys, SCS, Boots, M&S Food, Next and Currys. Simply click this link and wait for it to load in then use mouse to look around :- 360 degree photograph at Kingsway Retail Park.

The store is also home to an adoption centre which finds homes for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other small animals.

The new Pets at Home outlet, Kingsway Retail Park, Derby. September 2012.
The retailer, which already has an outlet at the Meteor Centre, in Mansfield Road, has invested more than £500,000 in the Kingsway store and has created six jobs.


It stocks pet products for dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, chickens, birds, fish and wildlife, as well as providing a pet grooming service.....

Click on this photograph to see how you can pamper your pooch....
The groom room at Pets at Home, Kingsway retail park, Derby

Here is the full address of this new store
Unit 2
Kingsway Retail Park
Kingsway
Derby
DE22 3FA

Opening hours for Pets at Home, Kingsway Retail Park, Derby :
Monday : 9am-8pm
Tuesday : 9am-8pm
Wednesay : 9am-8pm
Thursday : 9am-8pm
Friday : 9am-8pm

Saturday : 9am-6pm
Sunday : 10.00am-4.00pm

This new Pets at Home store is located in the former Powerhouse store unit which has been empty for a few years now. This is next to Argos and TKMaxx, at the far end of the car park near Comet.

Also located at this Retail park are these stores :
TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Halfords, Next, Boots, Harveys Furniture Store (Bensons for Beds), Currys, Comet, Argos Extra,Sainsbury's, Homebase.

Hope you found this of interest

Thanks
Andy

Sunday 23 September 2012

Video : VW Golf MkIV, How to identify which bulb is which on the rear light cluster. Brake,indicator,fog,tail, reverse.

Here is a simple video I made to help people quickly and accurately work out which bulb is which on the rear light cluster of a MK4 VW Golf.


The idea of this video is simple. To make it clear which bulb does what on the rear light cluster of a MK4 VW Golf. You can play this video on your smartphone while looking at your light cluster which will make the job of changing the bulb quicker.

As well as showing you the actual bulbs lighting as I activate them I have also shown you where those bulbs are in relation to the lens cover on the drivers side.

This relates to the UK model of the VW Golf, in other countries you may have a different layout of bulbs.

The bulb numbers you need for replacements are :
382    Brake
581    Indicator
245S Tail
382    Fog
382    Reverse


You can of course use LED replacements. Its always best to keep a set of spare bulbs in the car just in case one blows and your in the middle of nowhere.

If my video helped you then please take the time to comment.

If you have any handy tips for getting the light cluster out of the hole then PLEASE leave comments as that really is very difficult to do.

You may also be interested in my very popular detailed photographic guide to changing a headlight bulb on a Mark 4 VW Golf :

Hope this helps people.
thanks

Andy

Product Review : 1.6KW Halogen Heater with remote control. EH1425 by Prem-i-air from Amazon.

Product Review : Halogen Heater EH1425 made by Prem-i-air Limited, £24.99 from Amazon.

I recently bought a Halogen Heater from Amazon and seems like a pretty good product so thought I would review it in case anyone is thinking of buying one.

Here is the heater with all 4 heating panels turned on. This heater comes with a remote control which you can see in front of it. Having a remote control for your fire is rather snazzy !

EH1425 Halogen Heater with remote control from Amazon.
Electric heaters have certainly come on a long way over the years, you no longer have to crouch around a single bar electric fire that takes all day to heat up the room. The other types of electric heaters you can buy are fan heaters, convection heaters, oil filled radiators and finally Halogen Heaters.
Oil filled radiators are extremely slow to heat up.
Convection heaters are slow to heat up and tend to emit heat upwards only so you cant really warm yourself up in front of one.
Fan heaters are noisy and a bit harsh.

Halogen heaters are a new breed of electric heater that offer instant heat that radiates out just like a gas fire but these have the advantage of being instant as soon as its switched unlike a gas fire that needs several minutes to warm up.

This heater comes with a rather unique remote control !
This means you can turn it on and off, control the heat settings or control the timer function all without getting up.  What a really clever nice feature.
You can even alter the horizontal angle of the heater by pressing the turn button.

The remote control functions :
Off - Turns the heater off !
Turn - This turns the Oscillating function on/off. You can also use this to adjust the horizontal angle of the heater by simply pressing it and waiting until you get the angle you want then pressing it again to stop it.
Timer - This allows you to set the heater so it will switch off after a certain amount of time in 30 minute chunks.
On/Power - This button turns the heater on, pressing it again reduces the heat to the lower setting (2 panels lit)

The heater I bought is listed on Amazon as "1600 Watts Oscillating Halogen Heater With Remote Control + Timer Function"

The EH1425 Halogen Heater I bought from Amazon.co.uk :

Its sold by direct Sales.
There are several other models listed but the link above is the model I bought.

The remote does not come with batteries, it needs two AAA batteries.
The heater has a set of controls on the front located at the very bottom, This is an absolutely ridiculous place to put them as you have to put your face in the fire to operate them! But I guess it does not really matter as you are unlikely to ever use them when you have the remote control !

The heater was delivered two days after ordering it and was delivered by DPD. Direct sales send you a tracking number by email, simply type the consignment number into the parcel number field on here  www.dpd.co.uk/forms/track-my-parcel.jsp and this provides a delivery window of one hour which was very good service.

The heater is easy to assemble. In the box is the main heater body, the base, two screw locks and the remote control.
Slide the heater body out of the plastic bag and stand the heater on the floor upside down and hold it there while you slip the mains plug and lead through the hole in the base and then before mating the base to the heater rotate the base so that the cable slot lines up with the cable then press it into place. Now screw in the two screwlocks. Push the mains cable into the two cable tidy slots in the base. Now stand the heater on the floor using its base.
On the base of the heater is a safety switch that turns off the heater if its knocked over. If you have a very deep pile carpet then you may need to put something (a beer mat) on top of the carpet below this switch as this may stop the switch from operating correctly.
Fit two AAA batteries into the remote, plug the heater in and you should see the red standby led light up on the front panel.
Now press the ON/Power button and it should turn on.

I will update this review in time.

Thanks
Andy


Saturday 22 September 2012

Video driving tour around Sir Francis-Ley Industrial Estate, Shaftesbury, Robinsons, Prime Industrial Estate Derby. Sep 2012

This is a video driving tour around Sir Francis-Ley Industrial Estate, Shaftesbury, Robinsons, Prime Industrial Estate in Derby, Derbyshire, UK. This was filmed in September 2012.

Perhaps you are looking for a business or going for a job interview then my video will help you locate where you need to go. Google Streetview has NOT been around these roads so this is a unique record of whats around this business park at this time.

My video tour around Sir Francis-Ley Industrial Estate:

Best played fullscreen at 720p if you can.

Here is a list of some of the businesses you will find on Sir Francis-Ley Industrial Estate aka Shaftesbury Industrial Park, Derby.
This business park incorporates Prime Industrial Park, Robinsons Industrial Estate, VALAD Industrial Park and New Chase business park.

If I have missed your business off my list then feel free to add them with the time and side of the road you will find them on and what you make.

Location Times :
0:00 Starting on Osmaston Road (A514) heading away from Derby City Centre.
0:10 Right into Shaftesbury Street.
0:31 Right into "Robinsons Industrial Estate"
0:32 Bob Storer's. Unit 23 Robinsons Industrial Estate. (on left side)
0:34 A J's Cafe Bar. Unit 21 Robinsons Industrial Estate. (on right side)
0:36 SS Tyres
0:38 Littleover Leisure Ltd
0:40 Littleover Apiaries Ltd. Honey producers. Unit 16 (on left side)
0:49 Desboroughs Garden Machinery. Unit 12 Robinsons Industrial Estate. (on left side)
0:53 Shaftesbury Fixings. unit 4. (on left side)
0:58 Morleys Automative and industirla paints and products
1:55 Davlyn Construction Ltd. Unit 5B (on right side)
1:58 Grangewood fencing supplies (on left side)
2:00 Aurora stove enameling. Unit 2A (on left side)
2:03 The Rhema Pentecostal Church. unit 8C (on left side)
2:04 Brightcross Insulation Ltd (on right side)
2:05 Rachel's Flying Sausage. (on right side)
2:05 Europe Tyres. Unit 2 (on left side)
2:10 Pirtek. Unit 3 (on left side)
2:12 Metallon Metal Recyclers (on left side)
2:18 PTS Derby Sir Francis Ley, Unit 2. (on right side)
2:22 MJS Fabrications Ltd (on left side)
2:24 ERIKS UK, Industrial Distribution Service Centre. Unit 4. (on right side)
2:28 CPL Print Ltd (on right side)
2:28 Derby City Glass Ltd. 13 Shaftesbury Street South (on left side)
2:48 Abbas Motor Services (on left side)
2:53 Dcm Healthcare. 33 Shaftesbury Street South (on left side)
2:57 Seamers Shopfitters. 35 Shaftesbury Street South (on left side)
2:59 Ahead is S&A Foods Ltd. 37 Shaftesbury Street South.
3:03 MDH Savage - Trophy And Medal Suppliers. (on right side)
3:04 CoMech Metrology Ltd. 10 Castings Road (on right side)
3:06 Morris Minor Owners Club Ltd. 8 Castings Road (on right side)
3:33 Camille lingerie. Unit 2 Cotton Brook Road (Ahead).
4:07 Auto Test Centre. 13 Castings Road (on left side)
4:18 Leaving Shaftesbury Industrial Park
4:23 Left onto Coronation Street.
4:29 Ahead is the national Sikh museum, Derby
4:35 Lfft onto Princes Street
4:36 Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara and entrance to national Sikh museum.
4:41 Ahead is all S&A Foods.
5:00 Left onto Pear Tree Crescent
5:29 Right onto Portland Street
5:30 The Chestnut Tree Pub. 174 Portland Street.

Here is the driving route map :
http://goo.gl/maps/UJLPv

You may find this video of interest as its roads connect with this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q72MJzj4Ty4

Thanks
Andy

Derby Feste 2012. 20th to 22nd September.

The Derby Feste has returned to Derby in 2012. Still one day to see stuff.

Here is a list of what you can see on Saturday 22nd September in Derby for the feste : Derbyfest 2012 events.

Follow Derbyfest on twitter.

Here is what you have missed so far. Videos by ditcher41a2 :

Thursday evening :
French performance artists Luc Amoros bring their incredible live show to the Cathedral Green, Derby, on Thursday, the first day of Derby Festé. Six painters take to a huge scaffold canvas using 300 kilos of paint and 360 square metres of plastic film to create, destroy and recreate a series of works of art before our eyes. With live music.



Friday evening :
An evening of Jive and Swing in the Market Place with King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys and the Jumpin' Jive Jitterbugs. A demonstration of Swing with the Charleston and the Lindy Hop.


Saturday afternoon :
Musical Ruth the singing Nun.

For details of what you can see today at Derby Feste 2012 see their website :
www.derbyfeste.com

Hope you enjoy your day

Thanks
Andy

Friday 21 September 2012

Costco Mince Pies are THE best mince pies ever. And not just for Christmas!

There are mince pies and then there are Costco mince pies.
If you have discovered the recipe for how to make this type of mince pie then please share the secret on here as I'm sure people would like to know how to make these at home.

Do you like quality tasty mince pies? I mean proper nice ones not Mr Kipling ones.
I love cakes that are extra nice and stand out amongst the crowd. By far the best mince pies I have ever tasted are the ones made under the Kirkland brand and sold in Costco, their Mince Pies really are awesome.

They have just the right amount of filling and the sponge top is a nice surprise. Some luxury branded mince pies have too much filling or too much alcohol, these Costco ones are utter perfection.

Costco make these mince pies fresh at their in-store bakery. They are sold in packs of 11 as you can see below for £4.49. The best before date is normally around 4 days.

These are no ordinary mince pie, They are 4" (10cm) across, 1" (2.5cm) deep and each pie is 110grams !
They come in packs of 11 or you can buy one from the food counter.

A close up of the Costco mince pie showing that lovely sponge top and filling :
Close up showing the sponge top
And whats great is that they start selling them well before Christmas. In fact I have just bought some today (September 21st) from Costco on Pride Park, Derby. I think they may well have been selling them a few weeks before this as I noticed individual ones for sale at the food counter. By the way if your a fan of Police Interceptors then you may well see PC Gary Wilson at the food counter in Costco Derby as I have seem him there a couple of times now :)


Here is the tray of Kirkland mince pies from Costco :
Costco Mince Pies, pack of 11

A Costco mince pie cut in half :
A Costco Mince Pie cut in two.

These mince pies taste even better with a dollop of creme fraiche. I have never tried them warmed up but I guess that will also make them even better still. I did not want to destroy the texture by heating it up in a microwave.

Hope this made your mouth water !

Costco Derby : Video of how to get there by car.

Are you a fan of Mince Pies too? You may be interested in this dedicated blog to the humble Mince Pie :
http://www.themincepieadministration.blogspot.co.uk/

If you have discovered the recipe for how to make this type of mince pie with  a sponge top then please share the secret on here as I'm sure people would like to know how to make these at home.

Thanks
Andy

Tuesday 18 September 2012

VW Beetle Drive at Crich Tramway Village this Sunday 23rd September 2012

This Sunday 23rd September 2012, The annual VW Beetle Drive will take place at Crich Tramway Village, Derbyshire.

You can book your tickets online for Crich Tramway so you don't have to queue when you get there. The ticket lasts for 12 months from day of purchase.

Tickets for the 2012 VW Beetle Drive at Crich Tramway are £12 per adult. The ticket confirmation will be sent to you by email.

Here is a video I took of the Beetle Drive in 2010 to give you an idea of what you can see.


Hundreds of classic VWs are expected at the event which will play host to vehicle displays, show & shine, clubs stands and trade stalls.

I don't own a Beetle but really enjoyed watching Beetle Crisis when it was on Discovery Turbo. The two series of which are now on DVD also have you seen the TV Series Campervan Crisis? Very entertaining watching Nigel Isted trying to restore a rather rusty 1965 Devon Campe, this is also on DVD now.

The Beetle is a classic car, so as you would expect you can buy all sorts of VW stuff even a Beetle iPhone cover !

The Tramway Village’s cobbled street is an ideal setting for classic vehicle rallies, a highlight of the event is the street parades where the VWs drive in convoy down the cobbled street among the vintage trams!

If you own an old VW Beetle then you can even take part in this show. Entry for drivers of vehicles built and registered before 1st Jan 1968 is free. The entry fee for drivers of newer vehicles and all passengers booking in advance is £9 per adult, £8 per senior and £5 per child.See their website for booking forms.

Crich Tramway Village.

Hope you enjoy your day.

Thanks
Andy

How to find GSM towers in your area and the new 4G LTE network in Derby.

The new 4G LTE Network in Derby.

Working in the engineering department of revenue assurance business for mobile phone operators I'm interested in the technology behind GSM radio communications and unless you have been hiding under a rock then you will be well aware of the newest technology soon to launch in Derby. That is 4G LTE technology.

Everything Everywhere, announced last week that it is investing £3.8 million in Derby on new masts, cabinet equipment and software. In case you did not know, Everything Everywhere or EE is the new name for Orange and T-Mobile (formally one-to-one)

Derby is one of 16 cities that is getting the upgrade to its network, part of EE's £1.5 billion investment over the next three years. So we are quite lucky in Derby to have been chosen out of the 66 cities in the UK.
4G in Derby should be up and running on EE for Christmas, are you ready for it?

4G LTE is around five times faster than the fastest 3G network currently available in the UK. This will speed up downloading, browsing and streaming significantly and its definitely a worthwhile upgrade if you are want to get the most of of your smartphone.

A number of 4G LTE smartphones are launching on the Everything Everywhere (EE) network this year including the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE and the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, the HTC One XL, as well as devices and USB dongles from Huawei and of course the new iPad.
The 4G compaitible iPhone 5 became available in the UK on Friday, September 21st......


Our current mobile networks use 3G/UMTS technology, which has been around since 2003 and which isn't really fast enough for the kinds of things we want to do today.
4G/LTE - it's short for Fourth Generation / Long Term Evolution - is its better, faster replacement, and it's been rolled out in all kinds of places one of which is Derby !


4G's amazing speed comes courtesy of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), the same transmission technology used by ADSL, Wi-Fi, DVB-T, DVB-H and DAB. OFDM not only reduces latency, but minimises interference and can cram more data into the same slice of radio bandwidth.

It will make 4G smartphones ideal for streaming video and online gaming, not least because 4G is designed as a data network, not a voice one, so it uses the same TCP/IP protocols that underpin the Internet.

Further speed increases are also possible with the addition of MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology. The idea of having multiple antennas on transmitters and receivers is already used to great effect in 802.11n Wi-Fi gear.

Everything Everywhere LTE will be launched with a selection of 16 major cities by the end of this year and expanding to cover up to 70% of the UK by the end of 2013.
Testing of the 4G network started in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London. Once these initial four pilot cities are up and running, Everything Everywhere aims to switch on LTE networks across an additional 12 major cities by the end of 2012, reaching a total of 20 million people.
The cities to get 4G first are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton.

3G v 4G tests
Here is a video of various performance tests showing the difference between 3G and 4G in the UK, using O2 3G compared with O2 4G (Be Un Limited) This test was done in the O2 arena in London as this is where the 4G LTE service is already live.

This will show you things such as running speedtest.net to show the ping time, download speed and upload speed. Also streaming 1080p Video, Large file downloads, general web surfing.
As you will see the difference is amazing.

Hopefully the other providers Three, O2 and Vodaphone will follow soon with their 4G LTE service in Derby!

GSM mast Finder.
Have you ever wondered where your local tower is located for your mobile phone operator?
You may have noticed these GSM towers located as you drive around, you will mainly see them on the tall buildings around Derby. In more industrial areas they are on tall antenna masts like this one here :
A typical GSM mast for Orange (EE).

A few years ago I found a website that shows you the location of GSM masts on a map. Recently they updated the website to make better use of modern mapping solutions so its a lot simpler to use now.

Here is a screen grab of what you will find if you search for Derby and zoom in :
The Sitefinder website showing GSM masts in Derby (Click to enlarge)
I imagine that soon this map will be updated to show all of the new masts for the 4G LTE system as it rolls out in Derby.
If you would like to search for masts in your area this is how to use the service.
Visit the sitefinder website -www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk
Then click on the UK map (or click "search at location"), type in your location or even your post code and click the search button. If you have selected a wide area then it will not show any masts until you zoom in.
You can drag the map around to reveal the GSM masts.
Simply click on  a blue marker to reveal which service providers use the mast.

Reference:
Macrocell - A macrocell is normally a mast or other structure supporting a large antenna designed to give coverage over a large area.
Microcell - A micro cell is a low power station, often using unobtrusive antennas, designed to give coverage over a small localised area. 

As well as O2, Vodaphone and EE (T-Mobile & Orange) masts, this map will also show ones used by Network Rail and Airwave TETRA (Police and Emergency Services).

Its worth noting that not all the masts you see may show on this map yet as they take time to be put onto this map. For example that mast in the upper car park of the DRI on Osmaston Road took several months to show on this map. If you have a look using the service you will see its an O2 mast.

In Derby you can also find out in advance of any installations of new phone masts by using the eplanning service on the Derby City Council website.
visit Derby City eplanning.
Then in the applicant name field type telefonica or Vodafone etc or set the Application Type to "Telecommunication installations" and search. This will list any plans as well as all previous plans (approved and failed).
On any search results simply click on the link in the orange bit where it says "link to more details" and then use the tabs below it such as documents to see all the detailed plans on the installation and even letters of complaint!

Smartphone Apps
There is an app available for free on the iPhone that will allow you to see on a map where they are relative to your current location. goto the App store and search for Find Tower by Giacomo Balli.

If you have a jailbroken iPhone then there is a much better app called Signal iPhone created by iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing. This app shows you all the technical details about each cell site in your area.
Here is a screengrab of what it looks like in action :

Signal running on my jailbroken iPhone.


Hope you found this of interest.

Thanks
Andy


Video - Los Pacaminos (inc Paul Young) at the Swan Inn Pub, Milton.

Here is my latest video:
Paul Young in the band Los Pacaminos performing at the charity gig at the Swan Inn Pub, in Milton, Derbyshire. In this video they can be seen playing the Tequila song, they played this three times during their gig. Its a silly song that involves a lady from the audience going up on stage to hand out shots of tequila to the band members.
The evening was compere for the evening was Bonney, he really knew how to get the crowd going.


The Swan Inn and Cygnets Tearooms can be found in the village of Milton, near Repton.
49 Main Street,  Map location :  Swan Inn and Cygnets Tearooms.

If you would like to learn more about the Derbyshire village of Milton then see my village page :
Milton, Derbyshire.

Paul Young has performed charity gigs at this pub a few times over the years. This gig was in aid of the Macmillan charity.


The rest of the band members have performed  or written songs with some well known musicians such as
Go West, Joe Jackson, Level 42, Jimmy Nail, Leo Sayer, Robbie Williams,Squeeze, Chris Rea, Jools Holland,Tom Jones, Queen, The Pretenders, Mike and the Mechanics, Chaka Khan, Gary Barlow, Tony Hadley, Pete Townsend, Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Alison Moyet, Elvis Costello, The Human League and Bob Geldof !


Hope you found this of interest.

Thanks
Andy

Thursday 13 September 2012

Video of a fast drive at night from Derby to Swan Inn Pub in Milton, Derbyshire, September 2012.

Here is  my latest video A fast drive at night from Derby to Swan Inn Pub in Milton, Derbyshire, September 2012 HD.

The video :

Or click the link :  Fast drive at night from Derby to Swan Inn Pub in Milton, Derbyshire, September 2012.

This car journey is something a bit different to my usual "Derby streets by car" series of videos, as this one is filmed at night at 1080p HD.
I put the camera into Low Lux mode and turned off Auofocus, set manual focus to infinity.

This video is a fast drive at night from Derby to The Swan Inn Pub in Milton, Derbyshire.
Recorded on Wednesday 12th September 2012.
It starts in Sainsburys car park on Osmaston Park Road at 8:19pm and ends in the car park of the Swan Inn pub in Milton, Derbyshire at 8:40pm

Points of Interest
0:00 The Car Park at Sainsburys Osmaston Park Road store
0:22 Left onto Osmaston Park Road
0:25 Over the railway line
0:27 Entrance to Foresters leisure park on left
0:34 Oast House pub and Premier inn (Derby South)
0:36 Left down Sinfin Lane
0:50 Entrance to Foresters leisure park on left
0:58 Over railway line
1:32 Right onto Grampian Way
2:11 ASDA Sinfin Roundabout
2:31 Left onto Stenson Road
2:52 Over the A50
2:56 Stenson, Derbyshire
3:08 Stenson Bubble Pub and Hotel
3:11 Over the Trent and Mersey canal
3:17 Right onto Buckford Lane
3:46 Left onto Frizams Lane
4:07 Right onto Twyford Road (A5132)
4:08 Willington Cooling towers on right
4:32 On right side is where Willington Car Boot takes place on a Saturday
4:35 Willington, Derbyshire
4:57 Under railway line
5:03 Left onto Repton Road (A5008)
5:16 Becomes Willington Road
5:20 Over the River Trent
5:43 Repton, Derbyshire
5:57 Left down Brook End
6:07 Right up Milton Road
6:50 Milton, Derbyshire
6:53 Main Street
7:05 The Swan Inn Pub on the left (49 Main Street, Milton, Derbyshire,UK)

Statistics:
Perhaps your good at maths?
Total distance of driving route = 9.0 miles
Total real driving time = 19 minutes 45 seconds
Total speeded up driving time = 7 minutes 12 seconds
So..............
Average driving speed in this video is ?

The driving route map for my video:


View Driving route map for my video Derby to Swan Inn Pub in Milton in a larger map
 

Hope you enjoyed the night drive.

Music Credits :
Forest of Dreams by Platinum Butterfly
www.ccmixter.org/files/F_Fact/30978
Used under creative commons license.

This is just a village pub but you can see Paul Young in Los Pacaminos perform here !!!!
http://derbyphotoscouk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/paul-young-performing-near-derby-this.html

If you enjoyed my drive and like Derby and Derbyshire stuff then please subscribe to my channel.

To learn more about the Derbyshire village of Milton, see my page :
Milton in Derbyshire.


thanks
Andy

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Paul Young performing near Derby this Sunday in his group Los Pacaminos at the Swan Inn Pub, Milton.

Update 17th Sept - Video from Los Pacaminos gig at Milton.

Did you know that Paul Young, the singer from the 80's who had a string of hits in the top 40 is performing near Derby this Sunday in his band Los Pacaminos. I dare say you can remember some of those songs he did such as "Love of the Common People", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", "Come Back and Stay", "Everytime You Go Away". Since 1995 Paul joined a group called Los Pacaminos and has been making music for many years touring around the world. This Sunday in Derbyshire, next weekend they are preforming in Switzerland !

Paul Young in Los Pacaminos
Paul Young with Los Pacaminos

The gig takes place this Sunday 16th September 2012 at the Swan Inn Pub in Milton, Derbyshire.

This gig is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Charities.

See their gigs page for tickets :
Los Panaminos Gigs page.

Video of Los Pacaminos playing "Wooly Bully" :


The rest of the band members have performed  or written songs with some well known musicians such as
Go West, Joe Jackson, Level 42, Jimmy Nail, Leo Sayer, Robbie Williams,Squeeze, Chris Rea, Jools Holland,Tom Jones, Queen, The Pretenders, Mike and the Mechanics, Chaka Khan, Gary Barlow, Tony Hadley, Pete Townsend, Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Alison Moyet, Elvis Costello, The Human League and Bob Geldof !



The Swan Inn and Cygnets Tearooms can be found in the village of Milton, near Repton.
49 Main Street,  Map location :  Swan Inn and Cygnets Tearooms.

If you would like to learn more about the Derbyshire village of Milton then see my village page :
Milton, Derbyshire.

Paul Young has performed charity gigs at this pub a few times over the years.

Hope you found this of interest.
Andy