Broadband speed test on Virgin Media Vivid 200 service - Video of the test.

This is my Virgin Media Vivid 200 Broadband package being tested on Speedtest and to think that 10 years ago I was happy with 300Kbps. How things have changed!

Test the speed of your broadband here :
www.speedtest.net

Thanks
Andy

Here is my video showing me running speedtest on my Broadband internet connection :


Or here is a link to my video : Virgin Media Broadband Vivid 200 speed check video.

Here are some helpful bits of information for you that may be of use. If your PC is a few years old then you are not going to feel the benefit of having fast broadband as the speed of the PC will actually be holding back the speed of the broadband. You need a fast processor, plenty of Ram, fast video card and most important of all you MUST have a Gigabit WLan connection.

In 1999 I wired up my home with Ethernet cable so I could access the internet and share files between different rooms. I was finding that the fastest download speed I could achieve was around 78Mbps.
I checked my Windows 10 computer had a Gigabit Lan as follows
Start - Settings - Network & Internet - Change Adapter settings and check it says Gigabit.
Example my PC says "Intel(R) 82567V-2 Gigabit Network Connection"

The next thing to check was the colour of the led on the Ethernet socket on the Virgin Media Super hub. Each Ethernet port has its own light to indicate a connection between the Super Hub and the attached device. These lights will blink when data is being transferred across the network.
A green light indicates a network connection of 1,000Mbps (Gigabit), while an amber light indicates a 100Mbps network. The hub connection to my home network was Amber which showed that even though my PC on the other end of the cable WAS capable of a Gigabit connection it was not actually connecting at that speed. I then bought some Cat 6 Ethernet cable and connected it directly to the pc using a 20M extension and that DID give me a green light on the router. This proved that the reason I was not getting a faster download speed that 78Mbps was entirely down to the old Cat5 Ethernet cable I had installed back in 1999. I had no choice but to completely rewire the entire house again using this newer spec cable. It took several hours to change all the wiring but it was worth it as I now get over 200Mbps download speed.

The fastest speed check ever was 211.75Mbps as you can see here....

Back in 2014 I was on 50Mbps
Back in 2013 I was on 20Mbps
Back in 2009 I was on 10Mbps
Back in 2007 I was on 1Mbps
Back in 2006 I was on 300Kbps
Back in 2005 I was on 150Kbps






Here is another video I made showing you what the indicator leds mean on the Virgin Media super Hub 2ac:



If you have a Super Hub 2ac Broadband Modem on Virgin Media then this video explains what the LED indicators mean.

On the rear of the Super Hub 2ac are four LAN ports, which can be used to make wired connections to computers and other devices on your network.

Each Ethernet port has TWO indicator lights, one is yellow and one is green. The colour indicates the speed of the connection that has been plugged into it.

The light will blink when data is being transferred across the network.

IMPORTANT :
A green light indicates a network connection of 1,000Mbps (Gigabit) while an amber light indicates a network connection of 100Mbps.

As you can see in my video I have devices connected to all four ports, The top one is showing a GREEN led, this means that the PC that I have plugged into this port is connected at 1000Mbps (aka Gigabit). the next two ports are both showing Yellow lights this means they are only connected at 100Mbps. By the way these two devices are an old Raspberry Pi and an old Laptop.
The bottom port is again connected to a PC with a Gigabit connection so we have a GREEN led.

If you are paying for a Broadband connection faster than 70Mpbs then it is important that you are connecting your wired devices using a Gigabit connection otherwise your speed will be limited to around 78Mpbs.

For example I am on a 200Mbps Broadband connection so if I only had a yell light showing then this means I would NOT be able to get 200Mbps.Thanks

Andy

My video Hyperlapse tour around the 2016 Derby Beer Festival NWAF

Here is a Hyperlapse video tour I did at the 2016 National Winter Ales Festival at Derby Roundhouse. I start in the main hall and end in the Carriage room.

The 2016 National Winter Ales Festival is being held at the historic Derby Roundhouse, running from Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th February. This beer festival was formally known as the Derby Winter Beer Festival but is now the home of the NWAF which used to take place in Manchester. The 2016 NWAF is the last time it will take place in Derby, the new host city for 2017 will be Norwich, So make the most of this years Derby beer festival !


Or click this link : Hyperlapse video tour of the 2016 National Winter Ales Festival in Derby.

Thanks
Andy

My videos from Wednesdays Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game. 10th February 2016.

Here are my videos from Wednesdays Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game. 10th February 2016.



Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 1 :



Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 2 :



Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 3 :



Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 4 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 5 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 6 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 7 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 8 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 9 :





Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Wednesday 10th February 2016 Part 10 :
thanks
Andy

Ashbourne Football - View the Clifton and Sturston Goals in 360 degrees !

I have created two unique 360 photographs for Ashbourne Football, These allow you to see what its like to stand in front of the goals. These goals are 3 miles apart!
During the Shrovetide football game the area around these goals would be total chaos and very muddy so I thought it would be great to capture the goals when there were more peaceful.
These are high resolution photographs so may take a while to load if your broadband is slow. you can make them fullscreen using the control icons at the bottom.
For full details on Ashbourne Shrovetide Football.

Use the mouse to drag the view around...
Clifton Goal, Ashbourne Football 360 degree V.R. Photograph.



If you would prefer to open this 360 view in a new webpage then use my link here :
Clifton Goal in 360 degrees.


Use the mouse to drag the view around...
Sturston Goal, Ashbourne Football 360 degree V.R. Photograph.



If you would prefer to open this 360 view in a new webpage then use my link here :
Sturston Goal in 360 degrees.

Thanks
Andy

2016 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th February. The maddest game of football in the World!

Note videos of the game will appear on my YouTube channel, Subscribe to see them. or follow me on Twitter so you get notified : https://twitter.com/AndySavage1969
I may even stream the game live on my Periscope channel : http://www.perisearch.net/user/AndySavage1969

Its that time of year again when the maddest game of football in the world takes place in Ashbourne Derbyshire. Here are the details for 2016 :

The 2016 game takes place on the 9th and 10th of February.
On Tuesday Barrie Greenwood, will be turning up the ball at 2.00pm. And on Ash Wednesday,  Bill Milward will have the honor.

Ashbourne in Derbyshire is host to one of the Oldest Shrovetide football games in England and this annual event is one not to be missed.

It was first recorded in 1682, though thought to date back to the 12th Century ,various attempts were made to suppress it over the years.

It has continued unabated ever since, and by 1928 it had become so respectable that the then Prince of Wales was invited to start the game. From that year on it was known as the Royal Shrovetide Football game.

The Game is played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, and consists of two teams, one from anyone born to the North of the River Henmore, and one from people born South of the river, these are known as Upards and Downards.

The Goals are on the sites of Old mills, one at Clifton and one at Sturston, these are three miles apart.
A goal is scored by a player striking the mill wheel three times with the Ball.
360 views of the goals.

The ball may be kicked, carried or thrown, but generally proceeds in a series of hugs invisible to the spectator. The game can last for many hours, finishing well after dark.

The game starts at 2pm in the afternoon, when a specially prepared ball - larger than a football and filled with cork which weighs around 4lbs is thrown in by a visiting guest of honor. The balls used for the Shrovetide games are made by Ashbourne man John Harrison.
The hand sewn leather balls are filled with cork chippings.
The balls are a work of art and take a few weeks to paint.

The Rules
If the balls are goaled, then it will become the proud possession of the person who has goaled it. If no-one goals it, then the person that turned-up the ball gets to take it home.
The game starts in the Shawcroft Carpark (back of Waitrose supermarket), See my detailed map lower down. I have provided a detailed interactive Shrovetide map lower down in this post which will enable you to see all the key points of the playing field which 3 miles between the two goals at Sturston and Clifton.



My Videos from Ashbourne Shrovetide Football:
This is a Slow Motion video (240fps) of Mick Pepper turning up the ball at Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2015 on Tuesday 17th February. Look at all those hands waiting to grab the ball !
Was that YOUR hand it bounced off first?





Part 1 of my video collection for Tuesday's Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2015:


Part 2 of my video collection for Tuesday's Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2015:


Part 3 of my video collection for Tuesday's Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2015:

Part 4 of my video collection for Tuesday's Ashbourne Shrovetide Football 2015:


Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football is something that you just have to see to believe your eyes.
Here is part one of four videos I made of the game in 2012 to give you an idea of what its like :



Here is part one of six videos I made of the game in 2013 to give you an idea of what its like :





I have lots of photographs and several videos from past games that you can view :

Photographs:
Photographs from the 2008 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2006 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2004 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2002 Ashbourne Shrovetide Footbal game.


Videos :
Video footage from the 2010 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football Game.

Video footage from the 2009 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football Game.

Video footage from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Footaball game.

Extra video footage from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Time-lapse driving video from Derby to Ashbourne.

Time-lapse driving video from Derby to Ashbourne 2012.

Location Map:
Smartphone drop pin locator for Ashbourne Shrovetide Football,
If you own a smartphone (iPhone,HTC etc) then CLICK HERE and it will launch your mapping app with a "drop pin" which I have perfectly located above the turning up plinth, If you have never been to Ashbourne then you can use this to get walking directions to where the action will be at 2pm.
On an iPhone, once the map shows up there will be a red drop pin in the middle of the screen with the title "Ashbourne Shrovetide" above it. Touch "Directions" at the bottom and then "by foot" icon at the top of the screen to get detailed walking directions to the start of the game.


The town of Ashbourne is located in Derbyshire just off the A52, see my time-lapse driving video to Ashbourne Football.
I have created an interactive map which shows all the key points in the game such as the turning up plinth where the ball is thrown, the two goals and the Henmore which is what determines if you are an Upard or a Downard, Click the link below the map for a large view of all the points of interest :

View Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game map. in a larger map

Transport
If you are travelling from Derby then you could catch the Swift Bus from Derby Bus Station for £3.80 single/£7.50 return. This stops at Ashbourne Bus Station which is a two minute walk from the Shorecroft car park. Information on the Swift Bus Service.

Accommodation
If your looking for somewhere to stay over then there is the White Hart pub just down the road or the Station Hotel or Compton Guest House or a Travel Lodge at the other end of the town.

Thanks
Andy