Longest Winter Festival Ever? mistYmuse 2019 is here

It’s November 21st again, and that can mean only one thing: mistYmuse (Most Ideal Sunrise Times – Midwinter Until Spring Equinox) is here once again, and planned to see you through the northern hemisphere’s traditionally toughest weather four months; especially for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sufferers.
I’ve seen loads of great twilight times photos on the news this week, which has thankfully been quite clear and dry. Here’s one I prepared before, from a magical day on the Hafnarfjord in Iceland in the inaugural mistYmuse of 2017/18; perhaps when the idea really took shape, after seeing how Iceland extend their winter celebrations into February:

Longest Festival in the World?

Great news, and there’s even better, because #mYm2019 is set to be bigger than ever; okay, last year’s was the first full one, after creating the idea half way through the previous winter!
Let’s get the party started with a concert song from a decade ago I recently saw, starring Scooter with a great gYgPOP (greenYgrey PinkyOrangePurple) stage show. There’s no sound on that, so I’ve also included the song with sound.

The concert footage is from the same year as my original winter sunrises video, which is basically what mistYmuse is most about:

In a way, it’s quite apt the Scooter concert footage doesn’t have sound, as neither do sunrises!

Tour de France Le Grand Depart Coincidence

Last week we reported the Tour de France Le Grand Depart Le Grand Coincidence, with Yorkshire also using a yellow Y like the greenYgrey, and focusing on yellowing the greenYgrey Yorkshire countryside in celebration of the world’s longest cycling race starting in the English county of Wensleydale cheese and many a golden summer ale.

Princess Kate Clothes 

Bianca Rinaldi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi, it’s Paco Wolfsang, satirical comedy fashionista apprentica with another sweetly soporific sorty into the world of greenYgrey fashion, packed with high season hues guaranteed to put a smile on your slacks.

The coincidences kept coming on the day of the race too you know, and one was of particular interest to the fashion department in the greenYgrey.

That was Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, starting the official race at Harewood House with princes William and Harry in the greenygrey outfit made famous on this year’s Oz tour, where she visited many places made famous by Grey on its epic virtual ramble across all parts of Australia in Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Maps.

Umbrellas and Sunglasses

After a wet Friday afternoon and Saturday morning the thick clouds cleared by the time Le Grand Depart sent the 198 cyclists off on their epic Tour.

This made it a sunshine after the rain day in line with the Berri dance anthem adopted by the greenYgrey in May this year.

Weekend of Sport Satirical Comedy Highlights

There was a great weekend of sport in Britain, as the Tour de France riders departed on their long journey from Yorkshire to Paris via the south of France; the British Formula One Grand Prix roared around Silverstone, and the Wimbledon tennis finals took place. There was some great sporting action, and a lot of the highlights were in glorious greenYgrey.

Tour de France in Yorkshire

Hi, it’s Martin ‘Werewolfie’ Adams, satirical comedy sports correspondent at the greenYgrey inspired by darts legend Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams.

The crowds and weather surpassed even the brightest hopes in Yorkshire, as two and a half million people are thought to have cheered the Tour de France from its Grand Depart in Leeds to Harrogate, and York to Sheffield, on the first two stages of its long journey to Paris.

There were mostly blue skies through throughout the weekend in Yorkshire, but the BBC does lead with this old-fashioned greenygrey photo on its website. Perhaps it is fitting, as the tour travelled through Bronte country around the village of Haworth.

Today the Tour travels from Cambridge to London on the third and final stage in England, before continuing in France.

Team GB‘s defending champion and Team Sky rider Chris Froome is currently in fifth place, after Vincenzo Nibali won Stage Two utilising all the greenYgreying skills vital for  cycling in Yorkshire.

Lewis Hamilton Wins British Grand Prix for Team GG

Lewis Hamilton gave Britain a home victory as he won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for Team GG/Mercedes.

Mercedes/Team GG teammate Nico Rosberg was disappointed that his race was ended by car trouble, but it had nothing to do with its greenygrey colour design.

Rosberg showed he didn’t blame the greenygrey when he appeared with it afterwards.

Wimbledon Men’s Tennis Final

Wimbledon provided wall-to-wall greenYgrey for a fortnight, but fizzled out at the end for greenYgrey interest.

Old Team GG stalwart and King of Clay Rafa Nadal struggled on grass again, while Team GB’s Andy Murray lost to new Team GG player GriGor Dimitrov.

So it was left to sometimes Team GG player Novak Djokovic to defeat the old vampire nemesis Roger Federer on a spectacularly greenYgrey centre court. Old legend Federer had done well to reach the Wimbledon final after a couple of years absence from a Grand Slam final.

Wimbledon Women’s Tennis Final

While it didn’t look like there was much to choose between Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard in the women’s singles final, the greenYgrey was 75% supporting Bouchard, but Kvitova won 75% of the play!

We were hoping to see Bouchard boo(merang) hard, but it wasn’t to be this time! Congratulations to Kvitova for winning her second Wimbledon title, and here’s Bouchard in a previous trophy-winning boomerang.

Tour de France’s greenYgrey Welcome to Leeds Yorkshire

Leeds, Yorkshire‘s Le Grand Depart Le Grand Coincidence got grander last night, as I watched the welcoming and opening ceremony at the impressively greenYgrey Leeds First Direct Arena. Some of the attendees were wearing a yellow Y, which is totally the same as the greenYgrey‘s promotion of the Y to symbolise yellow!

Leeds Tour de France Le Grand Depart

Hi, it’s Martin ‘Werewolfie’ Adams, satirical comedy sports correspondent at the greenYgrey inspired by darts legend Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams.

Yes, there was a great greenYgrey Leeds Yorkshire welcome for the 198 Tour de France riders at the 13,500 capacity First Direct Arena, which only opened just over a year ago.

Tour de France Yorkshire Merchandise

Some of the people interviewed, such as singer Alistair Griffin (who sings the official Tour de France Le Grand Depart song, The Road, with the lovely Kimberly Walsh of Girls Aloud fame; the song’s video on YouTube is posted below) and politician Nick Clegg, were wearing a yellow Y, probably to symbolise Yorkshire, but also reminding us of greenYgrey. Such symbolic merchandise is available on the Welcome to Yorkshire website.

As well as greenYgrey, the yellow Y can also represent the iconic yellow jersey of the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire. Yellow and blue are also important symbolic colours in Leeds and Yorkshire.

Tour de France Teams

As I watched the Tour de France teams being introduced last night I realised Team GG (gYg) has a player in the great game.

Yes, I’m proud to announce that Team Europcar is flying the greenYgrey colours.

Tour de France in Leeds

Although I read Marc Latham’s detailed Tour de France Le Grand Depart Leeds history and sights articles on TravelThruHistory and Go Nomad I didn’t know the exact Leeds start and route until this morning.

Then I looked on the Leeds.gov.uk website and saw it starts outside the Leeds art gallery on the Headrow, and then heads east down Eastgate to Regent Street, before heading north towards Harewood House via the Sheepscar Interchange.

Here’s a greenYgrey map showing the direction of the race, and fastest walking routes between the Headrow and Regent Street:

Here’s the official song The Road video, which features some great greenYgrey Yorkshire scenery:

Enjoy the race, and good luck to all the riders, and especially the virtually Team GG and sometimes Team GB ones.

Leeds and Yorkshire Tour de France Photos

Leeds and Yorkshire is going gargantuan  greenYgrey this week. It is not in celebration of this website unfortunately, but is for a great reason. Yes, the Tour de France start (Le Grand Depart) is in Leeds on Saturday morning, and after the first day finishes in Harrogate, the second day will see the 198 cyclists whizz south through emerald summer dales from York to Sheffield. The third and final day in Britain will travel from Cambridge to London.

Tour de France Le Grand Depart

Hi, it’s Martin ‘Werewolfie’ Adams, satirical comedy sports reporter inspired by darts legend Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams.

The greenYgrey’s promotion of yellow rebranding has of course been developing for several years – before the Le Grand Depart was awarded to Leeds; but the Tour de France has of course been awarding the iconic yellow jersey to the race leader for much longer.

So, although the greenYgrey and Tour de France have no direct links or influence on each other, they are meeting this weekend in Leeds and Yorkshire in a time-travel cultural-connection Le Grand Coincidence.

Our ol’ pal Marc Latham of course wrote two articles about the Tour de France and Leeds for Go Nomad and TravelThruHistory.

Leeds and Yorkshire Tour de France Images

There have been some great greenYgrey images this week, as Leeds and Yorkshire prepares for the Tour de France, and here’s a few:

  

Leeds Tour de France Le Grande Depart Article

Hi, it’s Jack Wolfpac, travel writing correspondent at the Greenygrey inspired by the legendary travel writer Jack Kerouac. I was delighted to see this morning that there’s a new travel article on Leeds hosting Le Grande Depart of the Tour de France on July 5th.

Go Nomad Travel Site 

The article is on the Go Nomad site, which has been a leader in alternative travel writing on the web since 2000.

The article provides travel info about Leeds and Yorkshire through a virtual tour of the city, as well as providing a little historical and retail facts. There’s also a lot of photos and a little of the author’s endurance sport history in the region linking the info and facts together into a travel article.

http://www.gonomad.com/component/content/article/49-bicycle-tours/5531-the-tour-de-france-starts-in-leeds-england

 

New Mirror Poem Train Travels England – Wales

After all the exciting art of the last five days I’m sure you’re ready for some exquisitely poetic words now. So I imported Marc Latham’s latest Folding Mirror poem into the Greenygrey world pronto.

Hi, it’s William Wolfsworth, poetry correspondent at the Greenygrey inspired by legendary Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

Mirror Poem Railway Journey

English: Wrexham-Shrewsbury railway (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The poem celebrates some of the great scenery and places from the east coast of Yorkshire to the west coast of Wales: over the Pennines into Lancashire,  then down to Cheshire and Shropshire in western England before crossing into Powys in eastern Wales for more mountain scenery.

The travel creation myth of the Greenygrey says that it was born along that line, with lots of greenery still on the ground, and cloudy skies often above.

Scarborough (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Train Journey Rise and Fall, Either Side of Offa’s Dyke 

English east coast

Scarborough Yorkshire Coast queen

steaming south through Malton to York

Leeds, Huddersfield and Dewsbury

West Yorkshire canals and mills

trans-Pennine

often white in winter

villages high on hills

Stalybridge signals

City of Manchester

stadium seen before centre

South West to Shrewsbury, Welshpool past Halfway House

castle visible from town

Powis county name

Newtown notifies

farms rising in altitude

sometimes grey clouds hidden

traws-Cambrian

Mid Wales rivers and farms

Caersws, Machynlleth and Dovey

riding parallel Estuary widens to Borth

Aberystwyth Cardigan Bay pier

Welsh west sea

A view of the village of Llangrannog which is on Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion, Wales. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mirror Poem Travels Two Mountain Ranges Railways

Marc Latham’s latest Folding Mirror poem was inspired by train journeys on the trans-Pennine and traws-Cambrian railway lines.

Pennines and Cambrian Mountains

They traverse a couple of mountain ranges either side of the English-Welsh border, which is historically marked by Offa’s Dyke in the lowland Marches.

The railway journey links the east and west coasts of Britain, so is quite monumental, and should make a relevant mirror poem. Here it is:

Train Journey Rise and Fall, Either Side of Offa’s Dyke

English east coast
Scarborough Yorkshire Coast queen
steaming south through Malton to York
Leeds, Huddersfield and Dewsbury
West Yorkshire canals and mills
trans-Pennine
often white in winter
villages high on hills
Stalybridge signals
City of Manchester
stadium seen before centre

South West to Shrewsbury, Welshpool past Halfway House

castle visible from town
Powis county name
Newtown notifies
farms rising in altitude
sometimes grey clouds hidden
traws-Cambrian
Mid Wales rivers and farms
Caersws, Machynlleth and Dovey
riding parallel Estuary widens to Borth
Aberystwyth Cardigan Bay pier
Welsh west sea

Marc Latham’s central site is the Greenygrey (http://www.greenygrey.co.uk), and he has books available on Smashwords and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/author/marclatham).

Christmas Television Highlights on BBC

Hi, it’s Harry Silhouetteof-Wolfhowlingonhill with a round-up of the best greenygrey television highlights from the BBC over the festive period. First of all, it’s great to see my human parallel, Harry Hill, now has a movie out.

Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale film had a continuous stream of great greenygrey scenery, as well as a twins ghost theme. It was described by Metro T.V. critic Keith Watson as ‘beautiful nonsense’ and ‘beautifully mounted’.

Here’s just a few examples of its greenygrey versatile ubiquity, showing outdoors, wardrobe and indoors from just over a minute of the film (24.47 to 25.56).

It was mostly filmed in Yorkshire, and is available to start watching on BBC iplayer before 23.00 GMT tonight (Monday 6th):

Sherlock

Sherlock made a welcome return to the screen, and set its first of a trilogy finale in a greenygrey London Underground carriage:

 

 

 

 

 

It’s available to watch with BBC iplayer access until January 19th.

Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe 2013

Charlie Brooker’s 2013 Wipe last night started with a collage of famous people turned greenygrey. Here’s the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Andy Murray:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s available to watch with BBC iplayer access until next Sunday, January 12th, 2014.

Greenygrey Leeds to Yorkshire Tour de France Start

Hi, it’s Greenygrey. We were delighted to hear yesterday that the Tour de France would be starting in Leeds, West Yorkshire in 2014. ‘Welcome to Yorkshire‘ did a great job canvassing for the honour, and Yorkshire’s Olympians did fantastic in showing what a wonderful environment it is for sport. And the local councils have done well to keep the city and region green, with seven ‘green flag’ award-winning parks in the Leeds area.

English: Leeds urban subdivision in West Yorkshire urban area (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greenygrey Diplomatic Mission to France

But we think it was our decision to send our diplomat, Marc Latham, to France in September that gave Leeds the edge over Edinburgh and Florence.

Marc Latham’s mission to Saint-Malo resulted in a Travel Thru History  article and YouTube video celebrating the Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel region, as well as some greenygrey blogs on this humble site. Three months later, Leeds was chosen to host the Tour de France 2014 start.

* This blog should be decoded in the human world as humour.