Andrew’s Top 10 Randomly and Utterly Pointless List of 2010

Published on 20 December 2010 in , , , , , , , ,

Well it’s coming to that time of year when pointless lists are made. Normally on this blog I contend myself with useless ones about “how popular some of my blog posts have been” or equally tedious tripe (incidentally, join me tomorrow for my Top 10 posts of the year!) however in the spur of the moment, I decided to compile an even more pointless list.

Bester

An utterly pointless photo

And as such, it is with great pleasure that I unveil Andrew’s Top 10 Randomly and Utterly Pointless List of 2010!

As the name suggests, it’s a pointless list. It has no real aim, no real direction. It’s just some stuff that happened in a list form.

10. Train companies used in 2010

  • Chiltern Railways
  • East Coast Trains
  • East Midlands Trains
  • First Capital Connect
  • First Great Western
  • First Transpennine Express
  • London Midland
  • London Overground
  • Northern
  • Scotrail
  • South West Trains
  • Southern
  • Virgin Trains

Wikipedia lists 25 UK railway companies (excluding sub-brands like Gatwick Express and Island Line). It seems in the last twelve months, I’ve used 13 of them. Sorry Grand Central and C2C.

9. Long distance walks completed in 2010

  • Dales Way
  • Pennine Way
  • South Downs Way
  • Wainwright’s A Coast To Coast Walk

Yeah, alright. I didn’t do the whole of the Pennine Way this year. I just did a third of it, and, importantly, actually completed it! In total this year I reckon I’ve walked about 500 miles.

8. Ales imbibed in 2010

Oh get off you. You actually expect me to keep note?

Oh, okay, beer festivals attended in 2010

  • Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London
  • Haslemere Beer Festival
  • St Albans Beer Festival
  • The Sultan Beer Festival (pub in Merton)
  • The Trafalgar Beer Festival (pub in Merton)
  • The Bricklayers Arms Beer Festival (pub in Putney)

Boozy.

7. Certificates gained in 2010

  • Successful completion of the Coast to Coast
  • Successful completion of the South Downs Way
  • Successful completion of walking up the Scott Monument in Edinburgh
  • Multiple certificates of tax deduction…

None are framed on my wall.

6. Steam railways travelled on in 2010

  • North York Moors Railway
  • Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

But I also saw some track of the Bluebell Railway. Does that count?

5. Places outside of London where I’ve caught a bus in 2010

  • Edinburgh
  • Kelso (Scottish Borders, some miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed)
  • Kirk Yetholm (just outside Kelso)
  • Newcastle (but only if you class a National Express coach as a bus)

Is that all?

4. Locations for business trips made in 2010

  • Birmingham
  • Manchester
  • Sheffield

Black Sail YHA 3. Hostels stayed in, in 2010

  • Alfriston, East Sussex (YHA)
  • Borrowdale, Cumbria (YHA)
  • Dufton, Cumbria (YHA)
  • Forest View, Byrness, Northumberland (Independent, YHA affiliate)
  • Greenhead, Northumberland (Independent)
  • Kendal, Cumbria (YHA)
  • Kettlewell, North Yorkshire (YHA)
  • Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria (Indepdent, YHA affiliate)
  • Kirk Yetholm, Scottish Borders (SYHA)
  • Once Brewed, Northumberland (YHA)
  • Patterdale, Cumbria (YHA)
  • Windermere, Cumbria (YHA)

2. People I voted for who went on to win their election in 2010

Yes, well.

Across the whole of my life, I can count on no fingers the number of people who I’ve voted for, and who have then gone on to win.

1. Walking equipment bought

  • Down jacket
  • Fleece jacket
  • Gaiters
  • super fancy breathable waterproof jacket
  • Waterproof over-trousers (two pairs – don’t ask)
  • Walking socks
  • Waterproof rucksack liner
  • Walking boot waterproofing wax (lots)

So there you go.