Skiing In Bulgaria - Part 2 (3/3) By Steve Rudd

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3). Part 1.

Naturally, and sensibly, the other nine members of our group headed for the gondola station, but us three instantly had other ideas. Big plans, in fact, to ski all the way down from top to bottom under our own steam, come what may. We had a small map of the pistes that we were suddenly destined to encounter en-route, all of which were clearly colour-coded according to difficulty. If we were going down our way, it was going to be via a semi-difficult red run at the very least, so off we went...

An hour later, we were down... a bit worse for wear, but miraculously all in one piece - our nerves having been both shaken and stirred. I'll be honest - I struggled like a madman negotiating the steepest stretches, and actually resorted to pathetically side-stepping down one section. If I tried to traverse in the good and proper manner with my limited skills and experience, limbs would have snapped and heads could have potentially rolled. We even hit bit of a Black Run, which we all managed to get down. And so it was that our addiction to skiing began, in the Rila mountains of Bulgaria.

It just seemed wholly demoralising that we had another fifty-one weeks to wait before we could indulge in our new-found passion all over again. For sure, the age-old Same time next year sentiment went without saying.

Places to Visit - Skiing In Bulgaria - Part One By Steve Rudd
	I could have thought of worst places to be, seeing in the New Year, as the last second of 2005 ticked over into 2006. Happy New Year indeed. For the best part of the past ten years myself and my friends have contented ourselves with heading into the town centre of Driffield every December 31st for one of the few nights of the year when it genuinely hustles and bustles. To drink Read more...

Places to Visit - Walking The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path - Part One By Steve Rudd
	Get out of the city and into the country, sooner rather than later. A great many people genuinely have no idea how scenically diverse and breathtaking some swathes of countryside are in the UK, and such a fact is a great shame, because while they might be spending all their spare time in dirty and cramped urban environments, there's often fresh air and inspirational Read more...

Places to Visit - Thailand By Rich Mills
	Expressing the experience of being here in Thailand is difficult to put into words. The sensorial experience is so mind blowing that you begin to feel overloaded. However it is the smallest of things that grab your attention, and stick in the mind. We are waiting for a taxi to take us down to the ferry, so that we can go over to the small island of Koh Maak. This is where we will get the full Read more...

Places to Visit - Ostend Weekend By John Allbones
	I needed a break. Well, you just do sometimes don't you? The constant day to day drudge of the nine to five erodes your spirit until a change of scene is all you crave. Nothing fancy, just a few days will do. Preferably abroad, it just seems more of a break when you're on foreign soil. I managed to grab a late deal on a long weekend in Ostend. So desperate was I to get away, Read more...

Going Down - thisisUll.com 2005 in Pictures.
	thisisUll.com wants to thank all the contributors for their work in 2005. Without their participation this website could not be possible. Over 100,000 people a month from over 100 countries are seeing Ull at it's very best with over 4,000 pages of superb content. Check out this 7 page picture gallery of home page pictures for January to December 2005 for you to enjoy. Read more...

Going Down - Hull Mela Festival Sunday 31st July 2005 by Jane Foster
	This year saw Hull's first ever Mela festival held at Pearson Park. A Mela is a traditional festival which originates from India. A welcome event (especially as there was no Grassroots festival this year), it brought together and celebrated the diverse communities of Hull. It was a successful day, well attended and enjoyed by both the public and the performers. Read more...

Going Down - Ella Street Festival Saturday 9th July 2005 by Jane Foster
	As a resident of Ella Street I was pleased as punch to hear that this year we would be holding our very own festival, open to everyone. A group of residents had got together and organised this - well done to them all. About a week ago the banner and bright bunting went up, and the street held its breath waiting for this very special event... Read more...

Going Down - Cycling into Poverty History Monday 27th June 2005 By Martin Deane
	"Don't tell the other towns, but Hull was the best reception we ever got!" Bright and early, by some measures - ok, 9am - 24 cyclists from Hull gathered by the café and then made their way over the Humber Bridge. The River Humber, she what drains a fifth of the country and puts more freshwater into the North Sea than any other, looked absolutely Read more...

Going Down - The Make Poverty History March, in Retrospect By Bill Linton
	Well, the G8 season seems to have kicked off to a good start this year with Live 8 concerts internationally. Predictably, the Hyde Park concert gained almost wall to wall coverage on television and in the news, although media interest in the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh was somewhat less Read more...

Going Down - Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh 2nd July 2005 by Rich Mills
	Having been a political activist for many years now, when the Make Poverty History demonstration came around, we just had to do something about it. The result being that with a lot of work from Martin Deane collecting money in, we managed to send a hundred people up to Edinburgh for the day. Along with another hundred or so who made their own way up to Scotland, Hull was well represented. Read more...

Going Down - G8 2005 Demonstration in Edinburgh by Mike Rose
	On Saturday 2nd July we joined what turned out to be the biggest political demonstration in Scottish history. I've been on G8 demos before (Prague 2000 - Genoa 2001) but this one was the most diverse I have ever witnessed. The response from the churches was stunning. We had socialists, environmentalists, Christians, students, pensioners, and babies! Read more...

Going Down - Make Poverty History March In Edinburgh By Sarah Golightley
	There is nothing I loathe more than the sound of one of those wretched free ring tones on my mobile twanging away at 5 o'clock in the morning; especially when 5 o' clock is only three hours after I went to sleep following a night of clubbing at Fuel and accidentally locking my friends out of their own house. And then trying to let them in Read more...

Going Down - Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh 2nd July 2005 By Mo
	Martin Deane invited me along with 2 full coach loads of people from Hull to the Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh on the 2nd July 2005. It was an early start, 6am, because we had a long 6 hour trip up to Scotland (and another 6 hours back which I tried to forget) as we hopped aboard that drizzly morning. I'd packed my sandwiches, water etc and had a flask of hot coffee prepared for me by Cilla Read more...

Going Down - World Music Day at Queens Gardens Saturday 18th June 2005 By Mo
	This year's Hull World Music Day saw another impressive array of artists from across the globe. A warm sunny day was the perfect setting for various performances. These included the Shyani Ngcobo Band from South Africa, Persian band Flame, the Zeela Women's Choir from Liberia, Allah Lake Afro Mandinka from the Gambia, Shantha Rao of the Annapurna Indian Dance Company, Hako from Kurdistan Read more...

Going Down - Overnight Investigation of the Paranormal with The Spiritual Renaissance Group By Blair Ashworth Photos by Mo
	Insomnia must be a real advantage when you're investigating the paranormal. At least, it would have been if the night at Holmpton had passed slowly - but for me, and for Mo, it was an amazing and unforgettable experience, and I for one intend repeating it as soon as the opportunity next arises. So, there we were, the car drawing up to the guardhouse of the Holmpton bunker near Withernsea. Read more...

Going Down - Isn't 'Ull Brilliant! Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Event By Cilla, 11 page Photo Gallery by Darren Rogers.
	After the unbelievable response to the Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Event, where hundreds of you turned up to be entertained by some of the fabulous talent from in and around Hull, we can announce the current total donated by YOU! Together with collections at Yo-Yo Read more...

Going Down - thisisUll.com Tuesday 11th January - Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Gig By Daniel Laney.
	It is 5am, I am with three proud members of thisisUll.com, sitting back and reflecting on eight hours of music. I have to break myself from conversation in order to put together my own thoughts of this magical event. In the background of the room I can hear Read more...

Going Down - thisisUll.com 2004 in Pictures.
	Both Cilla and I want to thank all the contributors for their work in 2004. Without their participation this website could not be possible, Over 100,000 people from over 80 countries are seeing Ull at it's very best with over 2,000 pages of superb Read more...