Hobbies

LennyLowrent said:

Bach 2 parts Inventions. I do them on the piano. I pick one a year (there are 15 of them) and have great fun with it. Doesn't have to be on the piano, can do them on guitar, or even on solo instruments as duet.
They are being played by students all the way up to professionals.
And it's Bach...
Give it a go.

Ps. You can later have a go at the 3 parts...

PeterGage said:

Studying Native American History for many years. I have also been donating money each month for many years to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, ancestral home of the Oglala Lakota (part of the Sioux tribe.

Prior to Covid, I was also undertaking presentations on the subject at small clubs such as WI and collecting money for the cause. I have been lucky to have visited the reservation twice and took childrens clothes with me the second time. Also been to battle fields such as Custers Last Stand and others. 

To demonstrate how poor the reservation is, the average life expectancy of a male on the rez is just 48!

I did a US Road trip and I was based in Rapid City, South Dakota. 

PragueAddick said:

I don’t really think of swimming as a hobby exactly, and I get why people find it boring, but I try to swim at least once a week because the feeling afterwards is great, and even better in summer if you are able to swim in a good outdoor pool and then chill out there afterwards. My brother likes Charlton Lido, seems expensive to me, mind. 

But the main thing I wanted to pass on is that my wife bought me swimming lessons a few years ago and the effect was transformative. The first one was video’ed, bloody hell it was embarassing watching it back but in just two more sessions I had my freestyle breathing completely sorted and it makes such a difference. As they tell you, swimming is a sport where you can chug along doing it wrong for 25 years, you need someone else who knows to point out what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it.

As for wildwater swimming, I once asked @KBslittlesis what kind of temperatures she typically swims in. From her answer I concluded that she is not a woman to mess with.

Having been taught by a non swimmer from Cork at school, having lessons as an adult was transformative. We were out swimming in the rain yesterday. Honestly it’s so uplifting. One of our group forgot her togs so just went in in her underwear lol The sea felt warm with the cold rain on your face. Just beautiful.

man_at_milletts said:

LennyLowrent said:

Bach 2 parts Inventions. I do them on the piano. I pick one a year (there are 15 of them) and have great fun with it. Doesn't have to be on the piano, can do them on guitar, or even on solo instruments as duet.
They are being played by students all the way up to professionals.
And it's Bach...
Give it a go.

Ps. You can later have a go at the 3 parts...

Would you have a link for these please?

Here's one, plucked out of many available to buy. 

https://www.loganspianos.com.au/products/bach-2-3-part-inventions-complete?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=44f5c7f25&pr_rec_pid=6698350084159&pr_ref_pid=6764672024639&pr_seq=uniform

 My copy is an old one bought for next to nothing at a 2nd hand shop. They are easy to find.
2 tips. Most books will in the introduction recommend how to tackle the inventions in order of difficulty ( not chronological ) very helpful.
If you are new to Bach style (counterpoint) do a bit of reading about it. It will help a lot.
If you know any other person that is interested, play together with each one of you playing a voice.
Sounds all technical, but it isn't really.
You'll love it.

Ah... and take it slower than slow !!!

LennyLowrent said:

cashncarry said:

Does wanking count?

Not for me, as I get paid for it...

Are you a fellow civil servant?

Chunes said:

Cooking is the number one hobby. I spent a good few years as a chef and If I didn't have health struggles, it's something I'd be looking to do again, maybe with a supper club or a hole-in-the-wall place.  

I've recently become obsessed with the nose-to-tail approach and Fergus Henderson. His cookbooks are one-of-a-kind and felt like a lightbulb being switched on. I made his crispy pig's tails a while back, the kids loved them. (The wife, not so much!) Was fortunate enough to visit Fergus' St. John restaurant last week and it was 10/10. 

I always have a new project on the go. I've started curing my own bacon in bulk, went on a 2-day Neapolitan pizza course (still perfecting those) and fermenting vegetables. I'm into sous videing things and spent a while getting into modern gastronomy techniques, but I feel like foams and the like are going quickly out of fashion.

The next thing is to buy a smoker and start doing Texas-style BBQ. I lived in Hong Kong for 10 years so there' a lot of Asian influence and bi-weekly homemade Korean BBQ or Chinese hotpot. 

If I had the energy, I would literally cook all day.

I love cooking as well and echoing other comments it's meditative for me. I can't do the Masterchef stuff as I don't have the patience or dexterity for the details but I like cooking simply and going for (hopefully) flavour and decent presentation. Rick Stein, Anna Del Conte and Nigel Slater are my most frequent go-to books. 
Thanks for mentioning Fergus Henderson, I didn't know of him but will take a look at him. 
I'm about to get into cooking on fire........ just waiting for the rain to stop and for my local blacksmith to make me a bbq...... an asado like the one Marcus Waring uses in the programmes from his smallholding.

Also manage to play tennis and badminton to a heady average club standard and enjoy reading, watching TV and card and board games. And is there anything better than enjoying some of these things with friends and a good drop of beer or wine.

Thanks @cfgs for starting the thread, it's a good 'un.

I'm in separate groups for both running and walking, do the occasional jigsaw, but I've given up too many of my former hobbies and am reading this thread largely to see what might spark my interest. Used to pool swim regularly when training for a triathlon, and like the idea of wild swimming, but I do get bad cramps in the arches of my feet, so that puts me off. Don't like competitive cycling, (doing that is) but I like watching most sports.

I'm afraid my knowledge of North America is scant and comes mainly from having read Flashman and the Redskins. I'm not a great reader. Would like to travel more than I do.

Anyone heard of or play Pickleball? Apparently it's a thing nowadays and a fun social thing to do?

Baldybonce said:

Guitar

Reading

Mudlarking

I do that occasionally. With it being a low tide today I went out for 90mins and found some pipes which was cool.  Love the fact there is that history literally just lying there.  I was lucky I got a permit just before they ran out.

PragueAddick said:

Well I'm pretty surprised that this excellent thread has reached 5 pages and apparently no other Lifer has the same hobby as a whole shed-load of alpha-male rock stars including Roger Daltrey, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Elton John, Pete Waterman, Jools Holland and the undisputed leader, Sir Roderick Stewart.... 

Ahem, guilty as charged your honour.  It's strictly for the grand-children of course and I will put up a pic next time it's out.  Still a work in progress at the moment.

Kin 'ell, I retired 7 years ago, bought a converted barn, huge outside space and can't sit on my arse for 30 minutes never mind having a hobby ffs !