My fifteenth coast to coast ride began at lunchtime today in the sunshine on Blackpool promenade. On a normal bank holiday, the place would have been very busy with day trippers; but today was the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and almost everything was closed. There was still a smattering of people out, however, as […]
Month: September 2022
Today I reached the major milestone of 100 OS Landranger maps and, in doing so, also completed my 14th coast to coast crossing of the country. That means, for the first time, there are now fewer coast to coasts left than I have already done! We also crossed the Yorkshire Wolds from west to east […]
What a day of cycling we enjoyed today! On a perfect late summer’s day, with a gentle following breeze, the journey of 68 miles from Sedbergh to a little south of Fountains Abbey was a true delight from start to finish. The roads were small and quiet, the land green, the scenery breathtaking and the […]
Today was a day that got squeezed to the fullest extent possible, and just about gave us enough time and daylight to do everything we set out to do. Which was a lot! I say we, because I am pleased to say that this was the first of 3 days this week that I will […]
My task today was straightforward: get up, have breakfast, ride roughly 85 miles around the full perimeter of the Isle of Man, collect my bags from the hotel, and all in time to catch the 7.45pm ferry back to Heysham. I am happy to report that I achieved all of it. I was a little […]
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The Seven Kingdoms
From the top of the highest mountain on the Isle of Man, Snaefell, it is said that you can see seven kingdoms: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Kingdom of Heaven, Neptune’s Kingdom and the Kingdom of Man. And yet this island, which has over the centuries changed hands from Norse to Scottish to English rule, […]
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My plan for the rest of September
September will be a month of two distinct halves. From 1st to 13th, I have been taking time out to be with my wife and family, including an 8 day trip to Slovenia, which was delightful. I thoroughly recommend it if you haven’t been. This period is also a time to catch up, carry out […]
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Trip Stats – update – early Sept
I am now with my family in the beautiful country of Slovenia, in the middle of what I expect to be my last major break from cycling before the end of the whole trip. Since I am currently still not quite through the first half of the 204 maps, you will see that the next […]
Today was a special day for a few reasons. For starters, I would be riding in the company of my good friend Rob, with whom I share many interests (including cycling and exploring new places). It would also be my last day of cycling before a break to join my family on a short holiday […]
I went to Barnard Castle today to test my eyesight. Well, like with our friend Dom, the first part of that is true. And jolly nice it is, too. No wonder it was the place of choice for a lockdown birthday drive in the countryside. I didn’t knowingly break any rules in my visit today, […]