Thursday 28 May 2020

NHS Tributes

Have you noticed the amazing NHS tributes around?
A suggestion from Dallas that we take photos and post the best with a note where we saw them....
Here are three to start with
Ilkley
Cotehill

Outerby
Seen in Arkengarthdale

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Cycling UK Advice


Lockdown conditions are slowly being relaxed and after discussions with other committee members we felt that it would be useful to publish the latest advice from Cycling UK - see table below and follow this LINK for full advice.

I think that it will be sometime yet before conditions are relaxed enough so that we can offer a full Runs List again, but in the meantime you are now allowed to meet up with one person who is not from your household  (maintaining social distancing of at least 2m). 

It is important that the club maintains a position above reproach, so please keep to the CUK guidance and cycling either as family groups or with only one other person.

Bill



Sunday 17 May 2020

Feeling thirsty?

You've been on a long ride, all by yourself. You meet someone you know and stop for a chat. Then, eh heck, you remember the virus and part rapidly. Upon reaching home, it seems that a refreshing drink is needed...



s needed.

This clip from atob magazine may interest some


Sunday 10 May 2020

An interesting website

https://www.geograph.org.uk/

This site is  full of photographs of the UK, even includes places like Cotehill and Penrith!

Saturday 9 May 2020

A long-distance bike ride

On Monday, it's the 'déconfinement' ( end of lock-down) in France. Yippee, I'll be out on the bike, but with wobbly legs after about 7 weeks of no cycling. Trouble is, they've forecast rain and I don't do rain no more after leaving Cumbria.

So, I've been entertaining myself (and I hope you will be entertained too) with this:
click here

Friday 8 May 2020

Hartside Milepost - Latest

The Good News - Ruth & I have been up (necessary travel??) to remove the unique distance 'ears' to safe keeping at our house - after all they took a year of Sustrans and foundry nagging by local volunteer John Bennett to source and are virtually irreplaceable now.

As soon as lockdown permits, will get a couple of others to come up and help remove the milepost from its base (weighs about 3 cwt in old money) to also store here.

The Bad News - here's cut and paste from the new owner/developer of the site, Dawn Dixon.

Hi Les 
Apologies for delay in getting back to you. 
Hartside is going to be used for many different events in the future, new car launches & photography etc. We are using drones & I’m trying to make the best of the location, views. 
We’ve actually built a bigger ramp for these occasions which is in the location where your post was. 
We are also having a large sculpture placed by the road. 
I hope you understand but there will be no place left on that boundary. 
Let me know when you can manage to take it to safety just so we know it’s not been stolen. 

The Future News. Ideally it would be sited on the north side of the A686 near the brown Hartside Summit sign, but that involves presumably Eden Council, Highways etc, let alone casting a new concrete block in situ. I am in the process of making contact with our cycling 'mayor' and other individuals (via Phil Blanshard and Nigel) who may have the clout and motivation to make something happen - or we could divert the C2C through Ousby to see the sign at our house .....


Thursday 7 May 2020

The Debatable lands

Many will have seen this but it is an interesting post from BBC Travel:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200504-the-tiny-country-between-england-and-scotland

Lockdown - a view from Gretna

It is 4.35am and Anne and I are in the sun room having a cup of tea. The sky is getting lighter by the minute. Even after 6 weeks of 'lockdown' we are enjoying the isolation. We get out for walks and I go cycling from time to time.  I enjoy being on my own and like the solitude. It is perhaps a horrible thing to say but I don't miss anyones company. I do miss that I can't go to the Annandale Distillery for scone, jam and cream or to Pellosis in Langholm for an All Day breakfast.   
On the other hand life is simpler and less expensive.  
A few days ago I followed Bill Openshaw's  idea of riding over 100 miles within a radius of 12 miles from home.   The route overall wasn't inspiring but I found myself on roads between Walton and Langholm I had not been on before.    Later this morning I'll be hopefully joining other harp players in a Zoom session. Bye for now.