Where have I been for the last few days? I need my Blog fix


APPOLOGIES; My son has been editing my blogs to date which is why they read so well. So no you are going to have to free wheel with me and my grammer in it's raw (better) form!
I have to say that I am starting to notice the wrinkles more and more! That is most definately why God allows our eyesight to fade as we get older and our long term memory to remain sharp, that's why I am still just as devestatingly handsome as ever!
As I think I said on the last blog insert I had a great evening with Johns Youth Group in Painswick.
Regular start of 8.30 and a beautiful and joyfully fast downhill scoot into Gloucester. I buzzed straight through as I felt good and fresh and had a lunch date with my brother-in-law, Dickie in Worcester. To be fair it was a regular day as far as the weather goes. Bright in the morning until about 9 to 9.30, and then the clouds blow in and it's a lottery between chilly wind, mizzle, drizzle and monsoon downpour. The hat, glasses and raincoat have to keep coming off and going on. All a bit of a chore, but a great excuse to stop every now and then to rest the old legs and allow the derrier to get the blood back into it and get some of it's original shape back!
Thanks to mobile phone technology we found each other easily, then I locked my bike to Dickies car and we went for some food. Nice enough but short on quantity and quality, but that wasn't the main focus anyway. We had a great time catching up and having a laugh for an hour. I should tell you that Dickie took the day off and drove across from Aberystwyth on the Welsh coast, about two and a half hours each way. How cool is that! I can tell you that it gave me a great boost!
Unfortunately I still had an awfull lot of miles to go as I was aiming for Telford that night to meet at a Baptist church and talk to twenty or so young people and their leaders about my bike ride pains and what my aims are. That is to raise money for the Teenage cancer trust and meet with Youth leaders up the length of Britain to chat about our hopes and failiures and how we might be able to help each other in the future. Also of course that I just wanted to do the bike for my own satisfaction!
It was a great privilege talking to the teens and they even listened, but then of course as I am much a sought after 'after dinner' speaker these days it's hardly a surprise! (just joking, I'm probably a bit over tired?)
At 75ish miles that was my longest day to date and I was glad to finally lay down in bed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scotland Proper

Image
The ride from Annan to my next destination Failfield was another glorious day and yet again even though I thought I had put on plenty of sun cream got the backs of my legs scalded. As usual within an hour of arriving at my host house I called to let them know that I was about to arrive. A little surprised they said they would be ready to wave out the door at me when I got there. It turned out that they were expecting me the next day and so had a bit of a surprise when I called. On my arrival they asked me what I would like to eat and then went next door to order it from the pub. All very civilised really. As I was eating and talking to Derek about my journey so far he asked me what had inspired the choice of charity that I am raising money for? I explained that I had seen this promotional advert on the TV with this teenage lad called Alastair. He then told me that his parent lived just round the corner and that he would give them a call. Kim and Robert were delightful and said they wou
Read more

My Ride- Gary Fisher 29er X-Caliber//Hardtail

Image
I was just thinking that I should maybe introduce you to the creator of all my pains and the deliverer of my body from end to end of this our sceptred isle, mainland Britain! After much deliberation, that is what I do when I have to spend any money at all! I invested a well timed company bonus into upgrading my daily conveyance to work, my bicycle, for this beautiful contraption. Designed in California USA, made in Taiwan or somewhere and bought by me in Southampton England! Reading other accounts of peoples experience travelling from Lands End to John O'Groats I hit upon the idea of using a mountain bike. In the first place because that is what I already owned and second because one person anyway had done the same thing and been very pleased to have so many gears to use, and indeed used them all! Then I discovered a style of mountain bike called a '29er', for the very simple reason that it has 29" inch diameter wheels. Slightly bigger than a road racing bike wheel
Read more

The shame of Gretna Green

Image
Being a stay at home type I have never managed to make it to many I the sights of Britain and so on my way to my first nights stop in Scotland I thought I couldn't possibly get so close to the, World famous, 'not' church marriage haven. Well of course I am several decades to late to be able to see it for its original charm and romance! Now people come from all over the world to look and watch, and couples (quite mad, if you ask me) are paying, I suppose, to have their very personal moment photographed by tourists like myself. Seems all abit strange? The complex is designed now as a total money making device, all very clever but to a cynic such as I completely yuk! They do a very nice ice-cream though!
Read more