tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28640525954402500482024-03-13T02:34:58.452+00:00Keep Pushing Those PedalsI started this blog to follow my training and subsequent charity cycle ride from Bangkok to Saigon in November 2008. In 2009 I went cycling in India in November. Although a motorist ran into me in February earlier that year and broke my collar bone, which nearly ended that ambition! I did not manage any cycling tours in 2010 or 2011 so I am hoping to do LeJog again and then cycle in Japan after that.Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.comBlogger1273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-87016298507736779282023-11-16T23:14:00.000+00:002023-11-16T23:14:02.666+00:00Potatoes, Onions and India (no embedded Mymap)<p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">The jet-lag is slowly ebbing away, the main issue is that I feel a bit groggy in the morning, but that is about it. The weather today was dull but pleasantly warm and not too windy. In fact it must have been the ideal weather for cycling because I saw 15-20 cyclists out and about cycling through the Fens. From families with trailers and young ones pedalling furiously through to fully kitted racers. It was great to see and everyone was friendly. In fact the other thing I noticed was that whilst trundling around some of the tracks between Lode and Quy is passed quite a few dog walkers - most not on leads as the area is ideal for dog walking and none of the dogs was at all troublesome. My theory is that people who are prepared to take their dogs on serious walks into areas that are fun for the dogs are also people who know how to train a dog and ensure they are not a nuisance.</font></p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">It has been quite dry and so the farmers are having to irrigate their fields - here is a potato field being watered. The thing that surprised me is that these potatoes will be late and I had always assumed that farmers tended to grow earlies for the price premium they gave. Mind you this could well be the second crop for the field this year.</font></p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DSC09750.JPG" height="194" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SqQR4mpRESI/AAAAAAAAEjg/ZYKVJ78f5KU/DSC09750.JPG" style="display: inline; height: 194px; width: 400px;" width="400" /></p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">I mentioned the other day that I had seen a farmer pulling up onions - well here they are drying in the "sun". The thing that gives the field away was the strong onion smell as you get close.</font></p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DSC09755.JPG" height="218" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SqQR-gs5R1I/AAAAAAAAEjo/bnYwb65ZAyA/DSC09755.JPG" style="display: inline; height: 218px; width: 400px;" width="400" /></p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">So what has all this to do with India - not much, except last week I got an email from the organiser of my upcoming cycle tour in India. It is good to see efficient organisation. He was reminding us to consider (if not already done so) booking flights, injections and visas. We have around 8 weeks to go so a timely reminder. I spent this morning researching flights. Well to tell the truth the first thing I did was check to see whereabouts in India the trip actually was.</font></p><br /><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">I have not been able to embed a Google Mymaps of the relevant part of India - but it is <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103136997805695586517.000472ed8cf2e812e77a2&z=9">here</a> if you would like to look at it.</font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#008080" face="Arial, serif"><br /></font></p><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">So I spent Sunday morning checking into when I would need to fly. There is a chance my son will also be able to make the trip - but he will need to take time off work which is not so easy. It looks like we will be able to fly out on a Saturday and return on a Sunday, two weeks later. We will probably have to fly out through Bangalore and catch connecting flights to the relevant areas as the tour starts in one part of India (Trivanundrum) and ends in another part (Kochi). We also get to go on a train journey. The total distance is around 680Km/425miles which should not be too bad in 14 days, we do get a few rest days thrown in. We will also climb up to around 2000m as well which should provide some great scenery, apparently the climbs are long but not steep! I work from home and in my study have a couple of white boards for work purposes - one of them is now taken up with trip planning.</font></p><br /><p><font color="#008080" face="Arial">Over the next week I must also check with my GP (family doctor) to ensure I am up to date on my inoculations, although having recently been to Peru and Cambodia I don't think it should be a problem. I must also check out how to get a Visa. I am also going to check out GPS maps to see whether I can get something to put on my Garmin Edge GPS.</font></p><br />Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-26543546056460490522022-08-13T11:03:00.000+01:002022-08-13T11:18:20.922+01:00Potatoes, Onions and India<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">The jet-lag is slowly ebbing away, the main issue is that I feel a bit groggy in the morning, but that is about it. The weather today was dull but pleasantly warm and not too windy. In fact it must have been the ideal weather for cycling because I saw 15-20 cyclists out and about cycling through the Fens. From families with trailers and young ones pedalling furiously through to fully kitted racers. It was great to see and everyone was friendly. In fact the other thing I noticed was that whilst trundling around some of the tracks between Lode and Quy is passed quite a few dog walkers - most not on leads as the area is ideal for dog walking and none of the dogs was at all troublesome. My theory is that people who are prepared to take their dogs on serious walks into areas that are fun for the dogs are also people who know how to train a dog and ensure they are not a nuisance.</span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">It has been quite dry and so the farmers are having to irrigate their fields - here is a potato field being watered. The thing that surprised me is that these potatoes will be late and I had always assumed that farmers tended to grow earlies for the price premium they gave. Mind you this could well be the second crop for the field this year.</span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DSC09750.JPG" height="194" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SqQR4mpRESI/AAAAAAAAEjg/ZYKVJ78f5KU/DSC09750.JPG" style="display: inline; height: 194px; width: 400px;" width="400" /></p>
<p>
</p>
<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">I mentioned the other day that I had seen a farmer pulling up onions - well here they are drying in the "sun". The thing that gives the field away was the strong onion smell as you get close.</span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DSC09755.JPG" height="218" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SqQR-gs5R1I/AAAAAAAAEjo/bnYwb65ZAyA/DSC09755.JPG" style="display: inline; height: 218px; width: 400px;" width="400" /></p>
<p>
</p>
<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">So what has all this to do with India - not much, except last week I got an email from the organiser of my upcoming cycle tour in India. It is good to see efficient organisation. He was reminding us to consider (if not already done so) booking flights, injections and visas. We have around 8 weeks to go so a timely reminder. I spent this morning researching flights. Well to tell the truth the first thing I did was check to see whereabouts in India the trip actually was. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">I have not been able to embed a Google Mymaps of the relevant part of India - but it is <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103136997805695586517.000472ed8cf2e812e77a2&z=9">here</a> if you would like to look at it.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: teal; font-family: Arial, serif;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103136997805695586517.000472ed8cf2e812e77a2&ll=9.368021,77.188568&spn=1.753266,1.859436&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103136997805695586517.000472ed8cf2e812e77a2&ll=9.368021,77.188568&spn=1.753266,1.859436&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cycle Tour in Southern India</a> in a larger map</small>
</span></p><p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">So I spent Sunday morning checking into when I would need to fly. There is a chance my son will also be able to make the trip - but he will need to take time off work which is not so easy. It looks like we will be able to fly out on a Saturday and return on a Sunday, two weeks later. We will probably have to fly out through Bangalore and catch connecting flights to the relevant areas as the tour starts in one part of India (Trivanundrum) and ends in another part (Kochi). We also get to go on a train journey. The total distance is around 680Km/425miles which should not be too bad in 14 days, we do get a few rest days thrown in. We will also climb up to around 2000m as well which should provide some great scenery, apparently the climbs are long but not steep! I work from home and in my study have a couple of white boards for work purposes - one of them is now taken up with trip planning.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial;">Over the next week I must also check with my GP (family doctor) to ensure I am up to date on my inoculations, although having recently been to Peru and Cambodia I don't think it should be a problem. I must also check out how to get a Visa. I am also going to check out GPS maps to see whether I can get something to put on my Garmin Edge GPS.</span></p>
<p>
</p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-88250033464677672732022-08-13T10:57:00.003+01:002022-08-13T10:59:43.569+01:00India Day 4 Cycling from Theni to KodiaKanal 84Km/50 miles<p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">For other pictures and stories of the trip Bob – our leader! has a blog on his website.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">(13/8/2022 - the blog appears to have a problem so I have deleted the link)</span></span></p> <p><br /></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">
</span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Today was to be a difficult day in terms of cycling and how vulnerable cyclists are when faced with other inconsiderate road users.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.fafandawaycycling.com/blog"></a></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The plan was to start early before breakfast was served in the hotel and eat along the way. I slept very badly and had huge bags under my eyes (which is why I am wearing sunglasses in the group shot lower down). The constant waking up did allow me to charge my phone, GPS unit and camera. You have to use a plug adapter (when using English equipment) in India and although I have two, I have lent one to Ben, so I have to cycle the gadgets around after each has charged. I was up on time though. </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">One minor problem is that I try to wash cycle clothes every couple of days – it saves having to carry (and buy) loads of gear. The trouble is even the cycle gear does not always dry overnight in a humid bathroom – so I had to pack some of my clothes damp. The stay in Kodaikanal was for two days as there was a rest day, so hopefully I would catch up with my drying and washing then.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As there was going to be a large climb I packed a packet of jelly babies in my rackpack. I also raised my saddle 0.5cm – it does not sound much but it can make all the difference when you are going to spend a lot of time sitting on the saddle pushing the pedals. Ben also raised his saddle a little as well – now he had a bike that was about the right size and an un-jammed seatpost.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Bob tends to take pictures of everyone just before the start – here are most of us – from left to right – Abby, Ben, Mary, Me, Alan, Jim, Jay, Denise, Mary, Christine, Barry and Graham. After the photo everyone went back to sorting themselves out – pumping tyres, putting on sunscreen, avoiding mosquitoes filling water bottles and checking their bikes out.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoKh0lbYI/AAAAAAAAGPs/bfrZOP8Uo-M/s1600-h/P10100672.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010067" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoMZ2roKI/AAAAAAAAGP0/PMz51UAaXfk/P1010067_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010067" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Here is a picture of my bike ready to roll, water bottles filled and tyres and Custard hanging on the back - the little yellow thing is my mascot given to me by my daughter last year for my cycle ride from Bangkok to Saigon.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoOItYFuI/AAAAAAAAGP8/wLH5plL8qqM/s1600-h/P10100682.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010068" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoPiT2j8I/AAAAAAAAGQE/9ZhHu1LNiHg/P1010068_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010068" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Some milling around.<span></span></span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoRsgE62I/AAAAAAAAGQM/mseaNGkckuo/s1600-h/P10100722.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010072" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoTdacfFI/AAAAAAAAGQU/MiLXHRyZCc4/P1010072_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010072" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">One of the challenges is ensuring you have the right tyres on your bike – big knobbly ones are good for riding down mountains but sap you energy for cycling along normal roads. You also pump up tyres to a higher pressure for roads than rough tracks.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoVGwITvI/AAAAAAAAGQc/YDh_eIs-eeA/s1600-h/P10100742.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="P1010074" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoWwuFIQI/AAAAAAAAGQk/fQtlJwfpZzw/P1010074_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="P1010074" width="400" /></span></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">After cycling out of Theni the traffic was fairly busy. The worst culprits were the buses they oncoming buses would happily overtake slower vehicles and leave no room for cyclists. Pedestrians wander on the road – we had to ring our bells non-stop on the towns. After around 20Km we stopped for breakfast. On these sort of trips the group spread out – people cycle in different groups at different speeds and when you add in random stops to take pictures it can be hard to keep track. These stops provide a way for our organisers to keep track of us.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">This time around Mary set the pace with Jim, Abby and me following on in various places in line.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Quite often when we stop we get onlookers checking out these weird foreigners wondering why they had stopped to eat food by the roadside. These kids were happy to have their photograph taken.</span></span><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoYqBWbyI/AAAAAAAAGQs/QiFA5zLkPpc/s1600-h/P10100803.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span> </span></a></p> <p><img alt="P1010080" border="0" height="496" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoaYynz2I/AAAAAAAAGQ4/K5bvyYprYbw/P1010080_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010080" width="404" /></p> <p></p> <span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The stops also give me an opportunity to take pictures of the scenery – when the cycling gets harder you don’t really want to stop to take pictures as you get left behind. So here is an “interesting” tree at our rest stop.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYobxw876I/AAAAAAAAGRA/pf5UuU36XNY/s1600-h/P10100813.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010081" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYodyz2ogI/AAAAAAAAGRI/xAWJPtrPjdI/P1010081_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010081" width="404" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Here were are having our picnic breakfast – we had an omelette and two toasted jam sandwiches - it was quite tasty.</span></span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYogNCDr-I/AAAAAAAAGRQ/1WCFQYrukiY/s1600-h/P10100822.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010082" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYoh6WhIYI/AAAAAAAAGRY/OUpvkGL0SlU/P1010082_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010082" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">It was also a chance to get picture of Bob and Anil – Bob runs Far and Away Cycling and Anil manages our local support team ensuring supplies of water, food, luggage hotel transfers and the rental bikes,</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYojIaQdNI/AAAAAAAAGRg/7eY9a3DKRE8/s1600-h/P10100842.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010084" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYolM1HLWI/AAAAAAAAGRo/Bf3bMEGvEM4/P1010084_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010084" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We set off again ready to clock up some distance ready for the long climb at the end of the journey. Gremlins struck almost immediately – Ben has a rental bike that is well past its best, it is supplied locally – it once was an OK bike a Marin. I do not put stands on bicycles – just something else to go wrong and if they go down when you are cycling they can be a real danger. Well Ben’s stand start to dangle down. My multi-tool did not have a large enough spanner to remove the kick stand - and none of us were carrying anything to tie it up with. Luckily Abby’s rental bike had a spare zip tie that was not being used for anything. I have long learnt the art of re-using zip ties and we had Ben going again with his stand lashed up with a yellow zip tie.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We got going again and on the way through a town a man just walked out straight in front of Jim with a hand cart – despite all our bell-ringing he just did not care. Somehow Jim avoided him, Abbey went over the front of her bike, Ben swerved to avoid Abby and I went over my handlebars trying to avoid her.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Everyone is wearing helmets – but Abby landed on her front and her chin took much of the force of her landing. I almost landed on my feet, but fell forward onto her back feet. As we picked ourselves up it became clear that Abby had hit the ground really hard. The support team arrived quickly and she was taken to a nearby health facility for assessment. </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We waited and picked up the bikes – mine was fine, a few minor scratches on protruding things. A lot of my forward velocity had been lost. I had scraped my knuckles and knee as I rolled onto the ground so mopped those with an antiseptic wipe. (I carry a few first-aid supplies in my rackpack. It became clear that Abby was going to be there a while so we returned her bike to the support crew and Ben and I carried on – feeling very shocked at how quickly our pleasant cycle ride and turned to disaster. Our thoughts were with Abby and her family as we cycled on – there was no doubt we would be wearing our helmets.It was an awful reminder of how challenging Indian roads can be,</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The accident brought out a number of on-lookers – always keen to see what’s what – a group of schoolchildren turned up as we were waiting and posed for a picture.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYooAomWoI/AAAAAAAAGRw/DZJBcuF84TA/s1600-h/P10100872.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010087" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYop66YzpI/AAAAAAAAGR4/Ux22_9lyVEM/P1010087_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010087" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Ben at the same spot – perhaps wondering what I had got him into.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYorv-GOQI/AAAAAAAAGSA/FadCKLD65vw/s1600-h/P10100882.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010088" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYotZEg8ZI/AAAAAAAAGSI/18RTW2oAWuE/P1010088_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010088" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As we carried on we find ourselves diving off the road whenever buses came hurtling along at us. There was often a sandy strip alongside the road –which provided a refuge for cyclists. We did notice one or two vehicles that had been in accidents. At one point two lorries came along carrying huge round tanks that overhung the back of the lorry by another half its length. The tanks extended into the “airspace” of the oncoming traffic. We stood by the side and watched as buses refused to be held up. In the UK they would have required a police escort with Police motorcyclists front and rear to provide advance warning.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">After 35Km we turned off onto a quieter road – the road up to Kodaikanal. Apparently it was an old American Hill Station – providing American soldiers with a refuge from the merciless Indian Summer heat. The Brits used to do the same thing. My Dad lived in India as a young man and has mentioned going up to the Hill Stations.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I have always thought that a gradient of 5-10% was straightforward for a cyclist – although the longest cycle climb for me was probably no more than a couple of miles (3.2Km). (Either the Mendips in Somerset where I grew up – or the Scottish Highlands when I cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats seven years ago. This was going to be around 2000m of climbing in 40Km </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Ben seemed to find the hill easy and went of without any problems – I settled down to a more sedate pace. The road jinked about quite a bit and we had to keep an eye out for traffic especially round the hairpins. This is the trace from my GPS unit The map shows the road as a fairly straight road – in reality the road wiggles all over the place. Each time a vehicle reaches a hairpin they sound their horns (road side signs advise drivers to do it). Many have been customised and sound on for ages playing various tunes. Apart from buses the jeeps are also best avoided – they seem to think nothing of passing a cyclist with only centimetres (inches) to spare.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYouokDEBI/AAAAAAAAGSQ/9SgBfnY2WSA/s1600-h/KoadaiWiggleroad22.jpg"><img alt="Koadai Wiggle road 2" border="0" height="382" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYowCPFyyI/AAAAAAAAGSY/m7i1DEB_6ms/KoadaiWiggleroad2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Koadai Wiggle road 2" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Why do we do it – well there are some tremendous views – here you can see the plains from which we have risen. At this point we were probably only at a quarter of the height we were going to gain. It was hot and the exertion meant a low of sweating – we drank loads of water and our support team would pass by at regular intervals checking to see whether we needed more water. This was definitely a day for carrying two water bottles – even though it would weigh more. I ate jelly babies for energy and Ben ate Haribos – Bob liked them, Graham wasn’t so keen.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYox3PYw1I/AAAAAAAAGSg/AGoW6C2zLzU/s1600-h/P10100892.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010089" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYozFsZ7fI/AAAAAAAAGSo/SU_oxzKU1rY/P1010089_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010089" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The area we had passed though was fairly agricultural – you can see the fields here in this picture.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo0leYb1I/AAAAAAAAGSw/h6vJfPavSW0/s1600-h/P10100903.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010090" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo2kJnEQI/AAAAAAAAGS4/kXSQ5-CVOls/P1010090_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010090" width="404" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">There were mountains around us – they served as a reminder that we were probably going to have to climb a great deal higher – since our mountain top was going to be pretty high.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo4AB7VeI/AAAAAAAAGTA/RzJh8uwLbSs/s1600-h/P10100923.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010092" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo5m3fOiI/AAAAAAAAGTI/tM96SCIpD1k/P1010092_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010092" width="404" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">A typical photo stop. Ben would wait for me to park my bike and take some picture – he probably also ate a few sweets for energy. He also carried dextrose tablets as well. My bike is also propped up in the foreground waiting patiently.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo70RnmCI/AAAAAAAAGTQ/Q35y4w79jc8/s1600-h/P10100932.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010093" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYo9rC3i4I/AAAAAAAAGTY/siA5yHjjMxE/P1010093_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010093" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We saw quite a few monkeys along the way –they can be a bit of a nuisance – they search for food anywhere – trash cans and food inadvertently put down by motorists stopping for a roadside picnic. Alan turned out to be one of the faster climbers and would pass us and go off into the distance. We would pass him as he seemed to stop whenever there were monkeys around. Once – yes, twice – maybe – but every time! He still passed us though. Here is a monkey walking by us on a wall.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpAS0TzgI/AAAAAAAAGTg/kPOJaxhncTE/s1600-h/P10100982.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010098" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpCXtr7TI/AAAAAAAAGTo/wA32Z0E_HCQ/P1010098_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010098" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">At this “monkey-stop” There was also a view across the countryside of a lake nestling between the hills.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpD-9ClNI/AAAAAAAAGTw/NoOv4zwD1Xo/s1600-h/P10101012.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010101" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpFn6oRwI/AAAAAAAAGT4/Sn9EqbI7CG8/P1010101_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010101" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">There were also loads of monkeys in the trees.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpH7qUWrI/AAAAAAAAGUA/TvWJVeSo6Tk/s1600-h/P10101042.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010104" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpJiXjp9I/AAAAAAAAGUI/-vnUqkex6kw/P1010104_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010104" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As we got higher the weather</span></span><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> seemed to get quite overcast – actually not a bad thing when you are cycling up a hill – but hopefully not a sign of rain</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpLVPq2zI/AAAAAAAAGUQ/kmzOOYwnNBg/s1600-h/P10101062.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010106" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpMj1KucI/AAAAAAAAGUY/n-Y8N23Iopg/P1010106_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010106" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">On the way up we saw a long waterfall – I wonder where all the water comes from.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpOJ84fNI/AAAAAAAAGUg/dWm9cGrLURA/s1600-h/P10101103.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010110" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpQFldiKI/AAAAAAAAGUo/qKE8CW9le24/P1010110_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010110" width="404" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">There was a small path of sunlight on the plains below.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpR1o33_I/AAAAAAAAGUw/f4lAXYw1FRg/s1600-h/P10101162.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010116" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpTd_0sZI/AAAAAAAAGU4/_Zlz535v6Q0/P1010116_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010116" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">One of the “enemy”. On this hill the buses were not too bad – this one waved as he went by. It gives a sense of the hill’s steepness as well.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpViRGekI/AAAAAAAAGVU/_7PvMZ2-98M/s1600-h/P10101202.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010120" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpXdynQkI/AAAAAAAAGVc/MOIye9Bdduk/P1010120_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010120" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">This is where we were heading – the darker mountains in the background.</span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpYu6P-RI/AAAAAAAAGVk/7SIWwcwU1Ys/s1600-h/P10101253.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010125" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpa4yxHnI/AAAAAAAAGVs/3zLbahfe-Rs/P1010125_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010125" width="404" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The roads steepness was relentless – I have not documented the entire length of it – but believe me most of it was just hill with very few places where it levelled out or even went down a little. Mind you we resented it when the hill did go down – that meant losing hard-won height gain.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">At one point the hill did get a little less steep and we came upon our support crew setting up their table and chairs for our lunch stop. We had started out at around 6am and so had been cycling for around 5 hours or so, not including stops so it was a welcome sight. I even felt that perhaps we were nearing the top.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We had idly, a vegetable curry paste and a hard-boiled egg along with ordinary pepsi-cola – it was delicious – and gave us both a source of short-term and long-term energy. One thing I did not mention – a few years ago before going on vacation in Peru I was advised to always wash my hands with an antiseptic hand cleaner before and after meals – so that is another item that goes into my rackpack and was of course used. We ate with our right hand so the cleaner came in doubly useful.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Before we set off Graham checked his cycle computer to check how high we were - gulp we were only at 800m and had another 1200m to go – we were nowhere near the top – we were not even halfway up our climb.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As we set off it started raining – so I put on my raingear, including my camera bag which has an extra cover for the rain. Just where we had lunch a couple of dogs came to investigate – Graham and I got by, but they started getting a bit close to Ben. Bob got the support crew to throw stones at them before he went on his way.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Here is a reminder of the steepness – just in case you had not realised!</span></span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpcvgDXoI/AAAAAAAAGV0/pG-bKtdg7Vg/s1600-h/P10101272.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010127" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpeIrkgGI/AAAAAAAAGV8/zfElgN2xgcQ/P1010127_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010127" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As the ride went on I took photographs less and less often (don’t worry this post is almost at the end). We also found out stops becoming more and more frequent. We kept eating out energy foods (well sweeties really) and drinking our water – and re-filling them whenever we got the chance. </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I also found out that Ben was probably the youngest person to come on one of these tours. Considering he had not been able (or too tired too) do any cycling before he came out to India with me he was doing incredibly well. The manual work he has been doing in his Work placement must have helped – but it can’t prepare you for sitting on a saddle for long periods of time. He had gotten to the point where to sit back down on the saddle was painful – but you need to raise yourself when going over bumps of potholes or rocks. The pain is a little like bruising - it only lasts for a few days – but that does not make it any easier.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We started counting the milestone markers (which were actually in kilometres). It had gotten to the point where you body really doesn’t like being in the same position working away for so long – but it did stop raining,</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Although my photography slowed down it did not stop completely. Here is another waterfall much higher up the mountain.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span></span></p> <p><strong><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></u></strong><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpf7EGUPI/AAAAAAAAGWE/kzR46VufGPc/s1600-h/P10101293.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><img alt="P1010129" border="0" height="536" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYphpBnuaI/AAAAAAAAGWM/WTVznl_-L6Y/P1010129_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010129" width="404" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Ben at one of our frequent rest stops.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpkhpfAeI/AAAAAAAAGWU/X0B7aYjLzjc/s1600-h/P10101312.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010131" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpmowWhUI/AAAAAAAAGWc/6ke1Vdyqysw/P1010131_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010131" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The view across the road was this fruit stall where everything was laid out beautifully. Further back we had seen carrots being wash in a stream that did not look too clean though.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpo-JmwdI/AAAAAAAAGWk/bKR3zX9LCX4/s1600-h/P10101332.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010133" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpqq1rQDI/AAAAAAAAGWs/bOW4LgkgB4w/P1010133_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010133" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The proprietor – they have loads of fruit on display – I assume the people on the many coaches that come by stop and buy fruit en-masse.</span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpsnQvwnI/AAAAAAAAGW0/To-CQYaTGVw/s1600-h/P10101362.jpg"><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><u></u></span><img alt="P1010136" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpuZ8WLbI/AAAAAAAAGW8/LjR9CrHbFlc/P1010136_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1010136" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Not long after passing the Vegetable store were approached a Toll booth – with signs saying Kodaikanal was a plastic fee zone – where they going to search our bags and take away all our plastic?? How much was the charge going to be – actually they just waived us through-cars etc had to pay – but so few people are stupid enough to cycle up there that they deserve to get in free.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">At one point within about 5Km we passed the van and were asked if we wanted to get a lift the rest of the way – we said no. Christine had taken up their offer a couple of Km earlier – she had huge knobbly tyres and a full-suspension MTB which must have been very hard work. </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">When we asked our van driver he said 7Km when we thought it was 5Km – never had an extra two Km seemed so awful – Ben admitted that at that point he came very close to accepting a lift in the van – but it was less hassle to carry on than get his bike into the van.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Towards the end of the climb if had gotten very, very misty and so we could not see a great deal. As we entered the village we saw one of our support team telling us to take a right turn and then cycle up a muddy dirt track – surely this could not be the way – we had another 2Km to go. But it was – our hotel was a short way up the dirt track – the hotel itself looked ok though.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">As we entered the hotel reception area – Abby was there – wounded in action but it was a great relief to see her. She had visited various treatment places – which included having a stitch or two then having them removed by another hospital and replaced. After what she had been through she was remarkably calm. She had the option of staying for some treatment the next day or returning to the US. We all felt that going back was the right thing to do – although she was sorry to be unable to carry on. Get well Abby- we hope you are OK.</span></span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I was really looking forward to a hot shower – I got to my room – basic but acceptable – got undressed – and wondered where all the blood was coming from – it turned out that a leech had gotten me – and when I pulled off my sandal had fallen off – it lay on th3e floor wondering where its food had gone. They have a long snouty mouth that extends out searching from something to feed on. I must have acquired it on one of the last few rest stops.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I cleaned up the wound and turned on the shower – those leeches must have pretty good anti-coagulants as the blood kept on coming out of my foot. I also discovered that because of power shortages that there was no hot water. I was filthy so I showered one body part at a time – with blood leaking out of my foot. What a way to end the ride. </span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I got clean and put some cream on my various scrapes from the earlier accident and several plasters on the leech wound – which after a bit of pressure stopped bleeding.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I went down to find Ben but no-one knew what room he was in – the hotel had taken a group Booking and none of our support team knew either. He turned up in the end. I did try wandering along two corridors calling out his name but with no luck.</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Dinner was in the hotel that evening – a buffer of various mainly vegetarian food – it was delicious – washed down by a glass of Kingfisher beer – which could be ordered chilled or un-chilled – whoever heard of un-chilled lager?</span></span></p> <p><span style="color: teal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Here is my GPS trace of the climb from a low point of 240m to a high point of 1992m – 84Km in 6 hours of cycling (rests not included). My GPS also indicated 5000calories burnt in the process.</span></span></p> <p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: teal;"></span></span></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpwKts63I/AAAAAAAAGXE/gwYhCgUDz1o/s1600-h/Kodaikanalrun2.jpg"><span style="color: teal; font-family: ari;"><img alt="Kodaikanal run" border="0" height="108" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bKS0Ey2ovWg/SvYpxWjTvdI/AAAAAAAAGXM/kz2tTaqMYqc/Kodaikanalrun_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Kodaikanal run" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: teal; font-family: ari;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: teal; font-family: ari;"></span></p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-15733146102617136352016-03-04T11:51:00.001+00:002016-03-04T11:51:41.653+00:00Near Misses<p><font color="#008080" size="2">I have a theory that people who regularly cycle must filter out their near misses. I have taken part in the <a href="http://www.nearmiss.bike/">Near Miss Project</a> and both times my diary included several unpleasant “near misses”. Well the first two and a half weeks of this year I was off my bike after a stupid stumble on the bottom step of a flight of stairs. I managed to sprain both ankles, one would have been unfortunate, two was careless!</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So I was full of the joys of Spring when I managed to get out and cycle again. Given I was only off my bike for a short time I was surprised at how reckless some drivers are when it came to my life. Perhaps I was sensitive to split-second accidents after having a split-second moment of my own and enduring the consequences. However even now a month on I can clearly remember three incidents and with a minor bit of effort recall a fourth annoyance. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The first incident was being overtaken by a car on a blind double bend – in <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/n49WaF7ii4H2">Swaffham Bulbeck</a> as it happens. Normally I would cycle on NCN51 which takes you around the back of the village up Quarry Lane, however | was taking things easy and avoiding hills – which is quite an easy thing to do in the flatlands.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Approaching the double bends – Swaffham Bulbeck</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QDFl4DEQkFE/VsNZvtkWkcI/AAAAAAABfFE/HH1VAm2Em9U/s1024-Ic42/P1750671_2_3_4_5_6_7_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="600" height="455"></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The good thing is that the car gave me plenty of room – pretty much up to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203">Highway code rule 163 standards</a>. However there was now way they could tell what was coming the other way. This time there was a car – both were forced to a standstill – the overtaking car didn’t swerve in at me, although most cyclists will have experienced having vehicles swerve in front of them when approaching junctions or pinch-points. In my mind that was careless driving.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The second incident occurred when I was cycling along the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.3247609,0.2768177,16.25z">Stretham Road</a> (A1123) between the Upware Road and Way Lane. This is a straight and fast bit of road and accidents are not uncommon. According to the <a href="http://www.crashmap.co.uk/">UK crash map</a> there have been four slight and four serious accidents on the road between 2005 and 2014! I personally have been past in the aftermath three of the accidents.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So I was cycling towards <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/3Qp9sYqUkwR2">Way Lane</a> when two cars came towards me at 60+ mph, I was to the left of my white line, but not able to go onto the verge because of the drainage channels. So it seems that rule 163 doesn’t count for oncoming cyclists! That was scary, but over in the blink of an eye. A car travelling at 60mph covers the ground at 27metres/second. If a bike is two metres long and a car 4m then the overlap takes about two tenths of a second. Which is just slightly longer than the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinking">blink of an eye at 0.1 to 0.15 seconds</a>. The driver should not have overtake, I was wearing a bright yellow jacket – however that driver was not to be thwarted in his (yes it was a he, surprise, surprise) need for speed.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The third incident was another overtake on a <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/i9Cjen4kn7F2">blind double bend, this time in Lode</a>. The pickup truck driver wasn’t bothered about rule 163 and passed me with around 1m and then turned in on me as he went past. I was forced into the kerb and the truck passed within 5cm of my front wheel. To my mind that was a classic “cyclists are not traffic and can be treated as if they don’t exist” style of driving. It probably wasn’t life threatening – but could easily have broken my collar bone if he had caught me. About a quarter of a mile along there was a temporary set of traffic lights, I easily caught him up. I was pretty damn cross though and decided it was probably better not to get involved in a shouting match.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The final incident was on NCN51 cycling along <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/UGuYCeogvFB2">Bell Road in Bottisham</a>. The road has acquired some new speed warning signs that report your speed in green if under 30mph and red if over. A transit van went past me at 40mph. It gave room and in this instance wasn’t scary – but a clear disregard for road safety. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I am now nearly a 1000Km on and I have stopped remembering my near misses. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Upware Washes</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l2_-VpUFYPc/VsNZyI7lq3I/AAAAAAABfFE/56Rki-wChhI/s1024-Ic42/P1750678_79_80_81_82_83_84_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="600" height="453"></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>White Fen</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PRk8XtQCRSc/VsYxiBXR7SI/AAAAAAABfHE/v1Ob59aIZnA/s1024-Ic42/P1750685_86_87_88_89_90_91_Natural.jpg" width="600" height="452"></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>White Fen Pylons</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-91tXgXKvt68/VsYxjKnDwZI/AAAAAAABfHE/qzo2XaSfUrY/s1280-Ic42/P1750694_695_696_697_698_699_700_Photographic.jpg" width="600" height="372"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The track to Oily Hall</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fBSX7XIpSqw/VthxBk7DMJI/AAAAAAABfWk/ENvdA2L4GY8/s1024-Ic42/P1750701_2_3_4_5_6_7_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="600" height="445"></p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-33828402765558906172016-02-16T13:19:00.001+00:002016-02-16T13:19:59.810+00:00A rum start to the year<p><font color="#008080" size="2">When blogging I sometimes point out that making the use of cycling helmets compulsory would cause more harm than good. I won’t re-hash the arguments, but one strand is that many mundane activities in our lives are potentially more dangerous than cycling and certainly less beneficial. One example of a dangerous activity I have used is that of using stairs. Well that example bit me at the beginning of January. I missed the last step on a set of stairs – I had assumed that I had reached the bottom and there was a last step! I basically rolled both my ankles and then instinct took over and I did a neat roll as I hit the floor.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The last time I remember spraining my ankles was when I was around 12 and fell out of a conker tree into a patch of stinging nettles (in shorts and a t-shirt). I ran home my mother used calamine to ease the nettle rash. The next day I got out of bad and “collapsed” as I tried to put weight on my ankle. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I cycled around 1,880Km in November, 927Km in December and then 188Km in January. I basically had two weeks of enforced rest and then a further week of very gentle cycling. Two weeks into February and I have covered just under 500Km and I find the cycling helps my ankles. I also started getting back twinges, rest does not suit me, the twinges were quickly dealt with once I was back on my bike again. (It is a good reason to regularly cycle.)</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">All it takes is a moment of inattention, on the other hand the body is pretty good at mending, fortunately. I was able to put the period of rest to good use and taught myself JavaScript and Python. I was taught Fortran when I started out and haven’t really done much programming for the last 20 years (well not for money). I taught myself Basic and have used Pascal and Mainsail – </font><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIL_(programming_language)"><font color="#008080" size="2">Machine Independent Stanford Artificial Intelligence Language</font></a><font color="#008080" size="2"> and have had brushes with various Assembly Languages.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">However it was last year that I started using MATLAB to help my daughter learn to code programs for her experiments. The whole business of an IDE (Integrated Design Environment) was one of the big improvements along with the ability to use the web to search out information rapidly and quickly. Mind you just as in the days when I learnt Fortran there were quite a few occasions when I had to write some test code to really understand the syntax.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The other change that passed me by was </font><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming"><font color="#008080" size="2">Object Orientated Programming</font></a><font color="#008080" size="2">. So I have really enjoyed getting to grips with a new style of coding, along with Visual Studio 2015. The web has an amazing wealth of information out there, although some of it was rather too basic. I found myself running one YouTube tutorial in the background and then dipping in when I heard something I wanted to know about.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As well as cutting back on cycling hanging around the house has caused me to cut back on my photography a bit. Hopefully I will be taking more pictures as I cycle and the weather brightens. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As the world moves on it seems that </font><a href="http://googlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/"><font color="#008080" size="2">Google are retiring Picasa</font></a><font color="#008080" size="2">, what effect this will have to my blog I am not sure. Hopefully they will maintain the “Picasa” links to the pictures.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">My last two months of sporadic cycling</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="2"><font color="#008080"><strong>First ride after my tumble</strong><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/og4xMjX_QuAdET8mKBV47aOMKf7RMKYpAM9N1rRsbZN651YXcnMghBzRD1EciC-WNT_ZAXqFhi2nS25uO3qMhI2lT61ug1BfwVtFyy3jxGtf5Vu4_XTMfIIFsLnc-AflACtuonvMtiYB46ZnEVeEYA8qeS0ESOaUxT7OeOXWfScdtaisBXsAbkiWzeoOg4q75CwxVDxyCbR-_hQwbYf1DPGmHnKdGtzkr11NUMxCmurlwxM-sU5wku3L-C8bqFrVKn5XMAvc54lJ-GX-qTSMXGBSUUtunNDSTOF2YUds21BmpILZFgF8nVJ7OzNdzN_5QQXLLjdZetT1sEnsdEaVlz4OCPdvgbcAD0SLQ3Yqsywc_ADdyBMHftCZjais8DZX8dUOzirhBLxbBGOsRn0Da0pqlrK2BjuWj73SIX8dWAOhIrsiEuaWGuRZkyGd037DqLTMLeAHRwuHVGzVAcWH2lNXLtPzudLL0cz2lNSUCnKkYPhmttoHzb_lc-MzokoMHBU01QZ9KCXeNuDd46_0f1pT1TBuK0bWetDMeHByxA6DCeGASv8ctQuQ6e1O5LRSSDegFA=w589-h1047-no"></font></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A postponed meeting in Reach – provided a carrot</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/j3xrF8Q85q10PlAu1ilkpb6LVmP-XvcBzCqPmd__fzLYdSyaxm9CLOL41Te8yZFNqc9K0i4z6iv6RMGA_AB0VHYSLSD4uAcVxU4SrFr6Q1GCyHhq0a0Tc9uQ0BMx_XdnO5hLuRk7dNQBoVgWxdAmfxfNKIxWatoMamqRR85BKRp6-ZAGw_JJ-CBnG4nMq2O3XETRmW9G5ekyAtYDnGgWHLyY5ydxiuajPM-g7kPr71H5kPoCBRnvEJ5tUiEpAb2RUDHLqRVT2PHRsqN8PJNJqobyz4nh97YQJS2e1lKceHEet_LLFNQU1bXjzBDsVgJl8dkHssQ8cCeiS5FLFhCrEPgeO9BHtCwCz-fkwg_rx1Dzzn86P5Iz2EchMnSawmcYFLgm7PfYu3oyHu6pcdjQS3r9n0RsVBIGbgDzNwy1OubuCi3OxpseN18lKJFBTnP3tusUwIa2kwHz2LE7WwqO2eo5dEsnfo4uuOhA0w0d84PxnoyZDQl6Q87JCf5Y_T80bpPwYF3NizG1vunJTtioNW6b9yrwyCkcvRqx5aT7lPiESkwFmQPZesu5hI5mXOLhdOa5xw=w1344-h756-no" width="600" height="341"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Bacon and Onion Pie – a very tasty carrot</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GxNbv7OmAFAKSCp-zbOdH5_UQwcF_Bfa1taMm2kNbgd3sEs1RYpImoo__Du-ShB51XQVhNlk9KIXn0cyVAtolWG4w3ctY6rZXz-npyYBZhuO_J_LqStdqReYvD4bRdiefl13BiYqv3ZOu7-NCpyoFmRgFmGn-kQKIkBJ766Lm6qIgyMrO6WMz7MX-9pmhXWAnHUGEB393UwNWTfC1Pewq2f5fE4rjEjByZSA0Grj79U1-JOVX0rueMf54hDLpOgbAI48BrOKqY4TKGhaWyvU8zmw3tUzrXxBd-SRzeJ7dxdZKxl8BshDvgDC62ZaRhaCGDNYFYhxQs5RLCUXp9YgJ3Ln76ePRVfJKCwFHnthoomHKS7BIF-fI4GKZJ_CUWDNlsbVZX2JAR1iGIrNqjL2DilCUKOo0j5_xurArLn4CM0UtSLIWYbMs7odYtdbibioRc9o9y8IxonQb72OGorjr4hSZPZhI7aXAy7GM6DPAMcrtfWuqs2deGIiSLjFmmUOX8Yj895oSZ-cMnCLkyh5nT5SXCvNx8jyJqzGlKzdWQ3EixFQXgRCVtggOm4D95PaTzcWTg=w1344-h756-no" width="600" height="341"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Dark Peaty Fields on the ‘Long Way’ Way Home</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1jE6XaqEkrn83WS_gzZ31fkMbriREmTzHdrzFbNHDy0MUag5-TWr0BaIoqMXeKabe1ixXkdlCMgeFVrU3FTQBn5EvSQoUdpD5sToglRjK8-1-54qHGJMg7x8Z6NUxO1Q5yXJRzghe_KYpULu09lD0f_pWh2USqVrSEugaT_RqbY3Mo1SN3dMWCIkuF2QgIPauViEUi8CrcGZdWDbDYQrWKYK2uxEwfqfoJa2U7IgIZ4RyjaVV25rrBY9Fe6bVk7A_a2Nmo8-CCP6ISK3R-YlYNdG9JyHXv7xK7KPZwGYeU-hkEtVL5jZM57rJokhitb8fKZ5L_yBiw2C57TT5VeBPoXX8d2VV2Q42jyRDfuEdl6IC4P3FehVJC7nk3umu0F-tIvJ8P4gOACT8h4T57Lfbq5HJiX4lxSRMUUH-ZJ9cD_ofGSJ_zRMp7wfeUnlvTLAvEV6G86zBTLHS7Tzy6pN1_ObxHQP9lTsLGC2eZNyi9kkDVTKjRfQLPHy92uPADWnCFPErzGXAoShwOQQRvnEIM3DQnCPen_mLvMMfrafQ1IMezipqSbz20OQVzqN5lHJpq7oXA=w1344-h756-no" width="600" height="341"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Another Day and a Meeting in Cambridge (not on the R Cam)</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4TxFe3324aziv3U5H9c_VC9kabFYovAIL6pEG94iJv_cTo6goXMTjypTgaMi5VwgdGLXVk7Fw6lrbvzPGQhFVRNl88Zfm4TFaDxRDvSDROG8vCA4eKlhRBJLOXrYWg2cJJmgBt13Z5uq64kSQwlOuUM-NJBNumP1Tcqppeea2GTeTvis-yugk5Qz5kxn5P-bXL6J6zkjcuLlNF3w6IOoxIaJ8fQ_tbxWWe0w6z1tOWhHsuCyAPs35uy0OSfxkaqXIdt0B_e15-05k4aAGraURyFocq9desDwBlMOd73XrZl_AZYgjRqEILstYHG2AW7odG3nJuDMZ5TZfyxXMdcuDPzDwQCVHtNFNfAKmLz_S6IlhdUcvmkIBVxWCTKkhGoe8UcP6l5UyEeeuf2ojpfKRpmGA-EDvZtxPUjxEyFRvfGTLX0zPmmdZYxOYm6lJkUxS_Ihe-pI4jST-ineSni1pPUb4wu_ecp40h4vs5lv4ZiHq3hRRa_PRSV_hoKALxaBVJ5vzInrhlKQjqZ8qUpRpcjo2IOaF8gHreT1hO6wbblqZpMcAvG0rw3aN2x5Fp72G_eFAg=w1344-h756-no" width="600" height="341"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Still get Motor Vehicles on Pavements – Lode</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nt4LWTjwFUQguzNeZ1jROQvqyzFA6Wu7D5s7ZBnvVKAU-QkOhexLH-9ook9_OOOOWh5enogVyYgwaycqmeBlVSBy5IRDudm7n7TCqiIa9j7Qkc5azfkbT4E0Y3RxCXjsDFC1zEMxUSg5ZcvcdU4pxdfM64AYagJo64rNt4FxH8M8_3toIq6zMN3TqLWMr-3VLjxOVQSqwfg473MVil6HNICreeb7-jgIPr3G_I3ehA35vJV1omC1s-8mMDTdMe5Twx_YZtQJ2GuojmfozBvhTytayNSipljbtVenVJuiGY4_YtH6vfy47nQ-TA7vBCZPo0nTtiWljlcHT1QEcGUPPcY0iCP7I3AWScWocyc0qKsXyqZKxWQIRKfT0iR_--kwFOicQm8lJGFZqdprmi2Ll7qP25mgIRplO3ZJfXHDlIoY8s92fNsTazj2VO8iS_Mx2h0Ah6VtMBCuqMckmNcKikTONJKxvMIuJduUmdoiV-Mi6DVeG12ufGm5e2bKETx6s1tBEfuXzc3ZFSePE1C37-QKv59iusKdlEHau9CdH8YnUYPvA5A1VO5DrQSGP8BPx2BdEg=w1344-h1009-no" width="600" height="452"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Baker’s Fen – Wicken</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rlzpnm_GurhWYwoLG3LodgkIV-Nf8e-zMMZ6GYoCt9ZuycxPXP70xZqXgvJNutR_3UVr6oiIQTmyas--OGssoTvwk4xbVbg2t2pA3I9l5A4jX0ZoffbYKPDX6d3XdpVRXdjV1qhhf_R_V06piGeUDkGAyeekmxJVv5JlNeaQVPBGCbfJ4goodwiP9qF0oMX4ikmdEKPEFVBOYSRJdkEaZMUo47HfqmwRS4ymLSyUhWXxfW_1k3Y_DVf8yEIJx0RrzqlPgtDgtppf0mYje3U_9KmnrFHzXCsjaRA-NUH2D7VcZDQmOAUdG9FkfLdKWErpW7sczxfEZenN43YJd-IQDW1te08fgV8Sxrxffu9rVv5Tf9AEWFDoGP4ncQ1pV1hXJbrTTfzU_VVme9umD3GHip5mgmeFrDQcFv-ACyPiSfD9bEgOxz40R91o1Vr9ZXGwJHJAQ2if1-RfE1-neB1c4UYhHsWlDtI7Mee8u4IN5R71RHQW4NJ6VVdHhzR4Bx5uzhvMzkbGIioTs3jwB-WV4ETkTIn7rGK2pIQ-V5eyu2gSg-7_McnLAo8jHZLp-cZgJQ2lpw=w1344-h970-no" width="600" height="435"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Blossom – Wicken</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7-dxFAGx_oYy2lwXsQvmG3KY2npB7Q5Vwp-j6oApRYJ1JwRKYv95qP0vVNp8louLaRqY6Lwv_Yi-9Ied2QbyWo8kDyEAMyO-bOYpHu94sp_9em_Y31Vss9nVxgK939CLfhNLkXz6YvXuRYHFtrtGcfLOe67E621rH6l0Pb3cbmggl4iHczduDUUuzirXLtXFEK9ceiJEwid6UnH0ejXsVI8w9CWswkViLdbqO8QoHdQ9wQf3KOCen6YwBD5UqESBFvNqsabHNj7kNobXtsilm4NMKGJipZ0Pn20yn7xNXWLQX-HjppIsHuh0mVkIzk6HPpHigYBJSyPrEK7TBObbns3RQjoIz3b5wETcOtD1iqJbPBwyTg5X_hVZf4e-5h712876u_Y15U2xiVMkwi1-49MA7cwMoRuDXCAb4nMLAnmvtVKeEf_H9vuDuod2kRUlTSv3vlenmKhcjU-EfZALgeSBwG4VXTXaf-eHNvwOeUnIRjh1zlXfLU1HV1BfBH8jxsH__NNRrZGRiyX3dvYt4W-M7l6YjyC6howK-NqDLPMNkaMpuCINTMI5Uu_tEU1G_IAA6w=w1344-h955-no" width="600" height="428"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Those Dark Fields near Reach – on a Sunnier Day</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MqSEUvLzFPwHhvr90bO2JXh30zycCsfSpC7Nw-YDRkuFRyT4GO0k04fongxrF0jz9ddIxd7x94MZpT_FiWnVtBVCXJreKdAEl35-9WktMc2-0tTuVZYrKxkp7MPR2MrXSu5gP3d-JTF9_8kwxAUbEULYwsvRPLTctfYJ_MjNWOfl2ymmAQKages4ZbK4yxvkgNw9N1fkLUJVhrZJ471Slr5inSzLIme5C78FHes4uPNrZRL68U_fYB_HooCsyqAwT8uVyuw65-83zMsRe1-_c_pzWfqlFkXcCsMKTM9mJvTAP6l5Np3KOIlxWRuDsFfZO2wbSHDtIH8_t92_rYNrszWGz90mF8ASr-uIDHWa-tpIZ359Q9kLGoAmwPMQdZ9R484Q1bbkyO_nuIm7ya3FxP5UUMmeuR6ac_HS8Qj8UmfEcQ0w15ElChWwltPEXARYt_jXBtnZb5-Q4F1305EPjvZA4vbLS8XKF_IraCqoryjOyN4-v_dng_FTrQ7uUnmwn2i1jC4WdOH75_amajXevEF40cae7Xvzn2jZbpYLmTzqhUNae9hZ5hJMBMexyi7THm4UHQ=w1344-h939-no" width="600" height="421"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Headlake Drove aka NCN11 aka Lodes Way</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BB3_HAQil-MbEMZub6adUJ7NUsA80yg51E1UCN0KYifZCdmfWtsSm5F9ipuiQfN26X66gzOVvDN7kR37Mw-MmF6_G5gi3q8le-34vKeuUdsOh7fnqTqQuHRvKTSIWGw1JdIpW0ejAGFqt2xrc-BE2OndBULK0zVf2PahN8zXF0iGtKiheiC0Py-OqXr2h7SL67lBueWEsGFpFsimdfqtUuurBISG0ku7MICcWgraI_qNBuZvTiwKAxtS9mNlnYNydjsnoYwxzvIt9E-DHX5JIGYmqTH_UU8vNgaaIdbihzLy2BAdCvEd89CCiu_3alqnMAzltE0NZiSc3oBV57IJFQJEiIxCGMBRUA05YQaD8U-e03X3WyaAslrhIA8nLeKBW2l1l9DX2msP_d3uUjqw9XRptw8HPCSyonI35jn2WZttSJYd0Jyv1f4-Cj-08oyO8P-oTck3gQACXwpYfIdEQUp6EyVa_Sa2-yk6pdnpo62OU2LugJbahmMwvDulrCrABUSsIhwGoKlajr4nhLdTcRRPf7plfZdIJzJ-TnA-AlN0TtlYRG57qQJklz5_W-sH_p3QPQ=w1344-h725-no" width="600" height="327"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Ely Cathedral – from Barway</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TKDrEkDH3ctKO6BLDrJ5mn_QOs0JWBxLDATZw42mV4uyCVKFnNv4NhOny-1ELBaeKNlnvZQVdLbNRN4dZqKAeXM8Ufo-cS4h4zKzFSlcJHzCVnB98Tl_QJ3IvpNu0Q3MaZwKMcS_WEwoOdR0KeItVV3-ydfC0ULz_JMvu0q3O0zRKbwuLgPuxRTNDnLd9IWpysqoakfnJaObBygxRn4RuzwoDmlMUZSb8rbvxmqaytX1bMqGdlYhoZx2RI3eKdAQdmpOMevvyHAfvS6UXRs7Nbol4JljFarTdLJz5XVimRMoLRifn2MJWJm6AT8pITLpnaTjXAVtuk0RHUVCIJou_qOXgSwGk82WWdzmEF00qEmjVwWKFAyfQnHU3n2JJr3dogZC8QKIb2RNibZVH39uBfXDWeYtw9yDSWIAh_KdEtjc7n_qIgQm4zktxfKkDRPR2wicgoiyk16YnWGwHOdi87xEFId3uNAM5Ro7_7F8VqLMJIEC8b6zhQf9MSowVcRqYGbjsc2Fza19edNjAH808ar8g2qLqBE0DVjdlGzM7AxducAmm6YPZg2Bg0NRhcxR_mtfvw=w1344-h611-no" width="600" height="277"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Swaffham Bulbeck Lode</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u4Jxhk2iC8URLoWspScvobzmxaKYszMaVj0UgaAO2Xg5SgmyFJfFSl9nSCvnBFBE8AzqITTn2ngBKHmRm--IKzbwW48xLrrnK-kZf3-ftA3UGc2DQw2cSrRv3GPvGa9MskvuAX0uV7-VYr-6nIvtS4i5NB3QCPOOof-HvyFIyfRazh8BGlbPOJsgXH03EdktJ2ftVQVIGRk6d30CqyIU27KMxWli7d0VDh-5xeuu8yC26AwP3MYSySF7Lx338I3P_ZtTL0XKpW3G-_Ymq1YXgMvRVS_yxQN2OM23eEHOvQnBI8XiCpHb0XJS7tuGT2scS6GSa7HOCd62QBxKG9JDcIGA8hajjrwkeslpzhOXv1hpOna-CQYR9RbR_xhgMDufmFQbFha8nWviFaQsYegiOMhsRdKTalv1QOZDc86v7f0ZaX6eR_EGKUjz-f2L0O3z-5YO4AQQH1MI6exnvUOWzzda18LC-PC9fhlGTcPnNfpV30xKsq5D0Ur96TOxdBSFgyaVgT9Xxd0TEAl4L16CDW6i9OpIiHl34CszwisJCZRYSRkEa0RxMdEiDJGhTgrLnyOrew=w1344-h993-no" width="600" height="445"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Fenland Jelly Babies queuing for a Bacon Roll on Barway Bridge</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/f7xW2lrf186JY_d06LgsPjfA0hcf1fgZtfUd3OcMV0NC_5gVCPFC8-uqEW1NKCljYUzi3BjXTF_WlahrNaH6hfupBg_a4tu0HBuZQcEtWjwzJQXRn_KlV5IBDslDJUqwb9kyTwZwU44eWbWM05wdSutbzORYGyouCnowAhMyQ6c0Zb_JXsGHskyf7b4Z8wxpUC4lv3jJSmgBiDWzia_ePd_kMh2V_cIXvNTFb1qM55PyRTb98do9PchV7VcMNVcRBIC3TO53WvJBEv1Rx4i6m3l5q5c5fcGXpqZsqEAtA2AFvAzYzUqxwBavttOsgZCoxlXn6BrndOL2D5gSQmYFlgIwrgW0xFuOoZt6mt-hif_kyka3nNIgHDuBtBxl79a4DG_CC7KVUx5f4rqGJmX-_AN2Pb-JqoqxMglVdNuDhhVi753xxvaAyCSLBWexPaQEXLIDKlZ_5suPLAdh1pVTdB1WIyn6XX4NlCVj3DoaSY_U_lfITF5sf20YZjpPOhCso0MmMCINlHZiBHzM9vWzxbNwRbfniXnNXbrShTFhcfjsNqS-RC1wP-eg2RlBCZLOfs4HPA=w1344-h756-no" width="600" height="341"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-71561660064621895152015-12-21T17:20:00.001+00:002015-12-21T17:27:21.247+00:00Infrastructure–can we have it joined up please<p><font color="#008080" size="2">I had the pleasure of cycling on the new bit of the <a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.1941/0.1677">Tins path</a> in Cambridge. It is a shared-use route for pedestrians and cyclists that connects the top end of Mill Road with Cherry Hinton – well almost.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">(Note: The current Open Live Writer does not have spell checking – so forgive me for my typos please.)</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Some of the new Tins Path – between Cherry Hinton and Mill Road</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rANrPspc6Zg/Vnf_RqMjlTI/AAAAAAABeLI/CwoZZPQz0hY/s1024-Ic42/P1750481.JPG" width="540" height="407"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A <a href="http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2015-12-13/riding-into-cambridge-easier-after-opening-of-cycle-path/">former footpath has been widened and the pedestrian and cycling areas separated, using coloured tarmac and a white line</a>. As far as cycling facilities go, here in the UK it is at the top end of quality. As you can see it suffers from the usual swapping around of pedestrian and cycle paths. It is flat and fairly straight. (There is a kink you can just about see further into the picture. However someone has thought about things like lamppost placement.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I personally cannot stand the ridged bits of yellow concrete that seem to be used widely wherever pedestrians and cyclists might cross paths. They run in the direction of travel and the little kick the ridges give to the wheels as you run along them can be most disconcerting, particularly at night and in the wet. I reckon the best thing to do is take them at speed so that the bike’s momentum minimises the hit on the balance. However I don’t see other cyclists complaining so it must just be me.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Now it seems to be blindingly obvious to me that with the huge amount of <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-green-belt-saved-fresh-local-plan/story-28142050-detail/story.html">development taking place around Cambridge and its surroundings</a> (40,000+ homes) that there is going to be a huge pressure on to get in and out of Cambridge during the rush hour. Unfortunately our past and present Governments have seen fit to preside over the rundown of public transport, a decline in funding for cycle infrastructure and an <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwickeGaqu3JAhXDWBoKHd8ICiQQFghHMAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fresearchbriefings.files.parliament.uk%2Fdocuments%2FSN02658%2FSN02658.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGP-OD1kNdFMsRwbsgZp-ri0SpF2g&sig2=8Nc2kr_CyVmbUK_GlZ9sDw&bvm=bv.110151844,d.d2s">increase in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured</a>. Small wonder we have an <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/statistics-and-causes-of-the-obesity-epidemic-in-the-UK.aspx">obesity epidemic</a> and that the police regularly have to <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Police-Cambridge-schools-crackdown-bad-parking/story-28348250-detail/story.html">crackdown on parking near Cambridge Schools</a> (Cambridge News!). I wont get started about pollution – noise and air, or climate change. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We know that Cambridge traffic is already awful and that there really isn’t much space to build new roads, either in the city or near to the major places of employment. In Cambridge we have our “transport chiefs” seemingly patting themselves on the back for holding the “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Massive-surge-cycling-tide-motorists-Cambridge/story-28169767-detail/story.html">tide of motorists</a>” back in Cambridge, whilst the motorists claim any road schemes are anti-motorist. Apparently there has been a 15% reduction in traffic entering the city along with an 88% increase in cyclists.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It seems to me that given the huge increase in population in and around the city particularly near some of the major routes into the city there needs to be a foundational change to transport in Cambridge. (<a href="http://www.wingcambridge.co.uk/">Cambridge Wing</a> – 160 acres – <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Marshalltown-Company-submits-plans-1300home-Wing-development-east-Cambridge/story-22365823-detail/story.html">up to 1,300 homes</a>. c.f. <a href="http://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Burwell%20Socio-Economic%20Report1_0.pdf">Burwell 2,386 households</a>.) If we don’t then the already intolerable congestion will get worse, a bit of fiddling around the edges won’t do. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So the decrease in traffic is due to the intolerable congestion already present, the increase in cyclists “driven” by the intolerability of driving. For instance all the work taking place at the railway station must surely have affected transport choices for those wishing to use the train. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So whilst I welcome the current cycling infrastructure improvements both in progress and on the horizon for Cambridgeshire I can’t help but feel that they represent too little too late. So what has brought on the moan. Well cycling along the Tins, there is quite a nasty pinch point where it crosses the <a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/52.19529/0.16324">Cambridge – Ipswich Railway line</a>. There is also another pinch point at the other end – <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.1916537,0.1741719,3a,75y,137.69h,73.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIGHEDwkXcgJHRVYXuaOsnQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">Orchard Estate</a>. The worst thing is that the path doesn’t even reach the High Street before it turns into a road and you are at the mercy of the Cherry Hinton chicanery. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Returning along the Tins is even harder. If you follow this <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.1902937,0.1769117,3a,75y,179.09h,91.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQUp-jQhn9n6Mjv5gTcLRJQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">Streetview link</a>, heading towards the railway line you find a cycle lane and bollard getting in the way of a right turn onto <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.1900392,0.1767055,3a,75y,355.29h,76.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saYuJ49b71qo_ZVCRv5egiA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">Railway Street</a>. I have been cycling for a long time and am not easily bullied by impatient motorists, but for the sake of a quiet life this would stop me using the extension to the Tins path. A grotty right turn of the High Street and then narrow “shared-use” path would put me off, I would stick to turning at the traffic lights by the church.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Now don’t get me wrong I really like the fact that the work has been done on the Tins, however I can’t help but feel that more courageous decisions need to be made to make alternate modes of transport more appealing if we are to see an improvement in the flow of people around Cambridge. I am sorry but to all you motorists driving around all alone in your tin boxes the time has come to switch to a more efficient mode of transport – one that makes better use of the limited space. The bonus is a bit of fresh air and exercise into the bargain. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I know that I sound like a whinging cyclist, but in Cambridge space is in short supply so there needs to be a space tax so that we make more effective use of that space. Otherwise we will all suffer the misery of congestion. Yes even cyclists get caught up in the congestion around Cambridge.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It rather seems to me that someone somewhere in charge of Cambridge transport has a fetish for convoluted cycle routes. Try cycling along NCN51 from Quy into the City Centre. There are right angle-bends, low priority crossings, side roads galore, cattle grids with narrow gates and conflict with people just wanting a casual stroll through the park.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Stourbridge Common – NCN51 to the right</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VJVpQ_R2U7k/VnbqlgXEb0I/AAAAAAABeJM/GJZ123rvFXM/s1152-Ic42/P1750505_06_07_08_09_10_11_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="540" height="403"></font></p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">Another example – the excellent <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/plans-Cambridge-s-13m-Chisholm-Trail-unveiled/story-26849838-detail/story.html">Chisholm Trail</a>, is gathering support – look at it – not the most joined up of routes. Bite the bullet Transport Chiefs – make it straighter and give it priority over the motor traffic. (Another larger map of the <a href="http://www.gccitydeal.co.uk/citydeal/info/2/transport/1/transport/6">current route is here</a>.)</font></p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">Another example of poor infrastructure – <a href="http://travellingtheguidedbusway.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-wrong-kind-of-bollard.html">The wrong kind of bollard?</a>. A seriously broken collarbone because someone thought bollards along a cycle path were a good idea.</font></p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">PS OLW – Open Live Writer – works for me - thanks to those making it happen.</font></p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">PPS – This is the calibre of our highways boss – “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/consider-charging-cyclists-Cambridge-congestion/story-28398105-detail/story.html">Cyclists should be considered for a Cambridge congestion charge</a>”. What hope do we have?</font></p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-50131299470214982192015-12-19T22:32:00.001+00:002015-12-19T22:33:50.417+00:00Infrastructure–my pennyworth<p><font color="#008080" size="2">To be continued…</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I am going to write my thoughts – but in the meantime I am checking that I can actually use Open Live Writer to publish my posts.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">LSS – Microsfot (sic) have stopped updating Live Writer, Google changed their authentication method, Live Writer stopped being able to publish to my Blog.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Along came <a href="http://openlivewriter.org/">Open Live Writer</a> – but wasn’t quite ready for the new authentication method, but now it is yay.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The post will follow… Honest</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Meanwhile here is a picture:</font><font color="#008080" size="2"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The Wintery, but Warm Fens</strong></font><img style="display: inline" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lOoR46QqoSs/VnRZEXtphTI/AAAAAAABeHk/nw4THjldNoQ/s1024-Ic42/P1750482_3_4_5_6_7_8_Painterly.jpg" width="626" height="480"></p>Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-38747840936024501752015-12-14T12:26:00.000+00:002015-12-14T16:45:34.338+00:00Punctures again.<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Brilliant - Blogger changes its method of authentication and Live Writer is going open source - Microsoft can't be *ssed presumably. They stop working - open source comes to the rescue - but OLW doesn't work either. I find myself unable to post the newly written post.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The moral is - you can't really depend upon stuff continuing to work on the Internet - time passes and stuff gets dumped.<br /><br /> Is there a Wiki version of Blogspot - I can see I am going to have to look around for alternatives. <br /><br /> How do others create their posts -for Blogger? <br /><br /> Perhaps Wordpress would be an alternative - any feedback.<br /><br /> The post I wrote and had to bodge across is below. Arghhh - How to get the text sizing to work... Sorry. I had to scrub all text formatting and add it again - hence the change of style. Sorry again.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Punctures - again</span></h3>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I hate punctures, I happily go for slower tyres if it means fewer punctures. My son rang me the other week and asked if he could pop over to help him fit some tyres. His girlfriend’s bike was in need of replacement tyres and he had gotten some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on my recommendation. However when he came to fit them he found it impossible.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> He turned up on Saturday morning with two tyres, as it happens I had also got a puncture to fix – the front tyre on my road bike had split – much like the rear tyre, they were both </span><a href="http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/road-reader/durano-plus.html" style="color: #0b5394;">Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">, nice tyres – but – once split very prone to going puncturing again. I have also fitted them with Slime inner tubes and so far it was something like 4.5 to Slime and 0.5 to punctures. It is a bit odd when you run over a sharp thing. The tyre makes a phsst noise with each revolution of the wheel. Generally it takes three revolutions and the puncture gets sealed. I don’t generally even bother to put more air in the tyre when I am out – partly because the small pump I carry would struggle to add much air at a decent pressure.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I might well try to patch up the Durano tyres – but if so I will leave that until the Summer – when there is less grit on the roads and also when roadside repairs are much less tedious to carry out. So the road bike has gone onto Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres – well the rear tyre had and I decided to fit the replace the Durano at the front as well. Normally I wait until my wife is out and then use the kitchen table in the Winter, but with my son popping over the kitchen table was cleared for bike maintenance duties. Sons get it easier than husbands when they have left home it seems.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">So we had a tyre-fitting “masterclass”. Although it was that masterly. I fitted his first tyre – with the aid of my new </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NQAQGSQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00" style="color: #0b5394;">Park TL4.2 tyre levers</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">. It went on quite well, although getting the last bit of the tyre onto the rim took more effort than I usually find. I left the second tyre as an exercise for my son and started to fit my new tyre. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">He got his second tyre on – but must have nicked the inner tube with a tyre lever – so it had to come off and fix the nick and then back on again. (As time was running out – I also got the tyre off for him – again harder than I am used to.) The second time around we spent a lot of time massaging the tyre into the rim to maximise the slack at the other end. Even then it took a bit of careful tyre lever work.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> All the tyre fitting must have used up my gumption (see Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for the reference). The tyre did not lie flat – it had a bit of a kink. I even tried using zip ties to stop it springing off as I worked my way around the rim. I reckon it took me as much time to fit my one tyre as my son’s two tyres. I will have to remember to ensure the tyre gets a bit of flattening next time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I do wonder what his girlfriend will do if she gets a puncture whilst out and about. Personally I would cycle on the flat tyre – they were so tight that they would probably be ok for a few miles. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> In the process I also showed him how to fit new brake blocks and get them sorted – thankfully it was very straightforward, which is what I had expected, until the tyre battles got me worried. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">I noticed that Ben Hayward Cycles are now offering a Tannus tyre fitting service. </span><br /><br />Suffering with punctures? Now fitting Tannus tyres. Flat free peace of mind. <a href="https://t.co/nrTNVxOGVU">https://t.co/nrTNVxOGVU</a><br /><br />— Ben Hayward Cycles (@BenHaywardCycle) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenHaywardCycle/status/674634983844261890">December 9, 2015</a><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">It will be </span><a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/product-news/puncture-proof-install-solid-tyres-146970" style="color: #0b5394;">interesting to see how they ride</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">. I would certainly consider using them – well on my hack bike that I use when I have to park in Cambridge’s mean streets (mean for cycle theft anyway). Apparently they are good for around 6,000 miles. Using the magic of the internet </span><a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/bike-accessories/tannus-nymph-solid-tyres" style="color: #0b5394;">here is a review</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">. Definitely worth thinking about.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">Whilst talking about mileage – I hit my revised cycling goal for the year of 12,000Km/~7,500miles. What I have found though is that what with the windy, gloomy and wet weather and having reached my goal getting out for a ride has become harder again! I really don’t know how Steve Abraham, who is one of two cyclists trying to beat the </span><a href="http://ultracycling.com/sections/records/data/hamr/" style="color: #0b5394;">Highest Annual Mileage Record</a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> does it. It must require significant mental and physical toughness to go out every day doing the miles they do. Chapeau</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I hate the grime on the roads at the moment and I also find the various byways and bridleways that I routinely cycle on offputtingly muddy, but I much prefer not to be cycling where there are loads of motor vehicles. Having said that I have been working in the centre of Cambridge a few times and I can generally get in via Midsummer Common and avoid too much of the traffic. Although I find the the turn into </span><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2034831,0.1234966,3a,75y,295.06h,79.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sT_sZRYDyB5jZLbRxBOZzNg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DT_sZRYDyB5jZLbRxBOZzNg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D55.129852%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656" style="color: #0b5394;">Downing Street from St Andrew’s Street</a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> can be a little dodgy. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">Generally the cyclists pile up alongside buses at the lights with most cyclists ready to turn left. Although I have nearly been rear-ended by a cyclist who obviously was so used to “turn left on red” that they couldn’t imagine I would stop. The thing is that pedestrians cross at that corner and in the hierarchy of perceptions of danger; motorists jumping red lights is really, really bad, cyclists jumping red lights is bad, well pedestrians crossing red lights is just one of those things to be expected! As only cyclists can turn left at this junction (coming the Regent St direction) most pedestrians either don’t realise or don’t care that I might be heading down Downing Street. If I do have the temerity to ring my bell I often get a cross look.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I don’t reckon that the crossing lights are very obvious to pedestrians, nor the cyclists might be coming through. Whilst I am moaning I do like the fact that the route from Parker’s Piece onto Regent Street is light controlled, however it can create </span><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2018496,0.1250366,3a,75y,64.26h,64.8t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1P0WPPwUx9IwC79aeQEDeA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D1P0WPPwUx9IwC79aeQEDeA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D53.036888%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656" style="color: #0b5394;">conflict between cyclists and pedestrians</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">, since waiting cyclists can unintentionally block the pavement. The same is true of the Maid’s Causeway Crossing from Midsummer Common. to get to the buttons you have to cycle up to the lights and end up blocking the pavement. Yes I know you could roll back, but it gets busy and you can end up with a queue of cyclists behind.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> Whilst I suppose something is better than nothing it does highlight the way in which too often the provision for cyclists and pedestrians brings them into “conflict” too often. My general rule of cycling to meetings is if it is dry when I head out to go for it. There is also a point where if I leave it too late then I have to cycle as it is the quickest most reliable way into the city centre. I did take a dry set of clothes with me on one day, I didn’t need them, but it was pouring when I cycled home and I was “encouraged” to change from my wet clothes to my dry clothes just inside the back door as the kitchen floor had just been washed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> A few pictures from the week – I have been contributing to the #badlyparkedbike display of irony. Why does it matter. Well in my opinion the roads are getting more dangerous for cyclists, not radically so, but the injuries and deaths figures for cyclists are going in the wrong direction. I feel that part of the problem is that cycling and cyclists are treated as inferior when it comes to funding and designing facilities. Yet at the same time we have </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/uk-pushing-for-limits-air-pollution-relaxed-documents-reveal" style="color: #0b5394;">Governments wringing their hands about pollution</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">, we have significant deaths each year attributed to pollution. The same government goes on about the cost of the NHS and also Obesity and its related problems. Yet the obvious elephant in the room is that we seem unable to see motoring for what it is – a major factor in the causes. Talk about </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inattentional_blindness" style="color: #0b5394;">inattentional blindness</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"> I drive, I own a car and have done so since is was 18. (Well there was a period when I had a company car). I need encouragement not to use it and yet I cycling is something I have enjoyed since I could first ride a bike. If I need encouragement then what about those that are scared to cycle – even the Cambridge PCC said he wouldn’t cycle in Cambridge. The trouble is most responses tend to be piecemeal rather than strategic the outcome of a planned approach with targets and measures. An example of this – “</span><a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Police-Cambridge-schools-crackdown-bad-parking/story-28348250-detail/story.html#ixzz3uHPRf87S" style="color: #0b5394;">Police name Cambridge Schools in crackdown on bad parking</a><span style="color: #0b5394;">”. (Note this links to the Cambridge News so you have been warned.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">I almost got door’d when cycling through a village – it was close enough that it was an instinctive swerve that save me. Yes I could have cycled further in the middle of the road – but then I would have been on the other side, in danger I had put myself in. The second dooring incident was as I cycled along a road with parked cars along one side a woman walked around to the drivers side saw me coming and without looking to see what was the other way swung her door wide and climbed in. Her “right” to climb into the car was more important than my safety. Many motorists really do think that a car trumps a bicycle when it comes to the rights of way on the road. </span><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#Badlyparkedbike - Exning<img height="475" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-otxdOXSgSTM/Vm6Ri8JeJVI/AAAAAAABeE4/HhmOqL4mYjo/s1152-Ic42/P1750476_7_8_Default.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Having said that – this is also the sunset season.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking across Ditton Meadows towards Cambridge<img height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pRtpi7gyvok/VmdkcqssgyI/AAAAAAABd-I/P-nxvx-4q50/s1440-Ic42/20151208_153539.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
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Bakers Fen – Wicken Fen<img height="257" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GrXG_TWwIx0/VmDG6QN_svI/AAAAAAABdz8/el2NAYsOC5g/s1440-Ic42/P1750409_10_11_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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An Ivy-clad Tree – dying in a hedgerow<img height="415" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BVEFHB4ZRrM/Vl8kw6Vwe7I/AAAAAAABdyM/LCgBkI3cUhI/s1280-Ic42/P1750391_2_3_Photographic.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-53457520889144489162015-12-02T11:34:00.001+00:002015-12-02T11:34:00.385+00:00Thoughts for the week… Punctures and games<p><font color="#008080" size="2">I reckon that the last month has been pretty gloomy and I generally find it harder to get out on my bicycle in the gloom, especially when it is windy and the sorts of roads I cycle on are covered in “my-tyre” seeking sharp bits of grit.</font></p> <p><font size="2"><font color="#008080">However thanks to the wonders of “</font><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification"><font color="#008080">gamification</font></a><font color="#008080">” I cycled further in November than any previous month for the last couple of years. (It was 1,815Km if you were wondering). I blame my son, he tracks his running and cycling on Strava, so I joined up. I also took up the Monthly distance challenge of 1,250Km and despite the gloom and the wind and the rain it added another extra push to whatever it is that gets me cycling. A couple of weeks ago I even went out for a 200Km ride, which is not something I would normally think about in the Winter months.</font></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The good news is that it makes me feel a little more cycling-fit and makes distances shrink just that little bit.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A View from the Green Wheel – Peterborough – River Nene</strong></font><font color="#008080" size="2"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tEsIYWIL19Q/VkMaW3LjgxI/AAAAAAABdUE/gtIGYiXDp78/s1024-Ic42/P1750200_1_2_3_4_5_6_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="638" height="480"></font></p> <p><font size="2"><font color="#008080">The bad news is that I have had to deal with three punctures over the last few weeks as well. For a change I have been using Schwalbe </font><a href="http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/road-reader/durano-plus.html"><font color="#008080">Durano Plus tyres</font></a><font color="#008080">. Because I hate fixing punctures when my bike is muddy and it is wet and dark I have also been using slime inner tubes. I have been using slime inner tubes on my MTB for quite some time and they have massively reduced the problems of flats. So much so that when I replace my MTB tyres I will probably go tubeless. At least on MTBs I am sold on the concept. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">My first trial using the Durano Plus tyres and slime inner tubes on my road bike (Willow) was a ride to Kings Lynn and back. It is a round trip of around 100 miles and following the first rule of enjoyable cycling I was heading out against the wind and would be pushed home by the wind. A few miles shy of Kings Lynn, I had settled into a rhythm and was looking forward to the turn-around when psssshhhhht, pssssshhhht,… and the back started to go very wobbly. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">To cut a long story short, there was a centimetre cut in the back tyre. The slime (green) was evident, but struggling to patch what was quite a big hole. I positioned the hole near the bottom and pumped some air into the tyre. (200 pumps using my mini-pump) It seemed to be holding, but my mini-pump which hardly ever sees the light of day was past its best. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><font size="2"><strong>Durano Plus Puncture</strong></font><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rxF4ufmu1ZY/Vl7T0H_-K7I/AAAAAAABdwU/6QWiJHxeHJ8/s1024-Ic42/2015-11-25%25252015.29.21.jpg" width="459" height="480"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I set off, I had spare tubes and patches, but the bike was filthy, no mudguards and lots of muddy silt on the road gave the bike an organic look. Should I stop and head back to Watlington and catch the train back to Cambridge or should I carry on, or should I patch the tube. I decided to carry on to Kings Lynn and make a decision there. I had to stop a couple of times on the way to Kings Lynn to pump the tyre up. The hole was too much for the slime and after a quick bit of mental arithmetic (about probability) I reckoned that the hole in the tyre was bound to get more grit and so I opted to let the train take the strain.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It took another three stops to pump up the tyre to get home from the station. The annoying thing is the tyre was only around 11 days old (about 1,000Km though). So what to do. I am going to patch it, with super-glue (or a rubberised version) but I am probably going to wait until the summer months before putting it back on again. I am going to switch back to Schwalbe Marathon Plus and since the slime inner tube did help me get home I am going to put a new slime tube in. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><font size="2"><strong>Ely Cathedral – lit by the Evening Sun</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h51h3CR_rf0/Vl6yaJ6LsxI/AAAAAAABdvY/nMD0aAFXx1o/s1152-Ic42/P1750360_1_2_3_4_5_6_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="640" height="471"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><strong>A Heron along the banks of the Great River Ouse - on my way to a puncture</strong></font><font color="#008080"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9SA_5dwQ3rE/VlYNc_q0K3I/AAAAAAABdms/MfZotxPh1ZY/s1280-Ic42/P1750298.JPG" width="640" height="404"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080"></font> </p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><strong>Christmas is Coming – Soham</strong></font><font color="#008080"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9et0Fr7dm2E/VlM8_68mFMI/AAAAAAABdiA/Gci9O82EvY4/s1024-Ic42/P1750284_85_86_87_88_89_90_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="639" height="480"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080"></font> </p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><strong>Fen Skies – it was a chilly evening</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m3zLIXZBLZw/VlM9C8aTBNI/AAAAAAABdiI/E5gW5UFmgUg/s1152-Ic42/P1750291_2_3_4_5_6_7_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="459" height="480"></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><strong>Leafy Cycle Ways</strong></font><font color="#008080"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jwIM5u-U1DQ/VjubZBorMHI/AAAAAAABdIw/OTn5PvcBFfQ/s800-Ic42/P1750181_2_3_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="360" height="480"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080"><strong>Evening Sun</strong></font><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-09d_TuIqz0k/VjZu8F5j-dI/AAAAAAABc-E/g433MdfVf2M/s1024-Ic42/P1750129.JPG" width="637" height="480"></p> <p><font color="#008080"></font> </p> <p><font color="#008080"></font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-90650070457836731242015-11-19T15:29:00.001+00:002015-11-19T15:30:36.035+00:00Another post–at long last<p><font color="#008080" size="2">There is an inverse correlation between my cycling and my blogging. Well I suppose something has to give. I am ahead of last years distance cycled (2014-6,280miles) already at 7,050 miles cycled. Although as I track my distance in kilometres last year was a shade over 10,000Km and this year’s goal was the same but I have now revised it up to 12,000Km.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">In case you were wondering I use kilometers because the first cycling odometer I got was set for Km and I have logged my distances that way ever since. My records don't go back that far though. They go back to 19th August 1994 - 21 years, which if my use of Excel is right works out at 157,251Km (or 97,711miles according to Google, although I generally multiply by 5/8).</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Of course just because there is a correlation doesn’t mean there is causation. I do know that if a make a habit of doing something I generally keep at it. I fell out of the blogging habit 8 months ago it seems. What I really ought to try and do is a post a week, which perhaps ought to be a new year resolution. What I probably ought to do is program my calendar to send me an email reminder each week. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">To cap it all the way I used to insert pictures in my blog has changed. I hope this one works.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Recent picture from a ride on the Peterborough Green Wheel</strong></font></p> <p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tEsIYWIL19Q/VkMaW3LjgxI/AAAAAAABdUE/gtIGYiXDp78/s1024-Ic42/P1750200_1_2_3_4_5_6_Painterly%2525202.jpg" width="638" height="480"></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-65323153368037740892015-02-23T11:14:00.001+00:002015-02-23T11:14:06.798+00:00For whom the bells toll! (Or the start of a long-term test)<p><font size="2"><font color="#008080"><strong>Sunday, 22nd<sup>th</sup> February 2015</strong>: Well I have managed to write another post without a gap of several months. My previous habit was to take pictures every time I went for a ride, whether for business of pleasure and then Blog about it, along with anything else, cycling-related, that cropped up in the world and caught my attention. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I am.changing my approach a little, there are still things that catch my attention and still pictures taken on my travels that I want to show, but I am going to cut back on the same-old-same-old. Mind you that is easier said than done. My previous blogging habit provided a routine that meant I would load my pictures and start my blog post based around those pictures, the post might have taken a wee while to then get published but it did sit there to remind me. I have yet to start a new habit that will provide the same “nagging” window to get something done. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This means that although I have thought about several things to blog about, ranging from the <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/142214-governments-road-safety-record-attacked-casualties-increase-sharp-growth-among">accident figures that show a sharp rise in cycling casualties</a> to transport strategy (or rather the lack of strategy in transport planning) through to my new bell, I have yet to even start the posts. Until now.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Last week I found myself working in the centre of Cambridge on four days of the week(Monday to Thursday) in two different locations. Now for me I reckon that most/all of the time, using a car is a bit of a non-starter in Cambridge, particularly when you have to travel during the rush hour and cannot be late. The snag though is when I have to be “reasonably” smartly dressed. I have yet to turn up at someone else’s office and have a shower so it means that I have to be careful about what I wear to cycle and how fast I cycle. Which translate into allow plenty of time.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Cycling to a work situation makes me pay more attention to the weather forecast with rain, wind and temperature being my mine careabouts. I also tend to wear my smarter (aka newer) cycling gear – it is less smelly!</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Last week was unusual in that on the 8 rides, 4 in and 4 back, I got wet on 3 rides. Although only one of those was on my way in. That is quite a “fail” rate, if I have even a small amount of leeway rain in these parts can be avoided more often. On the day I went into Cambridge in the rain I wore my cycling cape, it is pretty good and I find I don’t get so hot compared to a waterproof jacket and leggings, but it does act as a bit of a sail and hand signals are much harder as well. It does mean that the bottom half of my trousers – lower shin, do get wet. The cape works well when wearing shorts – it was a tad cold for that though.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I did have a slight mechanical during the week, the pinger fell off my bell. I much prefer to cycle away from traffic if I can. The trouble is despite Cambridge being perceived as being cycle-friendly much of the cycle infrastructure has been built on the cheap. Lots of the shared-use paths are really far too narrow, or swerve around 90 degree blind corners and I find a bell to be invaluable. The same is true when cycling on NCN51, although it is a Sustrans city to city route it does pass through some rural attractions such as Wicken Fen. At the weekend Wicken Fen gets very busy and it is pretty muddy at the moment and some of the visitors seem to resent making way for a cyclist, far less trouble to control their dogs.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So all my bikes have bells. I prefer single-pingers to multi-pingers and normally a couple of reasonable tings as I approach people does the trick. As I was cycling through town the pinger broke off. I don’t remember how old the bell is – but it has seen pretty good service. I reckon it has seen 10 or 2o thousand miles of riding.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Here it is in its pingless state. It feels odd cycling without a bell, every blind corner becomes a threat. So as I was on the east side of the city I decided to pop over to <a href="http://www.benhaywardcycles.co.uk/">Ben Hayward Cycles</a> in Horningsea for a replacement. Fortunately the shared-use paths were unusually clear – perhaps because it was half-term?</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The bell was pretty good – but occasionally the bell bit would catch and the ring would muffle and die out pretty quickly.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pingerless Bell</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:41df35ce-22f2-41c0-b863-a806d2f29e82" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-etqNWsZagAE/VOnFxYaM8AI/AAAAAAABMCc/rvYkm6wnCZU/s800/2015-02-19%25252010.00.01.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="343" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-etqNWsZagAE/VOnFxYaM8AI/AAAAAAABMCc/rvYkm6wnCZU/s600/2015-02-19%25252010.00.01.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pingerless Bell – released from active service</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a2d8af6c-904d-4b22-b5d9-2642a3834c23" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2XRE4CFgx4Y/VOnF-OCyN1I/AAAAAAABMBs/JznFi4gNuVI/s800/2015-02-19%25252010.03.25.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="564" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2XRE4CFgx4Y/VOnF-OCyN1I/AAAAAAABMBs/JznFi4gNuVI/s600/2015-02-19%25252010.03.25.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So I wanted something similar in terms of size and ability to locate it close to my left thumb on the handlebars. After all when you need a bell you probably also need the brakes. However I wanted something a little louder if possible. On another bike I have a bell that sounds long and clear with quite a pure tone, unfortunately I am not sure that people twig that it is actually a bicycle bell.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After some consultation in the shop this is what I ended up with – the “<a href="https://www.mirrycle.com/omnibell.php">Incredibell Omnibell</a>”. It is slightly larger and the “bell” bit has holes with all work to give it a louder ring, there are also some harmonics that help to distinguish the sound. The pinger can also be rotated to make it easier to reach.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As is common nowadays the bell attaches by means of a stretchy band rather than requiring a screwdriver. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Incredibell Omnibell</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:cbaa638b-e6e4-4fc1-ab3a-66988d1ee545" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7WTJvO6fa6I/VOnFotp_jMI/AAAAAAABMBU/hXcmg3oUr_A/s800/2015-02-19%25252009.59.19.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="435" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7WTJvO6fa6I/VOnFotp_jMI/AAAAAAABMBU/hXcmg3oUr_A/s600/2015-02-19%25252009.59.19.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The Omnibell in position – although I hadn’t twisted the pinger round. It was easy to fit and I reckon that the bell bit will probably not catch like the other bell. Here is a <a href="http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/incredibell-omnibell-bike-bell/">review – it gets 10/10</a>. I will wait and see. One thing I have noticed is that the bell isn’t as close to the brake as the last bell as the rubber strap is thicker. This means that I have to be careful when I hang my thermos flask next to it when heading out into the cold fens. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Omnibell in position</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7ed3282c-e55b-4b33-922f-654cdbfaad2b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VrBsbpAurTw/VOnF313jgAI/AAAAAAABMCY/qQYPH-LdMMc/s800/2015-02-19%25252010.02.30.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="343" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VrBsbpAurTw/VOnF313jgAI/AAAAAAABMCY/qQYPH-LdMMc/s600/2015-02-19%25252010.02.30.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So far so good. It works in the town and I have alerted a horse rider without scaring the horse too much either. It didn’t ring so loudly in the rain, but I wasn’t paying too much attention so I will check that out the next time I am cycling in the rain.</font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-86803422748696653382015-02-10T12:02:00.001+00:002015-02-10T16:20:31.992+00:00A rather late Happy New Year<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Tuesday 10<sup>th</sup> February 2015</strong>: This is the time that yet again I say “my how time flies”. What with one thing and another my Blog has taken a back seat. There have been too many other things to do/sort out and so this time around it was my Blog that didn’t get done. Most of the stuff has been good (fun times coding in MATLAB), and a brush with an MRI scanner also turned out to be ok for my wife. So mentally I have pencilled in the start of February for getting back to my Blog although even that slipped into February. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So where to start: a quick round-up of last year’s cycling distance I guess. </font></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Month</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Distance (Km)</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Distance (Miles)</strong></font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">January</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 503</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 315</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">February</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 610</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 381</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">March</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,085</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 678</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">April</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,150</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 719</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">May</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,066</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 666</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">June</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 719</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 450</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">July</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 870</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 544</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">August</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 868</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 543</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">September</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,004</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 627</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">October</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,077</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 673</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">November</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 682</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 426</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">December</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 416</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 260</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Total</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>10,050</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>6,282</strong></font></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I can’t complain, I managed to cycle more than I drove my car, despite a touring holiday in Scotland that accounted for 2,000-odd of my driving miles – well that is what it felt like. What I did notice is that with my cycling tailing off a bit during December all my back ache and knee twinge, well, twinged a bit more. So far this year I have cycled 900Km and am ahead of the same time last year and the aches and pains have abated. Regular exercise (of the cycling variety) certainly makes me feel better.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I am also still taking pictures as well – so here are a few highlights:</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> </p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Reach Lode Bridge is back in Action (16<sup>th</sup> Dec, 2014)</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:aa1e2aea-6442-42b5-9686-c36adfe3cdb3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 474px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6ejUrr4CNiQ/VJr1rhyDKhI/AAAAAAABBAs/hIkOoZakhB0/s800/P1670677_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6ejUrr4CNiQ/VJr1rhyDKhI/AAAAAAABBAs/hIkOoZakhB0/s600/P1670677_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" width="458"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Happy Smaug-mass – we watched the first of the two Hobbit films on DVD at home and then the final of film at the cinema – so as has been the tradition we had a non-traditional Christmas Cake – it was also delicious.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Happy Smaug-mas</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ecca8fe0-0317-4c0f-82c7-7e7b39f905e3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AHFZ0j0gkoI/VJ1ABPu5DjI/AAAAAAABBIo/6sUi7yRa8Wg/s800/P1670696.JPG" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AHFZ0j0gkoI/VJ1ABPu5DjI/AAAAAAABBIo/6sUi7yRa8Wg/s600/P1670696.JPG" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anglesey Abbey Mill – last day of the year</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:fc244763-0759-4046-900c-92ca7ace7d2c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_SNwEtuJCP0/VKlwLI9lJKI/AAAAAAABE0I/Env0XzHyOBs/s800/P1670702_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_SNwEtuJCP0/VKlwLI9lJKI/AAAAAAABE0I/Env0XzHyOBs/s600/P1670702_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A new year’s ride through a Frosty White Fen</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:09fa1fc2-ada1-438e-a751-47cd4d57bb4f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QAA5liZ7RB8/VKlxQOX3RcI/AAAAAAABEz8/5ksphAfCsWo/s800/P1670731_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="302" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QAA5liZ7RB8/VKlxQOX3RcI/AAAAAAABEz8/5ksphAfCsWo/s600/P1670731_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A Rainbow heading into Swaffham Bulbeck on NCN51</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a171ce3b-ea45-481f-8874-a3752ebe0378" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 451px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F3UFJzh4loI/VLVhtGeFpFI/AAAAAAABKoc/HWaZ0KyzyKk/s800/P1670773_4_5_6_7_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F3UFJzh4loI/VLVhtGeFpFI/AAAAAAABKoc/HWaZ0KyzyKk/s600/P1670773_4_5_6_7_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" width="435"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A pretty soggy ride along Gun’s Lane and Rampton Drift and Reynolds’ Drove</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c9fb670e-d5f5-4521-8acd-aaaf580495b4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v9F1C3tEklE/VME5YQvxBCI/AAAAAAABK60/zal3Pz5Bsgc/s800/P1670780_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-v9F1C3tEklE/VME5YQvxBCI/AAAAAAABK60/zal3Pz5Bsgc/s600/P1670780_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A very, very muddy ride along the Roman Road to Balsham – it got worse!</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:794c074b-237f-489a-aa20-bbb5420021c1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SEu1j8SfDac/VMJ9BYBQlMI/AAAAAAABLEw/haqbHcPu_D8/s800/P1670864_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SEu1j8SfDac/VMJ9BYBQlMI/AAAAAAABLEw/haqbHcPu_D8/s600/P1670864_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A deer in Burwell Fen, I have seen quite a few deer, a fox, some dead badgers (roadkill), short-eared and barn owls and quite a few herons. The highlight was seeing three <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/b/bullfinch/">bullfinches</a> in Wicken Fen. I bumped into the Swaffham Bulbeck Cyclist who pointed them out to me and let me view them through his new binoculars. They are on the RSPB watch list with an Amber status.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>“You looking at me” – Deer in Burwell Fen</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8731ca16-3416-41cf-94c1-0c56eba47d6c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kBpa84ENoKs/VNNr0RXF37I/AAAAAAABLfg/dr6y_j9Rbx0/s800/P1670985_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kBpa84ENoKs/VNNr0RXF37I/AAAAAAABLfg/dr6y_j9Rbx0/s600/P1670985_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Sometimes off the beaten track is more beaten than the beaten track!</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Harrison’s Drove, near Upware</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6da0336b-243b-4ff2-bc58-1b0ccf51e09a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pjFwaXpWu8k/VNXY8_2uYVI/AAAAAAABLi8/5qGnY_z5Jns/s800/P1670988_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pjFwaXpWu8k/VNXY8_2uYVI/AAAAAAABLi8/5qGnY_z5Jns/s600/P1670988_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I will try not to leave it a couple of months before the next update. </font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-25588987035556254992014-11-27T12:01:00.001+00:002014-11-27T12:01:58.256+00:00Reach Lode Bridge to be closed for repairs<div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a37e826a-2956-4c6a-b613-fc58c47bf65e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YZuhRl0mP6g/VGjWME7K-GI/AAAAAAAA_8E/tHMcJ0b33LM/s800/P1670235_6_7_tonemappedX.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YZuhRl0mP6g/VGjWME7K-GI/AAAAAAAA_8E/tHMcJ0b33LM/s600/P1670235_6_7_tonemappedX.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Sorry – been busy coding, sometimes late into the night. The trouble is it is quite a while since I have written much software and it is a new language. So whilst my brain says there must be some way of doing something, it doesn’t supply the code and I have to keep looking up the syntax. I am enjoying it though.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Even my cycling has dropped in priority. However as the bridge is shortly going to be closed I thought I’d better respond to the comment. Sorry for the delay. Just a shade under 6,000 miles cycled so far this year – so overall it has been a good year. I am hoping to get a few more miles in during December.</font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-673640895175648112014-11-11T19:10:00.001+00:002014-11-11T19:10:41.736+00:00A mid-mid week ride<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Tuesday, 19<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: At the beginning of the year I set myself a target for my cycling. Why? Well certainly not in a some uber-athletic attempt to shave a few seconds of my time-trialling, because I don’t time-trial, or indeed race or cycle that quickly. What I do know is that if I cycle regularly it makes all my day-to-day cycling so much more pleasurable. I also know that I feel better generally and whilst I could do with losing a few pounds (in weight) the cycling does help in the battle. So by having a target it encourages me to cycle even when I have no other reason to do so, in fact even when I feel like being lazy it helps me get. The result is that I always end up thinking how enjoyable that was – even when it is windy and sometimes even when it is wet, windy, colder and dark. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">When you are cycling and it is raining you have to resign yourself to getting wet and once you do it really isn’t that bad – it can be exhilarating.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Mind you with my new 29er I am still in the phase where I need to tell myself not to just go out for a quick spin, because my rides tend to meander. Just like this ride. Here is the Bike <a href="http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/741190">Route Toaster link</a>, it follows a loop, Lode, Bottisham, Exning, Burwell, Wicken Fen, Upware and then back to Lode. I cycled up <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.3032/0.2815&layers=C">Harrison’s Drove</a> to Upware and then back down the other <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2969/0.2606&layers=C">Harrison’s Drove</a> to the Lodes Way. Although I did loop around Wicken Fen.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The route is just over 40Km/30miles with a reasonable mix of byways, bridleways, cycleways and country lanes. Some of off-road tracks can get soggy and/or overgrown depending upon the time of year. The byway alongside the A14 gets encroached by brambles and I do get the odd scratch from time to time. I didn’t plan this route I just followed my front wheel – that kept insisting on going off-road. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After setting off from Lode I headed along the Lodes Way to Bottisham and then onto the A1303 briefly. It is an “A” road, but not that bad, sometimes I use it when I want to remind myself what it is like cycling up a short hill. The <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=556900&y=260085&z=115&sv=556900,260085&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=556&ax=556900&ay=260085&lm=0">bottom is at 13m and the top at 52m</a>, which is just long enough for me.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This time I wasn’t looking for roads I was looking for tracks. There is a track that heads across the fields off the A1303 that does a bit of climbing and can sometimes the going can be a bit soft for me on my hybrid (Maisie – 25mm tyres). With my 2.3” tyres on my 29er it was a <strike>breeze</strike> bit better. To be fair the ride was a lot better, only there was still a hill to climb, which the tyres don’t help with. Although according to the map it only gets to 34m on the track. This picture was taken from the track, across towards the Swaffhams. It always surprises me how much woodland there is on this particular horizon. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A view from the bridleway – between the A1303 and Heath Road</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f77fecd3-ab70-4b39-90ac-b76602d36d2e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-29gu-q7OlZk/U_XAaKaZGnI/AAAAAAAA7IU/QDw7lJxrURM/s800/P1630906_07_08_09_10_11_12_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="454" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-29gu-q7OlZk/U_XAaKaZGnI/AAAAAAAA7IU/QDw7lJxrURM/s600/P1630906_07_08_09_10_11_12_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A view of the bridleway</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:981312d2-979d-4eca-a63b-74dca4ca9eaf" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nQyYpTpzDz4/U_XAnlsU8WI/AAAAAAAA7Ic/K0ciGLlpr6c/s800/P1630913_4_5_6_7_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="451" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nQyYpTpzDz4/U_XAnlsU8WI/AAAAAAAA7Ic/K0ciGLlpr6c/s600/P1630913_4_5_6_7_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Just past a farm track towards <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=556545&y=260924&z=115&sv=556545,260924&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=556&ax=556545&ay=260924&lm=0">Chalk Farm</a> was a planting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacelia_tanacetifolia">Lacy Phacelia</a> (at least that is what it looks like), used as a cover crop. As you can see that is quite a chunk of field to give up for crop growing. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Lacy Phacelia near Chalk Farm</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1e14de4a-65d3-49d7-aa39-d17464934edc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0OQAxla_jxk/U_XA14OR2WI/AAAAAAAA7Ik/86ZYxmHEMmc/s800/P1630927_28_29_30_31_32_33_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="436" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0OQAxla_jxk/U_XA14OR2WI/AAAAAAAA7Ik/86ZYxmHEMmc/s600/P1630927_28_29_30_31_32_33_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After a short ride along Swaffham Heath Road and just before you come to a bridge (over the A14) you turn down what likes like a <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.22415/0.31908&layers=C">private drive past some cottages</a> and then take a right angle bend along a byway which runs alongside the A14. It is pretty noisy and out of sight does not equate to out of mind in this case.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The track is quite narrow and rutted, but a lot easier to cycle along on wider tyres. There are brambles and sludgy bits as well. So you have to keep your wits about you. As I cycled along I did wonder whether I ought to wear my cycling helmet.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Byway to Exning – along the A14</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b864f3d0-6d20-4beb-a139-c3cc6f60a168" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 469px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KgXr5rkpq0I/U_XBGcwcklI/AAAAAAAA7Is/CDrGU5LAY_Q/s800/P1630934_35_36_37_38_39_40_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KgXr5rkpq0I/U_XBGcwcklI/AAAAAAAA7Is/CDrGU5LAY_Q/s600/P1630934_35_36_37_38_39_40_tonemapped.jpg" width="453"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">In places it gets very narrow.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Byway to Exning – along the A14</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:0df7d2c1-32ed-4cd3-a41d-28efe256f39c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XhEklxM6SxY/U_XBZF5qxoI/AAAAAAAA7I0/R55AfUlhn38/s800/P1630955_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XhEklxM6SxY/U_XBZF5qxoI/AAAAAAAA7I0/R55AfUlhn38/s600/P1630955_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The byway carries alongside the A14 for around 2Km and then joins a Heath Road (a common name around here). It also happens to be the NCN51 Cambridge to Ipswich route. The after cycling through Exning the route follows <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/52.2660/0.3691&layers=C">North End</a>, a no-through road to a bridleway called <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2812/0.3482&layers=C">Haycroft Lane</a>. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This track also varies depending upon the time of year. It is less easy to cycle on when it has a lot of growth or when it has been wet and the horses have been through. Having said that my 29er made it a lot easier.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Fittingly there were stacks of hay in the fields.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Fields of freshly stacked bales – Haycroft Lane</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7df82aab-5725-480d-acc1-5cfb2ee76fb8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0UdSvz1CynM/U_XBnagDA1I/AAAAAAAA7I8/2v_8MAv2n0c/s800/P1630958_59_60_61_62_63_64_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0UdSvz1CynM/U_XBnagDA1I/AAAAAAAA7I8/2v_8MAv2n0c/s600/P1630958_59_60_61_62_63_64_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Although the farmer wasn’t hanging around the hay was being taken off by lorry.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Fields of freshly stacked bales – Haycroft Lane</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:42ae7e06-55ba-499a-96fe-481e2f8aa811" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-d3S5DVCZEtQ/U_XB4ZpdacI/AAAAAAAA7JE/qV3ne_UNXCw/s800/P1630965_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-d3S5DVCZEtQ/U_XB4ZpdacI/AAAAAAAA7JE/qV3ne_UNXCw/s600/P1630965_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Fields of <strike>freshly stacked bales</strike> – Haycroft Lane</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a778f41f-2004-4dcf-86b5-3087e5a63c91" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Waqoi1EBS6s/U_XCGu3z51I/AAAAAAAA7JM/ErkFOOgJt_Q/s800/P1630967_68_69_70_71_72_73_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="459" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Waqoi1EBS6s/U_XCGu3z51I/AAAAAAAA7JM/ErkFOOgJt_Q/s600/P1630967_68_69_70_71_72_73_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The last few pictures were all taken at roughly the same spot, but in different directions. A fair few hay bales must have been carted off.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Freshly Combined Fields – Haycroft Lane</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:335ad3b7-6289-46b8-94fe-026905748a63" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1ty-ONMpjUU/U_XCTWEz7vI/AAAAAAAA7JU/zzoAE-2fiAY/s800/P1630974_75_76_77_78_79_80_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1ty-ONMpjUU/U_XCTWEz7vI/AAAAAAAA7JU/zzoAE-2fiAY/s600/P1630974_75_76_77_78_79_80_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Haycroft Lane – fairly muddy, fairly grassy</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d8b8c84e-0863-4579-81b6-8b0f99372786" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KMBNFH09RcE/U_XCmKDOGuI/AAAAAAAA7Jc/Dfy1t_4vtls/s800/P1630981_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="442" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KMBNFH09RcE/U_XCmKDOGuI/AAAAAAAA7Jc/Dfy1t_4vtls/s600/P1630981_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Now I might usually head through Burwell and back, but after cycling along Howlem Balk another track, but with a crushed stone surface and quite a few potholes and puddles) I turned off to Wicken Fen. I did a circuit of the fen and the as I was heading back along Lodes Way I turned up <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2997/0.2866&layers=C">Harrison’s Drove</a>. This starts as a “road” made of concrete slabs – somewhat broken up, but ends as a track that can sometimes be a quagmire. Fortunately it wasn’t. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The route then follows alongside Wicken Lode on the bank. This was repaired a while back and re-seeded. Just after seeding it was a very soft surface, not is it just uneven. It isn’t that nice to cycle on – but 29er = good.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Looking Across Wicken Lode</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:463f2b9c-2e58-4170-b8c7-5348fdf8dcc7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NM3VO4AWxuA/U_XC0S7V4-I/AAAAAAAA7Jk/px87W3Y6jgA/s800/P1630988_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemappedX.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="448" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NM3VO4AWxuA/U_XC0S7V4-I/AAAAAAAA7Jk/px87W3Y6jgA/s600/P1630988_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemappedX.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The track alongside Wicken Lode</strong></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>it isn’t that bad, it isn’t that good (for cycling)</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:66a3cb25-f7c1-4296-8f7e-d78deb39ddc4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-uSD9vAv1sVw/U_XDE8Bc5CI/AAAAAAAA7Js/jY1T7bERohE/s800/P1630995_30996_30997_30998_30999_40001_40002_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-uSD9vAv1sVw/U_XDE8Bc5CI/AAAAAAAA7Js/jY1T7bERohE/s600/P1630995_30996_30997_30998_30999_40001_40002_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The Bridge over Wicken Lode – nice bike</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1c18103f-f0bf-46d8-ae46-370b4e7b3487" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GVRT6QfmYtU/U_XDUOo9mSI/AAAAAAAA7J0/-24oTyj323Q/s800/P1640010_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GVRT6QfmYtU/U_XDUOo9mSI/AAAAAAAA7J0/-24oTyj323Q/s600/P1640010_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Then again on a whim I cycled down the other <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2989/0.2568&layers=C">Harrison’s Drove</a>. They were harvesting beetroot.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Beetroot Harvest – Harrison’s Drove</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a80b9003-f5fb-4067-b7b1-cd205a7a446c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZFzQmmrBI_U/U_XDi0uoO4I/AAAAAAAA7J8/bpbw3ONffUE/s800/P1640018_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZFzQmmrBI_U/U_XDi0uoO4I/AAAAAAAA7J8/bpbw3ONffUE/s600/P1640018_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Beetroot Harvest – Harrison’s Drove</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:9aa13be1-393e-495f-a043-fb17d8f1fb46" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6s_2MM1dRrU/U_XDzXFufhI/AAAAAAAA7KE/DLKddSj8feg/s800/P1640020_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6s_2MM1dRrU/U_XDzXFufhI/AAAAAAAA7KE/DLKddSj8feg/s600/P1640020_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Same picture after the Google+ auto-awesome treatment.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Beetroot Harvest – Harrison’s Drove</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d8681469-2dbc-485c-ad2c-971870bece22" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6IxBavqa3m8/U_XF7Q_O6CI/AAAAAAAA7LQ/SOf7HFv-w7E/s800/P1640020_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6IxBavqa3m8/U_XF7Q_O6CI/AAAAAAAA7LQ/SOf7HFv-w7E/s600/P1640020_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Not all the fields had been combined and the hay baled though. </font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a5865a72-5cc2-45c9-9504-0fd01fec4cc4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4uXVqszAoGQ/U_XEEFrsTzI/AAAAAAAA7KM/G9uZEFUtRKQ/s800/P1640022_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4uXVqszAoGQ/U_XEEFrsTzI/AAAAAAAA7KM/G9uZEFUtRKQ/s600/P1640022_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I wasn’t the only cyclist who couldn’t resist a mid-mid-week ride. These two where heading down <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.28290/0.26951&layers=C">Split Drove</a> towards Wicken Fen.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Cyclists on Lodes Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:773d6efa-1325-45f3-9291-8628f05b2c25" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y24O5xDmddE/U_XEUeQ21fI/AAAAAAAA7KU/e99myWgAArA/s800/P1640027_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y24O5xDmddE/U_XEUeQ21fI/AAAAAAAA7KU/e99myWgAArA/s600/P1640027_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More evidence of the recent gales, tree damage on <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.27447/0.26794&layers=C">Little Fen Drove</a></strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b189a27d-4d6d-47fb-b56c-e000ebd88894" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WMFeEoPhzxo/U_XEkjhhe8I/AAAAAAAA7Kc/4dQ0QNi2PRk/s800/P1640029_30_31_32_33_34_35_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="459" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WMFeEoPhzxo/U_XEkjhhe8I/AAAAAAAA7Kc/4dQ0QNi2PRk/s600/P1640029_30_31_32_33_34_35_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As I headed back along through White Fen – someone else having a mid-mid-week ride.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2">Taking the dog for a walk – White Fen</font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8e515bc6-a2e0-4617-95f6-7399eca4c4d5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8JuLyX5j90k/U_XE0RV1aXI/AAAAAAAA7Ko/r98Xyv5Djc0/s800/P1640037_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8JuLyX5j90k/U_XE0RV1aXI/AAAAAAAA7Ko/r98Xyv5Djc0/s600/P1640037_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-77369331068113270452014-11-10T19:18:00.001+00:002014-11-10T23:32:56.589+00:00Almost a week of pictures in the Fens<p><font color="#008080" size="2">After being away for a few days specially when travelling under someone else’s steam it feels go to get out and push a few pedals, er two actually. The trouble is when I have been away there is stuff to catch up on. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Here is the weeks rides – not that I rode every day but I did get out most days, Mainly in the Fens – variations on the Lodes Way theme.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Wednesday, 13<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: However Wednesday was an exception – I have to be in the middle of Cambridge so naturally I took a great circle route, back I think, through the Wilbrahams and then NCN51. It was either a ride to take pictures, but not enough time to do both so I stopped once. on the bridge over the A14, near Little Wilbraham.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combining – the farmers are still busy</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c85a7a30-2eff-437d-88e0-76d381c86201" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-haz1dfFgp8w/U_HmMsv77dI/AAAAAAAA7CM/EBbkmiYRYj4/s800/P1630813_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="472" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-haz1dfFgp8w/U_HmMsv77dI/AAAAAAAA7CM/EBbkmiYRYj4/s600/P1630813_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Look how close cars drive behind one another. There doesn’t seem to be much observance of the two second “rule”. There seems to be a whole gaggle of cars heading towards the bridge.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">One thing I really hate is when the car/van behind me drives far to close. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/control-of-the-vehicle-117-to-126">Highway Code Rule 126</a> – “allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads carrying faster traffic”…”doubled on wet roads and increased still further on icy roads”. (More for large vehicles and motorcycles…</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A14 – What is the safe distance between motor vehicles?</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:96e07655-f1db-49c3-8f4a-18ba5d411632" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CRBDjEtvmkc/U_HmbpjZT5I/AAAAAAAA7CY/_8UNYxOoTCE/s800/P1630814_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CRBDjEtvmkc/U_HmbpjZT5I/AAAAAAAA7CY/_8UNYxOoTCE/s600/P1630814_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It seems to me that the norm is for a high percentage of cars to leave an insufficient gap. I wonder if anyone has ever done any measurements. It would be quite easy to do a study I would have though. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A14</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6fdcf53e-33eb-4386-a64f-73daeeb66309" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qpio0la4xCs/U_HmofYyptI/AAAAAAAA7Ck/eDfDxyIZS4M/s72/P1630817_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qpio0la4xCs/U_HmofYyptI/AAAAAAAA7Ck/eDfDxyIZS4M/s600/P1630817_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Thursday, 14<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: The trouble with owning a new bike is that you want to ride it. So I had to pop out on my 29er and cycle along the byways and bridleways around the Lodes Way. It’ll certainly need a wash.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>My Muddy 29er – Commissioners’ Drain – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:0330186e-63a2-475b-869f-f7b2bb933081" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gTtwSsEZ-bg/U_HmB252RBI/AAAAAAAA7CA/LRpthA6gVb8/s800/P1630819_20_21_22_23_24_25_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="486" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gTtwSsEZ-bg/U_HmB252RBI/AAAAAAAA7CA/LRpthA6gVb8/s600/P1630819_20_21_22_23_24_25_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">F</font><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>riday, 15<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: This was more of a Poet’s day ride – what struck me was how much maize there was growing in the fields along the Lodes Way.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Maize – near White Fen</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e7b7bf1d-1f1d-447f-81a7-65287cb806e8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j9-zBpIKA_Q/U_Hm4OsE9SI/AAAAAAAA7Cs/fyybg3-6sFo/s800/P1630826_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="460" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j9-zBpIKA_Q/U_Hm4OsE9SI/AAAAAAAA7Cs/fyybg3-6sFo/s600/P1630826_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Lots of Berries around as well – White Fen</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f7eaa8e4-b166-43a2-a1a1-4e0271212570" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xIzn1tib4Nw/U_HnHHF8M2I/AAAAAAAA7C4/xrG7BeFfPHc/s800/P1630832_3_4_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="469" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xIzn1tib4Nw/U_HnHHF8M2I/AAAAAAAA7C4/xrG7BeFfPHc/s600/P1630832_3_4_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:5a2f2d16-f418-4fed-a3ec-a9e95d86dfd8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cFkD7dV4ttM/U_HnVfzKAII/AAAAAAAA7DA/_yZDy9BN6O0/s800/P1630835_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="457" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cFkD7dV4ttM/U_HnVfzKAII/AAAAAAAA7DA/_yZDy9BN6O0/s600/P1630835_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:60cde7b1-4822-4406-9665-87e98b098286" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SQ2c3WIki80/U_HniwOZ_LI/AAAAAAAA7DM/B6SyEl-mRU8/s800/P1630838_39_40_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SQ2c3WIki80/U_HniwOZ_LI/AAAAAAAA7DM/B6SyEl-mRU8/s600/P1630838_39_40_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:24f6778f-5d8a-43cf-a1db-a061deb8d3db" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 469px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2MiUj848UW4/U_Hnwk-OyII/AAAAAAAA7DU/tojctvo4WxY/s800/P1630841_2_3_tonemappedX.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2MiUj848UW4/U_Hnwk-OyII/AAAAAAAA7DU/tojctvo4WxY/s600/P1630841_2_3_tonemappedX.jpg" width="453"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:573c091b-4c7e-496f-b71a-bab8acc5e677" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ILwibzhqUag/U_Hn_zFGGxI/AAAAAAAA7Dc/ke8lJ44ea10/s800/P1630844_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="459" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ILwibzhqUag/U_Hn_zFGGxI/AAAAAAAA7Dc/ke8lJ44ea10/s600/P1630844_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:bddb058b-c4af-4472-8727-c4043dce8921" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-w5VozgFuLSo/U_HoLo4KTLI/AAAAAAAA7Dk/ktIFLyyEAHs/s800/P1630847_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="352" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-w5VozgFuLSo/U_HoLo4KTLI/AAAAAAAA7Dk/ktIFLyyEAHs/s600/P1630847_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:9c422089-e0f5-4c57-ade6-9973c109b9cf" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p5zI6ZqRATk/U_HoamaOtDI/AAAAAAAA7Ds/OIMwAFo56RQ/s800/P1630850_1_2_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="460" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p5zI6ZqRATk/U_HoamaOtDI/AAAAAAAA7Ds/OIMwAFo56RQ/s600/P1630850_1_2_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:681bb542-a517-4353-ad68-d3609a53a4ea" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cmfLRL-qYRA/U_HopZPEbtI/AAAAAAAA7D0/1yEAjRitlwo/s800/P1630853_4_5_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="447" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cmfLRL-qYRA/U_HopZPEbtI/AAAAAAAA7D0/1yEAjRitlwo/s600/P1630853_4_5_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">Phew – as far as I can remember they are all pictures of different fields, some was cover crop grown around the edges, but more was fields of the stuff. Is there some sort of agricultural fashion approach to cropping. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Maize – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d7ebaad8-1e13-4013-8ac7-bc24d7600e76" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VBnPFGbbAxQ/U_Ho3VHAvWI/AAAAAAAA7EA/sz565wWUPMc/s800/P1630856_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VBnPFGbbAxQ/U_Ho3VHAvWI/AAAAAAAA7EA/sz565wWUPMc/s600/P1630856_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">S<strong>aturday, 16<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: When I want to catch up on the week’s Archers I quite often cycle around Low Fen Drove Way and across the fields to Lode and then Lodes Way. Traffic is so noisy I can’t here myself think sometimes. I know some people go on about how cyclists shouldn’t listen to their MP3 players – but they don’t seem to care about the sheer level of noise that cyclists suffer from when cycling along busy roads. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Flipping motorists forget just how much sound insulation cars have nowadays – <a href="http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/cyclists-with-ipods-hear-the-same-as-motorists-listening-to-nothing/013329">cyclists apparently here more ambient noise when listening to an MP3 player than motorists in their cars listening to nothing</a>. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As I turned off High Ditch Road I stopped to see what this planning application was all about. Apparently there is going to be the introduction of a 40mph speed limit, not all the way along the road, but just out of Fen Ditton where there is a 30mph limit and over the old railway line, but well before the Low Fen Drove Way turn. The remainder will then presumably be 60mph? This seems crazy given that <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2127575,0.2028004,3a,75y,322.09h,73.39t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s8s-zPXPTqYYW0PatKIsFhw!2e0">NCN51 crosses High Ditch Road</a> – they should have made the whole lot 40mph and saved in signage.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It seems as if the <a href="http://www.fenditton-pc.org.uk/news.php?template=2&id=233">council think that their 30mph limit has been extended</a> – which isn’t quite the <a href="http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/site/custom_scripts/cons_details.aspx?ref=322">case</a>. This seems to be a missed opportunity. in my experience High Ditch Road is not a good road – the road margins undulate and it is used by cyclists - which makes 60mph seem to be a crazy speed limit. Especially since the speed limit along the Newmarket road from Quy is 50mph. I can’t see much planning in this application. unfortunately the consultation has closed.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The Planning Application above is for up to 1,300 homes. The urbanisation continues.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>High Ditch road getting a little bit of a 40mph limit</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8977cca7-d041-4eaf-af18-fe0a803f963a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nVHzoYIqfM4/U_HpJ1TN_xI/AAAAAAAA7EM/roHbdFUGpcU/s800/P1630859_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nVHzoYIqfM4/U_HpJ1TN_xI/AAAAAAAA7EM/roHbdFUGpcU/s600/P1630859_tonemapped.jpg" width="455"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>G-JANI – Robinson R-44 Coming into Cambridge Airport</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:dd3df838-6a90-4ec3-85e3-454f0b491d0b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-euj1AIsXxiY/U_HpY0EiCoI/AAAAAAAA7EU/KvhmcFibMQY/s800/P1630860_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-euj1AIsXxiY/U_HpY0EiCoI/AAAAAAAA7EU/KvhmcFibMQY/s600/P1630860_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Horse-riders – off Low Fen Drove Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:79aec6f5-1a25-4406-b449-f8b810983b32" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-E0K7u0pPBpo/U_HpozZN6uI/AAAAAAAA7Ec/GU0NIADwyRY/s800/P1630862_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-E0K7u0pPBpo/U_HpozZN6uI/AAAAAAAA7Ec/GU0NIADwyRY/s600/P1630862_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linaria_vulgaris">Linaria vulgaris – Wild Snapdragon</a></strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f9335d3a-0808-466d-9e8b-fa65db16e916" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PO9S6hfgU44/U_Hp3gtlptI/AAAAAAAA7Eo/tkLcKPfgVMk/s800/P1630864_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PO9S6hfgU44/U_Hp3gtlptI/AAAAAAAA7Eo/tkLcKPfgVMk/s600/P1630864_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">When I saw this – in my mind I call it “snake-in-the-grass” which doesn’t appear on the list of common names on Wikipedia. The proper name is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arum_maculatum">Arum Maculatum</a> – which does list common names that includes snakeshead and adder’s root. Maybe my memory is dodgy - </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Arum maculatum</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ac1adf48-df30-4fa2-b0e1-c9adf78db794" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MNamnSfsmOY/U_HqG0glD7I/AAAAAAAA7Ew/PpgPF228CvQ/s800/P1630865_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MNamnSfsmOY/U_HqG0glD7I/AAAAAAAA7Ew/PpgPF228CvQ/s600/P1630865_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combine in the field</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:4a0ea59d-7788-4b86-a0fe-2d2319a25ed0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gx8AchUa-bw/U_HqYMIDAhI/AAAAAAAA7E4/thcitX6kR7E/s800/P1630866_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="463" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gx8AchUa-bw/U_HqYMIDAhI/AAAAAAAA7E4/thcitX6kR7E/s600/P1630866_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There were some strong winds around when I was up in Scotland – it seems to have caused some tree damage in Cambridgeshire. This tree sits on a crossroads along the Lodes Way.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Tree Damage – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:22cd2042-9319-45ec-bc7e-8845361a5189" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2iWL0LFm_rc/U_ICDbxaQeI/AAAAAAAA7FY/GfWfoQy73ZA/s800/P1630869_70_71_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="457" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2iWL0LFm_rc/U_ICDbxaQeI/AAAAAAAA7FY/GfWfoQy73ZA/s600/P1630869_70_71_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Google+ auto-awesome’d it so here it is again.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Tree Damage – Lodes Way</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6f241233-9c21-4346-993c-d7fc23b81099" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EDvcfiBe1sI/U_IDzeqRbKI/AAAAAAAA7GU/mhiYwjqEZ0I/s800/P1630869_70_71_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="457" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EDvcfiBe1sI/U_IDzeqRbKI/AAAAAAAA7GU/mhiYwjqEZ0I/s600/P1630869_70_71_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Wind-damaged Trees – </strong><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=554375&y=266077&z=115&sv=554375,266077&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=555&ax=554375&ay=266077&lm=0"><strong>Rail Drove</strong></a></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:2b899162-6df9-4827-a7e9-497b43e050d6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Wb7sdLm-XBI/U_ICVbAVdeI/AAAAAAAA7Fg/AOrsuHwxeRY/s800/P1630873_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Wb7sdLm-XBI/U_ICVbAVdeI/AAAAAAAA7Fg/AOrsuHwxeRY/s600/P1630873_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>More Wind-damaged Trees – </strong><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=554375&y=266077&z=115&sv=554375,266077&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=555&ax=554375&ay=266077&lm=0"><strong>Rail Drove</strong></a></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:cba06f37-3bf4-42f3-9f43-32383ba888ea" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gsVwHDUsibQ/U_ICwfe3deI/AAAAAAAA7Fs/nXIgmanYBLY/s800/P1630875_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="451" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gsVwHDUsibQ/U_ICwfe3deI/AAAAAAAA7Fs/nXIgmanYBLY/s600/P1630875_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Sunday, 17<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: By the end of the week the weather had picked up, once more there were blue skies. Lots more fields had been combined.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The view from Church Hill – Reach (</strong><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=556522&y=265562&z=115&sv=556522,265562&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=555&ax=556522&ay=265562&lm=0"><strong>Green Lane</strong></a><strong>)</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f5aac9da-30a8-45e7-aa7c-ccb95ddee592" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zwSHHRHn754/U_IDC8ui6_I/AAAAAAAA7F0/K7yDcy1-fgs/s800/P1630878_79_80_81_82_83_84_tonemappedX.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zwSHHRHn754/U_IDC8ui6_I/AAAAAAAA7F0/K7yDcy1-fgs/s600/P1630878_79_80_81_82_83_84_tonemappedX.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=556522&y=265562&z=115&sv=556522,265562&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=555&ax=556522&ay=265562&lm=0"><strong>Green Lane– Reach</strong></a></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f726a535-0118-438e-a032-ad0b54ef25c6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ilefoQm2QfQ/U_IDSSxfQBI/AAAAAAAA7F8/nfeLZ99ycyM/s800/P1630885_86_87_88_89_90_91_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="454" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ilefoQm2QfQ/U_IDSSxfQBI/AAAAAAAA7F8/nfeLZ99ycyM/s600/P1630885_86_87_88_89_90_91_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Lodes Way – looking toward </strong><a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=556044&y=268622&z=115&sv=556044,268622&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=555&ax=556044&ay=268622&lm=0"><strong>Burwell Fen Farm</strong></a></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b4a36a37-25ae-4f74-aea4-6de311df0707" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XKysqjkuzIg/U_IDiXOM-5I/AAAAAAAA7GE/81KwqNXtOWA/s800/P1630892_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XKysqjkuzIg/U_IDiXOM-5I/AAAAAAAA7GE/81KwqNXtOWA/s600/P1630892_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Headlake Drove – leeks</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7e56414d-6191-467b-9f66-74a7261989f7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BuL2WtgzkqQ/U_IDzr_w4dI/AAAAAAAA7GQ/G7D1gfxictc/s800/P1630899_900_901_902_903_904_905_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="448" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BuL2WtgzkqQ/U_IDzr_w4dI/AAAAAAAA7GQ/G7D1gfxictc/s600/P1630899_900_901_902_903_904_905_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-47125576158157334982014-11-04T12:35:00.001+00:002014-11-04T12:35:19.168+00:00A Long Weekend in Scotland– Heading back<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Mid-August 2014</strong>: Out flying visit to Scotland had come to and end although we did have breakfast with our daughter before leaving. We met in St Andrews, because that was where we were staying and went to a nearby cafe (or should I say deli) <a href="http://www.mitchellsdeli.co.uk/home">Mitchell’s Deli</a>. The breakfast was delicious, I’d certainly recommend the place. The seats appear to be made out of old coats and the Lammas Fair was in action outside.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Looking out from Mitchell’s Deli – St Andrews</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d6712e74-ffac-499c-8129-569ed7733363" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1Jnxl4xNsNc/U_Hkihg-zbI/AAAAAAAA7As/e2bWuhY1y7I/s800/2014-08-12%25252009.53.26.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1Jnxl4xNsNc/U_Hkihg-zbI/AAAAAAAA7As/e2bWuhY1y7I/s600/2014-08-12%25252009.53.26.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We then headed back to the hotel to check out and wend our way to Edinburgh Airport. There was time for one last picture.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Andrews – view from The Scores</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:153edd1f-d969-4038-98a9-41ea374e0ea6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KYjdRAOnSFk/U_Hkygez3qI/AAAAAAAA7A0/_GVcpY3rzDU/s800/P1630795_796_797_798_799_800_801_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="454" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KYjdRAOnSFk/U_Hkygez3qI/AAAAAAAA7A0/_GVcpY3rzDU/s600/P1630795_796_797_798_799_800_801_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After checking out we had one last stroll around the the town, the fair takes over two or three streets. When I had originally seen the signs pointing out the Lammas Fair I had imagined something a little less fairground like and the are things other than fairground rides – but there are quite a few fairground rides as well.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Apparently there is some <a href="http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/st-andrews-merchants-association-chief-says-lammas-market-may-have-to-move-1.36261">disgruntlement amongst the local traders about the disruption</a>. Although it is <a href="http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/whatson/index.cfm?fuseaction=whatson.display&id=625DA901-B029-DDC2-C92E6087972CFE1F">cited as Europe's oldest street fair</a>. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>“You Looking at Me?” – Fairground Ride Decoration – St Andrews Lammas Fair</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:22c99fa7-cbb9-4133-be9f-0a1e6dcd07f4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KfWOR1OBPXo/U_Hk72ewvcI/AAAAAAAA7A8/j1-dsbrbapU/s800/P1630802_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="513" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KfWOR1OBPXo/U_Hk72ewvcI/AAAAAAAA7A8/j1-dsbrbapU/s600/P1630802_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Andrews – Lammas Fair</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1d6b2531-2518-4eaf-9ca3-377af8b8d7c6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 471px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TUkOHH3l59A/U_HlIwOpYoI/AAAAAAAA7BI/h_z6oqEJ7_I/s800/P1630804_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TUkOHH3l59A/U_HlIwOpYoI/AAAAAAAA7BI/h_z6oqEJ7_I/s600/P1630804_tonemapped.jpg" width="455"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Andrews – Lammas Fair</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:849a7c1b-9263-4fe0-9bbb-b1ffabadb66a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KR2B4WCb7V0/U_HlYVkmlfI/AAAAAAAA7BQ/wnvOd4u2BBY/s800/P1630805_06_07_08_09_10_11_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="395" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KR2B4WCb7V0/U_HlYVkmlfI/AAAAAAAA7BQ/wnvOd4u2BBY/s600/P1630805_06_07_08_09_10_11_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Although we had a late flight and didn’t need to leave for the airport so early we had planned on returning our car, leaving our luggage at the airport and then trying out the new tram into Edinburgh. There was re-surfacing on the Guardbridge Bridge taking place – but we were heading in the opposite direction to much of the traffic fortunately.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I am stingy when it comes to car rental and had chosen a pretty basic car. Now I have gotten quite used to having Satnav when driving and it was interesting having to think about navigating as well as driving. Having been to this part of the world a few times over the last couple of years it wasn’t a problem though.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The one issue we did have was finding a Petrol Station to fill up the car before returning it. We did find one quite close to the airport, but it involved driving up the dual-carriageway (<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.9400005,-3.3618698,16z">Glasgow Road</a>). Although looking at the map it is apparent we could have been a bit more efficient. However I wanted to avoid paying Car Rental Prices for topping the car up. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The good thing about relatively small airports is that finding the car rental drop-off points is also pretty easy and despite all my paranoia about getting stung for extra charges they Europcar handover was quick and easy – no surcharges. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We were hoping to check out luggage in – no such luck, there are time limits so we had to pay to leave our luggage.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The weather was pretty miserable, but we headed out the <a href="http://edinburghtrams.com/">Tram</a>.well it works, but doesn’t seem to be one thing or the other. It basically stops pretty frequently along the way and so isn’t that fast, but is quite expensive. Apparently it <a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-tram-will-take-longer-than-bus-to-airport-1-3050903">takes longer than the bus</a> and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10318048/A-tram-to-Edinburgh-Airport-will-cost-more-than-the-current-bus-service.html">costs more than the bus service</a>. You <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-2753821">aren’t allowed to take bikes on board unless they are folding bicycles that are folded and in bags</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We had a walk around when we got to the city centre and saw what’s afoot – <a href="http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/Monuments/Manuscript-of-Monte-Cassino">The Manuscript of Monte Cassino – aka “Big Foot”</a></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Manuscript of Monte Cassino – St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral – Edinburgh</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b896890c-cded-42b2-9ec2-cf612ccf2868" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-otsuFv7bILw/U_HlhhHt1EI/AAAAAAAA7Bg/QzRRaQmCwL8/s800/Edinburgh%252520Foot.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="338" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-otsuFv7bILw/U_HlhhHt1EI/AAAAAAAA7Bg/QzRRaQmCwL8/s600/Edinburgh%252520Foot.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As often happens when you fly at the end of the day there are delays – ours was, along with four or five others. We got on ours some seemed to be cancelled altogether. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>EasyJet Plane – is it ours? – Edinburgh Airport</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:373bc899-4375-4294-a3b5-c440632220bf" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IB6F13_lREs/U_Hlt3E1dgI/AAAAAAAA7B0/f1tftmVaCK8/s800/2014-08-12%25252017.44.10.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IB6F13_lREs/U_Hlt3E1dgI/AAAAAAAA7B0/f1tftmVaCK8/s600/2014-08-12%25252017.44.10.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The one in the picture wasn’t ours. When we arrived at Stansted the luggage was off the plane almost as quickly as we were – it was amazingly fast, or maybe we walked very, very slowly through the airport.</font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-28467245294496863082014-11-03T10:56:00.001+00:002014-11-03T10:56:05.502+00:00A Long Weekend in Scotland– Anstruther and Pittenweem<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Mid-August 2014</strong>: My daughter was working today so my wife and I headed back to Anstruther to checkout the <a href="http://www.scotfishmuseum.org/about-the-museum">Scottish Fisheries Museum</a>. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The “story” was very well told and a reminder of how life was tough back in the day. It also describes the evolution of the fishing industry and the men and women who made it happen.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">My Grandparents were islanders and lived in a croft one of the islands on the western side of Scotland and so it makes the history a bit more meaningful for me. I hadn’t appreciated how the Herring Industry evolved and that the Scottish fleets from this part of the coast used work out of Lowestoft during the herring fishing season (October to December). The men would fish and the women would gut and pack the herring. <a href="http://www.archivealive.org/video/index/id/99">Here is some footage shot showing the herring harvest down at Lowestoft in the 1930</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We also had a good old chat with one of the the staff on the front desk. People think of Scots as dour, well they also like a chat. My Aunty Mary was notoriously chatty, not that she saw it like that. When she visited us in England, whether by train or plane she would have swapped all sorts of details with whoever she happened to be sitting by. When she became inform and had to had wheelchair assistance she was quite annoyed with one of the budget airlines because they stuck her at the back of the plane on her own. She preferred to travel with BA, except they didn’t fly to Stansted!</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This time around we heard how pleasant a place St Andrews is to live and how she liked it being a student town as it made it a bit more lively. We also stopped in the Tea Room for a drink and a piece of cake after spending a couple of hours in the museum.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We had a wee stroll around Anstruther and passed a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.2228396,-2.7004603,3a,75y,351.39h,73.06t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sczIu4cAVWnAFAVFAz704rA!2e0">Bakers and Confectioners (G.H.Barnett)</a> and despite not being hungry I couldn’t resist a <a href="https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Macaroni_pie_(Scottish)">macaroni pie</a>, whilst my wife had a more traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_pie">scotch pie</a>. These are things that remind me of my childhood visits to Scotland. So of course I had to sample them, it would have been rude not to.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A Wee Scottish Snack</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:3f15d0f2-2386-4611-8c39-4d9580b840dc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 361px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DoKY4gSPchM/U_HhrEvOG8I/AAAAAAAA6-k/m9gZu5yCNOg/s72/2014-08-11%25252015.57.44.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DoKY4gSPchM/U_HhrEvOG8I/AAAAAAAA6-k/m9gZu5yCNOg/s600/2014-08-11%25252015.57.44.jpg" width="345"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After that impromptu snack we decided to head on to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittenweem">Pittenweem</a>. It is easy to view this part of the Scottish coastline as a picturesque tourist destination, but we shouldn’t forget that fishing is still an important activity and Pittenweem is one of the more active with a covered fish market.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The area use to produce salt with water collected and from the sea and evaporated in coal fired salt pans. This is <a href="http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stmonans/windmill/">St Monan’s Windmill</a> and it was used to pump the sea water up to the pans.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Monan’s Windmill</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c655d1d6-186f-4ce5-8de3-584765fa6639" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YH09BL62InE/U_Hh92UDXJI/AAAAAAAA6-s/AFgtfd8Lyhs/s800/P1630776_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YH09BL62InE/U_Hh92UDXJI/AAAAAAAA6-s/AFgtfd8Lyhs/s600/P1630776_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Berwick_Law"><strong>North Berwick Law</strong></a></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:bbde7f7a-4413-4080-9f06-8e99f9fc685f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MuEVIEb-eMk/U_HiIo9SEsI/AAAAAAAA6-0/B_nn5eRFZv8/s800/P1630777_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="309" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MuEVIEb-eMk/U_HiIo9SEsI/AAAAAAAA6-0/B_nn5eRFZv8/s600/P1630777_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pittenweem Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f3efd954-e162-480a-85e0-c78fca66afdc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-u2opriNGmUU/U_HiXmyTQuI/AAAAAAAA6-8/dKxzSgV2p50/s800/P1630778_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-u2opriNGmUU/U_HiXmyTQuI/AAAAAAAA6-8/dKxzSgV2p50/s600/P1630778_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pittenweem Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:912bbd9e-dd3e-45fd-bff0-4d5e0fca66a6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EdhIvkBGLfM/U_HipjAj2bI/AAAAAAAA6_I/fXQWQj2hGQA/s800/P1630779_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EdhIvkBGLfM/U_HipjAj2bI/AAAAAAAA6_I/fXQWQj2hGQA/s600/P1630779_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>New Dawn – used for prawn fishing</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:bb350fed-8511-49f4-a769-434f86229573" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zhXuvzTFgbM/U_Hi3TBs_hI/AAAAAAAA6_Q/HnDxN3fo3NU/s800/P1630780_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zhXuvzTFgbM/U_Hi3TBs_hI/AAAAAAAA6_Q/HnDxN3fo3NU/s600/P1630780_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pittenweem Harbour – Fish Market in Background</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ed417916-59b0-4f86-a2a1-c1f66858b812" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YuDXTelwaQA/U_HjGwsC8FI/AAAAAAAA6_Y/vzE3So_gO48/s800/P1630781_2_3_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YuDXTelwaQA/U_HjGwsC8FI/AAAAAAAA6_Y/vzE3So_gO48/s600/P1630781_2_3_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pittenweem Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:0ade8c26-9d17-4667-8573-30b5a9957523" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B7iy4Tuxhr8/U_HjXK9rl4I/AAAAAAAA6_g/baB1cCvevTU/s800/P1630784_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="462" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B7iy4Tuxhr8/U_HjXK9rl4I/AAAAAAAA6_g/baB1cCvevTU/s600/P1630784_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – seen from Pittenweem</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:523bb574-7615-4072-8354-76079e2254f9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NZVmrW_iqVI/U_Hjh7VSL9I/AAAAAAAA6_o/Vdm5YiTK6AI/s800/P1630787_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="340" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NZVmrW_iqVI/U_Hjh7VSL9I/AAAAAAAA6_o/Vdm5YiTK6AI/s600/P1630787_8_9_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – seen from Pittenweem (so good I took anohter picture?)</strong></font></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6a77ef14-9d10-47b8-a1da-ddfcf671296d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YlmAz4nef6o/U_Hjq6KIYnI/AAAAAAAA6_w/3zwOMyWflD4/s800/P1630790_1_2_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="296" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YlmAz4nef6o/U_Hjq6KIYnI/AAAAAAAA6_w/3zwOMyWflD4/s600/P1630790_1_2_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Pittenweem Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:4984032d-ed83-404a-9f9e-351025969e67" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ehLTroCuJwM/U_Hj6bXbDXI/AAAAAAAA6_4/vSp1zh9XZ4I/s800/P1630793_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ehLTroCuJwM/U_Hj6bXbDXI/AAAAAAAA6_4/vSp1zh9XZ4I/s600/P1630793_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Andrews Coast</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e99308ad-ade6-4014-a31a-ebe4aff30d19" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GBeAfNWkhFY/U_HkANfxPPI/AAAAAAAA7AA/daEu3TxSGn4/s800/2014-08-11%25252018.33.47.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GBeAfNWkhFY/U_HkANfxPPI/AAAAAAAA7AA/daEu3TxSGn4/s600/2014-08-11%25252018.33.47.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>St Andrews – Castle along the East Scores</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ff57fd50-2fb3-4669-ab8b-23c5c3b9ae9c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qyvyfjp9dz4/U_HkGr4Bq4I/AAAAAAAA7AI/4iIuOxm8sus/s800/2014-08-11%25252018.34.21.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qyvyfjp9dz4/U_HkGr4Bq4I/AAAAAAAA7AI/4iIuOxm8sus/s600/2014-08-11%25252018.34.21.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-23282908197323564502014-11-02T12:29:00.001+00:002014-11-02T12:29:17.648+00:00A Long Weekend in Scotland– Isle of May<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Mid-August 2014</strong>: The last time we visited this part of the world we had heard about the Isle of May and how popular it was with puffins. We knew that our visit was going to be rather late to see the massed puffins – but apparently <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/13/scotland-threatened-puffins-successful-breeding-season">2014 had been a good year for puffins on the island</a>. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I know that I often point out the the weather can be surprisingly good in Scotland, well I have to be honest and note that sometimes it is unsurprisingly less good. So we checked the web and then to be on the safe side rang the operator of one of the boats that gets you to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_May">Isle of May</a>. The island in about 5 miles of the coast of Scotland in the out bit of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firth_of_Forth">Firth of Forth</a> (of Road and Rail bridge fame). </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There were a two different boats sailing from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anstruther">Anstruther</a>, the <a href="http://www.isleofmayferry.com/info.php">May Princess</a> and <a href="http://www.isleofmayboattrips.co.uk/boat.html">Osprey</a>. The former is a normal boat and the latter a RIB or rigid-inflatable boat. There are pros and cons, the May Princess is slower (~45mins), but has an indoors,toilet and sells food and drink on board. The RIB is faster( ~25mins), open to the elements, but they do lend you waterproofs if necessary.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We went for the Princess of May, mainly because we didn’t really check out the alternatives. In fact we didn’t really check out much at all. We ran up, found that they would be sailing and when and that we could buy tickets on the day. So that is what we did.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It was only when we were on the Isle that we saw the other boast and then when I got back I looked up the details. The day was pretty cloudy when we headed off, we all took our larger waterproof coats. just in case. The harbour was pretty easy to find along with the parking and ticket office. We were early so we had a look around.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther Harbour – dark clouds</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7bf1a52f-db21-4002-b083-67156a645197" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XY3u9idj0EA/U_HYA0YYl9I/AAAAAAAA64Q/o8Oh_DOouNs/s800/P1630604_05_06_07_08_09_10_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="452" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XY3u9idj0EA/U_HYA0YYl9I/AAAAAAAA64Q/o8Oh_DOouNs/s600/P1630604_05_06_07_08_09_10_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Boats in Anstruther harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:67109775-9e53-4e76-b2c3-f4b1618e0690" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vRvm0jTGQ_U/U_HYNt17fNI/AAAAAAAA64Y/teF0LaPaBNk/s800/P1630618_19_20_21_22_23_24_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="457" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vRvm0jTGQ_U/U_HYNt17fNI/AAAAAAAA64Y/teF0LaPaBNk/s600/P1630618_19_20_21_22_23_24_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The boat for our Sea Voyage – May Princess</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c5cc854a-8120-4a0a-a85d-11eeb1da2d87" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kgEr0Fy99qg/U_HYd2zyeBI/AAAAAAAA64g/QLVSSKo2ML0/s800/P1630625_26_27_28_29_30_31_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="452" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kgEr0Fy99qg/U_HYd2zyeBI/AAAAAAAA64g/QLVSSKo2ML0/s600/P1630625_26_27_28_29_30_31_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Wibbly Masts – Anstruther Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:29e4a360-f471-4927-9191-d45cd38135e7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yYoTqYuty60/U_HYq64eOqI/AAAAAAAA64s/HLhf10wOyjo/s800/P1630632_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="459" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yYoTqYuty60/U_HYq64eOqI/AAAAAAAA64s/HLhf10wOyjo/s600/P1630632_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Nice sands and the typical multi-coloured houses along a Scottish fishing village.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:0689ca30-5497-4f1d-8c84-be0bf81ffe1a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4pR3eVQYdxs/U_HY5U5w0RI/AAAAAAAA648/ZoR9UtqJ4Yc/s800/P1630639_40_41_42_43_44_45_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="458" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4pR3eVQYdxs/U_HY5U5w0RI/AAAAAAAA648/ZoR9UtqJ4Yc/s600/P1630639_40_41_42_43_44_45_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><a href="http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/889/name/The+Anstruther+Church+Anstruther+Wester+Fife"><strong>Anstruther Wester Parish Church</strong></a></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d3cb28ba-105f-47f1-b80c-d5201fa12811" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_M0tKhrTjWU/U_HZIc86-vI/AAAAAAAA65E/q2H2Of1X9JE/s800/P1630646_47_48_49_50_51_52_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="452" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_M0tKhrTjWU/U_HZIc86-vI/AAAAAAAA65E/q2H2Of1X9JE/s600/P1630646_47_48_49_50_51_52_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther Wester</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8bbe9dd1-3dc7-4ee2-a65b-8c6c7a9e7585" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fhJxGmmOR-o/U_HZWTunaMI/AAAAAAAA65M/Xpx7FoVWoUo/s800/P1630655_56_57_58_59_60_61_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="457" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fhJxGmmOR-o/U_HZWTunaMI/AAAAAAAA65M/Xpx7FoVWoUo/s600/P1630655_56_57_58_59_60_61_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther Harbour</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6e2f7695-f2fa-4685-9fe2-11e86aee52c9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-in9nFbcicD8/U_HZjLuN4RI/AAAAAAAA65U/8FXAx-NyM6k/s800/P1630662_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="444" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-in9nFbcicD8/U_HZjLuN4RI/AAAAAAAA65U/8FXAx-NyM6k/s600/P1630662_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Although the May Princess wasn’t full there were a reasonable number of people aboard, come to see the Isle of May. We hadn’t really done any planning and hadn’t though about what we would eat and drink when on the Isle. I think was had half assumed there would be stuff available. Fortunately we were able to buy some food and drink on the boat. The sea was a tad rougher than in harbour, as you might expect. It wasn’t that bad though.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We didn’t see any puffins on land but we did see two whilst on the boat.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Leaving Anstruther Harbour for the Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8916b690-abec-4e79-ad78-2813e5a998a6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-f16syiBrJ1w/U_HZ0hhNaLI/AAAAAAAA65o/gOKwzcu0ryg/s800/P1630669P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="326" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-f16syiBrJ1w/U_HZ0hhNaLI/AAAAAAAA65o/gOKwzcu0ryg/s600/P1630669P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther from the Sea</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f4266084-dda0-4343-8331-dbb5dd3d3e1d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XRWvLqXWiJg/U_HaCi48BHI/AAAAAAAA65w/LYf5I6Re1eM/s800/P1630670P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XRWvLqXWiJg/U_HaCi48BHI/AAAAAAAA65w/LYf5I6Re1eM/s600/P1630670P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Anstruther from the Sea<br>Church and Base-station side by side</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7bc37bb0-cb58-4933-9392-2315b25fb13a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NO6jMjZHe5c/U_HaV-nPMVI/AAAAAAAA658/yR3K4XEnggY/s800/P1630678P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NO6jMjZHe5c/U_HaV-nPMVI/AAAAAAAA658/yR3K4XEnggY/s600/P1630678P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">On the way and when we got their things were pointed out to us and the history of the Isle explained. We also sailed around the coast before reaching the <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=365647&y=699433&z=115&sv=365647,699433&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=547&ax=365647&ay=699433&lm=0">Isle of May</a>. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The Island is owned by Scottish Natural Heritage and is only open to visitors from May to the end of September. Early in its history is was a Priory and later the sight for a lighthouse designed by Robert Stevenson in 1816. Two foghorns were also placed on the island, powered by compressed air, generated at the centre of the island and distributed by pipe to the north and south of the island. We passed the foghorn to the south.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – Southern Foghorn</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d5128e27-cae3-4d32-b16c-db97290609d1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QusgO763_Ic/U_HaijRt0-I/AAAAAAAA66E/oC8wXptNGvI/s800/P1630681P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QusgO763_Ic/U_HaijRt0-I/AAAAAAAA66E/oC8wXptNGvI/s600/P1630681P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle Of May – Robert Stevenson’s Lighthouse</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6ec04107-3158-496a-8267-af62bb654860" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bZjGTKUXjQI/U_Haxyzr3KI/AAAAAAAA66M/xxc7Nx-NlKg/s800/P1630693P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bZjGTKUXjQI/U_Haxyzr3KI/AAAAAAAA66M/xxc7Nx-NlKg/s600/P1630693P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">There are <a href="http://isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/a-change-in-the-view/">three off-shore Wind farms planned, with a total of 450 turbines so there is some concern about the effect on the wildlife</a>. </font></p> <p align="right"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Looking towards North Berwick and Edinburgh from the Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:931ed436-f984-4569-960a-6ce9ea6f6d83" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CleCBPFt43k/U_HbIi8afEI/AAAAAAAA66o/cN07J4ewoZ0/s800/2014-08-10%25252014.04.40.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="164" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CleCBPFt43k/U_HbIi8afEI/AAAAAAAA66o/cN07J4ewoZ0/s600/2014-08-10%25252014.04.40.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">the identification of birds is not a strongpoint of mine, in fact it is a weakpoint, so forgive the lack of names.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>“You looking at me?” – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8db4a8c3-4784-41c7-a229-9f3172a1838b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-800flAlDzeU/U_HbZsGcXzI/AAAAAAAA66w/Be645rcHVe4/s800/P1630701P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-800flAlDzeU/U_HbZsGcXzI/AAAAAAAA66w/Be645rcHVe4/s600/P1630701P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Another bird – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:05586660-1cda-494c-94ec-cf67571a3524" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cYvSfD8dlMY/U_HblWpgZRI/AAAAAAAA664/vZc2q5xNX0A/s800/P1630702P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cYvSfD8dlMY/U_HblWpgZRI/AAAAAAAA664/vZc2q5xNX0A/s600/P1630702P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Rock">Bass Rock or the Bass</a>, home to a large colony of gannets.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Bass Rock</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ccf6db46-cf75-40af-8100-874bac77965e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AeIhwiUB9-E/U_HcNA0y8kI/AAAAAAAA67Y/eQO1qANrbUg/s800/P1630707P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="318" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AeIhwiUB9-E/U_HcNA0y8kI/AAAAAAAA67Y/eQO1qANrbUg/s600/P1630707P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – Lighthouse</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e45b055e-63d5-4c34-b648-859f9475e160" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UPm-5Fmm18Q/U_HccdHj06I/AAAAAAAA67g/6mOB-dM8RGA/s800/P1630710P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UPm-5Fmm18Q/U_HccdHj06I/AAAAAAAA67g/6mOB-dM8RGA/s600/P1630710P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>May Princess – at berth – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:848481c5-3b4d-4055-825a-61f7a2d4f17e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Rv-YWgYZeP8/U_Hc0qjKcII/AAAAAAAA67o/mkxsbtwo7C8/s800/P1630713P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Rv-YWgYZeP8/U_Hc0qjKcII/AAAAAAAA67o/mkxsbtwo7C8/s600/P1630713P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Seal at Sea – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:fe16ec90-a2e5-4922-8b13-b5d99cff7f6d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oR_hGlxytWw/U_HdAOdyg3I/AAAAAAAA67w/2VLQVyalZyg/s800/P1630718P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="453" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oR_hGlxytWw/U_HdAOdyg3I/AAAAAAAA67w/2VLQVyalZyg/s600/P1630718P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Berwick_Law"><strong>North Berwick Law</strong></a></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1a57d9b7-7952-4a6e-86be-0b13759bebba" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NsmcmpSnu4E/U_HdJ5RYZqI/AAAAAAAA674/d1AHMC_nUJ4/s800/P1630720P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="416" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NsmcmpSnu4E/U_HdJ5RYZqI/AAAAAAAA674/d1AHMC_nUJ4/s600/P1630720P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Another bird – Isle of May</strong></font></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:3e29f4f4-6374-4f47-b962-176b9ae1694a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EMVflTLsn_g/U_Hdx_lIyzI/AAAAAAAA68Q/ETPkWxlFyZQ/s800/P1630724P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EMVflTLsn_g/U_Hdx_lIyzI/AAAAAAAA68Q/ETPkWxlFyZQ/s600/P1630724P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – Southern Foghorn</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:59fe3263-890b-467f-89f8-a842dbe59e68" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FpNn5bsYPWw/U_HeEo11ZJI/AAAAAAAA68Y/sdw94FUk93w/s800/P1630729P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FpNn5bsYPWw/U_HeEo11ZJI/AAAAAAAA68Y/sdw94FUk93w/s600/P1630729P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – Southern Foghorn</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:5ab86288-0cc2-4bb1-b4b3-1631a53bbf70" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-adk-m7vMRas/U_HeORKQpQI/AAAAAAAA68g/JU_jpOsnRoY/s800/2014-08-10%25252014.31.22.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-adk-m7vMRas/U_HeORKQpQI/AAAAAAAA68g/JU_jpOsnRoY/s600/2014-08-10%25252014.31.22.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Seal – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ce5e947a-9086-402a-9ae7-d4729dc91885" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UI_ZhfdbH_g/U_HekYUt3eI/AAAAAAAA68o/LZJCzcIUj7Q/s800/P1630735P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UI_ZhfdbH_g/U_HekYUt3eI/AAAAAAAA68o/LZJCzcIUj7Q/s600/P1630735P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Two seals – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e0b9a7b7-6b85-42c1-b3ca-d946b4b9ffd9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aAMzOWFn_98/U_He3bstbVI/AAAAAAAA68w/wAFpWCkV1f8/s800/P1630737P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aAMzOWFn_98/U_He3bstbVI/AAAAAAAA68w/wAFpWCkV1f8/s600/P1630737P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Seal – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d3d80101-6cd0-45aa-8921-5b1451aefc7c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oOq3lFFKHas/U_HfBxggelI/AAAAAAAA684/vGTMuvqygQg/s800/P1630740P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="332" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oOq3lFFKHas/U_HfBxggelI/AAAAAAAA684/vGTMuvqygQg/s600/P1630740P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Isle of May – Southern Foghorn – from a bit further up the island</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f590c947-afed-41a6-a2c7-cad50a44c663" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Knn8Mu01zEA/U_HfJC1QU5I/AAAAAAAA69A/f7hNZfvPck8/s800/2014-08-10%25252014.35.04.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Knn8Mu01zEA/U_HfJC1QU5I/AAAAAAAA69A/f7hNZfvPck8/s600/2014-08-10%25252014.35.04.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Seal – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e119c7de-aaa8-4e91-be89-44e6ebd685b7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iiL3FXxG3LM/U_Hfn_06y0I/AAAAAAAA69Q/9YzMiqLj6Xc/s800/P1630746P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iiL3FXxG3LM/U_Hfn_06y0I/AAAAAAAA69Q/9YzMiqLj6Xc/s600/P1630746P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Two Seals – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:84123eb2-00aa-47ea-8c75-2461390d4104" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mVjWFuEB8tA/U_HgBSZS2lI/AAAAAAAA69g/MJlhiV8Iktc/s800/P1630748P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mVjWFuEB8tA/U_HgBSZS2lI/AAAAAAAA69g/MJlhiV8Iktc/s600/P1630748P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Two Seals – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:26b1f1af-cc04-4f77-9f5e-75950dd45ae4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_3TdmvRhJJE/U_HgU2puurI/AAAAAAAA69o/SnodgwAJKS4/s800/P1630750P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_3TdmvRhJJE/U_HgU2puurI/AAAAAAAA69o/SnodgwAJKS4/s600/P1630750P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Slip-streaming – bird style</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1e9a857b-a7c5-4a63-be71-690b619dec5c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-62BHUzrAAxo/U_HgkZ9y0vI/AAAAAAAA69w/FBLAvUGTQSg/s800/P1630755P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="285" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-62BHUzrAAxo/U_HgkZ9y0vI/AAAAAAAA69w/FBLAvUGTQSg/s600/P1630755P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Lighthouse – Isle of May</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:fc44ce61-c733-425e-8b24-41ba2b040509" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GJHBlSx7Zdk/U_Hg0J-sL7I/AAAAAAAA694/chVYyEfCc9g/s800/P1630757P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GJHBlSx7Zdk/U_Hg0J-sL7I/AAAAAAAA694/chVYyEfCc9g/s600/P1630757P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">we had a good old wander around the island and despite the squalls that blew through our coats kept us dry and it made for a pleasant day in the fresh air. hen we headed back to the harbour area we sheltered and watched birds feed their young.</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:450dd98f-6b6c-481c-be05-7f897afd1040" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ic60W9gYxoQ/U_HhCqaNCII/AAAAAAAA6-A/l_U9q8KclK4/s800/P1630763P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ic60W9gYxoQ/U_HhCqaNCII/AAAAAAAA6-A/l_U9q8KclK4/s600/P1630763P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c921adbd-3122-4cc5-9d61-35ba39d4c462" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-A-J6JcJNxis/U_HhS-_FFsI/AAAAAAAA6-I/21tSHQtBIFY/s800/P1630769P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-A-J6JcJNxis/U_HhS-_FFsI/AAAAAAAA6-I/21tSHQtBIFY/s600/P1630769P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">At one point birds were swooping on people walking by – a little too close to their chicks for comfort. </font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:45f76736-64a7-453c-8f7f-635b21a9ddaa" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3QNJyvl_CXc/U_HhbdQYdiI/AAAAAAAA6-U/rPQkOz0aZPA/s800/P1630775P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="563" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3QNJyvl_CXc/U_HhbdQYdiI/AAAAAAAA6-U/rPQkOz0aZPA/s600/P1630775P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-35103537506676766662014-10-29T10:00:00.001+00:002014-10-29T10:00:37.775+00:00A Long Weekend in Scotland–getting there<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Mid-August 2014</strong>: My daughter's birthday is in August and she was going to be pretty busy with work, so my wife and I decided we would pop up to see her. Only this time I wasn’t going to drive. Instead we flew up from Stansted to Edinburgh and then rented a car at the airport. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We could have flown from <a href="http://www.loganair.co.uk/loganair/press-office/206/dundee-to-london-stansted">Stansted to Dundee</a> – which would have been more convenient. However the cost of the flights was going to be quite a lot more expensive, so we didn’t. We did book parking at Stansted and the rental car through EasyJet which was convenient.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Our plane – ready to take us to Edinburgh</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:dee72424-c08a-4e1e-9b2b-fc562d1a9469" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4ZXHqHWgIwA/U_HWK6SGTuI/AAAAAAAA63I/SKl8oHqB_EE/s800/2014-08-09%25252011.36.49.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4ZXHqHWgIwA/U_HWK6SGTuI/AAAAAAAA63I/SKl8oHqB_EE/s600/2014-08-09%25252011.36.49.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Of course when booking via Edinburgh I had forgotten that luggage can take a while to get from the plane to the terminal – which it did. As we walked out there was a stand to ring the car hire company, so I did. They told me to walk out the door and around 100m. well if I had had my wits about me I wouldn’t have bothered with the phone call. Since I have been at the airport the previous month and knew where the rental hub was. As we strolled into the rental hub, which houses several car rental companies it was packed. It turned out that loads were waiting for EuropCar. I reckon we waited for around an hour before finally getting to the counter and signing up for the car.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><font color="#008080" size="2">What do they say about convenience – a moment on the web – an hour in person in a queue!</font></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The chap at the counter was friendly and polite and did try to sell us the “excess” insurance. I turned it down. When travelling on business I didn’t really have to think about such things. When it is my money I do focus on it more. It turns out what we could have done is buy <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2619881/How-avoid-holiday-car-hire-rip-offs.html">independent Hire Car Excess insurance at a far more reasonable rate</a>. Suffice to say it made me far more paranoid both when picking up the car and when driving it and parking it – which was no bad thing.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There were some minor scratches on the car when we got it along with a form describing them. I pointed out a few more that they had missed before signing the form. In my paranoia I had forgotten that my booking form had mentioned AC, there was no AC in the car. Would I have to pay to get it fitted when I returned the car? I also took pictures of all angles of the car on my phone as well – just in case.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It was a pleasure to be on our way. The route up from Edinburgh is pretty straightforward and takes you over the Firth of the Forth, up the M90 and then across through Cupar. This time we were staying in <a href="http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">St Andrews, a town with quite an old University</a>. Once again we stayed in <a href="http://www.bw-scoreshotel.co.uk/">The Score Hotel</a>. If we had flown to <a href="http://www.apexhotels.co.uk/en/hotels/dundee/">Dundee we would probably have stayed at the Apex</a>. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We have stayed at The cores a few times, is it me or do our rooms seem to get smaller each visit. This time around our sash window would remain open and we propped it up with one of the tourist books hotels leave in their bedrooms. It blew out sometime in the night, fortunately only onto a ledge. People often think of Scotland as cold and not always blessed with good weather. Well in our experience over the last few years the weather can be pretty amazing.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I parked the car in a nearby long-stay car-park. It was free (this is Scotland) and closer than a short-stay car park in Cambridge, I did take pictures of the car and the vehicles around it – again just in case.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">We went for a walk around the town – to find the main streets closed to traffic – there was a fair. So we wandered through some of the more cloistered areas. This is part of the University – <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/56.33822/-2.79434">St Mary’s Quad</a>. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Evening Sun – St Mary’s Quad</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:cc880aaa-c7e8-4442-a2bd-a9fe735eee75" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 469px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EWB1pL8D8eA/U_HWaGM18AI/AAAAAAAA63Q/ck8EdXvav_o/s800/P1630571_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EWB1pL8D8eA/U_HWaGM18AI/AAAAAAAA63Q/ck8EdXvav_o/s600/P1630571_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="453"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>This is another corner of St Mary’s Quad</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:62a6783d-8277-4745-9c10-f53452ff3144" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 480px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UjoZMx12jb4/U_HXHssKsHI/AAAAAAAA63s/5ipen16ss3U/s800/P1630594_595_596_597_598_599_600_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UjoZMx12jb4/U_HXHssKsHI/AAAAAAAA63s/5ipen16ss3U/s600/P1630594_595_596_597_598_599_600_tonemapped.jpg" width="464"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After dinner we returned to our hotel along the Scores – the sun threw up a golden sky over one of the myriad golf courses.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Sunset – St Andrews</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d6dcf119-2255-4082-a0c7-af0964bd1128" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QploL8qhFII/U_HXT3nmlcI/AAAAAAAA630/oagzsILO08k/s800/P1630601_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QploL8qhFII/U_HXT3nmlcI/AAAAAAAA630/oagzsILO08k/s600/P1630601_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Sunset – St Andrews</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:4d664504-b115-493a-af00-f3314d84da1c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BCIaOrRLPmo/U_HXpJ4cWNI/AAAAAAAA64A/SA7OHUnXYpg/s800/P1630602_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BCIaOrRLPmo/U_HXpJ4cWNI/AAAAAAAA64A/SA7OHUnXYpg/s600/P1630602_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Tomorrow we may visit the Isle of May – weather permitting!</font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-69389505602625711062014-10-28T12:06:00.001+00:002014-10-28T12:15:09.036+00:00Inconsistency, money and dogma–the enemies of cycling and cycle campaigning<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Friday, 8<sup>th</sup> August 2014</strong>: There was only time for a quick spin as we are off to Scotland tomorrow. Fortunately we are flying which means way less driving, but also means I can’t take my Brompton up. I could rent a bicycle when I am there, but I am not sure how much free time we will have.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Still as there are only two pictures I will try to focus on two issues that have vexed me over the last few weeks. (They will also help to unclog my Browser which has around 80 open tabs.)</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="3"><u><strong>Crime and Punishment and cycling</strong></u></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Now I am not a lawyer and won’t pretend to understand quite what is intended when wrong-doers are convicted. My main experience of such things is from watching Reality Police shows on TV. There seems to be little rhyme or reason behind the punishments, although there must be because guidelines exist.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I must admit I naively reckon that what we want to do is reduce the amount of crime in the UK as it does nothing for the wellbeing of Society or the economy. The trouble is there can be a whole spectrum of approaches. You can punish perpetrators heavily, to the extent of locking the worst ones up so they can’t harm society. (e.g <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27423636">Marlon King jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving</a>.) Many countries use a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_system_(driving)">points system for driving offences</a>, where a number of “minor” offences can lead to a significant punishment. Another approach is to educate perpetrators so they understand the consequences of their actions (<a href="http://www.theaa.com/aadrivetech/driver-awareness/speed-awareness-course.html">Speed awareness courses</a>). </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It doesn’t stop there though, you can place more responsibility on the “innocent” to prevent crime. This can vary in degree from apportioning some blame on cyclists involved in accidents for not wearing helmets (<a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817.full?ijkey=I5vHBog6FhaaLzX&keytype=ref">even though the evidence is uncertain</a>) to <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/avoid-theft">encouraging cyclists to lock their bicycles up securely</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Another step is to modify the infrastructure to reduce the possibility of such transgressions happening. Again there a rang of examples from </font><font color="#008080" size="2">better lighting around cycle parks to well-designed segregated cycle routes.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A step further is to use technology either to monitor the law, for instance Bus Lane cameras (going live in <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Camera-plan-catch-motorists-using-Cambridge-bus-lanes/story-22365156-detail/story.html">Cambridge in November (2014))</a>, or average speed cameras. Of course you could also put the technology directly into the vehicle, either to monitor, alert the driver or control some aspect of the driving. From 1985 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph">Tachographs have been used to monitor lorry drivers in the EU</a>. Some insurance companies offer <a href="http://www.quotelinedirect.co.uk/car/new-driver.asp">Telematics insurance</a> where the driver is monitored in real-time and premiums adjusted according to the “quality” of the driving as well as what time of day the driving takes place.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So what – we know all of this you might say. So what is the problem. Well the problem is inconsistency, money and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogma">dogma</a>, not necessarily in that order. They can combine in odd and unpredictable ways to resist change, any change. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Lets start with the sunrise and sunset, every year as the days get shorter we can find ourselves being dazzled by the sun as we drive. This shouldn’t be a surprise it happens every year. Also aren’t, we are taught to drive at a speed safe for the conditions. Apparently the “<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2778761/Autumn-sun-kills-28-drivers-year.html">Autumn sun ‘kills 28 drivers a year’</a>”. The article does point out that vulnerable road users are twice as likely to be killed if they are walking/jogging with their backs to oncoming traffic. The article suggests road users should be aware – why does no-one grasp the nettle(s). Drivers are going too fast for the conditions, they should be driving more slowly and the infrastructure is failing vulnerable road users.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It seems that the law also treats the sun as a mitigating factor – rather than a bloody big sign in the sky saying slow down. As in this <a href="http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/case-study/two-men-charged-causing-death-cyclist-sunderland-careless-driving-261012">tragic case</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">But in the UK we seem to behave as if speeding in our cars is a human right. Apparently “<a href="http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2014/10/13/one-in-five-motorists-thinks-that-driving-10mph-over-speed-limit-is-acceptable/53772/#.VDz-mzgY2wI.twitter">One in five motorists thinks that driving 10mph over the speed limit is acceptable</a>”. You only have to look at some of the <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/8216-having-puppies-8217-Cambridge-police-reveal/story-23200951-detail/story.html">bizarre excuses given to Cambridge Police by drivers breaking the speed limits</a>. In this case of <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2803091/britain-s-oldest-banned-driver-grandmother-86-loses-licence-getting-five-speeding-tickets.html">Britain’s oldest banned driver</a>, who has been caught 5 times in four years the focus seems to be on the hardship rather than the danger she presented. The most recent offence was 48mph in a 30mph zone. It seems to me that she was either unaware (and therefore a danger on the roads) or arrogant (and therefore a danger on the roads). Much of the latter part of the article focuses on the hardship a driving ban presents.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">But hardship does sometimes seem to work as a reason to avoid a ban. This <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Van-driver-David-Shackleford-escapes-ban-driving/story-23005728-detail/story.html">van driver who charged through a level crossing</a>. He was training to be a truck driver and had spent thousands on exams – which just goes to show being able to pass driving exams does not equate necessarily to being a better driver.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Mind you even the motoring world does understand that better infrastructure can save drivers from their own stupidity. The <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Driver-snapped-racing-Shepreth-level-crossing-red/story-23039141-detail/story.html">Shepreth level crossing is to have full barriers to replace the half barriers in 2017</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It makes me think that the application of motoring laws is just too inconsistent along with the subsequent treatment of offenders. Already we have laws about the speeds you can drive at that have been bent a little by <a href="http://www.acpo.police.uk/documents/uniformed/2013/201305-uoba-joining-forces-safer-roads.pdf">ACPO</a>. Most speeding goes uncaught, whilst it is easy to focus on the harm that accidents that result from speeding cause there are other harms – such as causing problems for old and young wanting to cross roads.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Apparently “<a href="http://road.cc/content/news/133756-cars-be-banned-roads-near-11-edinburgh-primary-schools-pilot-scheme">Cars to be banned from roads near 11 Edinburgh primary schools in pilot scheme</a>”. Why – well if you have ever had the misfortune to pass a school around the start or the end of the school day it can be chaotic. If we really want to encourage children to walk or cycle to school then it takes something more drastic than yet another call for <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridgeshire-champion-cycling-Noel-Kavanagh/story-23454915-detail/story.html">compulsory cycle helmets for children, apparently by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cycling Champion</a>. (Noel Kavanagh). </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I would venture that most parents worry about their kids getting knocked of their bikes by motor vehicles – accidents that cycle helmets weren’t really designed for. Such a call makes it clear to me that our Council is only paying lip-service when it comes to genuinely encouraging more active travel to school. <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/133324-studies-say-investment-cycling-would-save-nhs-billions">Despite the fact that boosting cycling levels would save the NHS billions</a>. If you can’t get them into active travel when they are young then what hope do you have when they are older? Apparently “<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2805691/One-six-deaths-lack-exercise-Britain-worst-West-inactivity.html">One in six deaths is due to lack of exercise: Now Britain is worst in the West for inactivity</a>” – shameful. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">In Cambridgeshire – one parking ticket for parking illegally outside a school is considered a “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Parent-handed-ticket-parking-outside-school-near/story-23275971-detail/story.html">crackdown</a>”. In another “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Lack-lollipop-lady-Cambridgeshire-primary-school/story-23268597-detail/story.html">Primary School the lack of a lollipop lady is a ‘recipe for disaster’</a>.” We need a joined-up approach from the County Council, the PCC and the Schools – not one man! </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Mind you <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/8216-U2-Bono-say-sorry-8217-drivers-risk-parking/story-23270247-detail/story.html">Cambridgeshire Council is the same one that charges for Park and Ride and has seen a 10.6% drop in users</a> driving more cars to park on the streets.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It is also the same <a href="http://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/campaigners_say_traffic_island_will_make_road_more_dangerous_for_cyclists_1_3821484">County where despite protests from cyclists pinch-point traffic islands get built</a>. Perhaps the plan is to make it more dangerous for cyclists and intimidate them off the roads.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Or maybe put them in the picture with a bit of <a href="http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/cycle-aware-scheme-will-put-riders-in-the-picture-182998n.25494266">cycle training – like Glasgow is doing</a>. What is it with the powers that be, they seem to find it so difficult to build infrastructure, yet training is ok – ah maybe it is cheaper!</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The trouble is even when we get infrastructure we seem to get style not substance. <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Boy-12-injured-new-Dutch-style-roundabout/story-23230778-detail/story.html">Well if a recent crash at the roundabout at the Radegund Road and Perne road junction is anything to go by</a>. It is “Dutch-</font><font color="#008080" size="2">style” or “Dutch-inspired” and in theory allows cyclists to take a different route from motorists. Now this road is not a route I take regularly and like many I still find it difficult to believe how much road works/improvements can cost – <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/410000-improve-Cambridge-accident-blackspot-Perne-Road-Radegund-Road-Birdwood-Road-junction-concerns-cycling-campaign/story-22365778-detail/story.html">in this case £410,000</a>. Apparently Noel Kavanagh (mentioned earlier in the post) has “full confidence” in the re-design. Although was that before he started advocating mandatory cycle helmets for children?</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Here are some local bloggers’ views – <a href="http://radwagon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/perne-road-radegund-road-birdwood-road.html">RadWagon –Perne Road</a> … and <a href="http://cottenhamcyclist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/perne-road-roundabout-proposal.html">Cottenham Cyclist – Pernre Road …</a>. Both posts point out the flaws and indeed in the second post David Hembrow comments on his discussions with the designer of the roundabout. (“Cheese sandwich without the cheese”. Even worse as this Post indicates – <a href="http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/the-perne-road-roundabout-design/">Easy as Riding a Bike –” The Perne Road roundabout design</a>” was funded using “£240,000 from the DfTs Cycle Safety Fund, £70,000 from the European Bike friendly Cities Project and, and the remainder from Cambridgeshire/Cambridge City Council’s cycling budget”. It seems to me that these funds get treated more like slush funds that public money.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So was it Dogma or Inconsistency that seems to have won out and compromised the design of the roundabout? You might say that in this case it was a hit-and-run driver, a special case. Except that that is flawed, one a cyclist has been injured the problem has occurred. Just because the driver does a runner afterwards doesn’t absolve poor infrastructure. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">In fact just recently there have been a number of cycle accidents – “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cyclist-8216-seriously-8217-injured-collision-car/story-23088159-detail/story.html">Cyclist ‘seriously’ injured in collision with car in Witchford Road, Ely</a>” and “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cyclist-ended-injured-bush-hit-run-Cambridgeshire/story-23088443-detail/story.html">Cyclist ended up injured in bush after hit and run as Cambridgeshire police launch hunt for driver</a>” and “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-police-launch-hunt-cylist-injured-hit/story-23077701-detail/story.html">Cambridge police launch hunt after cyclist injured in hit-and-run in Sawston</a>”. Now these cyclists were injured, however it appears that just having someone knock on you car window can be terrifying. <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cyclist-hunted-police-terrifying-road-rage-attack/story-23389492-detail/story.html">“Cyclist hunted by police after terrifying road rage attack in Cambridge</a>”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t condone losing you temper when cycling or driving or walking. However if the Police were to launch searches for every time I and other cyclists have had abuse shouted whilst cycling then they wouldn’t have time for anything else.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Personally I reckon that we need to re-think the whole business or roads and transport and policing and health. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">For a start we need to focus on where the potential harm is done. there is a difference between assault by a balloon compared with assault by a bullet. It is cringingly obvious, so why don’t people understand – <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/knowledge/pdf/pedestrians.pdf">mass and speed are major factors</a> in potential for harm.. </font></p> <ol> <li><font color="#008080" size="2">The faster a vehicle travels the more dangerous it is. (Check out this <a href="https://twitter.com/fineplanner/status/526780792911835136/photo/1">graphic on Twitter – at 40mph 1/10 pedestrians survive and 20mph 9/10 pedestrians survive</a>)</font></li> <li><font color="#008080" size="2">The heavier a vehicle is the more dangerous it is. this <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607">BBC news item indicates that from 2001 – 2009 there were 18 pedestrians killed in cycle accidents and 3,495 pedestrians killed by cars</a>.</font></li></ol> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> </p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There needs to be a more consistent approach to Policing the roads. Look how haphazard the approach is to catching speeding drivers, no hidden radar cameras, cameras without “film” speed patrols that have to be clearly visible. Don’t get me wrong I am not suggesting we demonize those drivers who inadvertently find themselves doing 31mph in a 30mph speed limit. I reckon we ought to not to be dealing with the consequences of speeding/poor driving instead we ought to be minimising the problems before they happen. We have the technology – we can monitor speeding, we can monitor poor driving, we can limit motor vehicles top speed. Why don’t we, I know people whinge on about their civil liberties, but what about the wannabe cyclists who feel to scared to cycle, the old people unable to cross the road because cars move too fast and crossings don’t stay on for long.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Finally we also need better infrastructure to support the segregation of pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles. It needs to be done properly, and if it is then we might stand a chance of reducing the burden on the NHS (Obesity and pollution to name but two). We might also improve our cities. We might also save lives. We might also save money.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A reminder that cars are not good – “<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/11007326/Diesel-car-drivers-betrayed-as-EU-cracks-down-on-Britain-over-air-pollution.html">Diesel car drivers ‘betrayed’ as EU cracks down on Britain over air pollution</a>”. Boris has announced plans for an extra £10 London Congestion charge for diesel cars (that don’t meet pollution standards). Well I drive a diesel, (although not as much as I ride my bike…) I’d rather have cleaner air, in fact I wouldn’t live in London, it isn’t a nice place to be so the charge is fine by me and those living and working in London deserve better quality air (and less noise). When will other cities follow suit?</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Interestingly Cambridge Police had a “<a href="http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/roadsafety/staysafe.asp">Stay safe on the roads</a>” message on their website. Perhaps they should also campaign for better segregated infrastructure and more effective ways of getting drivers to drive more appropriately – technology. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Sorry that was way too long. Some pictures, from the Fens.</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:25a70f1e-49ca-4c1c-98b9-7c71f5dec926" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-h4eeM1FaQqk/U_HVX_Y4B3I/AAAAAAAA62s/cymO138flI4/s800/P1630565_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="449" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-h4eeM1FaQqk/U_HVX_Y4B3I/AAAAAAAA62s/cymO138flI4/s600/P1630565_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> </p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I took both perspectives to see which I preferred when I got home. I prefer the first picture.</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ae5302ca-c074-4dd0-89cd-7e539717c6c2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jg9SF6AcoE0/U_HVlQ_9LQI/AAAAAAAA620/a1VRn_3F92I/s800/P1630568_69_70_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jg9SF6AcoE0/U_HVlQ_9LQI/AAAAAAAA620/a1VRn_3F92I/s600/P1630568_69_70_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> </p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-58477651740483571212014-10-21T10:45:00.001+01:002014-10-21T10:45:54.706+01:00Reasons for cycling–social connectivity<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Monday, 4<sup>th</sup>August 2014</strong>: I was meeting some friends for lunch and as is my <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wont">wont</a> when that happens I use such events to provide me with an <strike>excuse</strike> extra reason to get out on my bike. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Personally I reckon it is always easier to do something if you have some reason to do it. The alternative is to become a creature of habit and do something because that is what you habitually do. Which makes routine the reason. I feel that it is best to keep an eye on “routine”, don’t become a slave to it, that is the slippery slope heading towards playing it safe and boredom and ennui. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Enough philosophy and a bit of a side-issue. I am listening to Boards of Canada and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow's_Harvest">Tomorrow's Harvest</a> at the moment. I got it after watching and listening to <a href="http://coastkid.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/coastal-sandstorm-cycling-and-re.html">Coastrider cycling films</a> (one of the blogs I follow). My tastes in music are certainly a bit eclectic, but hey, you should like what you like. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Back to lunch – we were meeting at the <a href="http://www.thesixbellsfulbourn.co.uk/">Six Bells in Fulbourn</a>. They have good beer (and cider), good food and a good garden. What more can you ask for on a sunny summer’s day. I took my usual circle route – in through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wilbraham">Wilbrahams</a> and out through Teversham. Unusually I was slightly early when I arrived at Fulbourn, so I took a few pictures of the churchyard. Normally I find myself setting of a tad too late, then having to cycle faster than planned to catch up on the lost time, but then stopping and taking pictures along the way. It is surprising how much time gets eaten up by stopping/taking pictures/starting again.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The <a href="http://www.druidic.org/camchurch/churches/fulbournevigor.htm">Church is one of only two in the UK dedicated to St Vigor</a>. Apparently, although it is an <a href="http://www.chambermusicians.org.uk/fulbourn.htm">Anglican church it is also shared with the Roman Catholic community of the village</a>. Phew the phrase “practicing what they preach” comes to mind – long may such things continue.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Churchyard – St Vigor’s – Fulbourn</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:249742b6-27bc-42e9-b1d9-7a1ea266114a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oK9DE88io1o/U_Bc-ur-mzI/AAAAAAAA6zo/4hn97BISVkQ/s800/2014-08-04%25252012.24.50P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oK9DE88io1o/U_Bc-ur-mzI/AAAAAAAA6zo/4hn97BISVkQ/s600/2014-08-04%25252012.24.50P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Churchyard – St Vigor’s – Fulbourn</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:aa631e6c-6c77-4d43-9c12-0c31420eb474" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--b73TxUQ8To/U_BdP5d7xcI/AAAAAAAA6zw/_LaZeMDWHd8/s800/2014-08-04%25252012.25.20P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--b73TxUQ8To/U_BdP5d7xcI/AAAAAAAA6zw/_LaZeMDWHd8/s600/2014-08-04%25252012.25.20P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The next three pictures all come from the same photographic source, the first was taken using my Samsung S4 (in Rich Tone mode). I added a frame in Picasa</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2">Gravestones – St Vigor’s Church, Fulbourn<br>Samsung Rich Tome mode</font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:c540617a-e793-4c84-b516-515ab482a935" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8IIuGvycdhw/U_BdfRhVgMI/AAAAAAAA6z4/U_UQXoeRlpk/s800/2014-08-04%25252012.25.47P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="385" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8IIuGvycdhw/U_BdfRhVgMI/AAAAAAAA6z4/U_UQXoeRlpk/s600/2014-08-04%25252012.25.47P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After uploading it Google+ auto-awesome-d it. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Gravestones – St Vigor’s Church, Fulbourn<br>Google Auto-awesome</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:997aa1c7-5f64-4e8d-aa12-b11c6fe57569" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JzN3vshdYvQ/U_Bd61RgebI/AAAAAAAA60E/Xzp2XMM7bzc/s800/2014-08-04%25252012.25.47P1-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="385" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JzN3vshdYvQ/U_Bd61RgebI/AAAAAAAA60E/Xzp2XMM7bzc/s600/2014-08-04%25252012.25.47P1-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I then added a frame. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Gravestones – St Vigor’s Church, Fulbourn<br>Google Auto-awesome + Frame</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:f571802b-3139-4d11-bdfe-c9c261afc97f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OG65jHWaw74/U_EH5Z0F0ZI/AAAAAAAA61o/k1LlTMCy9hM/s800/Fulbourn%252520Church.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="388" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OG65jHWaw74/U_EH5Z0F0ZI/AAAAAAAA61o/k1LlTMCy9hM/s600/Fulbourn%252520Church.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I forgot to mention they had some form of Scrumpy as a guest cider, well as someone who grew up in Somerset and whose first tipple was farmyard scrumpy I couldn’t resist. It was quite strong so I resisted the temptation to have a couple of pints and settles on a pint and then a half. It was delicious. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After a very pleasant lunch it was time to head for home, when I reached the roundabout at the corner of Cambridge Airport I noticed a small combine harvester. This patch of field was being used for running trials and each rectangle was separately combined and sampled to assess the <a href="http://www.niab.com/pages/id/9/Trials_and_Evaluation">efficacy of whatever they were trialling</a>.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Crops trials – NCN51 – Newmarket Road</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a294ace0-ee0d-4ee7-8738-cfedcc208446" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iBTz32ZwvqY/U_BdzCyrccI/AAAAAAAA60A/Fvd-GdKKx0E/s800/2014-08-04%25252014.44.29P1.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="345" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iBTz32ZwvqY/U_BdzCyrccI/AAAAAAAA60A/Fvd-GdKKx0E/s600/2014-08-04%25252014.44.29P1.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">To think I need a reason to go out cycling!</font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-77362187197724073122014-10-20T12:00:00.001+01:002014-10-20T12:00:41.390+01:00Messing about on the pedals<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 1<sup>st</sup>, 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> August 2014</strong>: How time flies, and how I keep re-using the same old phrases in my Posts. It is inevitable though. These posts are a diary of my rides, pictures and thoughts (about cycling) and whilst things often don’t seem to change when you stop to reflect they have changed a great deal and we take those changes for granted.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">For me a bad start to the morning is when I get up and sit at my computer to find that the Internet is having issues. Which is what happened yesterday (Sunday in real-time). A friend pooped round at one point and he had been planning on getting some work done – only to find the Internet problems were thwarting him. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">But when you stop and think, we haven’t had the Internet that long, even my kids (early 20s) remember not having it and we had a home network when it was still a dial-up service. I won’t go on about black and white TV …</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">What I will do is include my Summary of my cycling distance so far for the year but bear in mind that my Posts are a bit late – so this is for distance cycled to the end of July.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Distance Cycled in 2014 - up to the end of July</strong></font></p> <div align="center"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" align="center" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Month</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Distance (Km)</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Distance (Miles)</strong></font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">January</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 503</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 315</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">February</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 610</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 381</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">March</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,085</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 678</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">April</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,150</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 719</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">May</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">1,066</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 666</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">June</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 719</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"> 450</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2">July</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080"> 870</font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080"> 543</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Total</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080"><strong>6,003</strong></font></td> <td valign="top" width="133"><font color="#008080"><strong>3,752</strong></font></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> </p> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Friday, 1<sup>st</sup> August 2014</strong>: This was a POET’s day ride and I had time constraints so I popped out into the Fens along Lodes Way and back. There was not a lot of time to take pictures or rather I didn’t make time – this looks like a Snapdragon and a quick Google search (other websites are available – remember <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AltaVista">AltaVista</a>!) and hey presto it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linaria_vulgaris">Linaria vulgaris</a> – also known as Common Toadflax, Yellow Toadflax or Butter and Eggs… I think we used to call it Common Toadflax in our Wildflower tests at Primary School. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Wild Snapdragon – Linaria vulgaris – Common Toadflax</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b69fc881-4622-4830-b05e-6fdb048afb73" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-N9TzH_vEnV0/U9ySAQw76PI/AAAAAAAA6Sk/gs5XGNIV3wY/s800/P1630487_88_89_90_91_92_93_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="594" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-N9TzH_vEnV0/U9ySAQw76PI/AAAAAAAA6Sk/gs5XGNIV3wY/s600/P1630487_88_89_90_91_92_93_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There is always something to see and take pictures of.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Saturday, 2<sup>nd</sup> August 2014</strong>: this was a post-chores ride with things to do so again I only took a few pictures. I did ride my usual Podcast catchup route though which included <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2277/0.1959&layers=C">Low Fen Drove Way</a> once Pounds Lane and Biggin Road, <a href="http://www.british-history.ac.uk/image.aspx?compid=18830&filename=fig15.gif&pubid=70">Hundred Acres Road</a> and variations on the theme of <a href="http://tourism.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/The%20Lodes%20Way.pdf">Lodes Way</a>.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Low Fen drove Way starts off as tarmac, becomes a potholed gravel track, then flat mud and then rutted mud before reverting to a gravelled track. About <a href="http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm?lat=52.232109&lon=0.197219&lz=15&rz=19&lt=OS&rt=satellite&lov=None&rov=None&lgrat=None&rgrat=None">two-thirds of the way around the worst bit of the track has a short stretch of concrete track running in parallel</a>. On the Satellite view the right of way is below the two concrete strips. Although you would be forgiven for thinking that the Public Right of Way (PROW) runs along the concrete tracks. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I guess whoever farms the area couldn’t rely on the passability of the heavily rutted muddy bit of track and by-passed it. The concrete bit is not a right of way. As a byway motor vehicles can use the route and I have followed a 4x4 (Land Rover Discovery) down the muddy bit of the byway, despite the large ruts. I am not sure what the obligations are in terms of upkeep of the surface of the byway. Here is a link to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/public-rights-of-way-landowner-responsibilities">PROW obligations</a>, there is stuff about widths and encroachment but not about the quality of the track itself.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">To prevent users of Low Fen Drive Way unwittingly encroaching on the private concrete track route an earth barrier was built (there is a gate at the other end). It would seem that someone has decided to remove the earth barrier the farmer perhaps.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Low Fen Drove Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:3b07fd43-4b09-4e06-b95c-d8f5fb7bf187" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MSVzXZSX_Uw/U90RUxjfUmI/AAAAAAAA6Tc/2TbnM6wO8OU/s800/P1630494_495_496_497_498_499_500_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MSVzXZSX_Uw/U90RUxjfUmI/AAAAAAAA6Tc/2TbnM6wO8OU/s600/P1630494_495_496_497_498_499_500_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Two Trees off Low Fen Drove Way in a field of Golden Stubble</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:7143245b-8d52-40ac-b8fa-18f578c5dd6b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RnEkU3C5nXo/U90Rlgq-jTI/AAAAAAAA6Tk/Bo3HES0YqTU/s800/P1630508_09_10_11_12_13_14_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RnEkU3C5nXo/U90Rlgq-jTI/AAAAAAAA6Tk/Bo3HES0YqTU/s600/P1630508_09_10_11_12_13_14_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Sunday, 3<sup>rd</sup> August 2014</strong>: There is still a lot of activity going on in the fields, despite it being a Sunday, farmers can’t hang around waiting for Monday before working the fields. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Dust Clouds from Combining – the grain tractor closes up for the next load</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a4817cab-6e2c-4ef4-ab62-7064d798d23c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-snv9fGqCmQU/U981Y4RJ8qI/AAAAAAAA6WA/jLTcicDPKr8/s800/P1630515P2.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-snv9fGqCmQU/U981Y4RJ8qI/AAAAAAAA6WA/jLTcicDPKr8/s600/P1630515P2.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">It is not too uncommon to see people ride horses around the area. In fact over the last two weeks I have passed a few. In two cases the riders were on there mobile phones – not illegal as far as I know. I stop when using my phone on the bike – I do it to avoid too much panting down the line rather than because of the distraction – it can be a bit off-putting for the caller. they generally stick to the country lanes though. Motorists generally do pay attention to horse riders but can’t get too close before they realise there is a horse ahead. As a cyclist I’ve lost count of the number of times I have been passed by a car or van where they have clearly misjudged my speed and pass me close by but are still moving to the other side of the road after they have passed me. The spirit was willing but their mental powers of computation were pretty damn weak.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">In this case the horse rider has a somewhat reluctant dog acting as the guard. I wait and then from a reasonable distance either gently ting my bell or say hello. Once I have been seen I take my lead from the rider as to when to pass. Horses don’t really like to have a silent cyclist suddenly whizz by them. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Horse rider and reluctant dog our exercising in the back Lanes of Wicken</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:eb55730c-1f8e-4371-808c-3f416e25bbb6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YgoJFXqN9E8/U981pNqgocI/AAAAAAAA6WI/jLwWOTrXxKo/s800/P1630520P2.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YgoJFXqN9E8/U981pNqgocI/AAAAAAAA6WI/jLwWOTrXxKo/s600/P1630520P2.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">August is a great time to be out and about though. I have never been on a canal/river/Lode boating holiday. If I did I would want to take my bicycle and explore a bit as the boat went from place to place. It must be a relaxing way to travel though and also generally away from noisy, smelly, polluting traffic. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Messing about on the Water<br>or <br>behaving appropriately on the Lode</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:78150612-c51f-4899-a073-c2bcf1a6da3d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6mDQqPRkAyk/U9815iK9GgI/AAAAAAAA6WQ/NNLfZARf3Y8/s800/P1630525P2.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6mDQqPRkAyk/U9815iK9GgI/AAAAAAAA6WQ/NNLfZARf3Y8/s600/P1630525P2.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Same picture after being got at by Google+ auto-aweseom.</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1934ce2a-4aed-40a0-b2f8-66ae75c56275" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6x0rOolHg8s/U983FpfjH_I/AAAAAAAA6Wk/foMygXYLgSg/s800/P1630525P2-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6x0rOolHg8s/U983FpfjH_I/AAAAAAAA6Wk/foMygXYLgSg/s600/P1630525P2-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Still Sunday Combining near White Fen</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e9b6d7b9-13af-49fa-a4b3-078fdb603223" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dcGoOyq409o/U982ItLxQmI/AAAAAAAA6WY/j0U5bASzIm4/s800/P1630527P2.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dcGoOyq409o/U982ItLxQmI/AAAAAAAA6WY/j0U5bASzIm4/s600/P1630527P2.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A look back at White Fen</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:28fbc7a0-e0af-4559-8266-645ed3df101a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 471px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QbuV8eX9OOA/U982ZU3VF9I/AAAAAAAA6Wg/WV3pu2XI-zA/s800/P1630529P2.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QbuV8eX9OOA/U982ZU3VF9I/AAAAAAAA6Wg/WV3pu2XI-zA/s600/P1630529P2.jpg" width="455"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">You can’t beat cycling through the Fenland countryside on a summer’s afternoon.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2"><img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" style="border-top-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none" alt="Smile" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ouIlp6Z3abg/VETrSEr6i3I/AAAAAAAA90c/thDWQEQBabA/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-38777041869164480222014-10-19T19:33:00.001+01:002014-10-19T19:33:48.263+01:00Last ride of the month–on my new MTB<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Sunday, 31<sup>st</sup> July 2014</strong>: I used to read MTB magazines and having owned an MTB for 20-ish years I have enjoyed riding my MTB from the flatland bridleways and byways of the flatlands through to the single-track at Thetford up to the mountains of the Lake District. However over the last ten years or so I haven’t used my MTB much. Over the last 20 years I have also increased the number of bikes I own from one to quite a few.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">At one point I bought a tandem to make cycling with the kids easier (and way more social). When commuting to London I got a Brompton so that it was easier to get from the station to the office in London. However the bulk of my cycling has been using my Marin San Sausalito. A hybrid bike I bought for general getting around in Cambridge, which was the right mix of robustness and not expensive should it get stolen. whilst also being pretty ok to ride. It has its quirks, like all bikes but at one point when I noticed a crack in the seat tube I started thinking about its replacement and took it to <a href="http://www.benhaywardcycles.co.uk/">Ben Hayward Cycles</a> for a second opinion. I bought the bike there some time ago. Yes it was cracked, yes it should be replaced and by the way they thought it had a lifetime frame guarantee, the confirmed the deal with Marin and then replaced the frame. That is why I go to my LBS (local bike shop).</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">During the years I have also tried different tyres, I was looking for the elusive, super-fast, but puncture-proof tyre. The right tyre (tire) also depends upon the type of cycling you do and where you do it. At one stage I used to use <a href="http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/all-condition-armadillo-700c-road-tyre-ec001821">Specialized Armadillo tyres</a> (23mm) when I did most of my cycling on the road – commuting to and from work. It seems to me that the although the roads have their challenges I tended to get more punctures the more I cycled on shared-use or dedicated cycle paths (here in Cambridge). So as the balance of my cycling moved off-road I switched to <a href="http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/unplattbar.html">Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres</a>. Of course the manufacturers do evolve the composition of their tyres. Although I have had flats with my Marathon tyres they are streets ahead.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Why am I telling you all of this. Well at the time of the ride in this post I have had my Trek Stache 8 29er for a couple of weeks and I was definitely enjoying it. The change in MTB technology from front forks through to disk brakes and larger wheels made a huge difference to my grin factor when I went out on the local trails.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There is a downside to my new MTB though. Now when I go riding, I generally always take along something to fix punctures, including patches, tyre levers, pump, spare inner tubes and a multi-tool. Although I didn’t really think about punctures because I don’t get them very often. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">So I set off – and headed out along NCN51 until I turned off along Barston Drove between Swaffham Prior and Reach. Farmers don’t hang around when crops are ripe they have to get to work, you can never rely on the weather – whatever the forecast. Unfortunately there was rain forecast for later in the day!</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Golden Round Bales along Barston Drove</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:dc41717a-2792-441f-a8cd-baefe586af10" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XFoSEHXxEeA/U9yRdaAXI_I/AAAAAAAA6SI/PKsY_CKh2fw/s800/P1630465_66_67_68_69_70_71_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="432" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XFoSEHXxEeA/U9yRdaAXI_I/AAAAAAAA6SI/PKsY_CKh2fw/s600/P1630465_66_67_68_69_70_71_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I carried along and <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2705/0.2882&layers=C">Blackberry Droveway</a> and <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2845/0.2772&layers=C">Straight Drove</a>/Reach Lode Underbank to the Lodes Way/Reach lode bridge. I then headed down <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2845/0.2772&layers=C">Split Drove to Headlake Drove</a> and then back to the line of Straight Drove and onto <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.2980/0.2573&layers=C">Harrison’s Drove</a>. My route then took me through Upware along the road and over Dimmock’s Cote Road and <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.32714/0.27536&layers=C">Docking’s Lane ( a short byway that can get pretty rutted) to NCN11</a>. I headed back to Wicken and then to Soham via <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.3172/0.3070&layers=C">Drury Lane</a>. There is a byway/bridleway/byway route to Wicken, along <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=558160&y=271836&z=115&sv=558160,271836&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=597&ax=558160&ay=271836&lm=0">Drove Lane and Brack’s Drove</a>. It can be a bit troublesome on my Hybrid (Maisie) but on Tillie it was no trouble at all.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Bracks’ Drove – betwixt Wicken and Soham</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:dc639cd4-c31b-478c-8258-e72a3239e5ca" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SYKqLysUYlo/U9yRu2eCPYI/AAAAAAAA6SQ/hfqoue7yOIM/s800/P1630472_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="448" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SYKqLysUYlo/U9yRu2eCPYI/AAAAAAAA6SQ/hfqoue7yOIM/s600/P1630472_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Bracks’ Drove – betwixt Wicken and Soham<br>after Google+ did its auto-awesome trick</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:6a706d6d-bea9-4b27-bfc8-c6aa68e2f087" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kHzute4_dVE/U9ySSf7qW4I/AAAAAAAA6So/feYoJGuGcTs/s800/P1630472_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="448" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kHzute4_dVE/U9ySSf7qW4I/AAAAAAAA6So/feYoJGuGcTs/s600/P1630472_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A little bit further along – was this a snack delivery? Although it looks as if he is getting out.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combining in Summer – a short break</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:41674786-bd93-4fe5-9ef8-b84817450a2d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xeNCPkcKjvU/U9yR0ZGB3GI/AAAAAAAA6Sc/7hdvsxZlvNo/s800/P1630479_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="515" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xeNCPkcKjvU/U9yR0ZGB3GI/AAAAAAAA6Sc/7hdvsxZlvNo/s600/P1630479_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I then headed through Soham, planning on heading back through Burwell via the byway past <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/52.3018/0.3539&layers=C">Tollgate Farm and then to Broads Road</a>. However the bike started getting sketchy. Hey no problem, I stopped on the <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/52.31736/0.35554&layers=C">track opposite Orchard Row</a> and upended the bike. I found the thorn in the front wheel – it was a teeny little thing and all I needed to do was pop the tyre of the rim and the appropriate spot and pull out the inner tube and patch it up and then pump up the tyre. I was pleased with my Lezyne pump – small but capable of pumping a reasonable amount of air per stroke. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I turned the bike over and flip, no wonder it was getting sketchy the back tyre was going down. So I did the same trick and flipped the bike over, after a short ride I decided wither there was another hole or my patching skills were crap. it turned out there was another hole and another teeny-tiny thorn. Wow these tyres look big and gnarly but they must be as thin as paper. I guess that is to keep the weight down. By now the wind was whipping up and I was having difficulty trying to pinpoint the hole so I called in the 6th emergency services (my wife) and more or less escaped the wind. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The first thing I did was research tyres when I got home. A pity you can’t get Marathon plus in 29”.. Three punctures in one ride. Not a record, but equal to my worst. </font></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-12933444023842003052014-10-17T11:56:00.001+01:002014-10-17T14:30:01.417+01:00Mid-Week Ride–Cambridge to St Ives–only a bit on the CGB cycleway<p><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Wednesday, 30<sup>th</sup> July 2014</strong>: I was going to call this post Summer Time and the cycling is easy, because as I look back on the Summer now that Autumn is practically upon us I am wishing that it was still Summer. it might also be due to the fact that I punctured a tyre again yesterday after a pretty muddy ride <strike>over the hills and far away</strike> to Great Chesterford. (My seventh puncture on my new bike and I am going to swop tyres despite the fact the old ones have a bit of wear left in them. At a guess I reckon I have done about 1,000 miles as my total distance for July to now is 2,000 miles and I have been riding my new bike quite a lot.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This was a ride that turned out to be much longer than I had thought it might be. I set off heading East of Cambridge but when I reached Quy sort of turned back and went across the fields to Horningsea and then up to Clayhithe. It was about here that I reckoned I hadn’t been up the CGB for a while and neither had I been up the <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=543205&y=264868&z=115&sv=543205,264868&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=595&ax=543205&ay=264868&lm=0">Gun’s Lane</a> or <a href="http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=543205&y=264868&z=115&sv=543205,264868&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=595&ax=543205&ay=264868&lm=0">Rampton Drift/Cuckoo Lane/Reynold’s Drove</a>. So I headed back down the track alongside the River Cam and then across from Milton to Histon.</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">One of the things about the UK is we do get seasons and the countryside is constantly changing – weather it is crops growing in the field, wildflowers in the verges or the flailing of the hedgerows. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Ads a result this ride meanders quite a lot – if you look at the map (second picture down) you can see it does move around a bit – it was more of a whim-driven cycle ride than anything. Here is the <a href="http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/735701">Bike Route Toaster Map link</a>, the loop is just over 70Km, ~44 miles and pretty much flat, not fens flat, but with a minimum elevation of 4m and a maximum elevation of 18m there isn’t any climbing. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">That is a summery scene – the green verges are turning brown. This picture looks back along the shared-use cycle path, NCN51 heading east out of Cambridge alongside the Newmarket Road.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>NCN51 – Shared-use path – Newmarket Road, between Quy and Cambridge</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:0bbde57d-9546-445f-9984-bdfcfd64d1c2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qayCbtEgD2g/U9vBTtX_6QI/AAAAAAAA6Po/UlcgjworS9c/s800/P1630430_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="439" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qayCbtEgD2g/U9vBTtX_6QI/AAAAAAAA6Po/UlcgjworS9c/s600/P1630430_1_2_3_4_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The map of my ride</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:1b7cc115-a29f-4a70-9454-4ee3b9b3efdc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/735701" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="354" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CojU2Qo6sLY/VEEZTxWwAMI/AAAAAAAA9t0/iX2fquorGkQ/s600/Cambridge%252520St%252520Ives%252520Loop%25252019Annt.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After my “u-turn”, prompted in part by the glorious weather I turned back by heading through Stow-cum-Quy and along a bridleway called the <a href="http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/735701">Drove Way</a>. The fields were being combined.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Golden fields – waiting for the baler</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:8dfd98f7-6411-48a4-92d1-b76a1f15dde6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tmuHslo1LEY/U9u_BhOedGI/AAAAAAAA6Oc/MbhtxT4A8ds/s800/P1630374_75_76_77_78_79_80_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="456" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tmuHslo1LEY/U9u_BhOedGI/AAAAAAAA6Oc/MbhtxT4A8ds/s600/P1630374_75_76_77_78_79_80_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This picture was taken along Hundred Acre Road (as it use to be known)</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Golden Field – waiting for the Combine Harvester</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:931948ba-26f3-48c0-946e-9d0ec65047f0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d5dXJk5nd1Q/U9u_TXSKXhI/AAAAAAAA6Ok/UwIUCJFd9Bs/s800/P1630381_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="454" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d5dXJk5nd1Q/U9u_TXSKXhI/AAAAAAAA6Ok/UwIUCJFd9Bs/s600/P1630381_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As I headed down the <a href="http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/735701">Haling Way</a> (aka NCN11 – that stops abruptly at Waterbeach) alongside the <a href="http://www.milton.org.uk/lists/milton-chat/7074">River Cam the water was being oxygenated to safeguard the fish</a>. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The River Cam – improving the oxygen levels</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:739f25d3-21f7-46e3-8a7a-474703a40d8e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9cGjRVmRwKo/U9u_h8lGekI/AAAAAAAA6Ow/iFiTnxznDsE/s800/P1630388_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9cGjRVmRwKo/U9u_h8lGekI/AAAAAAAA6Ow/iFiTnxznDsE/s600/P1630388_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">This is the same picture – but as I store my pictures on Picasa (which has been subsumed into the Google+ system) occasionally pictures will be selected for extra processing – known as auto-awesome . It can be turned off – but I rather like the random nature and seeing what the results look like. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The River Cam – improving the oxygen levels<br>after the picture got the auto-awesome treatment<br></strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e30beeef-d4e4-4521-bcf3-caf25cf9a7fe" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iuqt7st_1o8/U9vCqZjyJuI/AAAAAAAA6QM/BX_4EJH4baE/s800/P1630388_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="450" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iuqt7st_1o8/U9vCqZjyJuI/AAAAAAAA6QM/BX_4EJH4baE/s600/P1630388_89_90_91_92_93_94_tonemapped-EFFECTS.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Gun’s Lane</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:a990fd75-aa71-4e81-89b8-d8acfaeda900" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oHCSsm5dC6Q/U9u_yuFnTKI/AAAAAAAA6O4/7v7A8AF73SE/s800/P1630395_396_397_398_399_400_401_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="452" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oHCSsm5dC6Q/U9u_yuFnTKI/AAAAAAAA6O4/7v7A8AF73SE/s600/P1630395_396_397_398_399_400_401_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Rampton Drift</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:816b2947-c8ec-4331-a4c8-21523b4d76a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wGSz7Ee3qmc/U9u_9u7EnnI/AAAAAAAA6PA/A4YCir0d8K8/s800/P1630402_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="309" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wGSz7Ee3qmc/U9u_9u7EnnI/AAAAAAAA6PA/A4YCir0d8K8/s600/P1630402_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I have taken a few picture of this tree in the middle of this field, along Rampton Drift.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A Tree in a Golden Field, Rampton Drift</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:50470f01-1ad9-41af-b434-0222e9253f27" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Jb-BuZoLnYo/U9vARV74diI/AAAAAAAA6PI/x_Rz7yTKPmE/s800/P1630409_10_11_12_13_14_15_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="462" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Jb-BuZoLnYo/U9vARV74diI/AAAAAAAA6PI/x_Rz7yTKPmE/s600/P1630409_10_11_12_13_14_15_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>A Bridleway Bridge over Reynold’s Ditch</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:d30ec8dd-9f1c-4f92-ba76-4ccae6649cce" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 466px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jHNj21np_TM/U9vAflTl5EI/AAAAAAAA6PQ/j-1cFH1-sC8/s800/P1630416_17_18_19_20_21_22_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jHNj21np_TM/U9vAflTl5EI/AAAAAAAA6PQ/j-1cFH1-sC8/s600/P1630416_17_18_19_20_21_22_tonemapped.jpg" width="450"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combining – Rampton Road</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e957bc87-8ff5-482e-a7f7-0fc493aeddbe" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-459AA9MIIl0/U9vAw3B6csI/AAAAAAAA6PY/YF1U9YpRyJQ/s800/P1630424_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-459AA9MIIl0/U9vAw3B6csI/AAAAAAAA6PY/YF1U9YpRyJQ/s600/P1630424_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Tractor ready for the next grain load – Rampton Road</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:60a90832-1e4c-4de0-b602-ac04db38ea4c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-grN5nGmsnUg/U9vBB-KyVUI/AAAAAAAA6Pg/l2rKbREluXY/s800/P1630427_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-grN5nGmsnUg/U9vBB-KyVUI/AAAAAAAA6Pg/l2rKbREluXY/s600/P1630427_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Teasels along the CGB (Cambridge Guided Busway)</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:9479b8c8-6f05-42cf-be14-d0b75f72f77c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XV1fjllSUBc/U9vBZvspcgI/AAAAAAAA6Pw/XUbGCBxv-Gg/s800/P1630437_38_39_40_41_42_43_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="312" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XV1fjllSUBc/U9vBZvspcgI/AAAAAAAA6Pw/XUbGCBxv-Gg/s600/P1630437_38_39_40_41_42_43_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div><font color="#008080" size="2"></font> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">Clockwise from top left (I think) – Rosebay Willow Herb, Convolvulus, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Mayweed, Ragwort, Great Mullein, Teasel, Thistle, Clover and ? – some sort of red berry.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Some of the flowers to be found along the CGB</strong></font></p> <p align="center"></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:9d17fd57-1764-48e0-9ac4-e35b637a9fbf" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F7ahaU6Z80s/U9vCCl4bivI/AAAAAAAA6QI/JDgOhcLoNQE/s800/July%25252030-7-2014%252520St%252520Neots.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="429" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F7ahaU6Z80s/U9vCCl4bivI/AAAAAAAA6QI/JDgOhcLoNQE/s600/July%25252030-7-2014%252520St%252520Neots.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">After heading up the CGB cycleway to St Ives I returned on the <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/52.2978/-0.0543&layers=C">Regional Cycle Route 24</a> (it used to be NCN51). I detoured through Fen Drayton Lakes though. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I didn’t know that the Gravel Bridge Road was closed – so I went along to find out what was going on. I wrongly assumed that the bridge over the CGB was being worked on, but was surprised because it wasn’t that long since it was built. It turns out that the <a href="http://www.over-pc.org.uk/news.php?template=2&id=269">bridge in question was Gravel Bridge</a>. The re-building was taking 9 weeks because they were casting the beams on site. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Gravel Bridge – being re-built</strong></font> </p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:eb78c5e5-17c5-4061-a9f4-e65ce28d0051" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-h5aZL-d-opM/U9vBn7rjnkI/AAAAAAAA6P4/ONaWcl3dgDU/s800/P1630457_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-h5aZL-d-opM/U9vBn7rjnkI/AAAAAAAA6P4/ONaWcl3dgDU/s600/P1630457_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As you can see I didn’t take that many pictures on my travels all things being considered, it was just a very pleasant ride. Somewhat longer that I would normally go for on a random ride – but you can’t waste a good summer’s day can you?</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Although you probably can’t make it out the blue sign on the right leg of the traffic sign is highlighting, in a very subdued way, NCN51 – although the route now has a different number RR24. These things seem to hang around long after their sell-by date. The issue is that it can easily create confusion for cyclists passing through – it is wrong. Cycling really is a Cinderella form of transport and yet far more beautiful than the ugly sister of motoring.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2">NCN51 – well no, not any more</font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b346a68c-325a-4f51-813a-737d17846b40" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 468px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NHfQxiEGQps/U9vB4IfoSOI/AAAAAAAA6QA/trtYYaUVzQY/s800/P1630458_59_60_61_62_63_64_tonemappedX.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NHfQxiEGQps/U9vB4IfoSOI/AAAAAAAA6QA/trtYYaUVzQY/s600/P1630458_59_60_61_62_63_64_tonemappedX.jpg" width="452"></a></p></div> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2864052595440250048.post-2043896684530526412014-10-14T11:45:00.001+01:002014-10-14T11:45:58.829+01:00Some pictures of farming in the fens when I cycle the byways<p><font size="2"><font color="#008080"><strong>Saturday, 26<sup>th</sup> July 2014</strong>: Saturday is my catch-up day, when I listen to the omnibus edition of the Archers. Although it is getting to be a tough listen. As far as I am concerned the ration of misery to everyday life is all wrong. I have also been listening to the Radio 4 drama <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047qhc2">Home Front</a>, which surprisingly given the subject matter is less unsettling. </font></font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">As usual I tend to go for byways and bridleways, they are more pleasant, and I can actually hear my MP3 player. I know that people moan about cyclists listening to stuff whilst on the move. How many of the complainers have actually stood as a pedestrian by a busy road and tried to hear themselves think. If listening to music on the move is so bad why do motorists get to do it and why can car radios be turned up so loud?</font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Apparently “<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2776695/Living-100m-major-road-increases-risk-high-blood-pressure-fifth.html">living within 100m of a major road raises the risk of high blood pressure by a FIFTH</a>”. The cause is not known, but could be due to airborne pollutants, noise or both. </font></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">A not unusual sight on Low fe4n Drove Way – fly-tipping. It generally gets cleared quite quickly. Reports of Fly-tipping is also a fairly regular news item – “<a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Fly-tipper-dumped-12-bags-rubbish-Cambridge/story-23056152-detail/story.html">Fly-tipper who dumped 12 bags or rubbish in Cambridge Children’s playground ordered to do unpaid work</a>”.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Fly-tipping on Low Fen Drove Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:64ca1015-20f0-4eaa-9338-7709a3c46bfc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vDSdGuzMQgY/U9Pf7HbAjMI/AAAAAAAA6Jk/uNsH2W9TH64/s800/P1630319_20_21_22_23_24_25_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="454" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vDSdGuzMQgY/U9Pf7HbAjMI/AAAAAAAA6Jk/uNsH2W9TH64/s600/P1630319_20_21_22_23_24_25_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">its the time of year when farmers get very busy. My son ended up doing some combining in a remote fields at 11pm using car headlights to provide extra illumination. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>The Summer Harvest is underway – Low Fen Drove Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:675b2a78-3299-43e2-8406-253e129db0c9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SmhUz-eWL-g/U9PgLXtSBLI/AAAAAAAA6Js/8laz7Ag11vY/s800/P1630327_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SmhUz-eWL-g/U9PgLXtSBLI/AAAAAAAA6Js/8laz7Ag11vY/s600/P1630327_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combining – getting in position for in-flight grain transfer<br>Low Fen Drove Way<br></strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:b0c6d159-5eb5-48a5-a10a-8ac0e0d9b7cb" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9vGx-H4yyf4/U9PgaEsfnhI/AAAAAAAA6J0/JqkgQO7A6Qc/s800/P1630330_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9vGx-H4yyf4/U9PgaEsfnhI/AAAAAAAA6J0/JqkgQO7A6Qc/s600/P1630330_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">I had a little peep over at <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/52.2663/0.2371">Oily Hall Farm</a>, this is a footbridge over Commissioners’ Drain. Yep, that’s my 29er – it made short work of the various tracks.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Commissioners’ Drain Footpath</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:e3f63ff9-acaa-419a-8b3e-a03365ac35cf" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w9-PalzlFw8/U9PgrNkkSzI/AAAAAAAA6J8/he3ru_yfPzY/s800/P1630331_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="451" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w9-PalzlFw8/U9PgrNkkSzI/AAAAAAAA6J8/he3ru_yfPzY/s600/P1630331_2_3_4_5_6_7_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">this is a view looing along the drain to the east, it is so overgrown that it is the colour of the vegetation than makes it visible. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Commissioners’ Drain Footpath</strong></font></p> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:bf4fe530-b945-4463-8b2f-9468c2db9263" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 466px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HoXJfiB5Q3k/U9Pg8MZKjXI/AAAAAAAA6KE/jw1DOxizTls/s800/P1630338_39_40_41_42_43_44_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HoXJfiB5Q3k/U9Pg8MZKjXI/AAAAAAAA6KE/jw1DOxizTls/s600/P1630338_39_40_41_42_43_44_tonemapped.jpg" width="450"></a></p></div> <p align="left"><font color="#008080" size="2">They are looking for volunteer “stewards” for the Fen.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Blue skies over White Fen</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:43d2ef12-c2ce-4e11-b252-2fbd5df1843f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RU4HCutEPio/U9PhK3ssdhI/AAAAAAAA6KM/3SZQI_7nlmQ/s800/P1630345_46_47_48_49_50_51_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RU4HCutEPio/U9PhK3ssdhI/AAAAAAAA6KM/3SZQI_7nlmQ/s600/P1630345_46_47_48_49_50_51_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font size="2"><font color="#008080"><strong>Monday, 28<sup>th</sup> July 2014</strong>: No ride on Sunday, but I did pop out on Monday.</font></font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Combining in Full Swing along Lodes Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:da312e3c-04c3-4265-96c2-20c4e1535fc2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kvTfwocrSS4/U9u9rfStGqI/AAAAAAAA6No/owDY34LTF2o/s800/P1630352_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="479" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kvTfwocrSS4/U9u9rfStGqI/AAAAAAAA6No/owDY34LTF2o/s600/P1630352_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">Mind you there are more than grain and beet grown in the Fens, beetroot, spuds, onions, salad crops and flowers all feature as well. This must have been a bouncing beetroot. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Escaped Beetroot – Lodes Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:00a1ea3c-826c-42ff-8676-498260e745af" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sTT9BDE6wPE/U9u97vKy5CI/AAAAAAAA6N0/eI_QhyAmcyU/s800/P1630360_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sTT9BDE6wPE/U9u97vKy5CI/AAAAAAAA6N0/eI_QhyAmcyU/s600/P1630360_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">There is the beetroot on the left of the picture along the edge of the road. </font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Escaped Beetroot – Lodes Way</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:4275e53f-7e44-4fb4-8734-610cd76c15e0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HgKuFlUvWGk/U9u-Mo8adqI/AAAAAAAA6N8/tz5SzI1J8EE/s800/P1630362_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HgKuFlUvWGk/U9u-Mo8adqI/AAAAAAAA6N8/tz5SzI1J8EE/s600/P1630362_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p><font color="#008080" size="2">The River Cam passes alongside Upware and from the road you can sometimes see the boats mysteriously moving along the fields.</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Boat on the River Cam – Upware</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:ec77b2cf-20f0-482d-947a-b322f84aa97a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9FsYi9dfoE8/U9u-b8x5SmI/AAAAAAAA6OE/tDf6TBCU5n8/s800/P1630364_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="455" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9FsYi9dfoE8/U9u-b8x5SmI/AAAAAAAA6OE/tDf6TBCU5n8/s600/P1630364_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> <p align="center"><font color="#008080" size="2"><strong>Interesting Clouds – Burwell Fen</strong></font> <div id="scid:51CF81A4-8F44-4a2c-8837-198C090B9994:631f8fa4-f8d1-4e41-8ede-ce8e452d0e13" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Tu9KV-ekFQ8/U9u-vLc-g5I/AAAAAAAA6OQ/dLLCZ4HC94A/s800/P1630367_68_69_70_71_72_73_tonemapped.jpg" atomicselection="true"><img style="border-right: 2px; border-top: 2px; border-left: 2px; border-bottom: 2px" height="452" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Tu9KV-ekFQ8/U9u-vLc-g5I/AAAAAAAA6OQ/dLLCZ4HC94A/s600/P1630367_68_69_70_71_72_73_tonemapped.jpg" width="600"></a></p></div></p> Jmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078208384599353066noreply@blogger.com0