The freedom of the cross-country runner - Lake District National Park
The freedom of the cross-country runner
Cross-country running was and is still my sport - I ran for the school and uni teams and I can still enjoy running, especially in wide open spaces. Latrigg (368 m) is just outside my windows here and I have several routes running the less popular paths, though as a “sports walk” rather than a full-on competitive cross-country or fell run. Today has been a fine afternoon and so it was again a pleasure as a runner to push upwards, enjoy the soft landings on forest paths, lollop over high grassland and fight to maintain balance on the descent. Happily also, hay fever wasn’t a big issue.
Heavy-duty gardening - Taming my Cumbrian cloud forest 3
Clearing out and shredding dead wood in my cloud forest garden in Keswick to replace with a Hazel bush that has outgrown my patio in London. The PPE and heavy boots are required so as not to get slashed to pieces by the vegetation and protect from the noise of the shredder but the effect is to be working happily in a world apart.
Read more: Heavy-duty gardening - Taming my Cumbrian cloud forest 3
Sunday Sport - Preston Park, Brighton
An impressive amount of participation in sport on a Sunday morning in Preston Park, Brighton.
Steam power in Brighton
Burrell Crane Engine No 3829, “His Majesty”, built in 1907, PB9687
McLaren Road Locomotive No 1652, “Boadicea”, built in 1918, WF1864
“His Majesty” (1907), “Boadicea” (1918) and “The Great North” (1901): powerful steam vehicles arriving in Brighton for the sixtieth Historic Commercial Vehicle Society rally. All three engines are in steam and under power as the convoy enters Brighton; the engine in front is towing the two engines behind plus a low loader carrying a 132kV, 45,000 kVA mains electricity grid transformer made by Fuller, representing the old technology hauling in the new. Seeing, hearing and smelling these historic engines move under their own power was one step beyond seeing them on static display at the many rallies they grace with their presence.
Teesdale - Wensleydale - Littondale - Ribblesdale - Dales National Park
Coffee stop, Middleton-in-Teesdale
GBMCC AGM weekend, Patterdale
Four counties ride day with GBMCC to the North Pennines and Dales
Cumbria, Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire then back to Cumbria. In just one run this route took in most of the best of riding in the UK. After the twisty lakeside road out from Patterdale, then up the multiple hairpins to Hartside Summit, the route took in single track roads, moorland open roads and narrow roads with dry stone walls on both sides and grass in the middle. Steep climbs and hairpins, deep valley bottoms compressing the bikes’ front forks, summits with a tendency to go airborne and straights to hit the revs limiter, at least on my 250. Views over to Cumbria, Morecombe Bay and down Teesdale to the North Sea coast.
Very physical but great sport for me wrangling my little Ninja Z250SL to stay in the same time-zone as the litre-plus bikes, and good of Scott, Paul, Nic, Cal and Ian to accept me to ride with and encourage me in this group of famously “progressive” riders.
More photos: Teesdale - Wensleydale - Littondale - Ribblesdale - Dales National Park
Hausewell Brow (437 m.) - The Old Coach Road - Lake District National Park
I was very pleased to try an electric-assisted mountain bike as I’ve been thinking of buying a small petrol motocross bike (eg KTM 250 SX) for some fun off-road; the ‘problem’ is that e-bikes are much more widely welcome than motocross bikes. No amount of theorising is the same as being confronted with a rocky path. This is how my day with the e-bike turned out:
The Old Coach Road is one of those must-do roads in the North Lakes. It’s a Byway open to all traffic (BOAT) so is legal on foot, horse and for motors with two wheels or four. It’s steep and there are big stones, large grade gravel plus potholes and wash-outs. Goodness knows how the stagecoaches climbed the hill to Hausewell Brow (437 m.) with a team of horses: it must have been exciting at the best of times and usually downright terrifying. And the ride downhill must always have been a thrill ride.
More: Hausewell Brow (437 m.) - The Old Coach Road - Lake District National Park
Saint-Raphaël
Colours of Saint-Raphaël on the Côte d’Azur, just along the coast from Cannes, Antibes and Nice. These French Riviera towns were the original Mediterranean resorts, set up by the PLM railway company in the nineteenth century. The French Riviera became popular with people high and low. The towns have modernised and continue to set out an enticing resort bathed in natural light and colours which are as alluring as ever.
