Combining Easter weekend with a few days off, I managed to get a full 10 days away from the office at the expense of only 4 days of holiday. Bargain. We’d considered flying off to somewhere warm and sunny for a week, but in the end decided to stay in London and spend the money saved on flights /accommodation doing fun stuff with the kids. Turned out to be a great decision, as we had a great time and the weather was actually pretty good too. The girls had two riding lessons each, which they loved – what have I let myself in for there? Although I’ve yet to hear any pleading to have their own ponies…
Highlight of the week’s action (for me anyway) has to be the trip to Woburn Safari Park. We’d intended to go to Longleat initially, but luckily checked the website beforehand, which revealed that the monkey enclosure was closed. Travelling all the way to Longleat to find the main attraction closed would not have gone down well. We arrived in time for the Park opening at 10am and were one of the first cars through the gates. This is a good thing. First, the queues are shorter; second the carnivores are fed at 10am and so they're all near their food which is strategically placed close to the road for optimal viewing. So we had awesome views of the black bears, a wolf stealing food from a bear – it was just like a wildlife TV programme – the wolf using cunning and speed against the ferocious size of the bear. But, of course, the bears, rhinos, giraffes and lions were all just the pre-amble for the main event – the monkeys. Initial disappoint at an apparent lack of monkeys soon turned to hysteria inside the car as our patience finally paid off when a troupe of Patas and Barbary monkeys launched a sustained assault on our motor. Cress very nearly found out the hard way why the Park suggests you keep your windows closed…in the end I think we got away quite lightly, with part of the rear wiper and a bit of a wingmirror missing after their attack. Highlight of the trip, kids and parents loved it.
Had a decent ride out in Surrey on Friday, covering off 100 miles as planned. It was a beautiful day with a light wind, clear skies and temperatures nudging into the high teens. What a difference it makes, everyone seems to smile a little more and are a little more accommodating: no, please, after you, I insist. My average speed also improved along with my demeanour, although I never felt like I was really pushing it – perhaps I am starting to see some progress after all. The views from the top of Leith Hill and Box Hill were awesome again. I was speaking to a fellow cyclist at a dinner party on Saturday evening, who’d been up to Box Hill that morning – he estimated that there were about 100 riders at the Box Hill café, and counted over 150 coming up the hill as he rode back down afterwards. Perhaps we’re no longer a minority sport.
Poor old Clare had a rough ride on Sunday. I got a call from her at about midday to say that just outside Staines one of her front wheel spokes had snapped, punctured her tyre and ripped a hole in the sidewall, leaving her unable to carry on. Her ride mates continued on their ride, while she waited for a taxi. I got another call from her about an hour later, just a touch animated. The taxi had turned up, but the driver didn’t know how to get to London, how to speak English or how to operate his sat nav. Result? They’d travelled 3 miles in 30 minutes. Frustrating end to a ride, to say the least. Worrying failure of the wheel too – I could imagine that happening on a rear wheel perhaps, but this had gone on the front wheel, and after only about 400 miles from purchase. We’ll see what wiggle.com have to say about it.
Spent Sunday afternoon mapping my route for Friday’s ride from Swindon to Exeter. Nothing like getting the big Ordnance Survey maps spread out on the floor to feed the anticipation of a big trip. Looks like being a ride of about 120 miles and 2,500 metres of ascent, a day after 85 miles and 1,650 metres of climbing. Should be a tough ride – the 2008 Etape was only 2,440 metres of vertical and 105 miles by comparison. Still, fingers crossed the wind’s in the right direction – current forecast suggests a decent tailwind, hope it stays that way.
Weekly totals
Commute – zero
Other – 126 miles
Funds raised to date - £1,928
Highlight of the week’s action (for me anyway) has to be the trip to Woburn Safari Park. We’d intended to go to Longleat initially, but luckily checked the website beforehand, which revealed that the monkey enclosure was closed. Travelling all the way to Longleat to find the main attraction closed would not have gone down well. We arrived in time for the Park opening at 10am and were one of the first cars through the gates. This is a good thing. First, the queues are shorter; second the carnivores are fed at 10am and so they're all near their food which is strategically placed close to the road for optimal viewing. So we had awesome views of the black bears, a wolf stealing food from a bear – it was just like a wildlife TV programme – the wolf using cunning and speed against the ferocious size of the bear. But, of course, the bears, rhinos, giraffes and lions were all just the pre-amble for the main event – the monkeys. Initial disappoint at an apparent lack of monkeys soon turned to hysteria inside the car as our patience finally paid off when a troupe of Patas and Barbary monkeys launched a sustained assault on our motor. Cress very nearly found out the hard way why the Park suggests you keep your windows closed…in the end I think we got away quite lightly, with part of the rear wiper and a bit of a wingmirror missing after their attack. Highlight of the trip, kids and parents loved it.
Had a decent ride out in Surrey on Friday, covering off 100 miles as planned. It was a beautiful day with a light wind, clear skies and temperatures nudging into the high teens. What a difference it makes, everyone seems to smile a little more and are a little more accommodating: no, please, after you, I insist. My average speed also improved along with my demeanour, although I never felt like I was really pushing it – perhaps I am starting to see some progress after all. The views from the top of Leith Hill and Box Hill were awesome again. I was speaking to a fellow cyclist at a dinner party on Saturday evening, who’d been up to Box Hill that morning – he estimated that there were about 100 riders at the Box Hill café, and counted over 150 coming up the hill as he rode back down afterwards. Perhaps we’re no longer a minority sport.
Poor old Clare had a rough ride on Sunday. I got a call from her at about midday to say that just outside Staines one of her front wheel spokes had snapped, punctured her tyre and ripped a hole in the sidewall, leaving her unable to carry on. Her ride mates continued on their ride, while she waited for a taxi. I got another call from her about an hour later, just a touch animated. The taxi had turned up, but the driver didn’t know how to get to London, how to speak English or how to operate his sat nav. Result? They’d travelled 3 miles in 30 minutes. Frustrating end to a ride, to say the least. Worrying failure of the wheel too – I could imagine that happening on a rear wheel perhaps, but this had gone on the front wheel, and after only about 400 miles from purchase. We’ll see what wiggle.com have to say about it.
Spent Sunday afternoon mapping my route for Friday’s ride from Swindon to Exeter. Nothing like getting the big Ordnance Survey maps spread out on the floor to feed the anticipation of a big trip. Looks like being a ride of about 120 miles and 2,500 metres of ascent, a day after 85 miles and 1,650 metres of climbing. Should be a tough ride – the 2008 Etape was only 2,440 metres of vertical and 105 miles by comparison. Still, fingers crossed the wind’s in the right direction – current forecast suggests a decent tailwind, hope it stays that way.
Weekly totals
Commute – zero
Other – 126 miles
Funds raised to date - £1,928
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