clairedavieswriter

My latest ride companion was so committed to the cause that she left home at 4.30am so we could be on the road by 9.30. Chapeau Diane. Glad to have you with me till Glasgow. The theme for today was spectacular views – we found one round virtually every corner. Obviously, obtaining spectacular views on…

A gate without a bike propped against it – must mean a rest day. Given my legs are screaming at me just going upstairs, I think it was necessary. Kirkby Lonsdale sported some excellent art on their public toilets – to which everyone is welcome provided they have a credit card to open the door.…

This morning I learned that I can consider myself a true citizen of Oswaldtwistle, or Gobbiner, because I’ve spent the night ‘above the lamp’ – ie in the part of town above the Gobbin lantern that stands outside the library. Obviously. Neighbouring Accrington is famous for its ‘nori’ bricks (apparently ‘iron’ was spelled backwards in…

Today’s early hero was Dylan of Dilly’s Bike Shed in Glazebrook, who successfully extracted and replaced Trixie’s sheared and frayed gear cable, so that I was on my way, with a fully functioning multi-speed bike, by 11am. It’s safe to say that his establishment didn’t bear much resemblance to our local bike shop: But the…

This morning’s coffee came with a side order of mechanical failure, which looked set to derail my plans, were it not for the intervention of a perfect stranger – in the purest sense of the phrase. The day started innocently enough, with a chilly ride through a shady avenue of broad leaf trees. For the…

It was a cool misty start in Bewdley… But we soon warmed up with a punishing climb out of the Severn valley. Having negotiated the unremarkable outskirts of Kidderminster, we briefly enjoyed the tranquility of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. But could have done without the alarmingly rutted section of towpath in this tunnel: We…

Today I was joined by two top quality domestiques (for those not familiar with cycling terminology, I’m not being offensive) It was nice to have company on the road… And at the pit stops. Tewkesbury Abbey was very, very old (and closed). It was a day of three rivers – we crossed the River Avon…

When a rest day happens to find you in a spa town, it seems churlish to pass up the opportunity to take the waters, metaphorically speaking. So after a suitably relaxed start, I enjoyed the best massage I’d ever had. The fact that it was also the first massage I’ve ever had should not detract…

Two historic cities bookended today’s ride, sandwiching a mostly flat, deeply rural section, dotted with dairy farms and offering views of distant hills. Unfortunately the wind had not received the memo about prevailing from the south, but on the plus side sunglasses were definitely required. The National Cycle Network continued to impress, with clear signage,…

I want to start today’s entry with a thank you to a fellow guest at my B&B, whom I’d never met until this morning. As I was loading Trixie, she first asked where I was going, then whether I was fundraising, and then disappeared into her room, coming back with a £10 note. Betty Thompson…