Meditations
of a
Cyclist
and
Poet
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FeaturedCycling my allegiance
An unusual once-in-a-lifetime overnight ride to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace at a historic and profound moment in the new kingdom It was a fine dry evening in early autumn when I set off at 10pm. The ring-road seemed pretty normal for a Saturday. Some dickhead in a high-end white Mercedes has spun off the… Read more
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FeaturedRocket Men
In my previous post I wrote about the joys of cycling along the many wagonways to be found in the North East of England. Here I begin a journey from one of the most historically important places in the development of the railway locomotive, and unearth a little of their men who put it on… Read more
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FeaturedThe Magic that is Audax Time
“I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” Time in normal day-to-day life can feel reliable and predictable. Even without looking at our watches (or maybe smartphones these days) we have a good sense of what the real time is. In the… Read more
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There go my waggonwheels…
If you’re looking for off-road two-wheeled adventure, the North-East of England has a dense network of trails known as waggonways left behind by the industrial revolution providing miles of gripping and secluded tracks just waiting to be explored. The North-East of England hosts a rich tapestry of often hidden tracks and trails that the less… Read more
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The Night Cyclist
While the rest of the world turns in to bed, the night-time pedaller is only just setting out with plans to cycle through the whole night. What drives this unusual behaviour? In the depths of the night, those hours long after most have turned in to bed and as many more before they again arise,… Read more
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LE to NE
As BBC weather introduced a new extreme heat symbol to their weather maps, one randonneur set off to ride 900km from Land’s End to Tyneside A clear blue sky hung over the peninsular as I coasted the few short miles down to Land’s End. Kevin was waiting looking sharp and keen. His weightless titanium bike… Read more
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5 positive things that the plague brought us
A British perspective A massive reduction in traffic Who would have thought in those distant days of Greta Thunberg and climate activists that we would now emerge into a world almost devoid of traffic? The skies that were filled with the deafening screech of jet engines, the dull roar of passing planes, the throbbing and… Read more
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More of the same, sir?
And when all this is over, Will we just close the car door to that reassuring clunk, And join the endless stream of tail-lights into the bright neon night; And numberless jets leave vapour-trails across the hazy skies; And sickening pangolins and bats lie twitching in the sterilized luggage holds? “Bloody well hope so!”, breathed… Read more
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Rainbows
Don’t you just love it when you stumble upon two things and they seem to connect? Sharing with you an old poem which was introduced to me by Poem-a-Day – it you’ve not yet subscribed I urge you to do so immediately, for we need the light of poetry in our lives as much as… Read more
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Bluebells
Never had I seen bluebells as I’d seen that year – Way up Ladder Hill, the first turn – you’d have known the way. Like a carpet spread as far as the eye could see, Whilst new leaves came upon each tree. The light The dappled light Softly shaded below the evening sun The sweetest… Read more
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Lament Upon An English Country Churchyard
Here, in this English country churchyard Let us rest for a while. Upon the earth, From which we … Unto which we … Silent now, Save the droning of the bumble bee, Drunk upon the abundance of blossom, Blooming over the socially-distanced plots – As it the fallen might catch a fever. Let us rest… Read more
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Non-essential Travel
A Faithful Account of the Condors Virtual Easter Arrow 2020 At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, Bob Donaldson let his imagination run away with him and imagined the audax Easter Arrow that was planned to be over the long, hot Easter weekend. The team was made up of three members of… Read more
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Getting Yoga Done, Part 2
A series of reflections from a complete yoga novice Breathing in Read Part 1 here I did this session a few times more, and then something fortuitous happened. At work the old print-room had been converted into a Wellbeing Room. Where a couple of staff had once sweated over photocopying machines and binders, newer and… Read more
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British Summer Time MMXX
When the petals fall We will gnash our teeth and wail Falling like confetti Into freshly hewn coffins Silenced. The vapour-streaked skies Returned once more to the drone of flies, The staccato cries of seagulls, The lengthening rays of warmer days On the hot earth The scampering paws will barely pause To the sound of… Read more
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Featured
Getting Yoga Done, Part 1
A series of reflections from a complete yoga novice Getting grounded on earth Being a reasonably hardened cyclist with some hefty long-distance rides under my belt I felt reasonably confident that I’d find yoga pretty easy. After flicking through a number of videos on YouTube I settled on one called “Yoga for cyclists” by a… Read more
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From/To Autumn
Where are the songs of Spring? Aye, where are they? John Keats
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Daffodils on St David-19’s Day
After storms and floods From all man’s ills I rest from howling gale Beside sweet daffodils Fair the light this David’s Day They bend their heads as if in prayer And take a moment to reflect The monk who refrained from ale and meat From flesh came this plague that sweeps the Earth And to… Read more
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Ode to Cycling 