Late Again...

Well, good intentions regarding bloggery, photography and bimbling didn't last long - I haven't got out half as much as I'd like and when I have, I've been doing the same old things.

But, a quick look back at my records show that I'm actually very slightly ahead of last year's January efforts, both in the number of rides and the miles done on them, so January obviously just isn't my month.

I do like to keep a paper record of my rides - I'm not a Stravaerist so can't look them up online, but I have a journal instead where I write down the miles covered, average speed, the maximum speed achieved (woo yeah!), calories burned (Yeah right, utterly inaccurate but still, I may as well note them) and the odo reading for the bike at the end. I just use basic wired handlebar computers (each bike has its own) to record these details. Then I write in where I went and anything else I care to remember.

Why I do all that I'm not entirely sure! Just out of curiosity really, I suppose. It means I can look places up and see how far they are and so on, how many miles I'm doing and on which bikes and so on. It all sounds a bit sad really but who cares - it keeps me occupied!

So 2018 hasn't exactly got off to a thrilling start, but at least I do have an excuse in the weather - it has been wet and windy seemingly day in, day out for weeks now. I don't mind riding in the rain, but when that rain, or in many cases hail, feels like it's stripping the flesh off your face as it rips sideways into you propelled by an angry wind, well then I'm not so keen. "Sod that for a laugh" has been my usual summation on opening the curtains of a morning to reveal the wild weather shredding the countryside to bits.

One thing I've noticed - it's always blowing a proper hooley on general bin and recycling day - Monday in our case round here. The result is usually, once the men have been round doing their thing, a load of plastic boxes and an assortment of coloured bags flying about the place, and come the early evening, people who have been at work all day roaming the village looking for their recycling hardware, and having to pick it out of the hedges, pluck it out of the trees or from under parked cars. 

By crikey builders earn their money at this time of year. Working all day in the clawing mud, wind and rain would get old very quickly for me I must admit - I don't know how they do it.

This is the new build estate in a very prominent field on the edge of my home port, a field that every winter sports a pop up lake in the bottom left corner, and this winter, as can be seen, is no exception. Why they've piled up that soil there I don't know, it's probably going to be carted away or used for top soil in the gardens or whatever, but it is now surrounded by quite a moat. I had wondered if they plan to place any houses in this corner, but on having a butchers at the ecological survey done in 2015, I found mention of an attenuation pond, so presumably that is what is planned for this spot. I wouldn't be buying any house over on that left side of the field though, it's always water logged very quickly after rain so there must be a fair bit of groundwater near the surface in that area that flows down the hill and collects at the bottom. At the least I would think any houses built on that side will have rather wet and soggy gardens, but maybe there is some cunning plan to deal with that, we'll see.

What else? Ah yes, a photo that I first saw in the 2017 Photo Annual edition of the US magazine 'Bike.' Of all the great photos in the mag, this is the one that I spent the longest holding in the air in front of me and gawping at.

This photo, by Robb Thompson,was also recently a Photo of the Day over on Pinkbike.com, and I just love the light as a shower hit the riders near sunset. Normally, you leave space for riders to move into in the frame, but having them pointing out of the frame and on the edge gives a great feeling of speed - blink and they're gone sort of thing. The shot wouldn't be half as good without those flowers in the foreground too.

There are loads of photos that I admire both online and in print, but this one really butters my toast, and scores a maximum on the wish list:

Wish I was young again and able to ride like that.

 Wish I was there at the moment the shot was taken.

 Wish I could take shots like that!

But anyway, on to more mundane riding and the few weather beaten pootles I have managed of late.

The 14th of January, and the morning after the stroppy night before.

A quiet and still morning, with sunny periods too, but the puddles and streams of water running off the fields and into the lanes tells the story of the weather we'd had the night before. Everywhere was the sound of gushing, trickling and dripping as the countryside recovered from the lashing it had just endured.

Out on the Voodoo again, despite pledging to ride the Marin more often... Well the Marin hasn't got a rear mudguard you see, and I didn't want the mucky streak of shame up my backside... The Voodoo has got panniers so I could carry leggings/Sou'wester/water wings should it rain again...

This hill doesn't look much (they never do in photos do they!) but it's a real brake burner when going down it, being long and in places, steep as a set of stairs.

At the bottom of that hill lies the Tresillian River (above and below).

I've been after a photo of this tree between Probus and Ladock for a long time, but in the past I've always been foiled by rain, or the light being wrong, but on this day all the ducks were in a row and I bagged it. Like a lot of the trees round here, this one was showing signs of recent damage too.

That was basically that for this ride - just a ramble along the lanes in a loop taking in Probus and Ladock, with not much to report, and not many photos taken either, but it was still good to get pedaling once again.

13.54 miles done, a maximum velocity of 28 Great British miles per hour reached on a goodly plummet down a hill and 216 calories burned apparently - Fascinating stuff eh?

The 19th of January saw a quickly grabbed ride around my usual Tregassow Loop.

Another day of bright sunny periods between rampaging showers. Conditions like this give the camera metering, and more to the point, my camera skills, a hard time. Thank heavens then for RAW capture and being able to do some heavy lifting of the shadows on the computer.

The lane along the edge of Trehane Wood, always a good bit of road to keep an eye out for hairy critters as I've encountered Badgers, Rabbits, Hares, Foxes and Deer along here in the past.

Looking over the hedge on the lane from Five Turnings to Pengelly with Treveale Farm in the mid distance and Ladock Woods on the hill top.

Weather update: Peachy.

Hmmmm... lot of portrait orientation in this post...

Ditch beside the lane at Killiserth.

Weather update: Take cover! 

Just nearing my home port of Trispen my luck with the weather that morning ran out big time and I copped the hail shower from hell itself. Thankfully I was under tree cover at the time so took shelter while the trees took a very loud strafing from the hail stones. 
Once the passing shower had relieved itself enough to allow a photo or two, I bagged this photo while balancing on top of a Cornish Hedge looking into a privately owned wood.

 There's a great tree/puddle shot lurking at this location, but all the best angles are obstructed from the road by nearer trees and also the wide flooded ditch. But I did manage to get across the ditch and onto the hedge top, and while hanging onto a tree with one hand and aiming the camera in the general direction I wanted with the other, got a photo. It's not the best angle as I say, but without trespassing, or going bog snorkelling, it's the best I could get at the time.

Finally we arrive at last Monday, the 22nd of January and that just shows how tardy I am at updating this blog.

It was high time I got one of the fat tyred twins out again, Fatso or the Marin, but given my intended destination was the uppermost path in Idless Woods. I once again opted to leave the Marin in port and sacrifice Fatso to the mud and slop. The Marin will be going out very soon - I've told myself to stop being such a big Nelly and take it out on my next road ride...

Fatso in my back garden prior to the off, and still looking peachy after it's post Christmas clean.

A freshly damaged tree at Treworgan, between St Erme and Lanner Mill.

Last time I came along here there were two trees down in a field beside the road, this time I found this tree on the roadside itself had copped it in the latest storms.

Part of the felled portion of the tree, post emergency surgery by a man with a large chainsaw.

This is like a piece of art in itself, a rural sculpture if you like, and believe me, if I could lift it and fit it in a pannier, I'd have this in my back garden (we'll gloss over the question of theft... call it window shopping, or window salvaging on my part).

To someone skilled in interpreting the rings of a tree there is probably a lot of information to be gleaned from this lump of wood. The rings don't just indicate age, but also give clues to the climate during each period of growth, any insect infestations, periods of drought and even where something such as another tree has leaned against it or provided heavy shade.

Now this winter really does seem to have been an interminably wet and windy one, and to add insult to bedraggled injury, once again we missed all the dumps of snow that afflicted most of the rest of the country.  I've pretty much given up checking the weather forecast as it nearly always says 'wet and windy,' 'windy and wet,' or 'stay indoors it's going to be mank out.'

But... it's not all gloom and doom, what winter grimness lays ahead is shorter than what we've endured, we're on the home straight now and proof that Spring is just around the corner is starting to appear. 

Primroses, and generally regarded as the first flowers of a new year - Snowdrops. You beauties! What a welcome splash of colour these were amid all the gloom of a Monday morning in January. 

If the hedges and verges are half as bountiful and colourful this Spring as they were last year, then we're in for a treat.

Sartorial elegance money just can't buy...

I've always been, and always will be, a scruffy Herbert, and my riding clobber provides a fine example. Some people are born to look cool in anything (usually Italians) but I could make the finest tailored suit look shabby and mis shaped.

The weather forecast (I lied... I do still look at it) had promised a day without rain, but I still donned my baggy over trousers for this ride, for a reason that will become obvious very shortly.

I'd just taken a ride by shot of me gurning my way up the first half of this hill at Lanner Mill, and took this as I looked into Idless Woods (at what I thought at first was a stray dog as it happens) to keep the camera alive before going back down the hill for another run up for the camera. Pause too long between shots and the camera goes into hibernation and many is the time I've ridden up and down machine gunning photos only to find the camera had gone into sleep mode half an hour before and I'd captured the sum total of nothing.

Freshly downed trees on the edge of Idless Woods.

Tree nearest the camera is a fresh casualty, the one behind came down about a year ago.

Bang goes the clean bike... Any hope of retaining clean trousers too, hence those leggings.

Riding through this level of slop is good fun, with the wheels rarely in a line and steering accuracy measured in feet rather than millimetres (or fractions of an inch perhaps)as both wheels were prone to wandering about. Picking a line was less 'just pass between that root and that leaf' and more 'just keep it between the trees'.

Woo that's sloppy!

It's been a while since I last rode the uppermost path through these woods, as I knew it would be pretty gloopy, but curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to see what was occurring after all the weather we've had. Puddles mostly.

One benefit of cleaning a bike is it stays clean longer, and is also easier to clean once home again, and Fatso was actually holding up well with a lot of the wet mud simply not sticking.

Find of the day this erm... levery type thing.

The woods are home to classic motorcycle trials now and again, so I did think this may be the kickstart from a 1934 Rudge Running Sore or the gear shift from a 1948 Scott Flying Testicle, or the advance and retard from a BSA Barking Backfire 650 Twin or some other old wheezing motorised bi-wheeled rattletrap. But I'm not so sure to be honest what it is. 

Whatever, I have no possible use for it, practical or ornamental, so put it back where I found it.

Wet and muddy tyres plus plentiful rootage equal bowel loosening slipping and sliding, even on fatty tyres.

Fatso leaning against the same tree. Despite suffering a spectacularly lurid front wheel slide on those roots, dignity was preserved and I avoided (somehow, it would've been more by luck than judgement) face planting the scenery and bike and pilot remained upright.

It wasn't all sideways mud plugging though and some parts of the track do drain well.

Heading back towards home along the lower path takes one alongside the stream, that was of course, running both fast and high.

Despite being quite a substantial body of water, the stream appears to be as yet, and rather bafflingly so, unnamed. 

Last shot of the day - Fatso beside the upper branches of a tree that came down in the storms back in the Autumn. If you're thinking we've had a lot of storms lately, you'd be right.

Despite some parts of the bike remaining pleasingly clean, I couldn't take Fatso back in the house with tyres covered in slop so broke out the pressure washer and gave both the Fatty and the Voodoo a quick wash, so I'm back to having all the fleet looking tickety boo again. But the Marin is going to cop it next time I head out... That's a promise!

Right now, I'm going to sign off quick 'cos there's a repeat of The Sweeney on the telly, followed by an episode of The Professionals. Lots of people loved the Professionals at the time, but watching them now some of the acting and action looks terribly camp compared to the convincingly gritty Sweeney. "Alright Tinkerbell, you're nicked..." Great stuff!

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Bits and Bobs, This and That.

Well I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year, and all are fit and healthy, and looking forward to 2018 with renewed enthusiasm.

Here at Bimble Towers I did indulge myself just a bit food wise (I'm not a drinker) and filled every available space in the kitchen with snacks and goodies - all deliciously unhealthy and definitely ill advised. Mince Pies, Sausage Rolls, Pasties, Chocolate biscuits, more Mince Pies, Crisps, Pork Pies, huge fry ups... You name it, I scoffed it, and now I feel as fat as a house and every bit as lively.

I'm no healthy eater, but I have cut out a lot of ugly stuff since I got back into cycling and have had been feeling the benefit too, but now I'm paying for my festive excesses by feeling sluggardly and bloated most of the time. So, that's a lesson learned then and work to be done to undo all the damage. It was bloody good though, I did enjoy revisiting all the junk I used to consume so readily!

So what else regarding Christmas here in Cornwall? Well some parts of the country had properly festive weather, with snow up to their chins, but down here, well... we had...

Puddles. Big puddles, small puddles. Long puddles, short puddles, Deep puddles, shallow puddles. Puddles in the lanes, puddles in the woods, puddles in the fields, puddles in the house. Anyone like puddles? We've got plenty. Oh and wind, roof ripping, tree felling, bouffant bothering wind. We had lots of wind.

All of which, plus my usual ailments (and an exciting new one too! New for 2018! - Hip Bursitis according to Doctor Google) mean that I haven't got out much on the bikes lately. When I've felt mentally and physically up for a bimble, the weather has been violently grim. When it's been more agreeable outside, well I've mislaid my mojo somewhere, or my back was giving me grief. 

Plus, like I say, I've got this new exotic excuse to trot out as a reason for not riding - this hip burswotsname. The good Doctor Google suggests it's not fatal (always good to see) isn't arthritic (likewise) and can be fixed easily (yay!). So how do we fix it then?Avoid exercise, particularly stuff like climbing stairs, running and cycling... Oh bums.

I've said it before I know, but I'm glad I'm not a horse as they'd shoot me if I was, and with good reason too. Hypochondria is the only thing I haven't got...

But there have been a few rides since I last posted on this blog, so I'll lob a few photos into the Google auto fuzz enabler and post them up in a minute. A metric tonne of snaps to come, so a lengthy post this one.

Anything else? Well this time of year always means looking back at the year just gone and evaluating things. For me, health wise, I didn't move forwards at all - I still get all the usual issues causing me grief despite all the riding and time spent in the countryside. But the way to look at that is how much worse things would be without the rides and relaxing in nature, so it's not necessarily a point to the negative.
My annual mileage did slip though - in 2016 I notched 1424 miles while 2017 saw me rumble 1218 miles under my wheels. That's not a huge mileage by anyone's standards, but for me, it's still better than nothing and I'm grateful I can ride a bike at all.

Any New Year's Resolutions from me? Nah! I don't do resolutions really, but I do want to try and do more rides this year, and longer ones too. More time spent away from the house requires a bit of planning and a good helping of confidence too, and often last year I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to tackle bigger trips. 

So that's one aim, another is to ride the Marin more! I really am dead pleased with the Pine Mountain, it is a great bike to ride, but since it arrived in June I only clocked 180 miles on it. A lot of that is down to not wanting to get it filthy and all scratched up! I love the way it looks when all is clean and shiny, and the few mucky rides I have done on it have made my teeth itch seeing it get trashed. But it is an extremely enjoyable bike to ride, so I must get out more on it. But then again, it is also a nice treat now and again, like a good steak, so maybe I shouldn't feel so bad having it as my 'best bike' and for good conditions only.

A mountain bike I don't want to get dirty. Makes perfect sense...

Obviously my main objective needs to be to improve things health wise. I've fallen into the trap of just accepting things as they are because, well, that's the way they are, and so far various attempts in the past to make things better - mentally and physically, haven't yielded any great improvement, other than the cycling/nature/photography side of things. I have to try and be more proactive then - easier said than done, but if I can get a start, feel some benefits somewhere and feel like I've moved forwards, then I'm sure that will be the impetus I need to keep working on progressing further. 

I also want to up my photography game, as every photographer does really. I want to take more interesting and better technically shots. I'll always be a snapper - I'm not one for planning a shot in microscopic detail or whatever, but I do enjoy taking the snaps I do take and want to take better ones. Of course, it's more about the human behind the camera than the camera itself, but I have decided to upgrade my DSLR set up (I've already started as it happens, bagging a used Canon 'L' lens recently, and have a circular polariser on order for better woodland shots)  and gen up on better techniques and so on. I'm thinking of upgrading the camera too, my 450D DSLR has done sterling service but it lacks one or two features I'd like, mainly a flippy floppy rear screen (so handy on my compact) and more focusing points. I'd likely only buy used, but we'll see.

I also need to do better with this here blog too - make it more interesting and writted betterer. I need to do things with the blog in mind, particularly with taking photos that tell a fuller story, as we're about to see a bit further down...

Right, talking of photos let's get stuck in...

Woo... it's been a while... this was the 21st of December and a short ride out in the grizzly and drizzly countryside.

It wasn't without its magical moments though, as while taking this shot I saw some gert big raptor or other (a Hawk, Kite or Buzzard, a Pterodactyl perhaps) swoop down into the field full of solar panels that lurks through that gate on the left. So I went over to have another look and all was quiet - the flying killy thing was nowhere to be seen. Then all of a sudden all hell broke loose and Pheasants were scattering everywhere and making a heck of a din, but it wasn't the bird of prey causing all the agitation, it was a Fox that darted out from cover and sped along the edge of the field, vainly chasing a Pheasant that just managed to evade becoming Foxey's brunch.

Yeah, I'm a rebel me.

Target for this ride was some much needed isolation and immersion in some countryside, and my fave spot locally for this is down this erm, footpath, off Tregassow Lane. I won't ride on footpaths in towns or villages, or where it's just not a good idea, but some, like this one, are wide, long established and also used by farm vehicles and horses, and so fair game in my book. 

Besides, by using these paths I might be helping 'proof of use' and preventing farmers from blocking them off.

The camera being zoomed in for this all action photo makes the path look narrower here than it actually is, there are two distinct vehicle tracks along here as it was used as access for a shoot.

I only went half way along the path, to the point where it magically changes status to Bridleway, and therefore cycling is fully legal, but it was this stream that I wanted to spend some time poking around, set back away from the path in some raggedy woodland. Fatso is in the top of the photo, but I'd had to push the bike to this part of the stream as the ground was both very soft and muddy, and littered with fallen branches/trees and so on.

I don't know anything about Funguseseses, but they are fascinating things in the variety of shapes, colours and the way they go about doing their 'thing' as it were. These growing on the trunk of a downed tree are Puffball affairs, the slightest touch of them sending gert clouds of brown spores into the air.

I love spending time in spots like this, seemingly miles from anywhere, and full of interest once you start looking closely at the surroundings. Running water is always relaxing too of course. Well, when it involves streams and rivers, not so good when it involves wet ceilings or burst pipes perhaps, but you know...

Heading back towards Tregassow Lane again. Full finger gloves were much needed, as it was cold as a Politician's smile out.

Well that was the last ride I did before Christmas came and I'd waded enthusiastically and shamelessly into all the food I'd gathered.

But not riding didn't mean the end of bikey type stuff though, as at some point over the festive period (can't remember which day it was) I got bored and came over all creative, and decided to have a go at some off camera flash.

Hmmmm... not just looking mucky, but the auto fuzz filter has been at work, If you want to see these fuzzy ones as they should be, right click on 'em and open in a new tab.

Fatso wasn't actually as muddy as it has been in the past, despite trips along very gloopy Bridleways and footpaths. The mud being so wet and sloppy, as were the roads, meant that not a lot of claggy mud clung to the bike. Yes it's muddy here, but not half as bad as it can get sometimes.

Damned fuzz!

I do like the effects that can be gained with the use of flash, particularly turning daylight into darkness by having the camera on manual and under exposing the ambient light and then bringing the subject back up using the flash. These were all taken in my living room where Fatso lives between bimbles.

Scrapety scrape scrape...

Now this is where when it comes to making a blog post, I didn't think things through, 'cos I later went out and gave the bike a much needed wash and brush up, but did I take photos of all that? No, I flipping didn't. But in my defence, it was drizzling heavily at the time so I just wanted to get on with things, and taking snaps wasn't really a priority.

What then followed the wash was a wheels off polishing session, firstly using Autoglym Super Resin Polish to clean up the paint and give it some shine, and then followed up by the same manufacturer's Extra Gloss Protection, a sealant rather than a wax, that gives good long lasting protection and works well on lighter colours.

Once again I didn't do much joined up thinking, and only took as couple of shots of the proceedings - this one being before getting busy with the buffing cloth as the sealant is allowed to set for a few hours. 

The main thing with this sealant, well, the same goes for most such products really, is to only apply very thin coats. Put too much of this stuff on and you'll be needing a belt sander to get it off.

Buff buff buffety buff...

More flash trickery (rear or second curtain sync selected) makes for some ghostly blur while white balance fail makes for a warm orangey glow (either that or the kitchen was on fire).

And the only post titivation shot I got before the batteries in the flash ran out of jam and died a dimly lit death. You see, I didn't think any of this through!

Proper shiny photos will no doubt be got when I next wheel the bike out for action, but for the time being, Fatso is excused duties, along with the Marin, and is staying in the warm and dry.

No such luck for the Voodoo though, and on the 28th of December, I set about burning off some of those extra calories I'd ingested with a trip to Boswiddle Ford.

More Fungi, this time some great big beggars growing on the roadside at Five Turnings. I parked the bike well away from this particular monster in case it ate the bike or rode off on it or something.

A quick peek under the skirts of the Fungi... (I feel like a dirty old man now having written that...)

Boswiddle Ford and a go at a panoramic for a change.

After all the wet weather we've been having the stream here was running very well indeed, although I have seen it higher/deeper across the road in the past I must admit. You can just see the white of the foam on the left where the water drops down several feet, and consequently makes for a very invigorating roaring noise.

While I was up on a bank, backed into a holly bush taking this pano set, a Rabbit came lolloping down the road on the right and across the bridge and sat beside that tree in the background. Wanting to get a shot of it I reached for the compact camera (the zoom lens on the DSLR I was taking the pano with was no good for reaching that far) and the bunny saw my movement and took off like a well kicked cat. A bright red cycling jacket is no good for wildlife photography it seems.

Festive looking mud near Ladock.

Another cold day this one, but with occasional sunny bits to tease the brave bimbler with.

So that was the 28th then - calories burned - about half a sausage roll's worth.

Oh, still got some Mince Pies... yum...

One last ride of 2017 was still to come though, as on the 31st I had another mooch about, this time in light rain.

The night before it had properly belted down and the wind had been very stroppy indeed. Come morning though and things were a bit quieter, the wind had dropped a fair bit and the rain was only light. So after donning waterproof over trousers, I headed off to go and see what things were looking like. Wet was the answer.

Flipping fuzz...

The rain was only light, but it still meant the 'proper' cameras were mostly off limits, neither being weather sealed, so for this shot I used the GoPro. Tregassow Lane floods if there is as much as a heavy dew, but this was the most flooded I've seen it in a long while. Despite that, I didn't take any other shots as I've taken so many of the floods along there in the past that it all gets a bit repetitive.

I did risk getting the compact out for this shot though as the GoPro wouldn't do it justice. It's only an empty country lane, albeit a rather wet and bedraggled one, but I love places/scenes like this, and it's no exaggeration when I say I'd rather be stood here in the cold rain than on some sweltering beach somewhere.

A quick pootle up Bodrean Lane ensued, here on the bridge over the small stream.

Then it was back onto Tregassow Lane, and then the lane down to Riverside, on which I took this last blog shot of 2017. 

Calories burned on this ride - A couple of Twiglets and a Cheese and Onion roll.

So 2017 was seen off, mileages tallied up (as mentioned above, rather disappointingly) and in came a whole new year, along with more food still left to consume. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. 

Anyone want a crisp? Prawn Cocktail flavour... a chocolate biscuit maybe?

So with last year's mileage a bit on the low side, and a determination to make things better all round this year, have I got 2018 off to a positive start?

No.

I've only managed one ride so far unfortunately, on the fifth of January.

The recent stormy weather has taken its toll on one of the trees at Treworgan Manor Farm.

And the bike in the lane with the above mentioned farm in the background. The sun might be visible in these shots, but I was dressed for foul weather again, as one or two raucous showers had blown through ahead of me setting off, so it was on with the leggings and the bungee strap round my head to hold my hat on.

You have to love Campion - lovely colour, delicate appearance, but hard as coffin nails. Everywhere all around is wet, battered and bedraggled, but there is the brave Campion giving a big two fingered (or should that be petaled?) salute to the conditions.

Over the fast moving stream at Lanner Mill.

Time for a gnarly tree shot...

On I splashed and squelched, dodging all the twigs and branches littering the lanes but enjoying being back out on a bike, and in the fresh air once more. But just as I was passing Lanner Barton Farm I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye that I've been wanting to see for ages. I quickly grabbed the brakes/threw out the anchor (delete as appropriate for the prevailing road conditions) and made a 'uey' in the road. It may have been raining again, but I needed to get a photo of...

The old Thames Trader that normally lives hidden beneath a large tarp that had presumably blown away in the storms. Nicely proportioned body - HUGE wheels!

The Thames Trader was a fairly short lived model, built by Ford between 1957 and 1965, which surprises me a bit as I seem to remember these being a very common sight on our roads. Some of these old warriors are still in daily combat too, in places like Malta and New Zealand, so they were obviously well built.

This one above is a MK 2 model built from 1962 onward, and from what I can gather, the differences twixt this and a MK 1 jobbie are purely cosmetic.

Whoever designed the truck though dropped a cobbler by the look of it and clean forgot to pencil in some indicators, hence those rather after thought looking motorcycle style ones sat on the front wings, which were a standard 'feature' on all the Traders. Or maybe they were meant to look like that all along, who knows?

Nice to finally see it uncovered at last though, and in such good nick too. It looks to be a 'goer' rather than a wreck awaiting restoration, and one day I hope I might encounter it out and about once the classic show season gets under way again.

See what I mean about Campion? Tough as old boots.

St Allen church in the background, and was that another spot of rain?

Puh... splutter... yep, okay... pfff... I'm getting rather... aw yuck... wet now... condition red... take cover!

My word I caught a right old shower, a properly vigorous one that was more like being hosed down in a wind tunnel than a refreshing and cleansing splash of rain. Luckily I was just passing St Allen Church so took cover in the Lych (Saxon for dead body/corpse/cadaver/expired geezer) gate. Dead peeps back in the day would often be kept under a shroud at the gate to the church until such time as a burial service could commence. The roof over the gate was added to keep the weather off the pall bearers or family members who attended the body to keep body snatchers/Foxes/local dogs away. Many churches round here also have coffin rests in the centre of the gateway on which a coffin was placed once the wooden box became the normal packaging for the recently croaked.

View from the Lychgate into St Allen Church grounds.

Finally, after about 20 minutes of lurking where the dead folk once lurked, the rain eased up and I made a run for it, hoping to get home before any more such deluges caught up with me (which I duly managed I'm pleased to say).

Now you can see this weed's problem straight away - it's not a Campion! Had it been it would be still flowering brightly, despite copping a faceful of slop with every passing vehicle, and getting battered about by the wind and rain every day. 

Campion, they may be pink but they're tough as teak. 

Calories burned on this ride - Two chocolate biscuits and a third of a Peppered Steak slice.

And as the grocer once said while holding up a reddish looking onion, that's shallot. All up to date thus far, that's the news, that's what's been goin' down in my 'hood.

So until I next have something to witter on about, all that remains to do is wish anyone who has got this far a very happy and prosperous 2018. 

Happy Cycling!

Sausage Roll anyone? Mince Pie?

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