A Bridge Just Right......

The van flew through its MOT as expected but there was no indication as to the source of the alarming if intermittent grinding and creaking noises so I took a mechanic out for a drive and barely managed to reproduce it. However they suggested changing both lower wishbone arms and hey presto silence was restored : £500 well spent. 

With the operating season drawing to a close we enjoyed the Peak Sightseer Open Top bus once more with a pleasant break in Bakewll. As usual the drivers added to the experience and this time a lively family group pitched in as well.

Whilst in Hathersage we had a look round the David Mellor Cutlery Factory and Shop where the excesses of our privileged society were clearly evident, outrageously priced items often bought by public bodies for state use such as silver toast racks at £1200 for use in Embassies around the world, many in countries where that exceeds the average annual income...

After resting up for a few more days in Sheffield I headed down to Priddy for the weekend before moving on to Cheddar where Julian, the owner of Petruth Paddocks Campsite, had very generously offered free camping to cycle path volunteers. Unfortunately at Priddy I woke to a flat engine battery caused by my coolant after run pump failing to switch off. Fortunately my Noco Boost worked as expected and I was soon off to Cheddar.

Pete was already set up so I headed round to the site on both banks of the Cheddar Yeo where the aim was to install a 20m bridge supported on three concrete pillars to complete a further section of the Somerset Circle we had worked on back at Shepton Mallet.

Mark, our main contractor was digging out the footings and before long we had the first shuttering in and a couple of tons of concrete were being carefully poured in by the remarkable steel wrist attached to his ' rubber duck' excavator, so named after its tyres, not the fact it likes water.

I called at Cheddar Tyres who were happy to sell me a Varta 105ah battery with a five year worldwide warranty and offered to drop it round to the site that evening. The Bosch had lasted 8 years which is good enough for me. 

The owner forgot to drop the battery round so appeared rather apologetically the following morning after a call and was kind enough to lift the new one in position as I had been careful not to use my right shoulder where possible and the bigger battery was quite a beast. Apart from momentarily losing the battery bolt, found by Pete's magical magnetic index finger, all was soon restored and as we were on EHU I left the new battery getting a top up charge.

Over the next few days we assembled further shuttering to enclose the rebar using plastic daisies to keep everything true and Mark and his team continued to move up the many tons of mix, all of which needed settling with the vibrating poker. The weather was mixed and made keeping the gazebo intact something of a challenge. Gallons of tea were made thanks to a nearby householder offering us access to his water tap and locals dropped by with cakes and expressions of appreciation and support. By midweek we had the two south bank supports completed and then began removing one set of shuttering to be moved to the north bank for reuse across the fortunately shallow Cheddar Yeo.

Whilst we were attacking the shuttering Mark was improving the track to facilitate access for the bridge sections due on the Monday. Two aspects of two of the pillars had to be detached carefully as all the volunteer names had been cleverly cast in reverse using plywood letters, a mammoth task undertaken at the Shepton Work Party with a fret saw. On releasing the plywood the names appeared as if by magic, oiling the plywood before pouring the concrete was essential to ensure their smooth release.

The project kindly offered four of us a meal out in Cheddar so we dined well and gratefully in the Bath Arms, Tim and Jane are a lovely couple who when not exploring Europe by bike or motorcycle volunteer for the YHA as locum wardens as well as the cycle path work.

With a weekend off to play with I headed down to see a friend at Crediton who was recovering from a broken arm incurred whilst taking his motorcycle for a service prior to a much anticipated trip to Patagonia. A deer wrote the bike off and John was lucky not to sustain a more serious injury but was of course disappointed to lose the trip. We had a good catch up over beer and pizzas in the excellent Three Little Pigs in Crediton and I left the following morning to enjoy the journey up the Exe Valley to Lynton where I stayed for what may be the last time at Greg and Alex's house in the Valley of Rocks. We enjoyed good steaks and a catch up in Lynton, they hope to move towards Somerset to be nearer family but the housing market is a bit sluggish at the moment so timings are a bit uncertain.

Back at Cheddar on the Monday I prepared a few tools and donned freshly laundered work clothes for the week ahead. A good number of volunteers had turned up so we allocated tasks around removing the remaining shuttering, fetching large plastic culvert pipes and so on.

The huge amount of steel and timber for the bridge had arrived several hundred yards down the track so Mark and his buddy carefully loaded a huge trailer and began to manoeuvre the forty foot steels on to site with inches to spare. Final checks on levels and length were made before Mark took his machine to the limits to lift the first section up above the pillars and then out over the river, mindful that the banks were not particularly substantial. To relief all round the first one was soon in and a good fit with the second following shortly afterwards, all this down to the extraordinary civil engineering skills and experience of John Grimshaw and Caroline Levett. After some careful adjustments the expansion pads could be fitted but then we realised the second pair were missing so a call to CTC, the manufacturer in Huddersfield saw them put with an overnight courier and we used timber off cuts in the interim.

The shorter (still 20') beams were bolted to the main ones with plates secured by Huck bolts which exert a substantial torque after which the remaining lattice work, cross pieces and other assorted sections of galvanized steels were installed before the hardwood uprights for the handrails were secured. The redundant shuttering was cut to size and used for duckboards to enable the handrail crew to work away from myself and Martin who were installing the 100 deck planks, each secured by 12 stainless steel screws and weighing upwards of 20 kilos. Unfortunately the absence of sharp bits, let alone long enough ones, slowed progress down as each plank had to be piloted, removed, fixing hole drilled, plank replaced and screws driven in.... This put a heavy drain on the various cordless drills and with most of us only having single pack chargers and only two outlets on the genny it occurred to me that a mains drill would have circumvented a number of issues. Eventually Mage's in Cheddar were able to provide bits and after a final push on the Friday all the planks were down, the handrails fitted and Mark was able to use a variety of machines to start finishing off the approach ramps, drainage and final touches. As at Shepton it was a fantastic team effort full of good will, varied skills, many laughs and understandably the odd frustration but we left in good spirits proud of yet another job well done.

Pete headed home to recover whilst I returned to Priddy where Bill turned up for our planned weekend cycling. On the Saturday we met Pete in Shepton, eventually, and took Bill along the new section of trail from Thrupe Lane in to Shepton and then out past a huge bonfire to see the bridge installed last year. After a thorough soaking we dived in to a caff before checking out the cemetery path and then heading separately back to Priddy. Bill and I took a number of green lanes, made treacherous by the downpours to reach Wells, I had been riding very cautiously as my shoulder was improving but I didn't want another tumble just yet.

Dale and Michelle joined us for an excellent night in the Hunters with Dale returning the following morning for a group ride. We rode across to Charterhouse and then along the ridge to Black Down with excellent views across to South Wales and then dropped to Rowberrow and eventually Sandford with me again taking great care and letting Dale and Pete take the lead with their ebikes. The cafe attached to the care home is a great concept and does lovely food fuelling us for the return to Cheddar where the bridge ramps were almost completed. Bill and I rode up Cheddar Gorge as the eboys tackled a steeper alternative with us all arriving back at Priddy by mid afternoon.

After saying our goodbyes we went our separate ways, in my case heading for Brecon as I had a flu jab due on the Monday morning. It was all quiet down at the Prom and the service at the clinic was as friendly and efficient as ever : my annual cholesterol bloods were also taken and I spent the afternoon pursuing my Russian Visa for next year's planned trip. This proved laborious and time consuming with the Consulate in Edinburgh giving out conflicting advice and an online form that failed to save on numerous occasions. Deep in the detail of said form I found that details of previous marriages and  divorces including names and dates were required as were details and dates of all countries visited over the last decade. Without old passports to refer to this required intensive scrutiny and cross referencing of the blog and my photos to provide the required information, not helped of course by the lack of 'cross border' stamps within Europe.

A final stumbling back was the need to provide full details of my three previous passports... I called HMPO and was told they have limited information which they could/would not release unless I submitted an SAR or Subject Access Request which gives them a month to reply to. Thus things are on hold but over 3 wet days in Brecon I achieved a lot and made use of the Ecoflow power pack to supplement the leisure battery as there was no solar at all.

I noticed that the new fish pass had after the first heavy rain already got blocked by timber debris and a lost kayak - the project had taken many months over the summer and looked inadequate from the start, it has so far proved impossible to find out what this ludicrous initiative has cost. I met Crad and Mike for a catch up over breakfast and joined the badminton session on Wednesday night but soon realised it was a bit ambitious to be playing again so met a few players in the rugby club later before a quiet night in the centre of town. 

Thursday was a chance to meet Tim and Jane from the cycle path project who were wardening the Brecon Hostel before I headed to the cosy Coliseum cinema to watch the Bruce Springsteen film. 

On Friday I moved up to Jan's for the weekend as she had a new greenhouse to erect so cast an eye over the lengthy manual and then ran through a parts check where all seemed well. I spent the rest of the afternoon giving the bike a good clean and sorting through my tool box as a useful set of ratchet ring spanners and a half inch drive socket set had been purchased at Aldi. Pete arrived later and first thing Saturday morning we began assembling the 7 main panels in the shed. These were then bolted together on the base and the roof bars attached to stabilise everything before the glazing began on Sunday. It was a well designed and sturdy piece of kit and the instructions were clear if occasionally complex but by the evening we had a completed greenhouse including  sliding doors that left us a couple of hours on Monday morning to fix everything down at 10 locations before I had to head off leaving Pete and Jan to install the wooden staging. It was an enjoyable experience, Jan had fed us well and Ian had kept us watered so I left for Newtown where the ever friendly and efficient Groom's Garage serviced the Eber for a very reasonable £200.

I caught up with my brother in Bishop's Castle before calling at the VW garage in Hope where Will and his mechanic remembered me from 8 years ago and said my old van was still OTR locally but had only put another 20k miles on in that time to add to the 220k I had done over 13 years giving a total of over 360,000 miles - this van is about to pass the 150k milestone..

Anyway I am about to meet friends in Dethick where I have spent the afternoon chasing up the passport people having found another email address to use. I find it very satisfying that I can be sat in a soggy field with access to information and the ability to print off forms and copy documents, all off grid, whilst being warm and cosy.

Tomorrow I head to Sheffield from where Mandy and I will head to the west side of Cumbria before we start our annual treat of a fortnight in Langdale.

Beyond that my plans depends on whether or not the visa can be secured so watch this space and CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS

 

King Alfred's Way To Go.......

 With the van safely parked up in Frome Pete joined us on the first leg of our six day ride by showing us a largely traffic free route through to Westbury for a coffee stop and then the short sharp climb on to the chalk escarpment that becomes the White Horse Way and Imber Range Perimeter Path. Stunning views under a cloudless sky with light bikes and packs saw us make good progress to high above Erlestoke where Pete turned back and we dropped rapidly down to a point south of West Lavington where we could pick up the KAW proper. It is a www.cyclinguk.org compiled route available as a GPX download from their website so is not signed as such. It links sections of other well established routes covering around 220 miles, mostly off road and encircling the old county of Wessex.

Thus the rest of the day was spent following sections of the White Horse Trail/Wessex Ridgeway before turning north SE of Devizes to cross the Kennet and Avon Canal at All Cannings. We grabbed delicious pears from a box at a house gate and then passed over the canal to stop at an impressive long barrow. To our surprise it is only just over a decade old and was built in the traditional manner by the local land owner. The £340,000 construction and ongoing maintenance costs are covered by the letting of 340 niches deep within the structure where cremated remains can be left. It was hugely impressive and well worth a visit, there are open days at the various solstices and equinoxes.

Climbing Tan Hill, one of the highest points in Wiltshire at just under a thousand feet gave us a good spin down to Beckhampton and a quiet entry in to Avebury. As luck our hosts at the charming Avebury Lodge were just back so we soon had the bikes tucked away and were shown our room. As antique collectors and sellers the house and room were full of an eclectic mix of paintings, sculptures and furnishings with our window looking directly out over some of the stones and towards one of Avebury's two great avenues.

After freshening up we nipped in to the pub next door to reserve a table and then spent the remaining daylight hours walking the stones and following the Avenue. With few visitors around we could really appreciate the history and sentiment attached to this unique place before a well earned and excellent meal.

A substantial vegetarian breakfast after a good night's sleep set us up for the steady climb north to pick up the ancient Ridgeway passing right through Barbury Castle Hill fort, looping around Ogbourne St George and then turning north with Swindon in the distance. The rest of the day was spent following the Ridgeway on superb tracks, making good progress in the dry conditions and, in my case, remembering walking it one cold February in the early 80's. A sign to the Rose and Crown at Ashbury tempted us to drop off the route for welcome refreshments before we picked up the trail and stopped to inspect Wayland Smithy's original and ancient long barrow. Uffington Castle above the White Horse of Whitehorse Hill provided yet more interest and passing above Wantage we spotted a live-in lorry whose chilled occupant was relaxing under the sun on a roof top settee.

Soon after passing under the busy A34 we were dropping off in to Goring where the Thames is crossed and the eponymous Path heads south to Pangbourne for our second night. An excellent room in the Elephant Hotel gave us a chance for hot baths after 50 odd miles after which we walked in to the centre for a curry before sleeping well.

After a full English breakfast we retrieved the bikes and began a day of careful route finding using the OS App and my Satmap to follow the Thames in to Reading. The Kennet and Avon Canal then led us out of town with a number of dilapidated live in boats contrasting strongly with the cruisers back at Goring. Allowing boats and their surroundings to become so rundown and such an eyesore will do nothing to help those of us who choose alternative lifestyles gain acceptance from the mainstream, certainly an issue for van life.

We met two brothers, carpenters from Barnstaple who have worked on the Lynton funicular who were hoping to do the route in 3 or 4 days but the frequent stops for route finding were already slowing our average speed but also giving us time to enjoy the scenery.

A mix of lanes, tracks and bridleways threaded us through the rural parts of Berkshire and on in to leafy Surrey before crossing the M3 and eventually reaching Farnham where the Bush Hotel provided another welcome hot bath, secure bike storage and easy access to a friendly Italian restaurant. Breakfast surrounded by businessmen and pilots from Heathrow resting up provided interesting snippets of conversation before with continuing good weather we rode through Tilford and round the Frensham Ponds. We passed a film location on the army training reserve at Hankley Common and some heavily laden soldiers whilst thoroughly enjoying the autumnal colours and smooth flowing tracks.

Then with no warning and for no apparent reason my front wheel went away from me and I fell heavily at speed landing on my right shoulder. It was a hard fall and winded me completely but after some bellowing I was able to stand, retrieved my glasses and Satmap and found the tools to realign both handlebars and saddle. Otherwise the bike seemed OK and whilst my shoulder and chest hurt like hell strapping on the rucksack and carrying on seemed to ease things. Mandy was shaken up but I reassured her we could continue although she needed to open any gates and we took things steadily through the Queen Elizabeth Country Park and after crossing the A3 decided to walk the steep Buster Hill. 

Now largely following the signed South Downs Way route finding was easier and we passed Winchester Old Hill to enter the Meon Valley eventually reaching the Bucks Head at Exton which was lively and welcoming. The local vineyard had finished harvesting that day and the workers were celebrating with wines and the pizzas from an impressive wood fired oven but we had arrived at dusk and were tired so after a long hot bath to try and ease my shoulder and ribs we headed to bed. Unfortunately what was clearly a broken scapula made sleeping almost impossible and moving doubly so with breathing also impaired I was not particularly well prepared for our final full day. A good breakfast helped but light drizzle and a strengthening wind also spurred us on to deal with the task ahead. Crossing the M3 and passing beneath St Catherine's Hill put us in Winchester and King Alfred's statue near the cathedral that marks the recommended starting and finishing points and as we were quite wet coffee and cakes in a warm cafe were very welcome. A few painful hours against an increasing headwind, although we had lost the rain, made for a challenging day and the exposed sections of the Monarchs Way towards Salisbury were slow going.

However we then turned north so the winds eased to crosswinds as we followed the Avon Valley up to Amesbury. A pub lunch followed by coffee late afternoon in a small cafe right on the route, a surprising rarity as much of the Way is far from settlements, saw us arriving at The Antrobus Hotel in the centre of Amesbury. As the cheapest of our five nights we weren't expecting much and thus weren't disappointed. The faded glory of the impressive building combined with a spectacularly chaotic storage area for the bikes contrasted sharply with the luxury of previous nights. However the shower was hot and it was only a short walk along to a decent curry house where we spotted the hotel owners dining...

After a lighter than usual breakfast we headed north passing Stonehenge in the distance on a dry but very windy day. A couple of hours later we had completed KAW but decided to return to Frome via Westbury along the road that runs along the base of the escarpment as this provided some shelter from the 45/50 mph headwinds of the approaching Storm Amy. An excellent farm shop at the Three Daggers Brewery provided a final boost and we arrived in Frome mid afternoon after a thoroughly enjoyable week. The varied scenery, superb views, largely excellent accommodation and determined, tough company made for a memorable ride. We had thought five days would allow time for looking around but in reality we had to push on so few photos were taken and there are no extras with this post.

After a good Italian in Frome we headed to Priddy for a couple of days resting and to clean the bikes before moving on to Brecon via the excellent St Fagans Museum of Welsh Rural History. Our visit coincided with a large conference hosting around a thousand delegates but we still enjoyed the mix of buildings so carefully relocated to the large site.

After a couple of nights in Brecon we called at Lower Chapel to collect post and a few stored items and squeezed in a gentle run along the canal and back via the Venison Farm Shop and Cafe at Bwlch before joining friends for a long overdue reunion at the Shoemakers. We returned to Sheffield where the van passed its MOT and the alarming screeching and squeaking seems to have been resolved by replacing both lower wishbones so after a good clean and sort out I am ready to head off again.

We had taken one of the last runs of the season on the open top Peak District Sightseer bus which was as excellent as ever : local scenery and top deck views combined to give a memorable day out.

I will be returning to Cheddar for more cycle path volunteering with a visit to the Map Shop at Upton on Severn en route in the hope of obtaining maps for my trip to Central Asia next year. A trip down to Crediton will allow me to catch up with John whose planned 3 months in South America has been cancelled after a deer hit his motorbike at speed, writing it off and leaving him with a broken arm and much bruising. 

Then in Brecon once more I have a couple of GP appointments, a greenhouse to erect and I also hope to squeeze in another glider flight and test a new ex army Gore-Tex bivvy bag during a short ride in mid Wales.

Plenty going on as ever......

All right on the Isle of Wight

After a walk round charming Lymington on a hot and sunny morning we were soon boarded on the ferry which threaded its way through the moorings of Lymington marina and forty minutes later pulled up at Yarmouth.

A quick whizz across to Wootton saw us parked up behind the Woodsman's Arms and off on the bikes down to Ryde where the remarkable hovercraft over to Southsea still runs regular passenger services directly from the beach. We locked the bikes up and were amazed at the way the huge craft arrived in a flurry of spray and roaring engines before settling down for the front door ramps to open. We were soon onboard and secured window seats for the ten minute flight. The fast ride felt like a plane rumbling along before take off and soon had us deposited at Southsea where we walked through the rather tacky amusement arcades and along the defensive walls towards Portsmouth where the Spinnaker Tower lorded it over the city. This combined with an incoming cross Channel ferry had me looking forward to future trips and reminiscing on those before.

Another exciting return to Ryde followed by a speedy ride back to the van gave us time to freshen up before the pub served us an excellent meal and we slept well in the quiet field.

Blue skies and sunshine greeted us as we set off back to Ryde calling at the beautiful Quarr Abbey with its brickwork soaking up the heat. Better photos of the hovercraft were taken before we cycled round the shoreline to Seaview and then grabbed coffee and an ice-cream at Duver before taking the causeway across to Bembridge. The mill was shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulins for renovations so we carried on to Sandown before picking up the old railway line, now a cycle track, all the way up to Newport. Heading up the east side of the Medina river we passed the rusting hulk of a paddle steamer and then cut across back to Wootton after a stunning day.

We had booked tickets for the IOW steam railway just ten minutes walk from the pub and arrived in time for a look round the small Wootton Bridge halt before the steam hauled train puffed in to view. After watching the loco run round and couple up we jumped in to our First Class compartment and were instantly transported back to a different era of rail travel. Plush seats, ornate decorations, mirrors and lights combined with drop down windows to create a sense of travel as it used to be. We had the six seater compartment to ourselves as we headed towards the company's main centre Haven Street where we alighted to explore the museum, workshops and other displays as our train headed away south. We caught it again later to maximise our experience of steam travel by returning to Wootton Bridge and then all the way back via Haven Street to Smallbrook Junction where the mainline is joined. We decided to hop on the train to Ryde and enjoy the experience of riding out along the pier to the ferry terminal. We then returned right through to Shanklyn and walked along the seafront back to Sandown after taking the lift down. At Sandown we looked at the forlorn ruins of the burnt out Ocean Hotel that rather blights the seafront before the comfy train took us back to Smallbrook and a final steam hauled ride in another empty First Class carriage back to Wootton Bridge.

We moved on that evening to a lovely camp site at Queen's Bower where we had hook up and good views courtesy of Yasmin and Sean. Next day we rode down to the cycle track again and cycled through to Sandown, along to Shanklyn for fish and chips and then enjoyed the deep fern and shrub lined valley of Shanklyn Chine.  The Chine had been used for the route of a remarkable war time project called PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) which pumped essential fuel under the Channel to support the Allied forces as they liberated Europe. This link will give you more information on this remarkable project Here We climbed out at the far end to enjoy Old Shanklyn with its thatched cottages before enjoying a large bowl of mussels at the Fisherman's Cottage Inn right on the shoreline. After a steep climb out we followed the coast path which involved some steep wooden steps and eventually reached Ventnor with its harbour and IOW shaped paddling pool. Steep Hill cove was reached by another path after which we climbed back up to the tarmac and followed the quiet road round to St Catherine's Point. A return over the downs to Godshill put us back on the cycle track to the site and included a good view of a red squirrel.

After another run along the cycle path we reached Newport and stopped at the Bargeman's Restaurant, a huge linear pub with a sunny terrace, for hot chocolate before continuing up the west bank of the Medina passing the large wind turbine blade factory and reaching Cowes with its narrow streets and range of shops. On the marina we absorbed the busy scene as yachts sailed in and out, the Red Funnel ferry headed over to Southampton and a team were carefully lifting out a number of training yachts for winter storage, each receiving a good jet wash before being lowered on to bespoke trailers. We got talking to an Ozzie guy working on his friend's super yacht which was due to be transported down to Greece for the winter aboard a cargo ship at a cool £70k....A good 'hot soup and a roll' deal in the waterside caff set us up to cycle round to Gurnard with superb views across to the mainland. A curious reproduction vessel, the Nao Vittoria from Spain, passed by before we dropped back to Cowes to cross to East Cowes on a small passenger ferry which was temporarily replacing the larger chain ferry that was undergoing maintenance. We squeezed aboard with the bikes along with a gaggle of schoolchildren and then returned to Newport along the opposite bank and then back to the site via the cycle path once more.

An early start saw us getting laundry done in Sandown before we arrived at the hugely impressive Roman mosaics at Brading Villa which entertained us for a couple of hours. 

Osborne House, the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was very accessible with endless rooms full of their treasured collections of art, sculpture and furniture topped off by the opulent Durbar dining room which reflected her love of and connection to, as Empress of, India. Mature trees in the grounds below the formal gardens led to the jetty and private beach where the family had played and a little further on stood the Swiss Cottage designed by Albert to reflect his German roots, as a play house for their nine children. Finishing off with the walled garden we again returned to the Turfcutter's at Wootton for another good meal and a quiet night.

Returning to Godshill the following day we found the Model Village absolutely fascinating with the detailed models and layouts enhanced by carefully trimmed bonsai trees and bushes. A model railway trundled around, music came from the churches and many of the sights from the last few days were faithfully recreated in miniature including the Chine and local houses in the village.

Up at the real church we admired the interior decorations and grounds before heading off to a lofty lunch spot up on the Downs with panoramic views over Ventnor and the container ships out in the Channel. We had seen the Arcadia and Disney Princess Cruise liners heading to Canada and Spain respectively and appreciated how much more we enjoy our self contained and flexible approach to travel. Down at Shanklyn we had an evening meal before returning to the Chine after dark as it is illuminated and at this time of year has a number of Halloween themed 'enhancements'. 

Returning to the Downs we had a quiet night with another van nearby and then moved on along the south coast to Freshwater Bay. Here a lovely old character from Huddersfield provided simple camping for a tenner a night on his sheltered two acre field alongside the Golf Club. Witty had retired here twenty years ago but after losing his wife earlier this year was considering a return to Yorkshire so his rather tired bungalow was on the market for almost £700k. In his early 80's it seemed a daunting prospect but he was a lively character and we wished him well.

The newly refurbished Rock Hotel looked out over Freshwater Bay and from the bus stop nearby we caught the open topped Needles Breezer in to Freshwater village and then through Totland and out initially to the rather tacky Needles Landmark Attraction. Riding the open topped upper deck was as ever great fun, offered good views in to homes and gardens and set the pulse racing as we squeezed through narrow lanes and up to the Needles Batteries high above Alum Bay. We stayed aboard as far as Yarmouth and then had a good look round the small town spotting an immaculate VW T2 van before getting the last but one bus back. On a stunning evening this gave us time to walk over Tennyson Down to his granite monument before returning to base.

Next day our 24 hour ticket gave us time to return to the Needles on the bus and from the Attraction hop on the cable car down to the coloured sands of Alum Bay. Here we were tempted to jump aboard the RIB for an excellent journey along the foot of the cliffs and out around the Needles lighthouse. Close up when back onshore the sands of the cliffs were of a remarkable range of colours and bright white chalk pebbles rounded by the seas were scattered around the beach.

After catching the chairlift back we walked up to the National Trust run Needles Old Battery looking across to the New Forest beyond Hurst Castle Spit. As expected it was all very well presented with access to various rooms, a long tunnel out to a searchlight point and of course the five huge gun emplacements that had guarded the Solent and its approaches. The cafe in the Lookout Tower had stupendous views and energised us for the walk up to the New Battery and Coastguard look out passing a rocket testing station that had been part of the UK's early forays in to nuclear weapons. 

From here it was a rolling walk over the downs again past Tennyson's monument once more and back to the van after a varied day.

Yesterday was our final full day on the Island and began with a short ride up to the Dimbola Museum and Galleries located in the former home of Julia Cameron, an early female pioneer in the field of photography. Much of her work was on display along with early photographic equipment and a rather bland range of photos from the IOW Photography Society. Of more interest were photos from Syria and elsewhere capturing mosques, temples and monuments from across North Africa, many now destroyed by conflict. The lovely Orchards Stores grocery provided some basics following a visit to the thatched church after which we had an early lunch back at the van before setting off over Compton and Brightstone Downs on superb flowing grassy tracks with wonderful views. We dropped in to Brightstone itself for a drink and then picked up the Military Road to head west and back to base. We stopped at Hanover Point but failed to spot the dinosaur footprints as the light was fading so will head back there later today before our evening ferry back to Lymington.

From there we will move on to Frome tonight to leave the van for a week whilst we embark on King Alfred's Way, a 240 mile ride round Wessex, mostly off road following the Ridgeway, Kennet and Avon Canal and some of the South Downs Way over 5 nights and 6 days.

The IOW has hugely exceeded our expectations and given us many great memories and experiences including 10 different modes of transport all enjoyed in superb weather.

Extras as always...

Still busy!

 As the memorable summer slowly transitioned in to Autumn I joined Jan and two friends from Brecon on a short visit to Moel Prysgau bothy with the drive from Lower Chapel over the Eppynt to Beulah and then through Abergwesyn and over the Devil's Staircase being as enchanting as ever. Tree felling has altered the landscapes and opened up the views and there is still a fair amount of windblow from Storm Darra last year.

We parked up near Nantystalwyn and took the higher route above the Towy before descending alongside a patch of clear felling that had rather obscured the old footpath. Laden with rucksacks and some coal we were glad to arrive at the bothy with the final river crossing made easy by the low water levels. Paula and Daisy were intrigued by their first bothy visit and I was relieved that it was in good order following the recent Bank Holiday. We spread out our gear and set off up the track aiming for the source of the Towy but more windblow and a setting sun prevented us from reaching it.

As we returned to the bothy three lads were lugging in loads of kit and said they were going back for their bikes. These turned out to be unregistered off road bikes, something of a no no in the NRW forests but they were decent enough guys and happily took up the space in the vacant half of the building. After tea and a chat I shuffled off to sleep under the trees down by the confluence leaving the girls some privacy for bedtime. I wanted to test a new bivvy bag which I had been assured would be waterproof and breathable (it wasn't) and slept soundly on 12 inches of dry sphagnum moss.

After waking I walked up to the bridge where the lads had parked and noted another van with a guy crashed out in the front. Back at the bothy all was well and after breakfast the bikers had to push one machine that failed to start back up to the top track whilst we walked out to the bridge and then followed the river back to the van. Again low water levels led to largely dry crossings and we collected almost enough 4x4 parts to build our own vehicle.

In Brecon I got a refund for the bag and then headed out to Sennybridge to collect pills and mail from friends before we all headed down to the excellent Shoemakers for a meal.

I the headed over to Priddy up on the Mendips for a couple of days resting during a spell of unsettled weather enjoying the huge range of channels from the 1000' high Mendip transmitter. Down at the Hunters Inn I enjoyed a cauliflower cheese washed down with two Butcombe in a place almost unchanged in my 45 years of visiting before heading over to another old favourite : Watchet.

Here my mate from Lynton joined me for a night and we caught up with a year's news at the excellent Spice Merchant before the sounds of a small folk group encouraged us to return to the Pebbles Tavern for a few more beers. After a look round the art collective Greg headed home as they are in the early stages of moving house and I enjoyed a second quiet night in the van. The West Somerset Railway had suspended steam services following a line side fire over the Bank Holiday weekend but the replacement classic diesels were a throwback to my early trainspotting interests in the mid 70's.

I returned to Priddy for a final night before moving on to Rock Farm at Shelton Mallet where Gavin was again hosting a work camp for the Greenways and Cycle Routes charity that is currently working to complete the Somerset Circle and connecting routes including the historic Strawberry Line. It was lovely to meet up with so many of the talented and hardworking people from last year and enjoy the excellent catering from Chris and Clare under the welcome cover of a large marquee.

Over the next week dozens of volunteers put in hundreds of hours on various tasks with work focusing on fencing and enhancing a new section cut in to the embankment of the former line, constructing an all weather shelter, installing four concrete cattle crossings, building numerous gabions and for Pete and I tackling the construction of two types of seating made from ekki, a West African hardwood that had been a wharf in Holland until it's arrival here. The Simplicity bench was certainly that in design and concept but the assembly and installation proved anything but as the solid ekki was heavy to handle, almost impossible to drill and needed more substantial brackets than initially expected.

However with the help of two volunteers from Bristol we had one installed by midweek which would have been more level had anyone spotted the extra packer in time. The gabion, dam building and fencing teams had done sterling work despite a day of torrential showers and the sociable evenings around the firepit warmed cold extremities and eased tired limbs. As always I was grateful for the shower and heater in the van which also transported a wheelbarrow, 6 bags of concrete, two 20l jerry cans of water and various tools in to Shepton where Pete and I finished off some minor snags on the bridge installed a year ago. We called in at the cemetery to see how much the walkway and pergola had settled in to the landscape over the last twelve months before returning to walk up the cycle path and inspect progress. A small diversion saw us recovering a Tesco's trolley from the deep valley beneath the viaduct (later repurposed as a frame for filling sandbags).

Two excellent examples of the innovative approach to path building involved the repurposing of nearly 200 250kg concrete railway sleepers to form a striking bridge using RSJs and a retaining wall along a new section of track : genius.

On the Thursday most of us walked the proposed onward extension over a normally locked viaduct and on to the Showering's factory where cider production has replaced the once famous Babycham. The family may eventually allow the cycle path to cross over the magnificent 26 arch viaduct that curves high above the beautiful Kilver Court Gardens where they kindly gave forty of us tea and cake during a visit.

That evening the inspirational John Grimshaw who started Sustrans over forty years ago gave us a talk covering much of the work carried out locally and across in the Wye Valley and reminisced on the successes of the last ten years of work camps. The original team of John, his brother Chris and wife Clare are all in their 80's now but do have a younger cohort (largely 60+!) to pass things on to and Gavin and his family have kindly extended an invitation for their home to host another camp next year.

Friday saw a flurry of activity to get the new track finished off with the fencing contractor laying stock fence at speed with an ingenious tracked machine, Mark, the roads and surfacing contractor, covering the retaining gabions and making good whilst we collected up the tools and equipment to return to base. A large team repointed a retaining wall with the mortar being hand mixed as the petrol mixer refused to start and two friends of Pete's from Frome joined us to install the second Simplicity bench plus construct two others of more conventional design. I managed to get a splinter from the ekki which became infected over the next couple of days but fortunately I still have the Doxycycline left over from Mauritania to fall back on.

Friday night was the last night and saw fewer numbers, probably a good job as the water supply failed temporarily and we'd had the odd power outage as the demands on the supply were high at times and I was away first thing on Saturday to fill up at Tesco's before heading to a washing machine at Cheddar. En route to Highbridge Station to collect Mandy I called in at a couple of motorhome dealerships but nothing caught my eye.

A few boisterous youngsters were heading up to Bristol and I wondered if any would eventually ride the completed cycle path, perhaps with families, and even begin to appreciate how much hard work and good will goes in to such projects

A quick run across the Levels saw us back at Priddy to join up with Bill, Nick, Dale and Pete for another catch up session in the Hunters followed on Sunday by a walk over to the mast and down towards Wells. Lunch just before the heavens opened was timely but we all got soaked heading back and the others were soon away to warm up and dry off. Earlier we had heard the sad news that our friend Jan over at Lower Chapel had lost her beloved Major a 33 year old horse and companion of 25 years that we have all known so well.

We fired up the Eber and hot water and had a relaxing evening in before on Monday walking over the fields to Priddy for lunch at the Queen Vic, which now has new owners, and then calling at the camp site shop for a few bits and pieces. Monday's BBC2 quiz night was as intellectually challenging as ever....

We said goodbye to Dorothy who looked much brighter than a year ago, despite losing a daughter earlier this year, and headed in to Shepton so Mandy could admire the works of the previous two years. We stayed in the quarry and walked up to this year's projects where a few local volunteers were still hard at it and met a guy who is currently living in an eco retreat adjacent to the main quarry that we knew nothing about.

In Shepton the following morning I grabbed a much needed haircut from a young Kurdish/Turkish lad whose home town was Diyarbakir, one of the highlights of our visit earlier this year and who knew the superb Lake Van.

A visit to the now closed Shelton Mallet prison was fascinating and thought provoking with plenty of history as well as descriptions of modern prison life until its closure in 2013. Walking the huge wings was like being on the set of 'Porridge'... Norman Stanley Fletcher.....

Finally we moved down to a pub outside Lymington where the excellent Turfcutters Arms were happy for us to overnight. We enjoyed some of the best food in recent years there and had a quiet night before heading to Lymington for our planned visit to the Isle of Wight .... Full details next time!

Meanwhile extra pics are here

A Busy Month Back In The UK.

 After a night above Sennybrdge for a catch up with friends, a session in the Shoemakers and  dealing with mail I gave the van engine bay a good clean with Muck Off but must have been too enthusiastic as next morning heading in to Brecon the revs fell away and the glow plug light started flashing. Nothing else seemed amiss so I parked up with the bonnet open in full sun and after a few false starts the issue resolved itself. I drove north to near Dethick and stayed on a P4N listing that is no more than a lovely quiet field above Whatstandwell, the owner is currently heading to Georgia in his van so I pinned a tenner under his picnic table and left the following morning to give the van a much needed jet wash before Mandy arrived by train. We stayed at Dethick overnight for a catch up with friends I'd last seen in France and had a good meal at their local.

In Sheffield with time to spare I decided to tackle a small issue with the van loo. The original mild steel mounting plate had corroded away at the base so I cut away the sealant, identified a number of screws to remove, disconnected the flush electrics and carefully eased out the complete unit, fully aware that 25 year old plastics are somewhat brittle. Having no DIY tools anymore required some ingenuity in cutting a replacement panel from a sheet of aluminium and fabricating the necessary folds and tabs : for ingenuity read an old chisel and a lump hammer !

The panel was a good fit and the loo itself went back in without issue so I resealed everything and left it to cure.

We met the Dethick friends again at a pub near Froggatt Edge and later enjoyed a walk with superb views across the White Peak to the Dark Peak of Kinder away to the north.

After a good catch up with Penny over a curry, a ride in to Sheffield gave us a chance to explore the rivers and canals including out at Tinsley the remarkable canal boat art work : Invention. We had stopped in Kelham Island, fast becoming the trendy area to live in for young professionals, and passed through Victoria Quays on the city centre section of the canal. Earlier we had been amazed to see an adult deer bounding through an industrial estate near Meadowhall where we stopped for coffee at a quirky cafe nearby.

We joined a friend and her husband for a ride on the Trans Pennine Trail up to Dunsford Bridge, a great adventure for her on her recumbent as she is profoundly disabled. However new horizons await as they have ordered a tandem that with luck will enable them to travel even further afield.

Decathlon in Sheffield gave us a reasonable buy back deal on Mandy's bike that we had bought in Spain last year after the thefts. As she now has an excellent titanium Sonder from Alpkit we spent the vouchers on a few accessories and nipped in to Go Outdoors for other odds and sods. 

During an interesting walk near Hope which started in the rain as we climbed Cave Dale to emerge above the caves around Mam Tor where the sun appeared we spotted the open top double decker negotiating Winnats Pass and decided it would be worth doing. However it was too late in the day to do the full trip so we left it for later in the week.

On the Monday I dropped the van off for a timing belt change, a squeaking pulley had been a source of concern since Armenia back in April and some 6,000 miles ago. I also asked them to investigate the possible cause of an alarming creaking and groaning from the front suspension. The courtesy car was a new fangled Polo with far too many bells and whistles but we used it to go and visit family where Steve is processing a heavy haul of repurposed jarrah for winter fuel. All was well with the van but even after another test drive with the mechanic Sod's Law dictated that the groaning failed to materialise.

Tuesday gave us the chance to jump on the open top bus at Bamford, enjoy the run through Winatt's pass despite the rain and eventually arrive at Chatsworth where we hopped on to the other circuit down to Bakewell. After a couple of hours in town we arrived well in time for the return bus which didn't appear. The driver of the next bus said it wouldn't have waited at the town centre stop which is why we missed it. Unfortunately the later bus arrived after the last bus back to Bamford had left Chatsworth so we ended up getting a bus in to Sheffield, and then realised that if we hopped off at Totley we could save time by getting the train back to Bamford, complicated but successful.

So it was time to head south and after packing up the van we drove to Ellesmere, parked by the lake and after a decent lunch we cycled along part of the Shropshire Union canal to pick up the largely derelict Montgomery canal that reaches Newtown eventually from the junction at Lower Frankton.

Down at Brecon we parked up at the Promenade alongside visitors from Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands and enjoyed a very peaceful night. Foreign vanners are amazed at the lack of provision of water and waste facilities, and given that there are public conveniences alongside this really should be easy to address.

On the Thursday evening we drove up to the Black Mountains Gliding Club above Talgarth as Mandy had arranged a surprise glider flight for me and staying overnight in the van was permitted. We met some of the very friendly members and decided to walk up the steep scarp slope of Mynydd Bychan for the extensive views.

The following morning we took a look at the various gliders being prepared and the checks being made on the tow plane before, earlier than expected, Andy came over to say it was time to go. He explained the four point seat belt release mechanism as this would need to be released before in an emergency my parachute could be deployed and then helped me in to the front seat for a bird's eye view. Within minutes we were being towed up to 3,000', then released to begin a remarkable 50 minutes of soaring and gliding over an area I know so well. Ridge lift enabled us to climb repeatedly back over the escarpment with views across the Beacons to the Severn Estuary, the Cotswolds, Malverns and almost beneath us the bothy at Grynne Fawr. Unfortunately trying to take photos soon had me feeling very nauseous and whilst I held it in until landing I was grateful the van was nearby ...

It was a great experience and for insurance purposes I am a member of the club for 3 months so hope to go up again soon before November.

At Lower Chapel we helped Jan and Ian get exhibits in to the flower and produce categories in Lower Chapel show, watched Jan show a friend's Exmoor ponies and get the top award and later enjoyed the barbecue as we watched the speed shearing competition where a time of 16 seconds to shear a well grown lamb seemed unreal.

We met friends in Brecon on Sunday morning to see the Shantymen perform at the Rugby Club as part of Brecon Jazz before enjoying a ride along the canal to test the bikes which included a good lunch at the Royal Oak in Pencelli. Another ride on the Monday took in Mynydd Illtud common, the NP visitor centre and then a section of the Sarn Helen out towards Ystradfellte which reminded me of the many Brecon Beast Mountain Bike events we had routed that way.

Returning past the Maen Llia standing stone we dropped through Heol Senni to Defynnog where both the Welsh Rarebit cafe and pub were shut. Even the garage cafe had just closed but we bought some sandwiches before returning along the back road through Trallong to Brecon and then parking up back at Pentrefelin. Leaving the van there the next day we cycled across to Tirabad and picked up quiet lanes as far as Cynghordy and then Rhandirmyn before calling at the CACC site for snacks as the pub was yet to open. The superb road round the Llyn Brianne offered amazing views and a spot for lunch before we headed to Soar y Mynydd chapel and a final pull up to Tregaron before the exhilarating descent to the Talbot Hotel whose Garden Suite room provided excellent showers and a chance to rest up before dinner.

Three top quality courses revived us for a walk round the small town that saw the birth of banking as drovers on their way to London, Birmingham and Manchester sought to protect their wealth. A friend from the Mountain Bothies Association had been in touch and was planning to stay at nearby Moel Prysgau so we arranged to join him on Wednesday night after our return. Following a hearty breakfast we headed to Ffarmers via Llandewi Brefi and then back over to Rhandirmyn before reaching Llandovery for lunch in the Pengawse cafe before the steep climb above Myddfai to reach the Roman Road high above the Usk reservoir. From there we dropped to Trecastle and tackled the final few climbs back to the van after 90 miles and 9,000' of ascent.

Following a quick turn around we retraced some of our steps back round the Llyn Brianne and arrived at the bothy at dusk to find Chris and Frank settled in with a fellow visitor. They had removed a pickup full of other people's rubbish, an all too common problem at bothies these days, but retained three brand new tents, two camping chairs and half a dozen double inflatable mattresses. The tents and chairs could be repurposed but the mattresses were grubby and punctured so would need to be ditched.

On a drizzly Thursday we painted the interior walls of the snug, Chris treated the windows he had made 40 years ago which are as good as new and Frank and I created a brash and barbed wire barrier to prevent quads accessing the bothy from the Towy Track 4x4 route. We think it is the unauthorised vehicles that bring in most of the rubbish left behind so they have even less of an excuse not to take it all out with them.

After a peaceful night in the forest we headed out via The Devil's Staircase and Abergwesyn to reach Brecon via the Epynnt for food shopping before arriving at Jan's in Lower Chapel once more. Pete joined us for the weekend as we tackled the challenge of removing an old railway goods waggon roof, renewing many of the timbers and then fixing the six unwieldy replacement curved sheets and one of the iron structural supports. It was quite a challenge and presented a number of logistical issues but eventually the job was done and everything looked much improved.

Before Pete left I used his grinder to remove the 8 hook bolts that hold my fresh and waste water tanks in place, installed new ones with protective plastic in place and tightened everything up as there had been some play before, not surprising after the many rough roads of Georgia and Armenia but this still did not resolve the creaking and groaning. I put new front pads on and copper greased all points of contact, similarly to no avail and whilst underneath renewed the brake fluid. One of the bleed screws was getting rounded off so I have ordered four replacements and I greased the handbrake cables and operating mechanisms for good measure.

After badminton in Brecon on Wednesday we parked above Heol Senni for a walk across to Fan Ghyrich via Fan Nedd with more astounding views and then returned to Lower Chapel for an excellent meal. On Friday Jan and Mandy caught the same train from Abergavenny with Jan leaving at Shrewsbury for the BH Folk Festival and Mandy carrying on to Sheffield.

I stayed on with Ian at Lower Chapel to give the bikes a good clean and service and then

finally in a long overdue sort out I got all my tools together and sorted out the various spanners and socket sets to give me one comprehensive set in one place and repacked the space under the single rear seat to go through what was lurking in there.

A rotten old window frame in Ian's shed offered little resistance on removal and we used the casement window as a pattern to build a new frame. This was then fitted and the existing window reinstalled with new sealant before the surroundings were repointed. Half a dozen sturdy frame fixings will resist the winter weather and all Jan has to do is renew the old putty at some stage.

Thus as the title says a busy (but productive) few weeks and all hugely enjoyable.

I will move on down to Brecon tomorrow and may join a small group going in to Moel Prysgau midweek for one night, partly to test out a new bivvi bag, after which if the weather settles down I will return to the gliding club.

Beyond that in early September there is the Work Party for the cycle path at Shelton Mallet, a gathering of friends at Priddy and then we hope to head to the Isle of Wight for a couple of weeks as Autumn arrives.....

Extras