Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in England on Friday, 1st-March-2019. Bognor Regis to Brighstone. 26 miles. I’ve just come away for a quick night away on the Isle of Wight. Grange Farm, one of my favourite campsites opened today so I thought I’d pop over and camp there for the night.
I was going to cycle from home, but I really don’t know what happened! I just ran out of time and before I knew it, it was lunchtime! So I decided to caught the train to Portsmouth.
After catching the ferry across to the island, I decided to follow the traditional cycle route that we all use to take back in the day!
Stopped to speak to this horse
The ride across the island was good and once again it was nice to see and visit some familiar places.
I arrived at camp around 4.30 and was the first person of the season! By the time I’d finished taking to the site owners it was gone 5 o’clock. Thankfully the days are starting to get longer, and it doesn’t get dark until after 6 now.
Putting the tent up wasn’t too bad, it’s everything else that is hard work, especially getting in and out of the tent! But it’s still good to be camping once again!
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Well, it’s been a busy and eventful month, with trips away on the bike, days out, interesting hospital visits and to top it all some lovely weather!
Enjoying a pint in the sun
The month started off with a weekend ride to Christchurch, I had intended going to Swanage, but changed my mind on route when I realised that I wouldn’t have made it until late if I would have made it at all!
The ride home from Christchurch was fun, I went on a couple of detours and found some interesting new places, Highcliffe Castle and Highcliffe Beach. Both of which I’ve cycled past dozens of times but never stopped to look at!
Highcliffe Castle
I was going to stay out for another night but after looking at the weather forecast decided to go home! Which as it turned out was the right decision, it was pouring with rain the following day!
I did manage to get away again, later in the month, this time it was for four days, but once again it didn’t go according to plan! A combination of closed roads and punctures being my main nemesis, but it was still enjoyable, and I managed to cycle 242 miles! Not quite up to my old standards, but it’s getting there, slowly but surely!
Health
I’ve had plenty of hospital and doctors appointments throughout the month, in fact, I was looking the other day at just how many I’ve had since the New Year, eighteen! That works out at more than two a week, no wonder I don’t get any time to go away touring! And on my latest visit, I had to have a camera stuck up my bum, lovely!
Highcliffe beach
All the doctors and specialists I see are all happy with my progress, which is one of the reasons why I’ve been trying to get away as much as possible this month. Before I know where I am, I’ll be back in that hospital having my hip operated on again!
My physiotherapist even gave me some exercises to do on my bike, while I cycle along!
Days Out
Julie had a few days holiday, so we went out on a couple of day trips, one day we went to Weymouth and London on the next. Both of which were enjoyable and involved a lot of walking and steps, particularly in Weymouth! Which as Julie pointed out, it’s been a few years since I was able to walk around playing the tourist! The past few years have normally been, we’d go somewhere, and I’d have to find somewhere to sit, which was usually a pub! Maybe this getting better thing isn’t as good as I thought!!
Come on old girl keep up
I had a fun, maybe fun isn’t the right word, stressful, that’s more appropriate! I had a stressful evening out at our local bingo hall! Some idiot (Mick) down the pub had the bright idea that it would be a good idea if a group of us went for a night out to bingo!
It was all very stressful trying to keep up with the caller, plus we got told to keep quiet! That was really annoying, especially as we’d just been told by a member of staff that it’s more like a social club! What sort of a social club is it if you can’t speak!
A motley looking crew trying to play bingo
In the end, though I think we all enjoyed it, plus we did manage to get a couple of winners!
Off Again
I hadn’t intended to be at home at the moment, I was going to be in France! I planned to catch the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe and cycle the Avenue Verte into Paris, then come home via Caen to Portsmouth.
So at 4 am on Tuesday morning I left home and set off for Newhaven. Hoping to catch the 10 o’clock sailing. I’d only got a mile or two down the road when I started to get a rumbling in my stomach! I tried to ignore it, and it did go away for a bit. But nine miles down the road it came back, and this time I couldn’t ignore it and had to return home!
Odd Bits
All of my trips away are now filmed and are available to watch on my YouTube channel, although there may be a little bit of a delay as to when I cycle them and to when they’re available to watch on YouTube!
Early Spring flowers
We’ve had some pretty extraordinary weather to finish the month off! Not only has it been sunny, but it’s also been hot! It’s felt more like Spring than Winter. Let’s hope it continues, and we have a long hot summer again this year! Especially as I missed out on last years!!
All in all, it’s been a very good month, and I’ve enjoyed being able to get around to some of my old haunts. And hope to see many more before going back into the hospital!
Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in England UK on Saturday, 16th-February-2019. Salisbury to Bognor Regis. 78 miles. Well, I didn’t get very far today, before I suffered yet another puncture! I’d only gone about 2 miles! I’ll order a new tyre first thing tomorrow morning.
Its been a miserable day weather wise
Its been a good ride today, its felt as though I’ve been going downhill mostly! Which if you look at a map it is, Salisbury is above Bognor!?!?
Quite country lanes
I’ve been a good boy today, I’ve stuck to cycle routes all day! Route 24, Salisbury to Eastleigh. Route 23, Eastleigh to Southampton and then route 2 back home!
I even went on the ‘Pink Ferry” from the Hamble to Warsash, and the tide was out! Thankfully I never slipped over on the slippery stones getting off the ferry.
Came across this in a park in Eastleigh
Its been a good few days away, getting around and seeing some of my regular haunts, I’ve really enjoyed myself! And hope to do a few more trips before I go back into hospital!
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Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in the UK on Friday, 15th-February-2019. Swanage to Salisbury. 56 miles. So much for going to Devizes today!
Corfe castle early this morning
All was going well until I reached Blandford Forum, or rather just past it.
The signs weren’t good and I do mean signs! They said that the road was closed at Melbury Abbas seven miles down the road!
I’m sure it’ll be okay
I know I moaned about the lack of signs the other day, so did I pay any attention, no not at all! I just continued merrily down the road!
As I cycled along, every junction I passed had a sign telling me that the road ahead was closed, but still I continued on!
More bad signs
I passed sign after sign and took no notice! Then a police car with its lights flashing went past, followed by an ambulance, a fire engine, another police car, another fire engine and two more ambulances!
Now I was starting to get a little worried not only was the road supposed to be closed, but potentially there was also a nasty accident!
Further Up The Road
About two miles from Melbury Abbas where the road was supposed to be shut a police car came flying back up the road towards me and stopped in the middle of the road!
“I suppose your closing the road?” I asked
“Yes” said the policeman, “but you should be fine to continue on!”
Things were looking up, surely the accident apart, he wouldn’t have told me to continue if the road was actually closed, would he?
Surely enough a mile up the road I came across the accident, which judging by all the emergency services that were there and the air ambulance, it was something pretty serious!
I got off my bike and made my way through the waiting traffic and made my way to the emergency vehicles, there I spoke to the fire chief, who said there was no way I was going to get through! But if I walked around one of the fire engines there was a turning on the right, which I could take, which was a much prettier route for me!
Somewhere on Cranborne Chase
Prettier! That meant hills, long steep hills!
A Change Of Direction
It was shortly after this detour, well shortly in miles, not short in time! That I’d had enough of the steep hills with 15% gradients! And changed direction!
I now headed for Salisbury and decide to stop there tonight. Where I’m going to head tomorrow I don’t know. I might head home as I’ve got to be home for the doctors on Monday anyway!
Don’t ask me where I was lost!
Despite not being able to do as many miles as I use to, I’m still enjoying being on the road! And if my legs come back they do, if not that’s fine also!
As I’ve always said, it doesn’t matter how many miles you do, as long as your enjoying it!
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