Garry McGivern is cycle touring in England on Saturday 28th-May-2016. Bognor Regis to Horam. 58 miles. I’m off to a seventh birthday party tomorrow in Crowborough. So I decided to cycle there and make a bit of a weekend of it. After all, it’s a bank holiday on Monday.
The undercliff cycle route between Brighton and Rottingdean.
I had a bit of a stop-go ride this morning while I waited out a couple of thunderstorms to clear. There wasn’t any point in getting wet. I knew I didn’t have that far to go today. And it was quite a loud thunderstorm in Brighton, I think it was right overhead. But once it had cleared, the rest of the day was lovely and sunny, albeit a bit windy!
Camped at a hideous campsite tonight there are loads of children running around all over the place, and they keep tripping over my guy ropes. I’ve shouted at a couple of them! I was going to hang around the campsite for a while in the morning, seeing as I don’t have to be in Crowborough until midday. But after tonight, I think I’ll be off at first light!
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where I’ll publish the photos from this tour once I’m home. Pictures from all my tours and monthly photos can also be found on Flickr.
You can also follow my progress and see where I stop each night by visiting the Where’s Garry web page; there, you’ll find a map of the route I’ve taken so far.
Garry McGivern’s April 2016 update. Apologies for the late update this month. I’ve been having trouble with my internet connection and haven’t had a chance to get it sorted!
Friendly sign on the Isle of Wight
Steam train at Swanage
It’s been a really quiet month as far as cycling goes. only managing the one weekend trip away at the very beginning of the month down to Dorset and the New Forest; the rest of the month has been spent working even at the weekends!
River Frome at Wareham
Garry at Swanage Bay
On one of the days that I did have off. we went up to that there London town. This time it was to go and watch the London marathon. Julie’s daughter’s boyfriend was running in it. The idea was that we would travel up by train and meet her daughter there. As she was already in London, they would then go and watch the race while I went and did my own thing (I wouldn’t have been able to do the walking or standing around due to my back!) And I would meet them all at the finish.
Nothing Is Simple
The day really didn’t get off to a good start! Firstly halfway to the railway station I realised that I’d forgotten my phone and we all know that we can’t be without them these days! So we had to turn around to go and get it, this made things a little bit tight for catching the train so it was a mad dash back to the railway station to catch the train which we made with literally only a minute to spare, only to then found out that the train had broken down and it wouldn’t be leaving on time!
After a 20-minute wait, a replacement train arrived, and we were on our way. Midway through the journey, the conductor came on over the PA system to announce that the train wasn’t going to go to London after all. And would terminate halfway. So we would now have to change trains! We eventually arrived in London and made our way to meet Charlotte, Julie’s daughter. Charlotte was also running late (it’s a family trait!)
We decided to go to a café for a cup of coffee (I wasn’t allowed a pint!) But with no cafes about we had to buy a coffee from one of the little coffee stalls. And have it in one of those paper cups that everybody seems to have to carry around these days, which really winds me up! What is the point? Why? Are they really that busy that they can’t just sit down and drink it? You see people struggling to walk down the street pushing a pushchair, carrying bags and on the phone. Or, in a lot of cases, all three at the same time. But they still insist on carrying that stupid cup of coffee! They just can’t be seen to not have a cup in their hand, idiots! Rant over with!
After finding a seat to sit down and drink the coffee (I certainly wasn’t going to walk around with it). I went to take off the plastic lid and proceeded to spill half of it! If that wasn’t bad enough, when I went to put the sugar in, that went all over me as well!
After meeting Charlotte, Julie and Charlotte went their way, and I went mine. I’d decided that I was going to use the Boris bikesto get around. The underground would have been too busy. And besides, I’d not been out on one of those for ages.
St Pancras station London
Out On The Bike
I had a good day cycling around London town, and with very little traffic around it was rather pleasant. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get anywhere near the finish of the marathon to meet them all, which wasn’t really much of a surprise. So I met them all back at the railway station. While I was waiting at the railway station, I felt right at home. Everybody else was hobbling along in a lot of pain after they’d run the marathon. Perhaps people would think that I’d run it also!!
Dan Charlotte’s boyfriend completed the marathon in 4 hours and 16 minutes, which for the first time, I thought was pretty good.
I’d forgotten to mention last month about my new discovery on Twitter, I can now post short videos! This modern technology is marvellous!
Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in England on Sunday 3rd-April-2016. Brockenhurst to Bognor Regis. 46 miles. Well, I never did it make down the pub last night as it started to rain, and I didn’t fancy getting wet. So unfortunately, I never got to meet up with Deb and Jim the couple I was going to meet with. But luckily, I managed to catch up with them this morning. Turns out that they’ve sold everything. House, contents and all. All their possessions are now carried with them on the bike, and their off cycling around the world!
The first stop for them is Spain. They’re catching the ferry from Portsmouth tonight, then it’s onto Portugal and the Pyrenees, and that’s it. They’ve not thought any further and are going to make it up as they go along! I wished them luck and wished that I had more time to talk to them! You never know. Maybe I might bump into them somewhere along the way!
The Journey Home
My journey home was fairly non-eventful, and I got the train home from Portsmouth. Although I did bump into a lot of nice people at the “pink ferry” and on the train home. They were all keen to know where I was going or where I’d been with such a load. Shame it was only to Dorset and the New Forest. But as I explained, if I go away for the weekend or a year, I still have to carry more or less the same amount of equipment! It’s been an enjoyable day, what with talking to Deb and Jim first thing this morning then chatting with all those other people and then supper out with Julie tonight.
Garry in Swanage yesterday
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where I’ll publish the photos from this tour once I’m home. Pictures from all my tours and monthly photos can also be found on Flickr.
You can also follow my progress and see where I stop each night by visiting the Where’s Garry web page; there, you’ll find a map of the route I’ve taken so far.
Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in England on Saturday, 2nd-April-2016. Wareham to Brockenhurst. 46 miles. Had a really good start to the day. Firstly I managed to get a free night camping. Well, nearly it cost me 20 pence for the shower! Secondly, I was able to annoy a friend who was staying in his camper van a few miles down the road by waking him up! It was 9 o’clock, so it wasn’t as if it was that early. But to Mick, I think it is!
Not done a lot of miles today; I’ve just been ambling along. I was going to go home, but obviously, in the end, I didn’t! Met a nice couple at the campsite tonight who have sold everything and are setting off on a cycle ride around the world! I’m just off down to the pub to talk with them some more.
Steam train in Swanage
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where I’ll publish the photos from this tour once I’m home. Pictures from all my tours and monthly photos can also be found on Flickr.
You can also follow my progress and see where I stop each night by visiting the Where’s Garry web page; there, you’ll find a map of the route I’ve taken so far.
