The bycycle diaries part 3 and Leaf mould

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 12/11/08 at 02:11:25 pm

Oxford – Northampton Day 3

Got up nice and early at Paul Kingsnorth’s house and made faces at his baby whilst eating a nice hearty breakfast. Just round the corner was the Oxford Cycle Co-op and what was to be the first nice bike shop. I got talking to a bloke called Stephen who took my bike in and had a look at the gears, there were bikes queued up but they still took a look. There was also an odd coincidence, as Stephen lived in the same house as Dave used to, just up the road from the Co-op.

These were some of life’s nice people (not like the bloke in the bike shop at Clifton).  I would strongly urge anyone in the Oxford area to go to this bike shop in fact, I am almost tempted to get the bike trailer I have my eye on.

The journey to Northampton was a dream, the wind was behind me, the sun shone and I even enjoyed getting lost. I did have to pull over once to give a newspaper interview to the Bristol Evening Post about this bike ride not sure if they have run that article yet.

There seemed to be signs everywhere on the way protesting against an eco-town. I was not sure what it was and no one else seems to know either one to look up when I got back I thought (which is now). It seems that Weston on the Green is one of 15 sites proposed by the government for the first new towns in 40 years. Although I am generally 100% for eco towns; I am starting to have searious doubts about how green placing 10 000 people in the middle of rural England really is. After cycling up thought the North and seeing countless empty properties I would suggest that it would be much more ‘eco’ to do up existing properties and invest more in the public transport structure that we already have. I guess this is not a vote winner though, can you really boast that ‘this government has invested in the transport system it already should have invested in and has retrofitted houses in areas that it should have invested in back in 1997! Perhaps not, an eco town right in the middle of undecided votesville would be a much better idea.

Cycled on a bit past the controversial eco-town area and got to Silverstone, I had a quick look at the racetrack, which is massive and saw a car whizzing around it. Perhaps if the Grand Prix moves next year then Silverstone racetrack could be converted into eco-flats or it could be covered in yurts.

Arrived in Northampton in really good time, you have to cycle down into a bowl that Northampton sits in. It has one sight, the express lift tower which is also the highest building in Northampton. Each time I cycle in I always think that this tower poking out in the middle looks like the whole town if giving you the bird. Perhaps this is also the best way to describe my home town.

Visited a few friends one of them John Randal said to me, “kind of wish I had joined you”. I told him he could do and it was then obvious it was not much of a heart felt wish more of a whim as he made some mutterings.

Got to my parents house, the stop for the night only to find they were having a party to celebrate the local history book my Mum had been working on for the the last year or so.  3 of the people their had a routine to the Beverley sisters “Sisters” song and proceeded to show us. It was rather amusing especially as one was a man with a beard if a little odd after cycling on my own for two days.

Leaf Mould

Luckily we have a park on our doorstep so I was able to nip out and fill up a couple of bin liners with Autumn leaves in order to make leaf mould to dig into my allotment in a year or two.

Leaf mould makes for a really simple and free soil improver, here is how you make it.

1. Gather up loads of leaves and put them into a bin liner
2. If you can be bothered cut them up a bit and wetten them, I just pick them up after rainfall (don’t use evergreen leaves)
3. Make holes in the sides of the bin liners and tie them up
4. Leave in a shady spot for a year or two*. – After one year they can be used as mulch or can be dug into the soil as an improver such as when gardening advice says “use organic matter”.
5. *After two years you should be left with a dark crumbly mixture that can be used as a potting compost or as part of a potting mix.
6. That’s it, it is that simple to get some free stuff for your garden/allotment.

Part one of the Cycle Adventure and this weekends home brew

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 10/11/08 at 02:11:29 pm

Part One of the 677 mile journey Bristol to Swindon October 20th 2008

I got up early in the morning and walked Emma part way into work so that I could say my goodbyes to her and drop my bike off at a bike shop in Clifton (posh bit of Bristol). It was a very sunny day and rather warm too despite the forecast of rain in the morning clearning for the afternoon.

I was informed at the bike shop that it would be ready by 5pm, I asked if it could be ready sooner as

previously disscussed and proudly announced that I would be cycling to Aberdeenshire that day. Instead of sharing my excitment as I thought they would I got a small lecture about leaving things to the last moment. Which had only happened as this bike shop would not take my bike the week before. I bit my tounge and left them to it and was informed that my bike would be ready by 1.30pm and not a moment sooner.

When I picked it up I got another lecture and was told that I needed to know some basic cycle mechanics as my bike was more likely to fail after a service (I wondered why I bothered) and I would have to bring it back to that shop should this happen. “but I am cycling to Aberdeenshire this afternoon”.

“You should leave tomorrow”. – I did not like the owner one bit, it was more than just this attitude towards me the owner of the shop was just a conceited ass, he did not seem to have much respect for his workers either. In hindsight I should have gone to the Kebele cooperative just up the road from me. Next time I will, that bloke is never getting a penny of my cash again. I won’t be petty and mention the name of the shop as others might have a better experience. But there are not many bike shops opposite the BRI and close to the Christmas steps on the edge of Clifton.

I left the shop grumbling to myself for a second, then the task ahead hit me. I was to cycle to Scotland, I grinned to myself and forgot the pettiness of some people (including myself). a little feeling inside my chest reminded my that this was to be exciting, hard work and potentially dangerous. Fantastic!

As soon as I got on my bike the heavens opened, so much for the forecast. I took the Bristol – Bath Cycle path turning off onto route 17 the Avon Link. I knew I had to come off this path at some point, unfortunately the map holder that I had on the front of my bike that I assumed was waterproof was not. In fact worse than not being waterproof it seemed to collect water turning the map I was using into a soggy mess of papier mache.

I cycled around some of the villages between Bristol and Swindon for the next couple of hours looking for signs to Swindon and a bus shelter to read my maps, the rain was far too heavy to do this any other way. But, just like buses, there is never a bus shelter around when you need one. By the time I eventually found a shelter my map was way beyond any use other than an emergency water supply or a modern art sculpture. Luckily I had picked up a very crude cycle map from Sustrains (who were very helpful incidently), it basically stated that I had to get to Marlmsbury and then stick to a B road straight for Swindon.

Night was beginning to fall, my soggy socks reminded me that my shoes were not water proof  and I was shivering but at least now I knew where I was going.  I had invested in some puncture proof tyres before leaving they were twice the price of normal tyres but I thought worth it. I noticed my back tyre kept deflating, I kept pumping it back up and due to the prospect of taking off the back wheel in all that rain I was deluding myself that it was not a slow puncture and the valve was just playing up.  After nearly swerving into an artic due to my flat tyre I decided that I could delude myself no longer and had to fix a puncture. I stood by the side of this busy B road and proceeded to take off my back wheel. My hands were numb with cold, it was hammering with rain and night had not just fallen by was refusing to get up; this simple repair was to be harder than changing them in the living room as I was used to.

The camber of the road had caused some puddles to form and it seemed that every BMW driver thought it hilarious to splash me. After about the 7th time I thought to myself I can get no colder or wetter than this and it became pretty funny after that with each splash. In hindsight I am guessing that I was laughing to stop myself crying.

So now aching, cold, hungry and tired I arrived at my first stop for the trip Lower Shaw Farm, Matt Holland met me on the path on the way there and it was so great to see a friendly face. It was 8.20pm so everyone had already eaten but some of the shepherds pie was left for me and some pasta. I had three portions, a scone and one the nicest tasting cups of tea known to man. Granted a cup of warm urine could have tasted good at that time, well a cup of Dave’s tea anyway which is not always distinguishable from warm urine.

Rather Zombie like I sat up for a bit before retiring for bed and a thoroughly deserved nights sleep.

Part two – I wish I had learnt some basic bike repairs will follow very soon (today or tomorrow depending on how long I spend up the allotment).

Home Brew Beer (From this Weekend)

Just before I left on my cycle ride I brewed some beer using the hops I have grown on my allotment the recipe I used can be found here. We invited our friends John and Garth over to sample some and they loved it so much we finished off a batch between us that evening. I was feeling somewhat happy about this until Garth drank a bottle of Cherry Lambrini that had been given to me by a neighbour with equally the same relish that he gave the beer. I wondered if it was just the alcohol content that was getting the thumbs up.

In the beers defence Dave and his new girlfriend also liked the beer and I know that they are not Cherry Lambrini drinkers, so I do hope I have grown a good brew. The trick I think is using just the best ingredients, I used youngs brewers sugar, fresh home grown organic hops and an organic malted barley. I would have liked to use spring water too and in fact might for the next brew as I plan a trip to Bath fairly soon and I know of a spring over there.

Back from my Cycle trip

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 07/11/08 at 07:11:31 pm

Well here I am back at the selfsufficientish office, it is good to see some friends again and of course my girlfriend but I can’t say it is good to be back as Aberdeenshire was so very beautiful and I did not want to leave. Although, if I had carried on pedaling I am sure I would have done myself a serious injury. I have started to ache all over and I slept for 14 hours today. I think my body is finally telling me that cycling how ever many 100’s of miles I did from here in Bristol to Scotland was enough.

I have just checked my sponsor page and wanted to say a big thank you to anyone that sponsored me. It is enough money to give us that kick start we need to get the cooperative working, so thank you and the be rest assured that your money really is going to help an area and to keep a smile on many people’s faces.

I have also spent this morning working out how many miles I actually did and it works out as a rather impressive 677 miles. I could have cycled to Leipzig in Germany or to Zurich or even (if I kept to a better route) right up to John of Groats. It’s no wonder I have had to spend the last couple of days resting.

Well I have decided to post up a few blogs about the journey and will be doing that next week as for now I need to spend time with my much neglected girlfriend.

Cycling to another country gives you time to ponder

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 31/10/08 at 10:10:51 am

The day before yesterday my bike trundled over the Scotland – England boarder.  It was a great feeling seeing the flags of St Andrew in the distance then slowly crossing the boarder. It was one of those moments that you uncontrolably grin from ear to ear, I automatically looked around for someone to share this moment with and thought better of nipping over the A1 and waking up one of the truck drivers to tell him, I decided that he might not be as excited as I was.

Today I am writing this from John Headstrong’s computer, the fella that re-designed selfsufficientish and set up this blog for me. Seems odd having worked with this bloke for the last 6 months and never having met him. There is something about the folk that this website seem to attract (the ones that stick around), they are all very easy to get on with and are just genuinely good folk. 

I was in Hadington and Edinburgh yesterday and decided to break my self imposed not buy anything new rule. So I am sitting here in what is now called a thermal base layer, formerly known as long johns ready for the next bit of the trip onward to St Andrews.  I don’t think I will be playing golf though. Not sure where I will stay yet, I guess it all depends on at one point it gets too dark and I get too knackered to carry on and where there is somewhere to stay. Might not even end up being St Andrews but it does have to be on the road to Aberdeen!

I think I can start to be philsophical about this trip now, it does feel like it is something that has shifted some of my outlook and solidified some of my previous ideals. Seeing what chemical works, fertalizer factories, landfill sites, power stations and oil refineries look like and what they do to the surrounding areas can only further my thoughts for a more natural lifestyle. With each button left on stand by, each plastic wrapper put in the bin, each unecessary car journey or each spade full of chemical fertilizer we are all causing a part of our country (wherever that might be) to become glittering eyesore or an area that just feels unhealthy, my lungs felt like I had smoked a packet of marlboro in some places just because of the smoke filled air.

Anyway small rant over and time for a new one, the other thing that really jumps out is how much money is in the South and how little is in much of the North of England*.  Essentially how much money runs around our capital and how the mining communities that have litterally helped fuel the economy and have been squeezed dry of their natural resources (human and mineral) and left to rot. (I guess that must mean its dry rot). * I know some of it is prosperous but I am concentrating on some of the places I have seen.

This recession is being called a middle class one, there is no longer a manufacturing base and it is jobs in banking, estate agency and other high powered ‘city’ jobs are being lost instead. Basically the people who are the money illusionaries, the ones who make us believe that that we need it are loosing their jobs. Don’t feel too sorry for them though as they have earnt in bonuses in the last year as much money as many of us have earnt and I mean ever.

There is a point I am trying to make here about the massive North South divide and this recession, perhaps it will be a great leveler. Hopefully when the dust settles in 4 or 5 years time (yes I believe it will last that long) and we see what legacy it leaves the country, it will be postive. There will be have to be a more sustainable and cleaner way of producing power, over consumersm will have to decrease, we will have to realise that we can no longer rely on our greatest god of the West (oil) and we can’t have a country that has one smaller infanelty more prosperous one inside it within the M25 existing in it’s own little bubble, sucking the life and money out of the rest of the country.  

Ok, last little rant Holiday homes and out of town shopping. These two things are also massive players in the distruction of communities around our country. There are villages with whole streets being deserted during the winter, imagine 20 house and only one family living there. This is what happens when you rent out a holiday home, it means no village pub as there is not enough people to sustain it all year round and the post office is no longer needed either. The out of town shopping centres also mean that the other local shops have gone, unable to compete. This might all be old news to many but until you have seen comunity after community left as shadows of their former selves then you might not feel too gulity of shopping where “every little hurts”.  But you are helping to fuel this when you shop, it could not be too long before none of us have a choice.

Well, I am in a ranting mood this morning, strangley I am in a pretty good mood ready for the next leg of the cycle tour.

Bristol to near Alnwick by bike

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 28/10/08 at 12:10:23 pm

Well here I am sitting on the computer at Helen and Chris’ house, a couple of ishers! Due to some misscomunication they are the first on my trip. Well, if you don’t include my Mum.

It’s been an interesting journey so far to say the least, some highs and lows as I expected.

So first with a synopsis of the highs, there is nothing like seeing signposts for where you want to stay after a days cycling, or habing pheasants flying over your hear, stoats jumping through the hedge rows, the first glimps of the East coast, a warm house after a day in the cold or just meeting people after hours even days without really talking to people face to face, save to give a food order or ask for directions. Or coming downhill after going up.

The lows, well to be expected really, cycling uphill, getting soaked to the skin and still being miles from the destination, not being able to see the “cycle path” which at times has been nothing more than a badger track, getting a bottle thrown at me, bed and breakfasts with no breakfast, five punctures, my gears not working properly, cycling past chemical works then oil refineries then a landfill site one after another and five punctures.

But in all it has been a really good experience so far and testament not to how much stamina I have but to how pig headed I can be when I have a strong idea in my head.What has kept me going in a lot of places is the thoughts of seeing the people on the way.

Well I will do a more comprehensive run down as I have written a bit of journal (if I can find it).

Thanks for the good luck messages and to some of the Scotland ishers, hope to see you soon!

Just about to leave for Aberdeenshire

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 20/10/08 at 11:10:11 am

My panier bags are packed, I have a selection of maps, new tyres on my bike, refelctive things, new lights so I am just about to go. Apart from one thing my bike is no where to be seen. It is ok as it is sitting at a bike shop being serviced, it should be ready at 1pm. Great timing as that is when the rain will stop, the weather forecast says so – No rain from 1pm until I arrive. I have checked the forecast for the whole way and it will be clear and bright with a tail wind to push me along every day….. IF ONLY!

Winds are picking up and the temperatures are dropping as we approach winter time. I can’t help thinking that this journey would have been much nicer in the Spring, saying that we had so much rain this summer that this is possibly the best time to do anything. Espeically gardening, I heard that this summer there were more slugs in Devon and Somerset than people in the world. So despite cycling in it I am kind of hoping for a cold snap.

I hope I am fine when I set off I do have a mate that dabbles in alimentology who thinks my gut is stressed and so I need to calm it down before I set off that was last week and I think now I have everything sorted all of me is less stressed and I am just looking forward to the journey despite the weather.

Virgin Media = Rubbish, Bristol-Aberdeen Cycling tour update

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 17/10/08 at 12:10:52 am

Virgin Media = Rubbish

Been having Virgin Media hounding me with calls for the last 2 or 3 weeks. I ignored them a little as they were leaving automated messages. I also got an email telling me that they were going to cancel my service, which obviously I will need, this morning I got a letter saying that I owe £53. What a nerve, they still owe me money. I called them and got put on hold for 10 mins and was left listening to some god awful song. I hung up and called back today. Again I was on the phone for 10 mins, I ask you when a company messes up then asks you to call them back and has the cheek to keep you on the phone for 10 mins at a time something is not right.

The upshot is that Virgin were going to pass my details onto a debt collection agency due to the fact that I owed them £160 for a non existent broadband connection. It seems that I had cable and adsl broadband for a while both supplied by virgin one for £17.99 a month and the other for £18 a month rather than one for £10 that I should have had. Ah well they say it is sorted, I am not so sure Will wait and see. I will certainly switch to a more reliable company when all of my money has been refunded. An apology would have been nice too, is that asking too much. The moral of the story NEVER EVER, EVER, SIGN UP WITH VIRGIN MEDIA.

Anyway seems I am not alone, I found a web forum dedicated to people with Virgin media problems.

Scottish Bike Ride

Well I have been through the route a number of times and am now knackered, happy though I think I have a good solid route sorted. I got really excited today as I bought a map book with cycle routes on it. I even got two new tyres for the first time ever. They are some kind of magic tyres that are puncture resistant, it’s one thing to say fingers crossed and quite another to spend an extra £5 on tyres to try and evade the inevitable.

So almost all set.

I have set up a webpage to collect donations for our little cooperative , they made me set a target so I paniced and put £2500 that is the figure we need but I doubt I will raise that on this trip, would be nice but I doubt it.

Bike trip – Bristol to Aberdeen panic and preperations

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 14/10/08 at 05:10:00 pm

Bike trip

I am starting to get rather nervous about the bike trip from here (Bristol) to Aberdeenshire, it seems that everything is conspiring against me having time to sort the trip out. I tried to get my bike put in for a service thinking that it would simply be a matter of bringing it into a bike shop. How wrong could I be, I called a few and they are all fully booked up and I had to book mine in for next Monday (20th October).

This means I will have to leave on Tuesday 21st October, which is back to my original plan. I toyed with the idea of leaving on the Monday just to take the first step a bit easier, stopping off at Swindon overnight on the way. It looks like I will have to go straight to Oxford on day one. Luckily I have a place to stay, my one and only published writer friend Paul Kingsnorth. I emphasise published as most of my mates are unpublished writers.

It will be a real push for day one Bristol to Oxford though at a distance of roughly 90 miles if I follow the cycle routes. I think that I can bring that down a little just by altering the route slightly. Otherwise it will knacker me out before I even start. I think I can make that a more managable 70 miles by doing some of the route by road. I might even try and go straight off to Swindon on Monday. hmm options.

I really need to sit down with my relief map and sort out this trip as it is starting to stress me out a little. It gets a bit hazy from the midlands to the borders as to where the route will go and where I will stay. I need to travel a distance of over 40 miles a day to make this trip work and at the moment the most generous offers are a little clustered. Meaning I could do 20 miles one day and 100 the next. It is difficult as I really want to stay with as many ishers as possible as the whole reason for doing this trip is to meet more of them (You).

Planning the route has become a bit like doing a tax return for me I keep staring at google maps or constantly searching for alterantive routes with OS maps whilst not actually planing a route or even getting in touch with the lovely ishers who are offering me a room and food for the night. I put today aside to get this done then got waylaid on my allotment and getting that sorted for 16 days without me. I will have to the same for my homebrew too.

Tonight it out for stuff as I am taking Emma to a restaurant as a kind of pre-aniversary meal. It would appear that I will be on the road for our actual aniversary (oops!). So I guess in a way I am getting Emma ready for 16 days without me, although I am sure she would not like to hear that.

I just decided that I might as well join a bike forum and see they can help me sort out a route. Must be other people out there who have traveled at least some of my proposed route.

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