Hope springs...

The tiny charity shop in the Derbyshire village of Hope. Any chance that it's managed by a woman called Faith?

Check today's podcast to hear about a mating ritual, a not-so-cunnung plan - and encounter with an Amy Winehouse looky-likey.

Peak practice

Two weeks to go, and a desperate attempt to get some hills into my legs takes me to Derbyshire's beautiful and highly corrugated Peak District.

Winnats Pass (above) was the first of many exciting and rather demanding ascents through a landscape strongly reminiscent of Middle Earth.

Up, up, up

Aquiver with anticipation as we approach the yearned-for £2000 threshold...


Only three weeks until the start of the ride and more and more people are supporting this mammoth huff-and-puff-athon for Falcon Camps - amazing holidays for children and young people facing disdavantage.

Want to join in? Please check the panel to the right to link to my JustGiving site. Or download a sponsor form and map. Or contact me and I'll send more info to you!

Thank you!

Carry on Cleo?

Saturday evening out with Ant and Cleo casts an exotic glow over Sunday's ride...

Alpacas, absent aliens - and Jenny Agutter (almost)

An abundance of A-related associations on this weekend's 90-mile training ride.

Alpaca attempts unpacking

Another weekend. Another training ride. This time an indirect and extremely undulating route south to Oxford.

The alpaca encounter was the most exciting moment on an otherwise chilly and rather uneventful day of pedalling.

Occasionally one yearns for temporary but dramatic abduction by aliens scenario. Just to pep up the blogposts.

Massive pepping up on arrival in Ox. An email pledging two large donations to the ride. Hurrah!

This is an experimental post using a new 'app' to enable me to blog 'on the go' from my mobile phone.

High and dry

Sensationally generous sponsors continue to, er, sock it to us for Falcon Camps, fantastic holidays for children and young people facing disadvantage.

Thanks again to all who have donated. I am awed by your kindness.

Here comes the May holiday weekend.

I'm off training: a wiggling route to Oxford on Sunday. A night at the YHA. A wiggling, but different, route home on Monday.

The weather forecast? Don't ask.