Upwards

Atop Dover's Hill, near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire - my first big ascent of the year.

Sunday's ride took me out of Warwickshire and into the corrugated Cotswolds - a respectable 52 miles. Apologies for windy blusterings in the podcast...

Serendipity

Honestly, I meant to do at least 40 miles - but kind friends unexpectedly intervened.

It would have been churlish to turn down a spontaneous invitation to lunch.

STOP PRESS: Counting the Gift Aid element, my fabulous-beyond-belief sponsors have so far raised a sensational £678.92 towards the work of Falcon Camps, tip-top holidays for children and young people facing disadvantage. Thank you!

Twelve weeks to the off...

Hey! With gift aid taken into account there is now more than £500 in the vault! Hurrah! And thank you.

Podcast 4

Another Sunday, another ride. Historical info about Joseph Arch, worth a look.

Bard training

To pod, or not to pod? That is the question. Whatever. Here is Podcast the Third.

Bard news, good news

Number 1 rule of fundraising: don't get your campaign mixed up with any other campaigns.

Well, that rubric went flying out of the window on Sunday 7 February as my training ride took me to Stratford-upon-Avon, where I joined 150+ volunteer 'extras' to take part in a promotional film linked to the upcoming reopening of the re-modelled Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The event involved being togged up in a costume (see ridiculous get-up above) by the super-efficient RSC wardrobe department.

Next we trooped out into the nearby riverside park to be filmed walking and standing still - en masse.

Most of us were turing blue in the semi-arctic conditions by the time the director shouted: 'It's a wrap!' and we repaired back to the warmth of the Courtyard Theatre to de-frost.

Back to Summer Cycling Saga...

60.5 training miles in the bag.

And (including gift aid) over £420 in the bank for Falcon Camps.

Forsooth!

From the vault