Goodbye For A While

This blog is closing down. I thought I'd let you know because a lot of you have given me some lovely feedback over the past couple of years. So goodbye for now. I'm afraid that there is too much else going on in my life and I can't give the blog the direction and input that it needs.

I'll be back sometime but for now I need to give it a rest. In the meantine I can re-assess the situation. Thanks for all your comments, visits, and warm thoughts. See you later.

Getting Out

It's Saturday night and we're having our usual night in. The old dear is downstairs douring away over the ironing, the oldest is upstairs with one of his mates putting away a few lagers before they go out to meet the other mates in the pub, and the youngest is god knows where doing god knows what (I do worry though). And I'm here listening to my Atlantic Gold compilation which I bought just yesterday. And if there is a better piece of music than Otis Redding singing 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' then I've not heard it, and I don't think I'm likely to.

I'm thinking I might take the bike up to Loch Lomond tomorrow; put it on the rack and drive up to Drymen and explore up the east side of the loch. You get as far up as Rowardennan, or maybe I'll go on to Ptarmigan Lodge for a silent pee. Last week I was over on Bute and I really enjoyed that.

I cycled down to Wemyss Bay and fortunately I just missed the ferry. I say fortunately because it gave me the opportunity to have a bacon roll in the old-fashioned cafe at the pierhead and read the Observer sports pages before the ferry returned. Rothesay looked great in some places and dilapidated in others. Too many neglected terraces tell a story of genteel decline. I took the road south towards Kingarth which took me on a loop round the south of Bute, the back into Rothesay and a pause for re-hydration. Passing Zavarone's Ice Cream Parlour I biked out of town and north to the ferry from Rhubodach to Colintraive. This was a treat. I love ferries and this five minute journey is a wee classic. It's only about 300 metres from one side to the other and the scenery around is gorgeous.

After Colintraive the road goes north towards Strachur but there's single track moor road over to Dunoon via Glen Striven which was do-able despite me not having the use of the big sprocket on the back wheel. Being on top of the moor was lovely, I had the world to myself ... apart from the occasional passing car. By the time I got to the ferry at Hunter's Quay I had covered 53 miles and my arse was aching. It was a good day though.

A Great Feeling ...

... now that it's over. The colleagues and I had a fine time last Saturday riding round Arran on our bicycles. The day started off pishing with rain and we were well soaked by the time we reach Kildonan at the south end. But we were making good progress and feeling good about the success of our fund-raising. Then near-disaster; my chain slipped off the rear cogs as I was changing gear and the derailleur got chewed up and snapped. Bastard thing was totalled. We pulled into a house by the side of the road and the old couple and daughter there provided us with shelter in their shed while we tried to think out our next move. Eventually, while we were scratching our heads and thinking that I would have to retire altogether, the old guy, Terry, volunteered to drive me and my bike back to Brodick.

The colleagues pressed on regardless and I was whisked back to the Cycle Shop in Brodick which was fortunately open. Within half an hour the mechanic there had fitted a new derailleur and I was in a taxi van heading over the String Road in the middle of the island towards Machrie. We caught up with the others just north of Machrie and I was back in the game.

I was absolutely delighted to be re-joining them as I would just have hated to have to quit, having got this far. Anyway we were soon enjoying better weather as we cruised up the west coast towards Lochranza. Which is where is situated Arran Distillery where they make a fine single malt. We had a wee look round but didn't get the full tour as it was near the end of the day, but we bought a bottle of the ten year old just in case we needed a nightcap back at the digs.

After the distillery we were back on the bikes for the long drag up the west side of Glen Chalmadale. This is a near two mile gradient rising to about, fuck I don't know. Anyway I was nearly pegging out by the time I reached the summit. And then! What a fucking rush freewheeling down the other side towards Sannox. It was mental! We were nearly clocking forty miles an hour. If we had come off we'd surely be brown bread. But it was great. I felt terrific at that point which was just as well because eight miles further on as we dragged our sore arses over the finishing line at Brodick I was well knackered.

But we did it, and we have raised over £2,500 for Cancer Research UK. Not bad, eh.

A Great Response

So far we have raised over £1,400 for Cancer Research UK. The progress bar on www.justgiving.com/roundarran has burst through the £1,000 target. This is so rewarding and really puts the wind at our backs for the run tomorrow.