Typical Charlie ! We – but we don’t know who the ‘We’ are. Well anyway, to North Wales the ‘we’ are bound and they manage to pass the home of the late Mr William Gladstone, MP. (I didn’t know that he lived in North Wales either). They also (yet again) take out a rowing boat into the sea at Llandudno, and seriously over-run the return time. I just wonder who the ringleader is every time this happens – shall we guess ? Yes, I think you got that answer in one !
So bedpullitis is now a word we can use freely, and understand perfectly its meaning. The effects of this word are felt daily by teenagers all across the world, and its effects are not new either.
When I started cycling in the early 1950’s singsongs in the cafes I frequented had passed out of existence, more’s the pity. So all we can enjoy of all this now, is just the one word, nostalgia. And what is more, if you indulge in nostalgia today, some soothsayer will slide along to you and mutter ‘be careful what you wish for’. Life is never easy!
I just cannot improve on the text for the day!
This particular run sounds to me like the perfect half day. The weather is never mentioned, which is something in itself in February. They don’t need to stick to the route of the advertised run, and sometimes that can be a bonus! And not all of them could keep up, or chose another destination entirely.
The teaplace sounds delightful, it has an attractive fire and the only lady rider present is able to oblige with a tune or two on the piano. And I suspect that the un-named lady rider is the same that gave Charlie a good run for his money on other occasions when, fit as he undoubtedly was, he was hard pressed to maintain the pace she set!
April 1922 must have been the Year of the Chain ! Almost every week a chain (which is rather fundamental to the operation of a bicycle) is giving trouble. I think a lot of the problems were connected to the lack of an agreed standard for bicycle chains, not all bikes were the same, many of the designers were able to follow their own ideas, and why not, but when you break down, it can cause a lot of problems. At least Charlie seems to have been able to replace his chain without causing financial upset !
The village described in this piece is Lymm, a very pretty village and well worth a visit and which does indeed have a village square hard by a rather steep canal bridge.
This was Charlie’s first ever outing with the CTC (Bolton). Like a lot of young men when he feels fit Charlie is part of the “fast pack” and at other times things were harder. Looking through his journals many of his trips were extended in mileage or time all pointing to someone who is very comfortable with himself and his bike.
This outing to Southport makes the third within a year. Here are links to the previous outings
We read here the story of this rather famous grave and the reason for it, a view which not a few of us would have some sympathies, I imagine. They certainly had a rather public view of marital difficulties in those days, but dying to make the point on one’s headstone is perhaps going a little far. But it all makes for a very interesting day out.
Then we have a history lesson in the story of how the composer Handel (of Messiah and Fingal’s Cave fame) came to write the score of ‘Melodious Blacksmith’.
Not a great deal to be said about this very windy day. Obviously a training ride, some would say, and given the strong wind and no toe clips or gears I think his time is satisfactory.
I should just mention his reference to tramlines. Tramlines are my word, not his. He always refers to them throughout his journals as ‘carlines’. No doubt because in those days the tramcars rode on them. But I have seen fit to change any reference to ‘carlines’ into ‘tramlines’ to avoid any confusion with the internal combustion cars of today. All 30+ million of them!