Steve_M

Good evening. I’ve just realised that it’s been ten years since I was last in permanent employment (and five since I ceased paid work altogether).

It’s to improve fuel consumption, by lightening the rider’s wallet.

It begs the question “Why?” Other than profit.

I had a bit of a run out on the bike yesterday. This is the road, Stang Top, running North from near Whaw (I’ve just noticed a place called Booze nearby). Worth riding if you’re visiting Tan Hill Inn, but beware that it has a few tricks up sleeve if you’re intending to “make progress”.

What will you be looking at? What are your criteria (or is it a case of “ooh, look, shiny” )?

No point in me carrying one. The best I could do is apply a plaster. I did my St John’s certificate around 50 years ago and did a “first o the scene” about 20 years ago. Don’t have the confidence I could recall any of it in an emergency.

We’ve removed the radiator in the hallway (and plaster off the wall seating great gaps between the door and window jambs and the wall through which is a howling gale of a draught). Otherwise I think we’d have been able to manage without. Having 60cm thick stone walls probably helps retain the heat now that they’ve mostly dried out.

Good evening. Chilly evening so the lounge wood burner is in use for the first time in a month.

Too late. the paper has been on a variety of surfaces, most of them totally unsuitable for a downstairs toilet in a stone build part of the house.

Of its time?

The routes aren’t planned in advance. Particularly on last years trip as the weather was particularly, and unusually, inclement where we actually wanted to go. We had to check the weather forecast each evening then look to go where the weather appeared best and head that way. Which explains the odd route out to Val Cenis only to have to retrace our steps, for example.

The actual routes, which were determined by the weather and which passes were open while we were there, are in this library on MyRouteApp https://www.myrouteapp.com/profile/routes/1033195#-1/name/asc

What? The routes?

Good(ish) evening. This evening we are mostly assembling the photographs from our last tour to be printed into an album (yes, I know, very 1960’s ). My role is to provide images, in .jpg format, of the routes on a day by day. What a pain in the derrière. eg.

Err, what about the poor old pensioners?

Mostly that’s the luggage capacity solely for my good lady. I get the small pannier.

Is this it?

They’re nice looking machines in a retro way. I’d certainly like one in my “fantasy garage” as it would be ideal for pottering around the lanes.

Cawfield Quarry on the Hadrians Wall path yesterday.

Seriously envious. We planted dozens of the things last year and no sign of any. Probably ‘cos we’re nearer the North Pole. oh, and this stuff.

That’s the one. The road to the south, from Langholm to Newcastleton is a nice little run. Single track with passing places, it’s not one for speed merchants but perfectly pleasant with fine views.

That’s on the road from the A7 near Fiddleton to Hermitage Castle. The first half mile or so is more like trail riding, with gravel and potholes galore, but then becomes this pleasant little lane. If I find a moment or two I’ll share the route using MyRouteApp.

We were all young and foolish once …