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I’m much leaner and fitter than that bloke.
I'm not. 🙁
TJ, those are gorgeous pictures. Keep 'em coming.
Well thatsme on Wolton court campsite. Totally charming place.
Drinking beer with p7eaven in old radnor. Cheapest beer I have had in a long time. 7.80 for two pints
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View from the pub. Up a bloody holl of course
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That is one of the most surreal things I've ever done. P7eaven suggested we go and see some standing stones. Im in darkest Wales with some random from the internet and its getting dark. Of course its a good idea
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Need a like button
Like!
Well I did not expect that of P7.
Are we due a new mugshot thread? Might dissuade some bickering if people are reminded that they're talking to actual people. 😁
Beard competition is getting more interesting.
Win by a nose?
Nah, TJ's beard is a bit lacking
I can't grow a proper beard. If I try I just look like i should be sitting in an alleyway with a can of cider shouting at random folk
Loving this thread.
No beard here :0)
Up with the larks today then ?, a nice early start.
Whats the morning tipple of the long distance peddler ? Aeropress, jet boil instant, or hot water and a teabag ?.
Jetboil with a french press attachment. Mmmmmmmm. One of my luxuries. Proper coffee from a tin mug. No plastic or ti nonsense
Bacon and eggs followed by strawberries and yoghurt for first breakfast. Im thinking about second breakfast already😎
Up early but slow moving this morning. Its a dreich morning but due to clear in a couple of hours
All packed apart from the tent outer which i am underneath sheltering from the rain.
"This doesn't butter any parsnips though" as my grandmother said.
I'll make a move shortly. Going to check out some neolithic sites on my way north.
What’s the rough plan for today/tomorrow?
Head north
I might make bishop castle area. Maybe a bit further
This morning was mainly about archeology. Found Offas dyke which looks nowt on pictures but is impressive on the ground
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And a fort to which the same applies
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Numerous totally unimpressive lumps in the ground
Numerous totally unimpressive lumps in the ground
Sounds like my garden
Tumulous are usually pretty boring but burnt mounds are the worst
Sounds like my garden
Sounds like my ex.
I might make bishop castle area. Maybe a bit further
My parents had a caravan at The Green at Wentnor when we were kids. Great camping site within easy distance of the Long Mynd and Stiperstones. Shropshire is a lovely part of the country!
Edit- https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=3121
Camped up at bishop's castle. Fab views from the tent or there will be if the cloud lifts.
I followed Molgrips route. A bit lumpy he said. I think you meant LOADS OF SODDING CLIMBING Molgrips.🙄😀
Im beginning to understand the game. Its send TJ up as many sodding hills as you can and I always lose 🙄🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️. Do you get bonus points for headwinds? Tailwind today but it ruddy rained all afternoon. Im going to console myself with cake
😀🚴♂️😎
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If you're heading anywhere near The Longmynd I can recommend The Bridges in Rattlinghope for a few beers.
There's a camp site about a mile away too.
I need to look at maps. Im getting towards the area part of my family come from and the nearest thing I have to roots. A village called Rushbury near Church Stretton.
If you pedal through my village on your way north I can promise you delicious cakes from the local coffee shop and precisely zero hills for miles around
You village is?
Get yourself into the pubs in BC TJ. Three Tuns brew house is probably the best
Best route to Church Stretton is to take in the Portway and Burway, then reverse it to go to Ratlinghope (make sure you take in the Stiperstones too)
(Everyone shhh don’t tell him)
For campsites around the Longmynd then look up Brow Farm (close to the Bridges pub at Ratlinghope, not far from Stiperstones)
The Green Caravan Park at Wentnor (shop near by and nice pub up the road and a ok-ish pub onsite)
Small Batch campsite in Little Stretton (close to Church Stretton, 2 great pubs 50-100m away)
Tattenhall
There’s Beeston Castle nearby which is well rated if you want to continue looking at hill forts. Supposedly a steep trek up though.
Ta chaps
FYI you’re in England now 😉 - thread title is outdated.
Are you still considering a ferry to the continent?
Just a reminder of a previous piece of advice: have you had your jabs? 😉
I'm not sure a ferry to the continent would fit it TJs plans - he would need to stay in the same place for at least 24 hours while waiting to get through immmigration.
A village called Rushbury near Church Stretton
I walked through Rushbury a few weeks ago when I did the Shropshire Six Summits. It's a beautiful little village.
You're right in my Shropshire Hills backyard TJ and I'd love to meet up or invite you over but I'm a bit indisposed at the mo. Enjoying your thread and the pics, ride safe and keep them coming 👍
Decisions decisions.
Cant decide where to go today. Nice stone circle a few miles north but i can see hills or do i go east to rushbury / church stretton area then find canals to go north on. The Wrekin where my grandmothers ashes are is further east again. I feel like doing some decent miles today. Been slow progress the last few days. Im hundreds of miles short of whete i wanted to be by now
Siting here drinking coffee in a state of indecisiveness. The only answer? Another pot
I am still aiming for a north sea ferry to the low countries. I have family in the Netherlands that I have not seen for ages
Going south from there seems unlikely now tho. I have had loads of sunshine so dont feel the need for it and the body is starting to complain. Tendonitis in my left elbow. Arse has both bacterial and fungal infections. Knees creaking.im also several hundred miles short of where I intended to be by now.
TJ, really been enjoying your updates on your travels. This is a great thread.
You say you are hundreds of miles from where you wanted to be now. But do you need to be there now? If you don't have any time constraints, don't worry about where you think you need to be, just enjoy everything you are doing. The last thing you want to do, is at the end of the trip is think that you wished you hadn't rushed and taken longer if you could have.
Anyway, enjoy whatever comes next.
I was hoping to get to Bilbao. If i do that I'll have to fly home.
I also have some stuff to do that i need to be in Edinburgh for and i only have 5 or 6 weeks left before I get into insurance issues with my flat
A week to Manchester area. Another to hull. A week with my sister in Amsterdam only leaves 3 weeks.
I shall just plod on with my vague route and make decisions as they arise
Been slow progress the last few days. Im hundreds of miles short of whete i wanted to be by now
Quit beating yourself up about miles. It is smiles and enjoyment that count. Do what you feel like - and that includes day off, a day walking, hopping on a train, a 'holiday' back at home for a while etc.
Sounds to me like you would like to go see where your roots are, then across to Europe?
I shall just plod on with my vague route and make decisions as they arise
Sounds like a firm plan. Why don't you just hop on a train somewhere like Thirsk or York, dip back to Edinburgh, sort your shit, reset the clock on your insurance, then head back down to start pedalling again? You could probably get someone off here to secure your bike to make it even easier.
On the other hand the muscles in my legs are like oak. Im fitter and lighter than i have been for 30 years and my head is clearer than its been for a long while
the suggestion of parking up the bike at a friendly stw'ers place and train back home for a week to sort stuff out, get a rest and arse recovery sound ideal !
Id better get moving. Not packed up yet!
Wind is shifting to the north.
I only planned this all very vaguely as in " thats 4 inches on the big map. Should take a week or so"😎
I shall head east i think
Im fitter and lighter than i have been for 30 years and my head is clearer than its been for a long while
Win.
My great great grandfather and grandmother 's grave marker in Rushbury church.
I feel quite somber
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Not surprising feel sombre given recent events amd visitinggrave site. Been great following your travels, if make it to toon area will try to meet up, wouldn't inflict a house of 2 toddlers and a dog on you though.
I doubt I need to tell you, you being a nurse, (which means I really do) but i hope you're sorting those infections out before they impact your plans too much. Look after yourself, sounds like the trip has helped mentally, don't run yourself too low physically.
The arse infection is getting the right treatment and is improving. Ta.
Physically i feel good.
Off to find the ancestral farm now.
I for one am having second thoughts around my offer of crash space after hearing about the anal mushrooms.
Google says the Gilberries is still a working farm and campsite that allows dogs and open fires but doesn’t allow tents🥸
I think thats a different farm. Gilberries lane farm. My family one is across the lane. Gilberries farm and Gilberries cottages. We still know the folk on it. They have a chicken shed iirc Im off to see it now.
@cougar you can either hold the mirror or apply the cream
Imagine his surprise when he realises I had both hands on his shoulders.
Tendonitis in my left elbow... Knees creaking.
I was thinking about this. You'd need to stretch loads and loads doing all that riding because the muscles you use to ride will tighten up, and the opposing ones won't. This causes issues as it can pull tendons out of place and they'll run across bony bits.
Found the farm abd had a chat to the folk who live on it now who remember me from 45 years ago
you can either hold the mirror or apply the cream
😩 I shook his hand
A week to Manchester area. Another to hull. A week with my sister in Amsterdam only leaves 3 weeks.
Bilbao is not planning on moving, you could always take a break and resume where you left off next spring/summer. Ferry trip across Biscay and start again?
Camped up now with a view of the lawley. Suprisingly emotional day today meant i totally made a mess of finding a campsite. Im on one now tho. Someone recommended one in tne area and I totally forgot. Dodgy signal here but I'll try to put some pics up in a bit
And leave my arse out of it or I'll post pics of it😀😈
Liking the sort of see where the weather and whim takes you in the approximate direction of your trip.
If going to Netherlands don't forget that bikes on trains for a return leg is easy there and if you ferry back from Ijmuiden (West of Amsterdam) you boat back to Newcastle which should take you somewhere between a week of stopping and contemplating bike pace and 2 hours on the train. Also train stops available all along the East coast.
N. Holland has seemed pretty nice when I've visited if that's where you end up.
The lawley
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Random scenery
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Nice. I used to ride up the Lawley quite a bit back in the day. Pretty sure I'd never manage the final pitch to the top these days!
As mentioned on the other thread (which brought me to this one), the roads are pretty flat north of Shrewsbury. Also quite exposed though so if you have a strong northerly wind you'll be cursing. Canals would be more interesting and flatter but you have to get to them. Probably head towards Oswestry but I can't remember now. The canal at Trevor where we used to smoke weed on the way to ways is now a World Heritage Site. I like to think that we had a small role to play in that 😀