Autumn came too quickly

The Rhigos

These are some views from the top of the Rhigos, which is about 25 miles north of Cardiff. It has a nice winding 5 mile ride to the top.

Here's Eli after reaching the top, she's far more photogenic than the rest of us.

London by bike

This was a day out with our folding bikes.
We used the bus to London and the bikes fit into the luggage hold. Once there we headed for the Thames and followed the cycle route down to Greenwich, home of the Naval College and the meridian. From here there is a foot tunnel under the Thames and then on the other side of the river is a cycle route back into Central London.

Being a bit thirsty we called into The Prospect of Whitby pub in Wapping, now I hadn't been here for 40 years since I was a student, it hasn't changed at all. Still for a place built in 1520 you would hope not.

Once back into the city we had another beer in The Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street but this place was relatively modern having been rebuilt in 1667 after the Fire of London. Both places were haunts of Samuel Pepys.

Then back to the bus station via Trafalgar Sq. and Buckingham Palace.

All in all a great day out, an experience of cycling in London and getting to so many places relatively quickly.

Have a look at all the photos here.

Is this the Owlery??

Kat mentioned that it was the Owlery, is it?. I wouldn't know as I haven't seen the films.

In the last picture you can just seen a medieval sketch which dates back to about 1300 I think. They found it when they were restoring.

Tithe Barn Lacock

This is in the village of Lacock

Some Harry Potter clips were filmed here. I'll show you those later.

Mists and ............

The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

John Keats. 1795–1821

To Autumn - SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.


Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinèd flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.


Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Autumn's on the way

These are crab apples and autumn crocus.

The Taf floods.

Water water everywhere!!

We've had so much rain in the last few days that the river Taf could take no more.

Luckily the water levels have now dropped.

My new bike.

Now I realise that you're not as excited about this as me, but I'm going to show you it anyway. Its a Giant Escape M Zero.

Lets hope that this one will take me to even more exciting places than my last one. My old one is still in the family, as I have passed it onto my son. Its stupid really but when you've travelled so many miles on a bike you become very attached to it.