2023 – Cathedrals

42 English Cathedrals Tour

Through the Lakes

Posted by on 28, Aug 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, UK, Western Europe | 1 comment

Through the Lakes

Having said goodbye to our family after a lovely 5 days which included our first ever game of lazer tag which was awesome, a canal boat trip, a d with Ben off the beer, copious amounts of Gin!.. we headed back to Liverpool and more cycle traps… We had just bypassed one by going through a gap in the fence when we bumped into the cycle path Ranger. Who told us these barriers were to stop motorbikes. We said we’d never seen a motorbike anywhere on a cycle path without barriers and then promptly saw 2 quad bikes.. They were Police Quads on Patrol! Our Hotel for the night was another...

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North of stoke

Posted by on 21, Aug 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, Tilly the Tandem, UK, Western Europe | 0 comments

North of stoke

Happy days…. Summer! Another trap Chester Liverpool… Minton tiles Ripped tyre Leaving the hotel after a night not spent on the loo and having had 18 hours of sleep was very welcome. We even ate out for breakfast as the previous evening I couldn’t really face going to anywhere selling food to get breakfast in for the next morning. I drink decaf tea and I always like two teabags in a pot. This is hardly ever an issue but occasionally some bright accountant decides that that’s actually 2 pots so wants to charge you a extra few quid for a 5p tea bag. I now ask to check...

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A night to remember… Not!!

Posted by on 15, Aug 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, Tilly the Tandem, UK, Western Europe | 3 comments

A night to remember… Not!!

Tree art Oops…! ???? Someone watching over the puncture repair though… Aptly named canal barge ???? Happy campers Our saviour… ???? Back on the canals A welcome stop! Our night just outside Lichfield was not the best. I spent half the night on the loo and by morning was exhausted and not keen to spend too long away from one! Unfortunately our accommodation was booked that night, so we had to pack up and cycle on. After 7 or 8km of cycling I actually started to feel much better and so we decided that the closest hotel on our route where we could guarantee getting Tilly...

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The Midlands

Posted by on 7, Aug 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, Tilly the Tandem, UK, Western Europe | 2 comments

The Midlands

Lunch with Jane & John The Old Coventry Cathedral…. … and the New Lost count of how many of these we’ve passed…. Fortunately, not too many of these… Peaceful day on the canal.. We left the south behind and headed inland toward Birmingham on and off the Worcester & Birmingham canal trying to avoid the muddy grass sections. We had arranged to meet John and Jane – fellow Tandemers and their new Tandem Carmen, a bright red recumbent, their old one having suffered a cracked frame shortly after Tilly did. Naturally we were late, in our defense, we are...

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Just blew in from the Windy City…

Posted by on 28, Jul 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, Tilly the Tandem, UK, Western Europe | 2 comments

Just blew in from the Windy City…

Crumbling, worn out brake pads Oxford Lunch stop Lunch stop ! Home for the night… Floating home for the night..or 2 ! English summer… Hereford Chained library Mappi Mundi It’s hard to believe that leaving Alysebury the wind got worse and with 55mph winds forecast, that we would naturally enough be cycling directly into, we decided we would have a short hop to Haddenham and hole up for the afternoon. The price of accomodation in Oxford is astronomical – £200 a night was the cheapest we could find and with the campsite full we actually had little choice but to stay at...

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The return of the Tilly

Posted by on 21, Jul 2023 in 2023 - Cathedrals, Europe, Tilly the Tandem, UK | 1 comment

The return of the Tilly

Post ‘Op’ Tilly rearing to go… Westminster Abbey People lining the streets around Buckingham Palace… No explanation needed! Navigating the tank traps in Londons Green Belt Guildford Cathedral Life on the Canals… Auntie Barbara… Cathedral stamps Tillys big ‘op’ surprisingly went extremely well. There was one minor issue with the new front fork having a tiny dent on the drop out, so I just used the old fork. With Tilly looking brand spanking new (I even resprayed the stokers handlebar support and racks!) we set off for leg two of our Cathedral...

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