I have the one from Showerspass – used it all year round with a laptop 2 to 5 days per week 20 mile round trip commute – its never let in any water and its faced some pretty dire West Yorkshire downpours – nice side pockets for bits – lights are a bit gimmicky – good but the straps are a bit annoying

Bought the world for £19.99 – went on a 500 mile trip from Rotterdam to Osnabruck and back – worked really well just downloaded the regions I travelled through – did a bit of gravel too. It worked really well – use a wahoo roam. good for planning the trip and get in points of interest.

West Yorkshire – grey, muddy, miserable and wet.

Just finished Lost Realms by Thomas Williams – What happened to some of the Old kingdoms – Elemet Rheged etc. some interesting theories about why they didn’t survive. One for the Dark Age geeks (me).

Now Rading James Hollands Invasion of Sicily – nice mix of personal stories from all sides and details of the campaign itself – enjoying it.

work in HR – 30 years – custom and practice – last 9 years WFH. What consultation has taken place to change your working practice?

Chips and Veg Kiev
Beer M&S seection (ooh look at you..)
Editors

Approaching 57 here. I do miss competition – and training – however you can still get this as many have said over shorter distances – I did a PB at Park run on Saturday – however I am well behind Older Vets who smash out 20-21 minute hilly park runs. Me – I just enjoy the competitive run. Aiming for some longer off road runs in the lakes next year and the great north Swim (both low impact). Good points about resistance training – need to think about that.

Enjoying the thread TJ – keep the updates coming.

That bit west of Calais along the coast road is Fab. One of my best touring days in sunshine – pissed it down the next day…….

First for me yesterday out on the gravel bike – stumbled across a wildfire on the Spen Greenway – called the fire brigade. Was spreading quickly. Park run this morning OMG – it was hot hot hot….

The Ferry will be fine for space just avoid Fridays and maybe Saturdays. Used it a few weeks ago. You are directed to the middle of the car deck, loads of space for (motor) bikes and trailers. You kinda have to accept P&Os employee relations strategy though ….. Still its a glorious way to travel and the cycling paths in the Netherlands were amazing – better than our roads. Top tip follow the cycling diversions in the Netherlands. Usually I would just ignore them in France etc – In the Netherlands if it says no bridge it literally means no bridge….Good Luck great Cake and beer ahead.

loads to see

Utah beach – nice museum (dead mans corner, St Mere Eglise
Campsites all along the DDay coast – can be pircey mind.
Falaise – campsite in the shadow of the castle
Chateau Guillard – campsite at the bottom of the castle _ theme going here
Bayeaux tapestry
Mont St Michel – campsite on the mainland
Loads of D day stuff to much to mention really – my tour was a mix of D day and Medieval

Lyn Macdonald – weaves in lots of first hand accounts – not sure her books cover 1918 – certainly 1917

Tommy – by Richard Holmes covers the whole period and there is certainly stuff on 1918 with lots of first hand accounts – it will however make you cry.

Not sure hybrid working helps – placements students require higher levels of supervision. We still take placements for a paid 12 months – one has just returned as a full time employee after finishing his degree. It does work if employers are willing to invest. May be try some of the “recession” proof industries – I expect some companies are starting to batten down the hatches for what is expected later in the year – try energy , green technology, anything to do with controls/ software engineering, drones?

should have said take the coast road. Cap Gris Nez – stand looking at the white cliffs – ceasar, Napolean, Hitler – any old numpty (me).

One of the nicest legs of one of my bike tours was Calais to Crotoy – WW2 bunkers, Napoleans monument, Boulogne was nice, Etaples big casaulty evacuation point for injured WW1, le touquet – etc or you could head in land and do Azincourt – nice little museum and you can walk around he battlefield 1415 as above french nobility 0 longbow 12

Ran a training session for the wife and three daughters on how turn turn lights off – unsurprisingly was met with “you are so sad” looks

Realised i was on my own with this stuff when I asked for help to clear out rats from the compost bin – no help was forthcoming – even offered them shovels to form a screening position…..just me then.

Lovely communte home last night on the cross bike on my longer bridleway route. Park run this morning looks like it will be stunning weather here.

Long time commuter from 2006 – Exposure lights – they last and when they break the guys at USE fix them – my toro and x2 Blaze have just been fixed – had them all for plus 5 years- nothing plastic lasts – mon weren’t bad but not fixable

17 over 42 years, still have 8 trying to get rid of two and add one (or two) – the bike to work scheme is an addiction.

Good Lord – page 4 and no-one has mentioned the Long Ryders –

The Jam – Leeds Queens hall 1982 – so many people were at that gig that i met later in life – including my future BIL. Amazing gig.

Been to Mons – pleasant Market town not much in the way of museums (that I found). Did it on the bike and followed the 1914 retreat through Le Cateau and beyond – the market place at Mons is pretty unchanged, when compared to some of the photos of WWI squaddies resting as they marched to meet the Germans. Cycled all the way down to Nery – another sharp action in 1914. Some places of interest at Mons – first action of 1914 by the British army – walk along the cannal for one of the first postumous VCs. And poignantly also one of the last areas of fighting in 1918. Lots of scattered smaller cemeteries on the route of the retreat, graves of soldiers KIA in 1914 alongside those KIA in 1918 – very sad. Museum at Peronne was ok.

Eben Emael further north if you want some 1940 stuff – haven’t been in the fort itself but the surroundings are impressive.

Twas indeed a cracking ride home from work today – went cross country no lights needed and dry trails – mincing on the gravel bike all the way home……briefly very breifly felt sorry for those driving.

The benefits to working from home – massive bang at the window – me, the wife and eldest daughter all working at home, all emerge from separate rooms WTF was that – i go outside to check. One dead pigeon attached to one Hawk now having its brunch – not sure what type but was impressive.

Yep coast to coast – Whitehaven (or White’Evan for the locals) – Newcastle – then back across on the border reivers route – grand.

Should have added – I bought some showerpass gloves the knitted ones and a pair of wind / waterproof ones – had then for a year now and they seem pretty good, Not tried Galibier.

Suffer a lot with cold hands – bought some top notch sealskinz about 5 years ago – they were rubbish. hopefully they’ve improved since then. Failed on two basic fronts warmth and dry.

Got into a dispute with a van driver – he pulled out when it was my right of way at a roundabout. At first he said – “you were going too fast ” – I’m pointing out its my right of way. Then he called me a “short arse” the temerity – I am 5ft 11 and in all my 56 years have never been called a “short arse” – still makes me laugh

Spontaneous purchase today – The light division in the peninsular war 1811-1814 – real sharpe……

did a solo trip using the ferry from Hull – such a civilised way to travel – food, beer, bed and you are there rolling down the ramp. 5 or 6 day tour – did the WW2 market garden route and museums. started to see some hills north of Arnhem – but it was flat…very flat. Broken up by river / cannal ferry crossings – rarely cycled on the road – all cycle paths. Great coffee and apple cake stops everywhere. Really easy holiday- no stress – and when I stopped to look at a map – I was usually hunted down by the Dutch to help me out. Literally within seconds of a map coming out. Also given beer and food when i tuned up a campsites – unbelievable – was on a fully loaded tourer. Liked Nijmengen – coffee down by the river – excellent near the bridge. Bonkers how they took that in WW2.

did 3 weeks with the family in 2008 – ferry to Bilbao – camped and drove across to Santigao and back over the 3 weeks stopping a various campsites – all good site – the sea – mountains – what’s not to like. Weather can be variable but nothing but a bit of rain

Kings and Conquerors Philip and Alexander (the Great) – Adrian Goldsworthy – written some cracking books – those ancient Greeks are bonkers though…..

Diving – I mean proper racing swimming diving in at the start…..used to be good at that now just stare at the pool and climb in….

I’m lucky enough to own a few bikes – one of which is a fargo – did the NC500 and Hadrian wall and the border reivers on it – its heavy but bombproof – I had it fitted with front and rear racks – it can carry all sorts. Although the are lots of other choices now – bought mine in 2012. I like the look of the fairlight range.

Try Adrian Goldsworthy – wrote some fiction books roman Britain based around Hadrians Wall

And Max Adams – proper history books but combines the histroy with the local palces names eg King of the North – give you a real inssight into that local hillfort you cycled past and wondered WTF. bring places to life.

Always suffered with my hands – thin liner glove – then a water/wind proof overmitten – not very glam but it works. Not so bad with feet but I now use waterproof socks and a shimano boot – and that really works well keeping my feet dry and warm.

Have a read of “In Europe – travels through the twentieth Century” by Geert Mak – great read – very shocking data on the chances of survival of Jews in Europe from 1938-45 given the amount of co-operation with the Nazis because of anti semitism – best chances of survival if you were Jewish -Italy – worst Austria…

second vote for the yorkshire building Society – were really good with us – even though I bank with first direct