A present from Craster

Kippers are not the most attractive looking food, and not the easiest to eat, but good ones are worth the effort. And I was so fortified by this treat from Craster, that after lunch I rushed out and started chopping down trees. Yes, really, but don't worry. I'm OK. 

Though I have been known to work all night, and sleep all day (and hang around in bars). 

St. Mary's, Haddenham

The next church in my Jenkins quest was the delightful St Mary's in Haddenham (Buckinghamshire). It is mainly noted for a Norman Aylesbury font, and for carvings on the pews, but for me the real treats were a formidable Early English tower, a light and airy interior (very little Victorian stained glass) and a charming location, next to the village duckpond.

I rode out via Marlow and Stokenchurch. After a break for lunch surrounded by ducks I rode a couple of miles further on to Nether Winchendon, where there is another Jenkins church.

Oddly the distances to the next eight churches on my list only differ by a mile or so. Although they are only a few miles apart, Haddenham ranks 20th by distance from home, while Nether Winchendon ranks 33rd, and doesn't come close to this years list. When I got there, the scaffolding was up to repair the roof, and the church was closed. The interior seems to be the main attraction, so I've decided it deserves another visit if I am still doing this next year.

After Nether Winchendon I worked my way back via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe. My original plan had been to pass by Lacey Green windmill but in the end I chose to stay on the main road for a faster return. If I had realised that the mill was open today I would probably have made the extra effort.

The weather was sunny and not too windy. I added sixty three miles, or just over 100km, to this years tally without covering much new ground for Open Street Map. There were a lot of other riders out, on a glorious day, and I only hope that they enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

Revenge on Walter

I just raced Walter again round the Winter Hill loop, and I did in in 44 minutes, beating him roundly. It's not quite my fastest time, but it is pretty close. So I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself, and ready to crack open a can and join the dancing in the streets as the sun goes down over the yard-arm. Or whatever.

Yay!

My updates to the Coast and Castle route through Northumberland are now appearing on the OSM cycle map. 

I can't claim a lot of credit. Most of this was already plotted by others. But I've done a little bit, and the whole route I took from Newcastle to Edinburgh now looks complete. For the uninitiated, it's the red line labeled [1] that follows the coast up to Berwick then turns inland, then over the hills to Edinburgh.

 

Is somebody picking on the poor man?

Thanks to the BBC (and CTC twitter for the link), we are up to date with the latest crisis in the Tory party.

This morning, David Cameron's Scott bicycle was stolen for the second time in the last year. A neighbouring colleague lent him a replacement.

OSM in the Whitehouse

The man doesn't look all that comfortable on a bike, but his team is using Open Streetmap in a neat way. See this with thanks to the OpenGeogata blog.

Recommended read

I've been lent a copy of "Slow Coast Home" by Josie Dew, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

It's about her 5,000 mile cycle ride around the coast of England and Wales (which puts my 300 mile trip into some perspective). 

It's the first time I've encountered Josie's writing, and I'm only 80 pages or so in, but it came highly recommended, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

The blurb describes the ride as "quirky", which hardly does it justice. Right from the start, her ride round the coast starts at 4pm in Hampshire, heading north towards Oxford. Later she quotes what she claims is a Chinese proverb, which captures something of the spirit: "If you don't change direction you will end up where you are going".

It's not really my style to be quite so spontaneous, but I can't help admiring her for it, and it certianly makes for a great read. 

But doesn't she carry a lot of luggage?