Whilst it's not been officially announced it would seem that the lock-down is over, at least in England it is anyway. Last weeks sunshine saw an estimated ½ million people on the beach in Bournmouth, rioting in Brixton and the announcement that; that most British of institutions, the Great British Pub, would be reopening from July 4th. So, bearing all that in mind, and considering what's good for the Goose is also good for the Gander, it's time to start having some sensible, socially distanced adventures, all perfectly timed for me having a week off. “Ding Dang Do” as they say up North. Where do I start though? The Van's not been slept in since the first weekend in March, my Hammock and Bivvy's not been used in anger yet this year, the bike miles are way down on last year, and as for walking, well I've not even got my boots on yet, let alone started making any decent mileage. Bearing all this in mind I'd been keeping a keen watch on the weather all week and whilst gently boiling through the working week, things weren't looking so promising for the weekend. Never mind, mind made up, I was going out to play come what may. I loaded the bike Thursday night, made a special effort to ensure the garden and green house had enough water to last until Saturday and I spent most of Friday watching the clock slowly tick round to 17:00. At which point, as Murry Walker was so fond of saying “and their off”! Whilst my little adventure may not be quite within the scope of the law (Covid or otherwise), and never will be until they change the English countryside access laws to reflect those in Scotland, one little old me, on my own, on my bike, has got to be better than 300 people queuing to get into Primark, or 5,000 people jumping around outside Anfield in the week celebrating some football win or another. I'd scoped out a nice little 110 mile route a few weeks back with plenty of secluded Bivvying opportunities along the way ready for just this day, and by leaving late on Friday and getting an early start on Saturday morning I was pretty confidant that I could do the whole thing without seeing another person, let alone having to infiltrate their 2m social exclusion zone. Friday evening rolled around and things were looking good, the weather was still glorious with plenty of late evening sunshine and warm temperatures, the roads were quiet and I thoroughly enjoyed whiling away the hours and miles. Slowly feeling the worries of the working week ebb away with every pedal revolution as my thoughts turned to future adventures and the world around me. With 55 Miles under my belt for the evening and having not seen another person or car for the best part of 30 minutes, I found a nice little spot, well off the beaten track to pitch my hammock, debating for some time whether to bother putting up the tarp. It was after all a lovely evening and it didn't look like the forecast storms were going to materialise. In the end common sense won the argument, and I'm certainly glad that it did, as by midnight it was raining hard, and proceeded to continue on and off well into Saturday afternoon. Snug and dry in my little home from home, I had a pretty good nights sleep considering. Although, I was woken around 04:00 by some fellow Bivvy enthusiasts (our friends in the Army) practice firing what sounded like heavy artillery some miles away. I can well imagine their annoyance at spending Saturday night, in the rain, out on Salisbury Plain, loading artillery shells for some well imagined exercise, and once I'd got over the initial shock and decided that it wasn't incoming, and that I wasn't down range of their target, it was quite a nice feeling knowing that I wasn't the only idiot out there. Although I will confess that I was probably the only idiot out there by choice. By the time it got light, the rain had eased off to a drizzle and I took the opportunity to get an early start and pack up in the dry(ish). It didn't last long though and by the time I stopped to make a brew and grab a bite to eat an hour or so after setting off the rain was back with a vengeance. Once your wet your wet though, and you can't get any wetter, so you might as well make the most of it, and make the most of it I certainly did. Whilst cycling in the rain isn't the best experience ever, I had an enjoyable few hours plodding through the Hampshire countryside, alone, with just my thoughts and the gentle patter of rain dripping off my helmet and onto the end of my nose for company. As I stood in the kitchen, a couple of hours later, stripping off my wet clothes, my wet feet leaving footprints on the door mat “The Emma” greeted with with the normal welcome of “have you had a good time?” Having thought about it for a millisecond, there was only one answer “Yes I have”. Rain or not, it was good to be back out, and you really can't beat a Friday night mini adventure, for getting the weekend off to a good start! Having broken my duck Friday night, I thought the van deserved a go, a spot of tea at home and then the short trip up to one my favorite little spots, for a shake down night out and hopefully a bit of early morning running seemed like a sensible plan. Most of Saturday afternoon was spent sorting out a few last minute odd jobs; Sterilising the water system, refitting the newly painted wheels, finding the pillow cases, cleaning out the cool box and generally getting things back ship shape after the extended lay off and tidying up after the other jobs I've done over the past few weeks. By 20:00 I was parked up for the night, along with a couple of other like minded lunatics who'd beaten me there, safely ensconced, once again, in the vans loving embrace. Firing up the kettle in the van always evokes memories, there's something about the smell of the gas, the sound of the kettle rattling on the hob and then the whistle as it boils, that instantly transports me back to being a child on family caravanning holidays or camping with “The Boy”. I can't think of many other smells or sounds that hold such strong memories, but that one always gets me, and whilst not a pleasant evening weather wise, it was great to be back sat in the van, making new memories to the continuing sound of the kettle boiling. No TV or other distractions, just reminiscing and contemplating the world around me as the evening slowly turned to night and bed time came a calling. The weather God's must have felt sorry for me after Saturdays soaking, as I woke to the sun shining through the van windows, and the gentle sound of a full blown gale ripping across the roof, well we can't have everything can we, it is the weekend after all! Best make the most of it then before it starts raining, so a quick bit of breakfast and then out for a cheeky 16 mile jaunt around the footpaths and trails that I'm coming to know so well.
Having managed to leave my watch at home I've no idea how long I was out for, but I do know that it made a nice change to not be constantly checking the distance covered, distance to go and time. Maybe I should just leave my watch at home more often, its another bit of self imposed pressure, and removing that constant reminder of time was quite liberating. I never wear a watch the rest of the time so why do I need to wear one when I'm running? Maybe it's just to stoke my own ego and see how fast I am, or how far I've been? However long I was out for (and I'm guessing it was just over 2 hours) my earlier praise to the God of weather must have fallen on deaf ears, as it managed to throw it down just as I got back to the van, whilst still ensuring I was far enough away when it started to get wet for the second time in one weekend. See, I keep telling you that the weather does it intentionally, but no one ever believes me! And that was about it for another weekend, the afternoon being spent making Raspberry jam with the glut of Raspberries from the allotment and tidying the garage and workshop so I can get in them again, ready for the start of the next project. Not to worry though, now I've had a taste of adventure there's going to be no stopping me (unless it keeps on raining).
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
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