The return of Wharncliffe

Went back today to Wharncliffe Woods for a bike ride with Dan & Dil. You may recall this was the place that Dan & I went to a few months ago. Well, we decided to try it again and this time we found the real track! By Christ it was pretty much unrideable. We went down some of the black track and then headed over some of the downhill section. I fell over loads of times, but it was mainly whilst I was carrying my bike as opposed to when I was riding it! Dil and Dan had the same problems so I certainly was not alone!

Radlett, FTD

Went down to Radlett on Saturday to view SJ's house again. Its still really nice. Very exciting! I think that once the dogs are settled, I'll end up renting the Rugeley house and living down there full time. The main street is great, lots of cafe's restaurants & bars...very cosmopolitan!

Also did the FTD on Sunday,well some of it anyway...was a bit hot so decided to do the green route and some of FTD. Not a bad run though.

Went round Grandad's afterwards, he's looking a little old now. Mind you he had a bad cold so that doesn't help...

Monday's...

I hate Monday's...I'd much prefer it if the week started on a Tesday, still then I'd probabaly hate Tuesday's anyway. SJ wasn't going back until Tuesday so we had a whole Monday together. She went off to have her nails done in the afternoon, so I sneaked off to do the Dog trail again as we didn't finish it on Sunday. I managed to go round in under an hour, was about 54 minutes I reckon. I'm trying to get it to under 45 minutes but that might be a hard task...

Tomorrow (Tuesday), I'm off down Luton and then back up for Wednesday/Thursday. On Thursday night, I'm off to London and then back up with SJ on Friday for the weekend.

More dogs...

We decided to do the Follow The Dog Trail on Sinday evening after we'd been round to my parents. So we started off at about 6:30, thinking we had plenty of time before it got dark. Incidentally, the car park closed at "dusk". Now, just when is "dusk"? IS that as it starts to get dark or when it is dark? Anyway, that was another minor niggle but still...

So off we trot around the course and we get to the big hill in the middle and its starting to get really quite dark. There was no way we would have got round the rest of the course. What we'd failed to realise is that in the wooded parts of the trail, its dark in daylight, let alone in "dusk". Anyway, we cut short the ride and headed back down to the car park by road...

Mountain Biking

On Sunday morning, SJ and I decided to do The Dog Trail over Canock Chase. This is a purpose-built 7 mile trail designed for intermediate riders and starts from Birches Valley Vistor Centre. Its a great track! Not too many steep climbs, just a lot of flat, trail riding...perfect. We went round in about 2 hours and a bit. Not bad for a first attempt!

Wharncliffe Woods

Today, Dan and I had our MOST meeting and afterwards went mountain biking over a place called Wharncliffe Woods near to Sheffield. Its somewhere Dan found on the internet. It took a bit of finding but eventually we got there. We decided to try the black trail - recommended to those who have the correct equipment and are well experienced - something Dan and I are not, me having bought my bike 3 weeks earlier, Dan 2 weeks earlier. Anyway, we decided to try it out. It actually wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be. Admittedly we did take it slow but there was no real mishaps. We got lost a couple of times and ended walking over a couple of fields but all told, it was a good day. I should add as well that neither of the pics above are Dan or I!!! If the real riders are offended, please let me know and I'll remove...

Catching up...

Picked up SJ from the train station on Friday night. Was good to see her again. We then went round to her parents to show them the photos we'd taken in Cannes, particularly the large format ones. After that, back to Rugeley and then off to The Wolseley Arms for some tea. Was very nice...again...

Saturday we decided to test out the new bike so I said it was about 5 or 10 mins to the Chase from my house and we could probably just cycle there. Big mistake...its not 5 or 10 mins...its more like 30 mins. Its actually 5 mile but its all uphill on the way there! Suffice to say, we were rather tired before we even got to the Chase! Anyhow, we continued from Punchbowl up Sherwood Valley and back down the other side of the stream. We then cycled back (downhill and via the pub)...

On Saturday night we went to The Hartley Arms, a pub in Wheaton Aston. Its right by the river and is a bit like the Anchor in Coven. I thought the meal was OK, but not as good as it was supposed to be. SJ drove tonight so I was able to have a drink although the route through the lanes was a little tight to say the least!

Sunday we decided to go shopping to The Fort. I'd got to take some stuff back and SJ wanted some tops. After that we came back, headed down to Bridgtown Bikes as I wanted to get a Camelbak and SJ wanted to look at the bikes there. We were then going to have a bit of a quiet night but J rang, SJ's friends and said there was a fun day on at The Elms. One call to my Dad and we were there. Was a good night actually, although the fun day (sumo suits, etc) had finished some time before.

So on Monday, we were a little hungover but we went out anyway. We took the dogs to Seven Springs for a walk and then we had a look at the new Ramada hotel they've built in Cannock. Its nice but a little small in terms of footprint. What I didn't realise though is they have some buildings around it, a couple of bars, a Costa Coffee, a restaurant etc. Some aren't open yet and the ones that are have only been for a week or so but I think it'll be nice when they're up and running.

Monday night was a quiet one watching the TV and having an Indian. A good one way to finish off the weekend!

The mountain bike

Today I bought myself a mountain bike from Bridgtown Cycles. I've been meaning to get one for a while, I suppose I just needed an excuse. Well, I've got one now as SJ is into mountain biking and has a Gary Fisher (apparently they're very good). The one I bought is a Scott and by all accounts seems pretty good. I don't really know the first things about mountain bikes, the last one I had I was more worried about the colour and how many gears it had! I took it for a trip round the block and it seems ideal. The first test will probabaly be at the weekend over the Chase. We'll see...