Capricorn II

The film is now on line…I told you that it wasn’t Gone With The Wind, but hey the budget was three pints of lager, a packet of crisps and a short ride on the crossbar of my bike so what do you expect? My intention was for it to be really cheesy…and I think I achieved that goal in abundance, what do you think?
I keep looking at the clock on the web page and it’s making me really nervous. I keep thinking ‘stop ticking for a minute’ I suppose that’s the nature of time…. scary. Do you remember that scene in Armageddon when the president talks to the nation as the clock counts down? That’s what it feels like. I am a little worried about sponsorship. People are donating, which is great but I think that there are people who are genuinely interested in the event but haven’t donated yet. It’s one of those things that you will do tomorrow…have you never seen the James Bond movies, Tomorrow Never Comes…Please donate now, and get your friends to do so…that’s enough of the begging, back to the stories.
I went for a cycle ride on Sunday and did exactly sixty miles. I felt really comfortable and it was a glorious day. I cycled to Chester and it was packed out with shoppers, I thought we were in a depression. Maybe they were window-shopping, but then wouldn’t they go to a double glazing specialist? I sat by the river and had my banana…a cyclists dream. Apparently after you eat the banana you can place the peel in the crouch area of your pants and it is supposed to make you feel better. That’s what I read in a magazine…it was the Banana Fetish Monthly so why am I surprised…only joking. I did read it in a cycling article. It might do the chaffing good but the thought of it makes me shudder. And I don’t now about everyone else but there just isn’t the room…or does that sound as if I’m bragging…if the cap fits. I had a bit of a problem with my knees again but it was only a niggle. It was pointed out to me that I am fifty-one and should expect these things. I suppose that is true. As long as I don’t forget things I will be ok…
I went for a cycle ride on Sunday and did exactly sixty miles. I felt really comfortable and it was a glorious day. I cycled to Chester and it was packed out with shoppers…. Oh bugger I’ve already said that…sorry.

Capricorn II

We filmed and edited the 'spoof' video today...in under five hours, including lunch. That's not bad really but it isn't Gone with the Wind or anything like that....maybe just wind, but at least we had fun. Thanks Johny and Matty you were brilliant as usual. Special guest appearances by Dave Twyman, one of my students who played 'the man in the tent'. It's not what it seems. You have to watch the video, and Joan Sankey,my next door neighbour who played 'the woman who knows me', there's not many who admit to that. Their contribution was much appreciated. Once again the Farmers Arms came up with the goods and let us use the pub as a location. Pubs are great to film in, it's an excuse to have a pint whilst doing a scene...then after the scene...then in the next scene...you get the gist. I don't know what the locals thought but they didn't say anything. I don't suppose they get many people in there wearing Lycra and being filmed speaking in a fake foreign accent.....or maybe they do. The film is as cheesy as hell but that was the intention. I told you this experience was going to be very tongue in cheek, I hope it remains that way.
We stopped and had a break for lunch. A short trip to the local shopping centre at Birchwood sorted the food problem out. Matty, a Wigan lad born and bred opted for a meat pie. You can take the lad out of Wigan......you know the rest. He thought his brother Johny, was forgetting his cultural roots as he opted for a cheese and bean pastie...or something like that. Beautiful weather, a great location, interesting people, lots of fun and a film in the can...what more can you ask for?
We start work on the music video next week so it should be interesting and very busy.

Recording the charity song

I hardly slept last night because I was thinking about recording the song this morning at college. I had been practicing to a track that Jim Mason had recorded for me. It was on my IPod and I just sang along. I do apologise if people in the street heard my screeching tones as I walked along with my Ipod. I was practicing again at 6.00am this morning and it sounded awful....at least it drove the cats off my recently mowed lawn.
The session went fine, it was filmed by Ryan Aredale, one of the 1st year TV students who has volunteered for everything, a great lad who will likes to get involved and is always upbeat. Andy Nixon and Jim Mason, the Commercial Music Production team were fantastic, they certainly know what they are doing....pretty obvious I know because they work at the university but it's still amazing. Jenny Mawson and Jo Warburton, my co-workers did some brilliant backing tracks for me...Jenny sounds like an angel, she has a Yorkshire accent in 'real life' and sounds like Nora Batty on speed.... only kidding Jen. I was amazed how good she was and she did it in one take, what a professional. Jo, god bless her orchestrated me throughout, which helped as I was incredibly nervous, so much so that in the beginning I couldn't swallow..I thought I was drowning, bizarre I know but you had to be there. Phil Creaghan, or Creggers as he is affectionately known very kindly brought me a glass of water, I don't want to be a diva, but it was sparkling rather than still and there were no flowers in my dressing room...outrageous.
Jo pointed out that she is my first 'groupie' then went on to say that she is gay and a grandma....story of my life really.We had a fantastic time and I think that the final record will be really good....OK it may not sell millions but as long as we can use it to publicise the charity ride then it's a plus......even though I say so myself it is a really good song.
I'm filming the new 'spoof' film tomorrow, which should be fun. The Farmers Arms have given me permission to use their pub as a location. It's being turned into a Spanish bar called The Farmers Armeo...original hey. That should be on the web for the end of next week so look out for it.

My Knees

It has been a glorious weekend, the sun has finally appeared and what did I do? It certainly wasn't cycling. I did my usual ride to work this morning...the long way round and it felt good. However my knees hurt a little, which isn't really a worry but it's niggling away at the back of my mind. I suppose at fifty...OK, fifty one I should expect some 'twitches'. It is probably the result of a misspent youth running around the football pitches of Orford..I think there was only one. I was always pretty small as a kid and I played inside right, the position no longer exists, but it was where George Best played. Large often older fullbacks used to kick me in the air every chance they got. It happened so often I suffered from altitude sickness, but such is life.
I plan to do another 'spoof' video this week called Capricorn Two, you've read the book, seen the film now watch the cock up....it should be quite funny...it is in my head anyway.
Jim, my colleague from work has re-written the song for me and we hope to record it on Friday. I think they may have taken on more than they can chew...I am a rubbish singer and they promised me that they would make me sound reasonable, I live in hope.
I have applied for a 'collecting licence' so that we can have a stall in Warrington Town Centre on the first available Saturday. I hope to promote the ride and attract more sponsors. Fingers crossed.

New changes

Matty has been doing some changes to the home page, with regards to the set up. It looks better and is easy for me to upload my blog when I am cycling. The news feed is directed to the blogger, which obviously goes into more detail.
I will be having a 'stall' in the town centre in a couple of weeks, where people will be able to see in more detail what I am doing during my bike ride. I am hoping that it will publicise my ride and attract more sponsors. I have some volunteers who will be wearing T-shirts with 'the charityride' logo handing out leaflets. I will be cycling....on rollers to give everyone a sample of my riding technique, wearing Lycra....oh hey madam.

Scarborough

The Scarborough ride was interesting, to say the least. I prepared well on Thursday night, cleaned my bike, packed my panniers(bags on my bike) and went to bed nice and early. I was going to stay up and watch 'Deliverance' a classic film about some guys on a canoeing trip in the wilds of America. I promised myself that whatever happens I am not going to squeal like a pig....you have to watch the film. I may as well have stayed up and watched the film. I was awake all night worrying about my alarm going off, which I'd set for 4.00am. In the end I got out of bed about 3.00am and pottered about, rechecking everything. I set off about 5.00am and traveled down the East Lancs Road, the cycle path there is really crap....I would have been better on the road. The birds are really loud at that time in the morning.....they'd probably just come out the night clubs...only joking, I mean the flying types. I am very much a morning person and I hope to start nice and early on the actual ride. The sounds and smells that you experience as the sun rises are amazing, but I digress. I was fine until I came to the Pennines. I don't really mind climbing hills. As I have already said I have a scientific strategy 'peddle like mad until I reach the top, it works. Rochdale and Halifax were difficult but it was good training. The hills seemed to go on forever but like every nightmare, love story, shopping trip, piece of string and hopefully, bike ride, they come to an end. As I crossed the Pennines the rain was very heavy. The advantage of wearing Lycra is that it dries off pretty quick in the wind, it's also nice to the touch but that's another story.
It has been said before 'I attract nutters' which is probably what people say when I meet them...what comes around and all that. In the wilds of Yorkshire I asked a guy how far it was to a particular destination. His exact words were " If you're in a car it takes fifteen minutes.....if you're going by bus it will take you twenty five minutes...are you going by bus?" I was sat on my bike as I asked him the question. I love people like that and hopefully I will meet loads on my trip.
Mike met me in Leeds, about half way. It was really good of him to cycle down from Scarborough and meet me. It makes hell of a difference when you have someone to cycle with. Ultimately my solo journey will be a psychological challenge as well as a physical test. I realised that more than ever after the ride to Scarborough. We stopped and took a photo after I did my first one hundred miles, a feat that I am very proud of.
We had a break at Stamford Bridge, about half way between York and Scarborough, where Harold fought the Vikings before his long trek back to Hasting, where he lost the crown of England. I can't believe that Chelsea travel all that way from London to play their home games.......no wonder the tickets are so expensive.
It was great to finally get to Scarborough. Donna, Mike's wife and a friend of mine for over thirty years made me very welcome. I gave her a job when I was looking after my brothers hairdressing salon in the early eighties and we've been friends ever since. She cooked a lovely curry, which I devoured. My brother, Kevin and his wife Marie were also there. They drove up from Salford after the Warrington Wolves match, which they lost.
I had a fantastic weekend and felt more relaxed than I have done for ages, perhaps it was the sea air......or the lager. Whatever it was it was rejuvenating, something that I definitely needed. I went to visit Eden Camp and it was a fascinating place. Some of my MA students did a film about the place a number of years ago and I've been dying to visit it for ages. As you can se in the pictures I am not a soldier.
I do feel more confident about the trip, purely because I know that I can cycle for a long time and not find it that difficult. I was particularly proud of climbing a hill in Yorkshire that Caravans are not allowed to go up because it is so steep. I wasn't fast, but I didn't stop and cycled to the top without stopping, with a packed bike....after which you could probably crack walnuts with the cheeks of my bottom, I'm available for Christmas if anyone is interested.....job done. It will probably be a different matter doing it every day over a long period of time but I can't really replicate that....or I don't want to in case it puts me off. I'll just imagine what it's like and have a go....the best strategy I think....ignorance is bliss.

Perming my aunties hair

I had a great weekend of riding, I'm building up the miles at the moment and feeling quite comfortable. I permed my Auntie Hilda's hair after a long ride to and from Chester...to pick up my front rack and panniers, you never lose it. I mean doing the hair, not riding to Chester. I asked her had she been away, obviously I knew she hadn't but that's what all hairdressers say, it felt so natural. I've never permed hair wearing Lycra before, felt a bit weird but hey.
I'm riding over to Scarborough to stay with friends at the weekend. I am doing 60 miles to Leeds on Thursday evening and staying overnight either in a tent or a B&B. I've not decided which, I suppose it depends on the weather forecast. I would like to try sleeping in the tent as that will be my main accommodation on the ride. but we'll see. I'm staying with Mike and Donna, friends of my brother,Kevin,who will be coming too with his wife Marie. They are driving over on the Friday. Mike is meeting me just outside Leeds on the Friday morning and then we are riding the 70 miles to Scarborough. Mike has cycled across America, Australia and Canada so he has loads of experience. I am hoping that he will give me a few tips. I know he has some interesting stories to tell. It should be a good weekend. He has promised to take me up some really steep hills. It's the type of training I need. It's going to be tough going over the Rockies and it is something that I need to get used to. I will take some pictures and video so I will have something to put on the website.
I was cycling to work this morning, on my 20 mile detour, when a van passed coming the other way. The three guys honked their horn and waved frantically at me as they approached. I obviously started to wave back as I thought it was someone who knew me. As they passed I could hear them all laughing and celebrating as if they had won the European Cup Final. It was then that I realised that they didn't know me and obviously found it quite amusing to get complete strangers to wave to them. Quite funny.....when you are seventeen, but these guys were about forty.... next time lads just stop and I will wave at you all day...if it rocks your boat that much....and to think I thought I was weird wearing Lycra.

The Bike Factory

I rode over to Chester on Tuesday to visit the Bike Factory. I was having my rack and panniers fitted, which will be great. I need to get used to cycling with some weight on my bike. I know what you are thinking....I'm a fat git and that's all the weight I need, but you know what I mean. I had a a crew filming the occasion, thanks Matty and Lianne you were really good, as usual. The shop alterations are nearly finished and it looks impressive. I was like a little kid in a toffee shop. As you can see from one of the pictures I still find certain things rather funny, like the word lubricant. My brother is the same with the word sausage....will I ever grow up...I hope not.
I was really surprised as Dave, the shop owner gave me a shirt and cycling shorts, which were fantastic. The shorts were a bib type, which I'd never worn before and took a bit of getting used to. It was a little like wearing a 'mankini' not that I've ever wore a mankini before, but I've seen Borat. I was going to have a photo taken but I didn't want to lose bloggers in droves. It was not a pretty site, even I didn't fancy myself...what hope I got with anyone else. They felt really good though and made my cycling a lot more comfortable. I also received numerous energy bars. Although I will not be able to take food to the states they will help me with my training and I can see which are the most effective. I'm sure that they will have the same products, or similar, over there.
After the shoot I decided to take the team for something to eat. I was obviously on my bike and Matty and Lianne were in their cars. We arranged to meet at a certain location, apparently just around the corner. Could we find it....no.I ended up on a slip road that looked alarmingly like a motorway. I had to walk about half a mile back up the road pushing my bike. I could see the look on the motorists faces as they passed. I think some of them thought that they knew me as they mouthed my name through the window. However it was a case of mistaken identity because my name isn't Dick.
We abandoned the attempt to get something to eat and I cycled home. It was a really pleasant ride and the weather was fantastic. I suspect that it will be considerably hotter when I am away but I will just have to get used to it.
All in all it was a good day and I am gradually getting myself ready for the ride.