Friday, 13 May 2011
Blogger Chaos - an apology
Yesterday I posted some photos from Days 1 and 2 and a report on Day 3 - then Blogger went off-line for several hours. I don't know what the problem was but presumably it was so bad that they had to go to an earlier restore point, and in doing so, wiped off all the stuff I'd done. So I'm sorry folks, I'll try and catch up but there aren't enough hours in the evening to do them all before I need to go to bed! I'll do my best.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Day 2 - Continued
I'll keep trying...
I followed the coast road from Ulverston to Barrow in Furness and found myself cycling up a Dutch Mountain - or in other words, into the teeth of a headwind. It seemed to take forever, but once into Barrow I soon found Furness Abbey, and a bit further down the road the van was waiting with butties and coffee. Val and Alan had parked in front of a house where the owner was mowing his lawn and he came across to... make a donation to Cancer Research UK! What a nice chap! Richard had made arrangements to be picked up and taken home later in the day.
One of the main items of interest seems to be the tracker which I am carrying. A lot of people have been logging on to http://www.fleetsmartlive.com/ and watching progress 'live'. We lost the signal a few times but it's still been pretty good. If you want to try it, you'll need to log on with the user name Honeywell1 and password Honeywell1 (case-sensitive) - then click on the Bike1 details.
In order to improve the service, Alex from Fleetsmart drove all the way up from Wigan to Haverigg tonight to change the SIM card in the tracker, and to provide a bigger battery - so hopefully tomorrow it will be even better.
Back to the ride. The sun shone after Barrow and I carried on through Dalton in Furness to Foxfield and Duddon Bridge, then on a very undulating narrow road and then.... five miles of rough track! Not suited to my road bike! It looked OK on the map, but by the time I got there it was too much trouble to turn back so I carried on until I reached Millom, after which it was only another mile to our night's stop at Haverigg.
So - another 77 miles on the clock. About the same tomorrow up the West Cumbria coast line. I'm currently trying to remember whether it's possible to walk or cycle over the railway viaduct at Ravenglass, so that could be interesting!
I followed the coast road from Ulverston to Barrow in Furness and found myself cycling up a Dutch Mountain - or in other words, into the teeth of a headwind. It seemed to take forever, but once into Barrow I soon found Furness Abbey, and a bit further down the road the van was waiting with butties and coffee. Val and Alan had parked in front of a house where the owner was mowing his lawn and he came across to... make a donation to Cancer Research UK! What a nice chap! Richard had made arrangements to be picked up and taken home later in the day.
One of the main items of interest seems to be the tracker which I am carrying. A lot of people have been logging on to http://www.fleetsmartlive.com/ and watching progress 'live'. We lost the signal a few times but it's still been pretty good. If you want to try it, you'll need to log on with the user name Honeywell1 and password Honeywell1 (case-sensitive) - then click on the Bike1 details.
In order to improve the service, Alex from Fleetsmart drove all the way up from Wigan to Haverigg tonight to change the SIM card in the tracker, and to provide a bigger battery - so hopefully tomorrow it will be even better.
Back to the ride. The sun shone after Barrow and I carried on through Dalton in Furness to Foxfield and Duddon Bridge, then on a very undulating narrow road and then.... five miles of rough track! Not suited to my road bike! It looked OK on the map, but by the time I got there it was too much trouble to turn back so I carried on until I reached Millom, after which it was only another mile to our night's stop at Haverigg.
So - another 77 miles on the clock. About the same tomorrow up the West Cumbria coast line. I'm currently trying to remember whether it's possible to walk or cycle over the railway viaduct at Ravenglass, so that could be interesting!
There’s a story from the Great Depression about the man who threw himself off the top of the Empire State Building. As he passed an open window on the 11th floor someone inside heard him say “So far so good!”
Day 2 - Silverdale to Haverigg and Signal Problems
Sorry everyone but the signal here at Haverigg is so bad I'm struggling to connect. I'll try with a bit of information as follows but we'd better forget about photos for now!
Like the curate’s egg, today has been good in parts. Richard managed to see a doctor yesterday who thought he’d damaged his cruciate ligament and prescribed some pills. This morning he felt good, so we set off together, but soon became aware of the pain again.
As we passed through Arnside my friend Mike McVeigh, stalwart scrutineer of the Tour of Mull Rally - and Facebook – was waiting to wave us through, but instead we stopped for a quick natter! I know the roads quite well around Levens so we were able to avoid the busy A590, and then at Grange-over-Sands we stopped to get a knee support for Richard but it was of little help and he really struggled up the hill out of town.
By the time we got to Flookburgh it was clear that Richard was going to have to give in. I carried on quickly to the van to get a drink and some food, and then Richard arrived and started telephoning to arrange transport home. Meanwhile I set off again, using a bit of unsurfaced track to reach the footbridge over the river Leven before joining the very busy A590. I thought I might not make it as some logging was going on and one of the lorries was almost blocking the way. At the footbridge I met a couple from Liverpool enjoying a week’s cycling break. They asked me how far I was going and seemed a bit surprised by the answer!
Ulverston was the birthplace of Stan Laurel. I think I must have been talking to myself as I muttered “Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!”. Only kidding – despite now being on my own, the ride was quite fun.
Like the curate’s egg, today has been good in parts. Richard managed to see a doctor yesterday who thought he’d damaged his cruciate ligament and prescribed some pills. This morning he felt good, so we set off together, but soon became aware of the pain again.
As we passed through Arnside my friend Mike McVeigh, stalwart scrutineer of the Tour of Mull Rally - and Facebook – was waiting to wave us through, but instead we stopped for a quick natter! I know the roads quite well around Levens so we were able to avoid the busy A590, and then at Grange-over-Sands we stopped to get a knee support for Richard but it was of little help and he really struggled up the hill out of town.
By the time we got to Flookburgh it was clear that Richard was going to have to give in. I carried on quickly to the van to get a drink and some food, and then Richard arrived and started telephoning to arrange transport home. Meanwhile I set off again, using a bit of unsurfaced track to reach the footbridge over the river Leven before joining the very busy A590. I thought I might not make it as some logging was going on and one of the lorries was almost blocking the way. At the footbridge I met a couple from Liverpool enjoying a week’s cycling break. They asked me how far I was going and seemed a bit surprised by the answer!
Ulverston was the birthplace of Stan Laurel. I think I must have been talking to myself as I muttered “Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!”. Only kidding – despite now being on my own, the ride was quite fun.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Day One - Clitheroe to Silverdale
After the great start from Clitheroe Castle the four of us (me, Richard, Mick and Mick) cycled to Longridge and Preston, where we had our first brew at Riversway. For Val this was the first time she had driven the motorhome and she was getting used to it already.
The weather started off bright but now the clouds were black and menacing, but we were lucky - as we carried on through Freckleton to Lytham, things brightened up but the crosswind at Lytham was fierce. By Blackpool the wind was behind us - there's a lot of construction work going on and we had to negotiate a few diversions - no problem - and then it was on to the seafront for a great few miles at 20+ mph with that kind tailwind.
Lunch was at Fleetwood, not far from the public toilets which Val thought were very nice. She obviously didn't go to the gents, which in my opinion were being used by the local druggies - they were sitting on a form outside, which was offputting.
Then to the great Fleetwood - Knott End Ferry. Richard used his bus pass for the very first time ever, and not on a bus! - and got a free ride, although his bike still cost 50p,
Then Cockerham and disaster struck. Richard had to pull up with terrible leg pains, and retired to the van, which sped him off to the doctors in Carnforth. The remaining three carried on to Lancaster and then Sunderland Point where I went to find Sambo's Grave - an interesting, if not entirely politically correct, piece of history from the days of slavery. The road to the point is covered by the tide twice a day but luckily the water was low.
Back through Heysham, Morecambe and Carnforth and then on to the day's final destination, Holgates Caravan Site at Silverdale - luxury!
Well, that's 92 miles done - over 2%! - and in good shape (apart from Richard, who was diagnosed with a cruciate ligament problem). But most of all, I've started, the planning's over and I'm on my way - hurray!
PS Sorry - tried to post some photos but the signal is so bad it won't take them. Let's hope for a better signal tomorrow.
The weather started off bright but now the clouds were black and menacing, but we were lucky - as we carried on through Freckleton to Lytham, things brightened up but the crosswind at Lytham was fierce. By Blackpool the wind was behind us - there's a lot of construction work going on and we had to negotiate a few diversions - no problem - and then it was on to the seafront for a great few miles at 20+ mph with that kind tailwind.
Lunch was at Fleetwood, not far from the public toilets which Val thought were very nice. She obviously didn't go to the gents, which in my opinion were being used by the local druggies - they were sitting on a form outside, which was offputting.
Then to the great Fleetwood - Knott End Ferry. Richard used his bus pass for the very first time ever, and not on a bus! - and got a free ride, although his bike still cost 50p,
Then Cockerham and disaster struck. Richard had to pull up with terrible leg pains, and retired to the van, which sped him off to the doctors in Carnforth. The remaining three carried on to Lancaster and then Sunderland Point where I went to find Sambo's Grave - an interesting, if not entirely politically correct, piece of history from the days of slavery. The road to the point is covered by the tide twice a day but luckily the water was low.
Back through Heysham, Morecambe and Carnforth and then on to the day's final destination, Holgates Caravan Site at Silverdale - luxury!
Well, that's 92 miles done - over 2%! - and in good shape (apart from Richard, who was diagnosed with a cruciate ligament problem). But most of all, I've started, the planning's over and I'm on my way - hurray!
PS Sorry - tried to post some photos but the signal is so bad it won't take them. Let's hope for a better signal tomorrow.
Big Brother meets CancerBikeMan
My good friend and neighbour Bob Wilkinson works for a company called Fleetsmart. According to the web site,
"Fleetsmart is more than just a tracking system! Combining the very best in fleet management, cost saving and vehicle tracking in one simple to use web application. Available anywhere, at any time, from any device in any country. All this and more makes it the most user friendly real-time tracking system you’ll ever use."
So what has this got to do with my Round the Coast bike ride I hear you ask? Well, read on...
Fleetsmart have provided me with a tracking device which enables anyone - including YOU - to follow my progress in real time, or check at any time on where I've been, etc. I haven't had much time to try it out but you are very welcome to! Here are the details. To follow my progress, follow this link:
http://www.fleetsmartlive.com/
And when prompted type in the user name - Honeywell1 and password - Honeywell1
That's all you do. Let me know what you think!
"Fleetsmart is more than just a tracking system! Combining the very best in fleet management, cost saving and vehicle tracking in one simple to use web application. Available anywhere, at any time, from any device in any country. All this and more makes it the most user friendly real-time tracking system you’ll ever use."
So what has this got to do with my Round the Coast bike ride I hear you ask? Well, read on...
Fleetsmart have provided me with a tracking device which enables anyone - including YOU - to follow my progress in real time, or check at any time on where I've been, etc. I haven't had much time to try it out but you are very welcome to! Here are the details. To follow my progress, follow this link:
http://www.fleetsmartlive.com/
And when prompted type in the user name - Honeywell1 and password - Honeywell1
That's all you do. Let me know what you think!
We're Off At Last!
After all the planning, not to mention a few last minute dramas, this morning I finally got on my way on the Cycle Round Britain's Coast for Cancer Research UK. Despite the early hour, scores of people turned up at the gates to Clitheroe Castle to see me off with my colleagues for the first day. From left to right Mick Wood (Day 1) Richard Dugdale (Days 1-3), Me, Alan Taylor (Week 3) and Mick Bryan (Day 1).
Included in those present were Sarah McPhee from Cancer Research UK and my mum and dad - mum there to bring more cakes and biscuits, whilst father waved the flag to set us off. I've never seen so many cameras - it was just like being hounded by the paparazzi!
Further notable presences were David and Susan Bleazard - I mention this because since retiring Susan has never seen more than one 8 o'clock in a day and it isn't the morning one - nephew Dylan with mum Fiona were there before going to school - and several of the van 'crew' who will be joining us at some stage, all resplendent in our T-shirts.
What an occasion! Made even better by the fact that even Radio 2's Chris Evans gave us a mention on his show around 7 o'clock.
We left everyone at about 8.20 and set off for Preston, Lytham and beyond - I'll tell you about it shortly.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Almost the Beginning of the...Beginning
Just time for a final blog. We were hoping to have everything stowed in the motorhome by now but due to various hitches I won't bother you with, it's not here. Nothing wrong with it, nothing to jeopardise the trip, but it won't be back here until after 10pm and then we have to get it all loaded up. Not ideal, but hey!
Once we've done that we'll grab a few hours sleep before making our way to Clitheroe Castle Gates at 8.00 am tomorrow morning. But wait - another exciting development - almost as exciting as Carol Vorderman following me on Twitter (and if you want to know how I know Carol Vorderman and you don't already know, you'll have to sponsor me) - I am about to be tracked.
I shall now have a tracker with me - so you will be able to follow me in real time and see exactly where I am. This isn't too restrictive as I wasn't expecting to get up to any hanky-panky on this trip to be honest. We're going to check that it works properly tomorrow and if so I'll post the details of how you can log in, see where I am and where I've been. Watch this space.
Right! Perhaps I should grab a couple of hours sleep now before the motorhome comes back...
Once we've done that we'll grab a few hours sleep before making our way to Clitheroe Castle Gates at 8.00 am tomorrow morning. But wait - another exciting development - almost as exciting as Carol Vorderman following me on Twitter (and if you want to know how I know Carol Vorderman and you don't already know, you'll have to sponsor me) - I am about to be tracked.
I shall now have a tracker with me - so you will be able to follow me in real time and see exactly where I am. This isn't too restrictive as I wasn't expecting to get up to any hanky-panky on this trip to be honest. We're going to check that it works properly tomorrow and if so I'll post the details of how you can log in, see where I am and where I've been. Watch this space.
Right! Perhaps I should grab a couple of hours sleep now before the motorhome comes back...
We Have A Winner!
Martina Myerscough, proprietor of the Red Pump, will ensure that they have a great time with the very best food and service, and I am really grateful to her for providing this experience to boost funds for Cancer Research UK. I was hoping to thank both the Parkers Arms at Newton (who donated the last auction prize) and the Red Pump by doing a short, if hilly, cycling 'pub-crawl' but time has defeated me. I WILL do it when I get back!!
For those of you who weren't successful, why not book yourself a meal or a stay at the Red Pump anyway? Set in beautiful countryside, as Martina says it's only three miles from Clitheroe and a million miles from hassle. Tell Martina I sent you and you never know, I might get a free 'half' on that pub crawl!
Well, the big bike ride starts tomorrow and I'm rushing around like a blue... tailed fly. If you would like to help by making a donation to Cancer Research UK, please go to http://tinyurl.com/cancerbikeman or http://www.justgiving.com/Bill-Honeywell.
Thanks once again to John, Susan and Martina for their generosity. Unless I'm hit by a sudden inspiration, or something goes seriously wrong, the next blog will hopefully be from Silverdale at the end of Day One. Tweeters can expect a few more updates in the meantime!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Auctions Speak Louder Than Words
Martina Myerscough has promised to treat the winner right royally and you're sure of a warm welcome as well as great food and service in this beautiful part of the world.
As I write this the highest bid is £162. If you want to put in a higher bid, send it to me at bill.honeywell@gmail.com BEFORE 5.00 pm this evening. The winner (and ONLY the winner) will then be asked to pay by making a donation to Cancer Research via MyProjects or JustGiving. Martina will then contact you to make arrangements for your stay.
Good luck with your bidding!
On Your Marks...
The start is drawing closer... and for those of you who are interested, you might like to know that there will be a GRAND SEND-OFF - mainly to make sure I don't change my mind at the last minute - at CLITHEROE CASTLE GATES in the centre of Clitheroe, at 8.00 am on TUESDAY 10th MAY.
Please come and support the ride, and if you've any spare cash there will no doubt be a collecting bucket for Cancer Research UK! I'll be setting off at 8.15 with cycling pal Richard Dugdale (who is hoping to remain in full contact with his bike for the first three days), together with Mick Bryan and Mick Wood who are just doing Day one and then catching a train back from Carnforth or Silverdale.
So please come along and show your support!
Friday, 6 May 2011
A Word About Twitter
I had my doubts about Twitter. Last year I spent a couple of weeks with my brother (@captgreybeard) and felt that perhaps he was becoming a little obsessed with his new-found Tweeters. Somehow it seemed to be a step too far into the world of social networking. My modest efforts on Facebook were quite enough, thank you.
But a few weeks ago I decided that the 'immediateness' of Twitter would be perfectly appropriate for my Bike Ride Round Britain's Coast - I could send a quick 'Tweet' whenever I arrived somewhere interesting, or had a few moments to spare. And so I signed up, completely unaware of what would happen next...
Five weeks later I find myself with several hundred 'followers' - some of whom are so supportive of my Cancer Research UK charity that they have already made donations; many others offer encouraging words of support; some have arranged to join me and cycle a few miles en route; @Wiggys, aka Paul Sanders, the Picture Editor of The Times newspaper, sent me his second hand bike-GPS without even knowing who I was (and included a Times cycle shirt!) - trusting me to pay him if it was OK (it was, and I have); @JOG900LE (aka Sharon) gives me loads of encouragement and I suspect is as mad as a box of frogs, but who cares - she will soon be riding to beat blood cancer - Mark Beaumont, the Round the World cyclist, sent words of support, BBC's Sophie Raworth joined the party, and so it goes on...
So I'm definitely a convert. I need to make sure it doesn't get obsessive. But it is a great, immediate form of communication, and if you haven't already tried it, then I can recommend you to.
And if you do sign up, please follow @CancerBikeMan !!
Five weeks later I find myself with several hundred 'followers' - some of whom are so supportive of my Cancer Research UK charity that they have already made donations; many others offer encouraging words of support; some have arranged to join me and cycle a few miles en route; @Wiggys, aka Paul Sanders, the Picture Editor of The Times newspaper, sent me his second hand bike-GPS without even knowing who I was (and included a Times cycle shirt!) - trusting me to pay him if it was OK (it was, and I have); @JOG900LE (aka Sharon) gives me loads of encouragement and I suspect is as mad as a box of frogs, but who cares - she will soon be riding to beat blood cancer - Mark Beaumont, the Round the World cyclist, sent words of support, BBC's Sophie Raworth joined the party, and so it goes on...
So I'm definitely a convert. I need to make sure it doesn't get obsessive. But it is a great, immediate form of communication, and if you haven't already tried it, then I can recommend you to.
And if you do sign up, please follow @CancerBikeMan !!
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Donations - a kind of apology...
More and more donations are coming in to Cancer Research UK, which is GREAT! - and thank you to everyone who is being so generous. If you use JustGiving I think it has the advantage of being easy to use, familiar, you receive a 'thank you' email from me, and from my point of view, I know exactly who has donated. However, JustGiving do take a percentage of the donation because they have to cover their costs and make a profit.
The Cancer Research UK site isn't quite as easy or familiar, but there is no 'commission', so more of your money goes direct to the charity. The other problem is that there is no facility for me to send you a message of appreciation, and if you don't leave your full details I won't know who you are unless I get lucky with my guess! So if you donate this way, you know that every penny of your money is going to a good cause, but please don't think I'm being ignorant if you don't receive a thank you email from me - I can't help it!
Whichever way you choose, please keep those donations coming - they are ALL equally appreciated!
The Cancer Research UK site isn't quite as easy or familiar, but there is no 'commission', so more of your money goes direct to the charity. The other problem is that there is no facility for me to send you a message of appreciation, and if you don't leave your full details I won't know who you are unless I get lucky with my guess! So if you donate this way, you know that every penny of your money is going to a good cause, but please don't think I'm being ignorant if you don't receive a thank you email from me - I can't help it!
Whichever way you choose, please keep those donations coming - they are ALL equally appreciated!
Clitheroe Bike Club
Another local club is making a great effort to support my ride and Cancer Research UK - this time, most appropriately, it's Clitheroe Bike Club, a new and quickly growing group of cycle enthusiasts who meet every other Wednesday night at Clitheroe Rugby Club.
They had a good turnout for their recent combined Film and Curry Evening, raising £222 in the process, which they decided to donate to Cancer Research UK via my Big Cycle Challenge and website.
Here I am (on the right) receiving the money from club chairman Richard Paige. You can see the donation on the CRUK My Projects page at http://tinyurl.com/cancerbikeman and Clitheroe Bike Club has its own website at http://www.clitheroebikeclub.co.uk/. Thank you to all concerned!
Now I'm off to try and make some inroads into the 1,001 jobs still to do before next Tuesday's big send-off!
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Why I'm Doing This!
And I may just be crazy enough to do it anyway, BUT the official reason is to raise £20,000 for Cancer Research UK. And over the weekend the figure raised went above the £3,000 mark - Hurray!! - but still nearly £17,000 to go, and I'm hoping that those who take an interest in the ride will also remember how important cancer research is, and make a donation via http://www.justgiving.com/Bill-Honeywell or http://tinyurl.com/cancerbikeman.
Whether it's £5 or £500 (no lower or upper limits!) it will all help. It will help people NOW. It will help people in the future. It may even help YOU sometime.
So please consider helping financially. But there is something else you can do if you really want to help. You are reading this on a computer or smartphone, I presume, and on there you'll have a list of contacts of those who you email from time to time. Would you cut and paste the text below, and send it out to your contacts? It's a bit like a chain letter, only it's harmless and although none of the recipients stand to gain financially (they won't be disappointed either!) - they may get the satisfaction of having done something that WILL make a difference:-
On 10th May Bill Honeywell from Clitheroe is setting off on an epic bike ride around the coast of Britain. Bill is hoping to raise £20,000 or more for Cancer Research UK so that they may continue to fight cancer, a condition that may touch us all in some way.
www.billhoneywell.blogspot.com
"Starting 10th May this year, following my 2009 sponsored walk of all 214 'Wainwrights' in the Lake District in only 55 days, I'll be cycling over 4,300 miles around the coast of Great Britain in aid of Cancer Research UK. Details of progress and lots of anecdotes will hopefully appear on this blog. You can also follow me on Twitter - @CancerBikeMan. Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. To make a donation, click here: http://tinyurl.com/cancerbikeman, or to donate via the JustGiving site go to www.justgiving.com/Bill-Honeywell. Thank you - together we WILL beat cancer!"
Please do this, not for me, but for Cancer Research UK. I'm going to be enjoying myself. Getting wet. And knackered. And going quietly mad pedalling, pedalling .....Bill would REALLY like to make all the miles count - so please will you donate generously, and just as importantly, copy this email to the people on your contacts list, and ask them to do likewise, to spread the word and do something positive to help fight cancer.
Thank you. Don't worry about me, I'll be out there enjoying myself. Getting wet. And knackered. And pedalling, pedalling......
Red Pump Auction Update
To date I have received EIGHT bids, and here they are - you'll know who you are if you are the bidder (though if you want to bid against yourself that's fine with me!!) - £20 (come on!), £50, £60, £60, £100, £140, £142, £162.
Thank you to the bidders, and if you haven't had a go yet, you know where you need to be. Martina says the more you bid, the more you'll get! Don't forget, YOU WON'T PAY A PENNY unless you are the winner - now get bidding and good luck!! Oops! You need to know what to do - send me an email at bill.honeywell@gmail.com with your bid - thank you!
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