Poem for Rebecca

I heard a tale
A familiar and family tale
Of messed up ambitions
Of taking a God given talent
Passed on down the generations
With an urgency
A need for expression
Too strong for these thin shoulders
To bear
To weak to carry
The weight of the parents
The weight of the ancestors

Let my daughter go free!

Dreaming

I was blogging yesterday about being in the world without the usual filters in place. Well of course it is like that often on the bike. Out in the sun, wind and rain all of which were a feature of my LEJOG trip 18 months ago. I remember one sunny morning awaking in Shropshire and cycled towards machine with the early light shining through the trees and into my face, magic moment.

And last night dragging my daughter out of the house to marvel at Venus shinning brightly if rather low over the roof tops - soon Venus will be no longer the evening star but will be the morning star instead. And also to show her Orion just splendid front on, high in the sky over our street. Magic, gifting the fascination with the stars passed onto by my Dad.

Last night I had a dream that I was planning another LEJOG trip. It was fun thinking about it. I would like to do it again but a bit differently. I would spare Sheila and Grace the rather dull task of being my back up crew. I would probably join an organised trip so that I did not worry about the route, carrying much stuff and bike repairs and for the company. If so I hope the route would be similar to the one I used but with a few variations. I would probably get a new bike purchased under a deal my workplace offers of tax free bikes, something lighter and a bit faster. Although I do have an affection for my 10 year old bike.

Cycling through Whitworth Park today passing the park gardeners and they had the new Pets single Yes etc playing on the radio, made my day. Such simple pleasures! I did manage to forget to buy the Mail on Sunday with the free Pets CD so if any of you out there brought a copy and can spare it let me have the CD! Serves me right really!

Best to all,

Bill-on-bike

Dodging showers and

Dodging showers this morning but really enjoying being in the open air and passing through 3 parks. I get a memory that turns up like a Unicorn of staying with Mary and Pete on the edge of the North York Moors. I step out of their cottage early one morning and I am right in the landscape. The usual separation between me and the world has gone. I felt a bit vulnerable and scared but it was good feeling.

That was the feeling - without the scaredness -last summer on the Norfolk Broads waking up to the sounds of wild life and the water gently moving our boat or waking up in Kenya and hearing exotic birds.

Now my friend Francisco Brazil emailed me to say that he gets this experience every morning where he lives. This led me to reflect on my childhood in a small town where the countryside was a walk or a short bike ride away. So I was one generation or two removed from the land.

I think my first paragraph might work as a poem, let's try it:

Dodging Showers

Dodging the showers
On my bike
this morning
But really enjoying
being in the open air
And passing through 3 parks

I get a memory
that turns up
like a Unicorn
Of staying with Mary and Pete
On the edge of the North York Moors.

I step out of their cottage
Early one morning
And
I am right in the landscape.

The usual separation
between me and the world
has gone.

I feel a bit vulnerable
and scared
but it's good feeling.

I quite like that. Try reading it out if you can be arsed!

Best to all,

Bill-on-bike

Ethical Dilemma

So, there will be a free CD by the Pet Shops Boys with this Sunday's Mail on Sunday. Now I will not usually be seen dead with a copy of the Mail which has a lot to answer for including its support of the fascist Mosley in the 1930s, it anti sex education in schools line etc etc.

At lunch today my friend Keith suggested that I could go in disguise into my newsagents' shop on Sunday. He also kindly offered to use the newspaper in his cat tray for me which made me feel better.

So what do you think, swallow my scruples and enjoy the Pets CD or maintain my integrity and miss out? At least it is a promising sign that the Mail is supporting the Pets in this way.

Best to all,

Bill on bike

PS Frankie says its a no brainer I must support the Pets! Q on the other hand says I must consider the lilies - whatever that means - are they a pop group? Len says life is too short enjoy the music and go Petabout. Stacey just breathes heavily in disgust.

Thanks

Hi,

Two years ago in February 2007 I launched this blog mostly as a way of keeping me on track to do my LEJOG bike ride the following summer. I figured that if I went public in this way I would have to follow through! It was also a way of getting support and sponsorship for that ride.

When the ride was completed it all felt a bit anti climactic. I wondered should I start a new blog and what to base it on. Then when I was in Bangalore in January 2008 I felt a real urge/need to blog again and it felt useful just to run further with this blog rather than attempt to set a whole new one up. So I am glad I made that choice.

The thanks is about you my readers. Today the hit rate passed 3000. I don't check out who reads me and how often some of you re-visit so I don't really know how many visitors I have had. I do know that most of you are from the UK but there are regular hits from the US and then a whole range of curious (to me) visitors from China, Brazil, Belgium, Singapore and from friends in Kenya.

What I have tried to do in this blog is to write stuff that matters to me about biking, spirituality, the Pets and as a place for my poems and using Frankie, the Boss, Tracey, Len to reflect parts of me and things that interest me that I can't say as William or Bill-on-bike.

Thanks for your visits, feel free to post comments on the blog if you like or email me off blog.

Best to all,

Bill-on-bike

Frankie's tale of woe

Frankie here! Me and the Boss were on holiday for a few days in the Lake District would you believe and no there was no cruisin'(!) unless you count the car ferry on Lake Windermere. Whilst we were there we nearly came to blows because the Pets were on the Brits for a Lifetime Achievement Award at the same time as the Boss' football team Villa were in the Uefa cup!

Well I had tipped off Tracey to video it for me, and then of course we couldn't even get Channel 5 on the TV - Channel 5 that just shows you how important Villa are! (Watch it Frankie, I can delete this nonsense - The Boss). OK so the TV execs have no sense of the utmost importance and sheer elegance of the Aston Villa team brilliantly coached by Martin O' Neil (Enough - The Boss).

Where was I? Oh yes the Pets, so I switch my laptop on on Friday morning and at the amazing Pet site - www.petshopboys.co.uk I find a great link to their new album and a great Youtube Brits influenced video but also news of 2 new gigs - one at the Apollo in Manchester the other in London. Bliss or it would be expect that the Apollo is already sold out. Woe is me!

Love and kisses,

Frankie

Forever

FOREVER?

Cycling through the mist
On my way
To meet you

I feel on the edge
Of another world

In the not choosing
There is no road less travelled

But my bike
Seems to have other ideas

And so we meet again
But this can't go on for forever
Can it?