The Mounties Get Their Man
This picture deliberately hides the true story, as it’s rather in the distance.
The Mounties Get Their Man
I’d just watched two police officers on bicycles, who are just visible in bright jackets in the picture, chase and stop a cyclist.
It proved how bicycles should very much be at the forefront of crime-fighting. I suppose one of the problems is a lot of officers are a bit too porky.
An Annoyance of Bicycles
Look at this picture, I took at Kings Cross.
An Annoyance of Bicycles
I quite like cycling, but why is it, that bicycles are often parked, where they become a hazard to pedestrians?
The Greenway Bridge Over Stratford High Street
The structure of this important bridge, which is just known as Olympic Bridge T12, is now in place.
It will be much needed to get Olympic visitors from West Ham station to the site. There’s more on the bridge here.
The Garage Where I Parked My Bike For Spurs
This is a better picture of where I used to park my bike to for Spurs in the early 1960s.
The Garage Where I Parked My Bike For Spurs
Salubrious isn’t it! Obviously, the two shops either side have seen a makeover, but the garage certainly hasn’t. They have removed the sign that said “Slow Down to 50 mph. Through This Gateway” and added a litter bin.
Such is progress!
Bicycle Helmets
I don’t like them for myself, just as I don’t like wearing a helmet when I ride a horse.
In Halfords on Friday, the manager said that bicycle helmets will soon be compulsory.
I am changing my mind, but not for myself. I get a bit fed up with kids and some older ones riding on the pavements in and out of the pedestrians. Most seem not to be wearing helmets. So perhaps on the spot fines would drive them off the pavements, as it’s not cool to be a nuisance with a helmet on.
The funny thing is that on paths shared by cyclists and walkers, like the Regent’s Canal, there doesn’t seem to be the same problem.
Getting On Our Bikes
According to this report on the BBC, cycling is booming, with several millions of extra cyclists.
This can only be good. It’s certainly taking off down here in london, but it taking off in the same way everywhere. It would be nice to see a breakdown of the statistics by county and city.
London’s Secret Cycle Race
Today, they have held the London Surrey Cycle Classic. I went down and had a look round.
You’d have thought that it was more run for the benefit of the Great and Good, as the publicity wasn’t very extensive and it was only by chance I heard it was on. I think it was on a traffic report on BBC Radio 5 Live. And I don’t drive! I didn’t see any detailed maps in the papers and although Transport for London has a route map, times of the race were all very sketchy.
I went to The Mall and there were quite a few people there, but little information. There wasn’t even anybody selling a souvenir program!
One thing I did pick up was a lot of discontent from cycling enthusiasts. All were complaining that they didn’t get tickets for the events in the velodrome for the Olympics and the serious ones felt that the Box Hill route was wrong, as no spectators would be allowed as it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The original plan was to go up to Hampstead. After all they are the London Olympics not the Surrey Olympics.
Perhaps there are two races or classes in London; the Great and Good and the Hoi-Polloi. Obviously the latter can’t be allowed to spoil the party of the former. I suspect that most of those planning the cycling for the Games live in Surrey, that haunt of Manchester United supporters.
No wonder we had some little local rioting last week!
By the way the Great and Good think that this event is so special for them, that it is not being reported on television or radio. Or at least it’s not on my cable system!
The Herne Hill Velodrome
The reason I was going to North Dulwich was to visit the Herne Hill Velodrome, which is the last venue from the London Olympics of 1948, still in use in it’s original form.
It said everybody was welcome on the gate.
The Entrance to Herne Hill Velodrome
I had a quick look around and left fairly sharply as they had a ban on photography, which of course was one of the reasons I had gone.
An Offer From a Financial Advisor I Couldn’t Refuse
My finacial advisor came round last night. They are not your normal one, as they turned up in Lycra in all the gear, as they’d come from the City by bicycle.
I said that I’d like to get back on a bike again after my stroke and would they help. He said he could do better than that, as he had a tandem!
London is Going Two-Wheeled
I know the weather has been a bit warmer in the last few days, but there do seem to be more and more cyclists commuting in the local area.
This area of London is fairly flat which helps and there are quite a few cycle routes weaving down the side roads, towards the city and along the Regent’s Canal.
So perhaps, many Londoners are changing their habits to avoid the fuel prices. And of course the exhorbitant parking charges.
The Anonymous Widower 