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Bike ride to work

As Spring kicked in and everywhere was greening up I decided to cycle to work and take a few shots

of how good the countryside was looking. It's a 20 mile round trip but I used to cycle quite a bit so

undeterred I set off. On the first part of my journey traffic was heavy but as this point most of it

opted for the ring road and its link to much faster dual carriageways. The mound on the left is to deter

gypsies from setting up camp, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. They camp on football

pitches, car parks on industrial estates or any other available space. Most famously they were on the

playing fields at Eton when they returned from holiday. It takes about three weeks for the necessary

court procedures to get them moved and they are obviously well acquainted with that fact. The local

newspaper often reports costs running into thousands of pounds to clean up after them.

I stayed with the old road. The main drawback with the journey is that it alternates between white

knuckle careering downhill followed by the inevitable lung buster up the other side. Traffic is much

lighter on the old road and I didn't have to wait long to take this shot without a car in it. Spring colours

to rival Autumn. I was also very glad of the breather.

By the time I reached this farm track I was having my first near death experience but being the

company creep (every company needs one) I had to keep going to avoid being late for work.

I'm not sure if this was the work of the Northamptonshire

Constabulary warning a motorist coming up alongside me

or whether it was a warning to me from 'Help the Aged'.

I made Wellingborough with time to spare and the last mile (flat) was very pleasant. The guy on the left

is off fishing for the day and was loaded with gear. He is wearing a crash helmet because his bike has

an electric motor and he only has to pedal to assist up hills. I resist the temptation to shout WIMP !

The return journey starts with a slight detour to take

advantage of this picture opportunity that I spotted

during the day. I linger a while, the suspicion that it will

be some time before I feel this good again is very strong.

Northampton seems very distant.

This flower bed was past its best but I thought the colour deserved a frame of film.

This is the garden at 'The George' public house in Wilby, a pleasant village with old houses made from

local stone. It's a small village but supports two pubs and as you can see the village needs re-wiring.

This was the last but one shot that I took. The rest of the

journey was spent thinking about posthumous postings

to photo lists, contemplation of my legs containing more

acid than the average truck battery and how nice it would

be to have a bike like the one being ridden by the wimp

on his way to a days fishing. I waited around here for a

while but Ben Hur didn't show.

The time climbing the last hill back into Northampton

was spent thinking that there must be better and more

enjoyable ways for me to expend my energy.

Next time I take on something like this I think I will document a days driving at work.