First Day’s Training

First Day's Training.

The Wrong Way Down!!

Reblogged from The Crazy Ride From Edinburgh to Yatton:

We have all, in our individual madness, agreed to a 6 day cycle ride from The Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle to Yatton Athletic Football Club in North Somerset – over 400 miles away.

We’ve given ourselves 6 days in which to complete this epic journey during the Easter period of 2013.

Please check back here soon to see more details of our training, the route and – most importantly – ways of donating to the great cause(s) we are riding for.

Read more… 17 more words

“If you’re going through Hell, keep going”

It’s taken me a while to gather the courage to write this, and I’m not yet sure I’m going to click the Submit button as I type…..but here goes anyway.

You get married to someone you love. Obvious. You promise that you’ll be there for her through thick and thin. Again, obvious. Believe me, you never anticipate having to support your wife as she has “products of conception” surgically removed after suffering from a “missed” miscarriage.

Twice.

Amy and I are both 32 years old, reasonably healthy and ridiculously keen to start a family after two years of marriage. We suffered our first miscarriage in November 2010 and although it was the toughest thing to endure, we were calmed by the support of those friends and family around us and reassured by the knowledge that this happens to a lot more people than you’d imagine. Apparently one in three women suffer a miscarriage. We were just unlucky. It wasn’t to be this time.

In June this year Amy fell pregnant again. This time it’ll be different. This time it will be OK. In early August we went for our 8 week scan, with an unequal balance of anxiety and anticipation. Bad news again. The baby had stopped developing a week earlier and there was no heartbeat. Hell, again. My heart sank seeing the person I care about the most so helpless and alone. I’m two feet away and can do nothing to soothe her but sit and stare at the wall. I’m the husband that can help and solve problems. I can fix her laptop, programme Sky+, sort out her iPhone and clear the spiders and mice out of the house. I’m here to make her feel better and tell her everything is alright, but I sit there, say nothing and do nothing. Useless husband.

It’s now six days after Amy came out of Hospital and she is still in discomfort and pain but I know there is light at the end of this grim, depressing tunnel. I’m struggling to see it but I know it’s there, it simply has to be. If you’re in a tunnel in the first place, by definition there is light at the end, otherwise you’re walking into a cave! I know it’s hard to see good times ahead, but it’s essential you know they’re there. Winston Churchill once said “If you’re going through hell, keep going” and I can’t concur enough.

My wife is the most beautiful, courageous and inspiring person I have ever known and I know she will pick herself up and be the wonderful Mother she is destined to be. I just hope that she realises this sooner rather than later.

“Find the bright spots in life. Find the things that you do that work and do them more often. Emulate success. Nothing is a problem 100% of the time. Whatever you are doing when it is not a problem do more often.”

Hotel Review – The Mill House, Trebarwith Strand

Long overdue, but I still owe this place a mention on account of it etching a new place into my heart – Trebarwith.

The Mill House (aka The Old Millhouse) is set in a steep valley near Tintagel Castle – rumoured to be the stronghold of the legendary King Arthur. It’s very isolated so don’t expect a 3G mobile signal any time soon, but this was a good thing for our little break together.

The locals were very friendly, the place was buzzing on the Thursday evening that we stayed and there was even a folk band playing that night.

The room was perfectly clean, and a lovely mix of traditional and contemporary design. Lots of white woodwork and a very comfortable bed.

This place is situated a 15 minute walk from one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen (and I’ve travelled a lot). Trebarwith Strand leads to a mile or so of flat, golden sand and great surfing conditions. Get there early in the morning and it’s so quiet and peaceful you’ll be forgiven for thinking it’s your own little secret. I can imagine it being popular in the summer months, however nobody lives within a mile.

2 miles along the coastal path (a hilly walk) is Tintagel Castle, home of the legends of King Arthur. Tintagel is a breathtaking scene that has to be visited to truly appreciate.

I’d definitely return to the area, and would insist on staying at the Mill House, however the holiday homes on the walk down to the Strand are stunning and one of them will be mine – one day!!

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And I’ve still no idea what to do with it!!

I’m thinking of using this site to share my love for my ancestral home – Cornwall. I was born and bred in Devon, as was my father and his parents before him. My mother was born into a West Yorkshire family.

In truth there are a few generations between me and any Cornish ancestors, however I feel such a pull to the place that it makes the county feel very much like home. I now understand third generation immigrants wanting to sing the praises of their home nations – whether it be Ireland, Pakistan or the Caribbean.

This is why I’ve changed the header you see at the top of this page.

Amy and I spent a week in Cornwall before Easter, in mediocre weather and you can see from the photos below what a stunning place it is. If the sun had been shining, I’m pretty sure I’d be typing this from a hut on Tolcarne Beach, not in a hotel away from home in Leyland – proudly the home of the truck!!

I’d be interested in anyone’s thoughts on what do do with my “Very best of Cornwall” website. I was thinking a guide to finding the best Pasties in the land!?

You’ll still note I’m a huge gadget fan – all the below pictures were taken with a Nokia N8 smartphone – pretty good for a phone, huh?!

The Bravest Of People

What on Earth are we moaning about. 1p on or off a litre of petrol? 4p on a pint of lager? Really………

I’ve just been reading the latest installment of a blog by the husband of someone who used to be very dear to me. I’ve only met him once but really feel for him. This man risked his life for his country, and has been rewarded with a terminal illness yet still appears (through his online prose) to keep his spirits higher than most in the worst of adversity. His wife and I do not speak any more, but I cannot bear the thought of anyone at all going through such torment, let alone someone who used to mean a lot to me. His blog is a strangely fascinating read and gives a brutal and very real insight into somebody literally fighting for their life.

I’m also now on my way for a meal with my father-in-law in a care home. My host for this evening cannot speak much at all any more, can barely feed himself and needs assistance in the most basic of tasks, yet tries his hardest to keep his dignity whilst fighting hard against what can only be described as an Evil affliction in PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). It breaks my heart to see my Amy fight back the tears every time we drive away from him. She handles herself so well, has the best of bedside manners and deserves better than to see her father in this state. Amy is my best friend and an inspiration that keeps me going and striving for better things for my family. Her desire and tenacity have shown through in her deciding to quit her job and self publish a line of children’s novels that she has wanted to write for over a decade. The second in the line of www.pingandpongbooks.com is out this month and the brand seems certain to go from strength t strength thanks to Amy’s drive and determination.

If you can find some time, please take a minute to look at one of the following pages and see that the fact that my 5 pints tomorrow will cost me an extra 25p, isn’t really a problem.

https://www.charitygiver.com/index.php/charity/tg2011

http://www.salisburyhospicecare.co.uk/

http://www.pspeur.org/

It’s not about technology……

Waking up without a hangover on a Sunday is becoming a pleasant feeling this year, and a more familiar one by the week!!

This morning, while Amy was sleeping off a 2am finish to her night out, I decided to test out a new piece of kit that Nokia had sent me - the DC14 bicycle charger, combined with a new C7-00 and SportsTracker app (available from www.sports-tracker.com and the Ovi Store).

Now 10km in over 30 minutes is nothing to be proud of, however the fact I can now safely use my handset to track my progress, listen to music and even answer calls while on the move is definite encouragement to continue my new found lust for fitness.

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As we all know, using the Music Player, 3G access and A-GPS to track my progress can seriously dent battery life of any smartphone, so the ability to use the power of my legs and bike to keep my C7-00 charged for the duration of my trip is very welcome. The DC14 uses a dynamo fixed to the front forks of your bike to send a charge via a small pin charger to your device. Now if you don’t have a Nokia phone, and want to use your Blackberry, HTC, Samsung or pretty much anything else except iPhone, then use a Nokia CA146C to turn the pin to a micro USB charger.

Now all I need to do is work on my stamina, and get people to clean up after their dogs on the Strawberry Line!!

All very well having tech, gadgets and apps – but it’s how you use them that makes them enrich your life.

For more info, visit the following:

http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/home

http://store.ovi.com/content/31721

http://www.nokia.co.uk/find-products/accessories/all-accessories/power/chargers/nokia-bicycle-charger-kit