Get on with it!!!!

A few dodgy starts on consecutive Sundays. The first one turned out to be disastrous, although that was probably too severe a description. Basically, I kept leaving the house and having to return; well, a couple of times, but I was already running late and when I remembered that my pump and 'leeches' for punctures were in a rucksack and that rucksack wasn't on my back I had to return again having made it half way up Church Way. Demoralising sums it up. The problem, of course, was not having used a rucksack for a while and then changing tack and using one, largely for carrying a book and glasses, but also a new bicycle pump and patches, the former being too big to fit in my crossbar bag. Annoyed with myself I returned home, vowing to go out later, which I did, but first I sent Andy a text saying I wouldn't be there. I rode to Westerham instead about half an hour after returning home and stopped at Esquire's Coffee where I read my book, Eric Ambler's Uncommon Danger. I was drenched by the time I got there because the weather turned as I approached Botley Hill. It rained continuously until I reached the town. While I sat there, the weather changed and there was no rain on the return ride. I did my usual thing: I approached Westerham in the normal manner, riding down Clarks Lane, and then went back the other way, turning left on to Pilgrims Lane by the Velobarn, which is never open these days.

The following week (last Sunday) I almost repeated the calamity but was determined to reach Sheree's as I hadn't seen Andy for a couple of weeks and, I remembered, I had a free cup of tea thanks to Sheree's loyalty card promotion. I was late arriving but all was well and while I left with Andy to ride home, I had glimpsed the ginger cake and decided to go back in and order a slice... and another pot of tea! I sat there chilling out and then left and rode home. While it had been a little rainy on the outward journey, again it had stopped for the return ride. There was mist (make that fog) so I was glad I had my lights fully charged front and back.

Things have been a little stressful of late: mum was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and spent a while in ward B5 after enduring three days on a gurney in the corridor. I visited daily. It's amazing when you consider that the UK is the world's fifth largest economy that the hospitals are not unlike those you might find in Gaza during the pummelling the Palestinians were given by the Israelis. We've all seen shots of war zone A&E departments on the news and that's exactly what it's like in, of all places, St. Helier hospital in Carshalton and elsewhere in the UK. The fifth largest economy in the world! There are also a lot of people in the UK living in poverty and relying upon food banks, there are homeless people, including ex-servicemen, living on the streets, single mums with young children sofa surfing or living in sub-standard, mould-infested rented accommodation. 

Mum was eventually placed on a ward and given oxygen and antibiotics and soon started to recover, but it's not looking good long-term. The doc suggested she was fit to go back to the home but he wasn't confident that the infection would stay away for long. That said, mum has always been a fighter. When dad died she calmly announced that she had breast cancer, but soon kicked it into touch; then she was told she needed a hip replacement and sailed through the whole thing without incident. After that a few falls and a diagnosis of dementia saw her being placed in a nursing home for her own safety, where she is now, and that's kind of where we are; it's not been easy. Yesterday, I found out that mum was a little better, not brilliant but definitely better so, while it's still a little touch and go and will remain so, there has, if you like, been a stay of execution.

I'm glad she's back in the home as it's a far better environment than the hospital. In the bed next to mum in ward B5 was a woman who would suddenly scream like in the horror movies. It made me jump, put it that way, but mum wasn't phased at all, she didn't even flinch. I wonder what that woman is doing now? She's probably still there making the other patients jump every five minutes.

I'm going to the home tonight, it's a 25-minute drive from where I live. If it was lighter in the evenings (as it is during the summer) I'd probably ride over there on the bike, but, to be honest, after a day in the office and the commute home, the last thing I'm thinking of is cycling. Especially today as there was a derailment this morning at the depot in Selhurst and also a signal failure of sorts which have both caused problems that are ongoing.

On another topic, I simply must get my act together. There are so many things I need to address (one of them being more cycling) and I've now resorted to considering (note that word 'considering') writing a list and then ticking off all the things I need to do. However, I am literally 'considering' the list; it is, in fact, something I need to put on the list, ie writing the list itself is one of the things I haven't gotten round to. I don't know how I'm going to get out of what has become a spiralling state of not doing the things that I need to do. Even writing this blog has become something I don't do that often. Back in the day I was always writing about my rides to here and there, but now I don't post as often as I should and that, along with everything else on the mythical list, needs to be addressed.

It's Saturday 7th February now and guess what, yes, it's raining. So no cycling today and I can only hope they'll be one tomorrow. Last Sunday's ride to Sheree's was fine, but there was a touch of rain so it's not as if I'm not going out in it. Today, however, is fairly heavy and that means I'd be soaked through by the time I reached the top of Church Hill. Clearly, there's a need for an alternative sport and that will inevitably mean enrolling as a member of the local leisure centre. Something else for the list. In fact, it's been on the list for many weeks now and nothing has been done. I guess the problem is money: there's not much on the list that doesn't cost money, not that I don't have the money.

So it's looking like another week of just one ride, the Sunday ride. Normally I head to Oxted today where I sit and read in a Caffe Nero before heading back up the hill and home. I can't remember the last time I did it, but hold on a second, I'll take a look at Strava. It was 20 December, so before Christmas. Since then I've done the odd Norfolk Nobbler, the Sunday ride and a few walks. 

I'm finding it very difficult to start something and keep it going. So I managed to do one thing on the list (bring the trim wheel in from the garage, it's taken me weeks to do it) but I haven't used it yet. As for the dumbells, I've yet to start using them. I haven't booked a membership at the pool either. And things keep getting in the way. Admittedly it's normally the rain where cycling is concerned, but then there's other stuff too: we've got to go here or there and do this or do that and exercise takes a back seat. So, a clear need for getting my act together. 

As I write this it's raining but I'm going to check in a second or so and might (I stress that word 'might') go round the block. But who am I kidding? I'm not going to commit to anything, it's not worth it as something is bound to get in the way.

Snow creeps up on us...and kind of ruins things

On New Year's Day I went for a long walk around Knole, a National Trust property. It was great and much needed. We drove there, it's around 30-40 minutes and it's all pretty straightforward. Then, when I awoke the following morning and peered out of the window on 2 January 2026, my world had been transformed into a winter wonderland of the worst possible kind. I'm talking about snow. It was everywhere and while it was little more than a light dusting, it was enough to cause problems underfoot and on the roads. The worst thing being it was going nowhere. The temperatures were not warm enough to thaw the snow so it simply loitered with intent and now, on Sunday 4 January 2026, it's still there and the forecasts suggest it will be hanging around for a few more days, certainly the rest of this week. Normally, we get two helpings and if that happens this week then you can bet your arse we'll have snow for the next fortnight, which means little in the way of cycling or driving or walking.

Two days of staying indoors

Andy and I were going to meet in Costa Coffee in Purley, which would have meant an 80-minute round trip on foot, but when I awoke at 0550hrs this morning I started to think no, it would be treacherous in the extreme and, therefore, not worth doing. I might have been wrong, but over here (perhaps not where Andy is) there's a lot of snow and ice on roads and paths. I can't get my car on to the drive so it's sitting outside the house like a guest, not a resident. But that's not the problem. The issue is really the fact that snow is bedding in, making itself comfortable and is, quite literally, an unwelcomed guest. In some respects, it's great; it means I can sit and read Uncommon Danger by Eric Ambler or, as now, write something on the blog. I guess the phrase 'it is what it is' springs to mind and if so there's no point in worrying about it, but in truth I was planning a ride to Esquires Coffee in Westerham, I really fancied the ride and, of course, the large cup of tea, the whole idea of just chilling for a bit before the ride back. But no, it's not to be and I won't make a fuss about it.

Outside now the sun is shining and the skies are blue, but the ground is brilliant white. I've resigned myself to doing nothing although I'm strongly considering 'testing the water' so to speak, ie taking a walk to see just how bad it is. The last thing I want is to go 'arse over tit' to use a well-worn phrase, but it's highly likely. I don't know what it is around here, but whenever it snows we do tend to get a fair bit of it compared to, say, Sutton, where mum resides. Perhaps it's because we're fairly high up. I did drive the car the day before yesterday, very slowly until we reached the main road and then I managed to get to the supermarket. I'm sure that's the way things still are, hence my tentative plan to get out there and test things out. I've had breakfast and I'm considering another cup of tea and a short read. I know there's some shortbread biscuits around somewhere but I can't be bothered to go in search of them, not yet at any rate. This is dressing gown weather and I quite enjoy it. Tomorrow, it's work, and that means getting up early, something I haven't done for a while. I'm not looking forward to it, put it that way.

I stayed in all day and did absolutely nothing. There is snow all over the place, not driving or walking weather. While there was some mid-afternoon sunshine that seemed to be thawing the snow, it's still there. Right now, it's dark, in fact it's 1800hrs, dinner is being made and I'm sitting here writing. I'm rambling so I'll shut up and try to enjoy the last few hours of my Christmas holidays.

New Year's Eve ride

There's no fixed event, we don't have a New Year's Ride on our agenda and never have, but sometimes New Year's Eve falls on a day when we're riding so, by default, that ride becomes a New Year's Eve ride. On this occasion, we weren't really planning to ride on New Year's Eve, Andy had suggested we ride earlier in the week, I think it was Monday he was suggesting, but I said something along the lines of "I was thinking of Wednesday", which just so happened to be New Year's Eve. 

Clear skies...

The temperatures have plummeted of late so Andy suggested meeting at 1030hrs and I agreed, we didn't want to risk icy roads and accidents. I left around 0930, feeling over-confident that I would easily reach Esquire's Coffee within the hour based on my performance on Boxing Day. It was cold, but not as cold as it looked even if the weather app on my phone was saying 'feels like zero degrees' or whatever it said. I pushed up Church Way, the only real hill on the outward ride, and soon found myself on the 269 heading for Botley Hill and beyond. 

Half way down Clarks Lane the road was closed and a detour in place and then there was a short burst along Pilgrim's Lane before rejoining Clarks Lane and heading into Westerham. Andy was already there and it was fairly crowded. I took a seat, ordered a tea and then we found ourselves talking about 'third places', the idea being that we have home and work and then a third place where we chill and read and talk and do whatever. For a lot of people, the pub is their third place, but for me, my third place will always be a coffee shop or caff, Andy's the same. The whole notion of a 'third place' was to do with the development of the coffee retailing chain Starbucks, which started life in Pike Street Market in Seattle (I've been there a couple of times and, as you might expect, it looks different from the Starbucks we all know and love). In fact, I was in Starbucks in Oxted the day before yesterday and that looks like a good 'third place' to me, but having said that so does Caffe Nero just up the road, and Coughlan's across the street. Third places can be anywhere and depend entirely on individual tastes. In other words, the third place, be it a coffee shop, a leisure centre cafeteria or a pub is subjective. I wonder if there are any coffee shops called The Third Place anywhere in the world (I'll check it out on Google).

On Pilgrims Lane just outside of Westerham...

A friend of Andy's from his cycling club arrived and said hello and suddenly the place was packed. Next to us were mums with their kids playing cards, in other parts of the store there were groups of friends and families and Esquires did a good job in catering for them all.

There are many good things about Esquires Coffee in Westerham (remember, this is a franchised concept so each one is liable to be slightly different from the next one and so on). The space is large and airy (more so when it's half empty) and the vibe is good, the place has warmth and, I hasten to add, a plentiful range of cakes, cookies and savoury items and, for Andy, they cater for vegans too. I noticed a few vegan sausage rolls, but also a load of bacon sandwiches, millionaires shortbreads, the usual stuff you expect to find plus sandwiches, everything you might need.

We stayed for a couple of cups of tea and then, realising that I had no urgent need to return home, I stayed on and read Uncommon Danger, the last of the Penguin Modern Classics range of Eric Ambler novels. One chapter in and I already know that it's going to be good. I've just finished reading The Absence by Peter Clark aka Budgie, the drummer from the Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Creatures. I thought I was going to struggle with it at first until I got around a third of the way through and then I found it enlightening; it was all about Budgie's loss of his mother when he was a child and how her absence had a knock-on effect on virtually everything in his life, including his relationship with Siouxsie who, incidentally, lost her father to alcoholism when she was young. You might have thought they would be kindred spirits (and on some level probably were) but they eventually divorced and Peter later remarried and moved to Berlin where he lives with cats and dogs, his wife and children. In a sense, all's well that ends well, but I'm sure Peter might say that's not how it is, who knows. I'd imagine that losing a parent early on in life has life-long consequences. He was born in the same year as me so we probably share a few things about life even if it's as low brow as Parma Violets, Sherbert Fountains and Whacky Races.

Pilgrims Lane, nobody around!

I left Esquires around 1230hrs and moseyed on back home, then I drove to Waitrose to buy chicken and rolls and stuff for lunch. I always end up spending a small fortune in Waitrose. Later I tucked in to a vegetable samosa and a chicken and mustard roll as we lurched towards the boredom of Hootenanny and awful people long past their sell-by date, like Sir Lenny Henry. I switched channels constantly, watching snippets of Jaws 2, glimpses of Ronan Keating (I couldn't really take any more than a second of it) and then back to Hootenanny, which, ultimately, is rubbish. I'm fed up with Jools Holland, he's kind of past it (as is Ronan Keating, the 'family favourite'). They're both 'safe pairs of hands' and in Ronan's case, he's a very sensible man, a grown-up and the last thing we need on New Year's Eve are 'the grown-ups'! We need another musical revolution like in 1977 when the Sex Pistols arrived on the scene and shook things up a little. 

What's really annoying about new year shows is that they're not live so when you see Jools or Ronan or whoever it might be bringing in the new year, you know that it's probably recorded just before or immediately after Christmas (during Crimbo Limbo). So I can't take it seriously when he's wishing people a happy new year or when people are embracing one another as the new year beds in...because I know it's all lies.

The fireworks roared and rumbled for all of 10 minutes and then stopped, normally they tend to go on all night (or most of it) but not this year. There were calls for unity and togetherness but I sensed politics at play and wanted none of it.