Truth be known, I didn't feel like heading out on my bike this morning. I had a proper upset tummy, which coincided with the usual and the shits. This ulcerative colitis is really doing my head in. I don't think I can tolerate the mesalazine medication; it actually makes me feel worse, and I was supposed to be going for an urgent sigmoidoscopy, which I think is a waste of time, as I just had one in April. Obviously, I want to try and avoid yet another camera stuck up where the sun doesn't shine. It now appears as if I am just being left to my own devices, not on any treatment and just hoping and praying that the god awful symptoms start getting better.
Before I went out on my bike, I checked the weather forecast. I'm not sure if in the back of my mind I hoped it was due to rain, that way I would have even more of an excuse to just stay in. Then I thought to myself, "Glenn, just get yourself sorted, you'll feel better once you are out", and so that is what I did.
I had no real plans on where I was going and just decided to ride and see where it took me. Then I was off on my new Scott Lumen. The other day, when I was out, I was thinking, "I am sure this bike has three power settings". It only took me a few minutes to figure out that I had to hold the power button in just that bit longer to get the bike to have no assist, "Ahh that is why it had felt like the bike rolled real easy the other day", I had been riding around in eco mode, so had a little bit of assist.
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| South Moor The Pines |
Heading over to South Moor and into the "Pines", which is like a wooded area made up of you guessed it, pine trees. I reminisced about my school days and how we used to play a game called "Tally Ho". There used to be loads of us who went. The game involved two teams. One team would have a base camp, and they would have to catch the other members of the opposing team and imprison them in their camp. If one of the team who had been hunted ran through the camp, it would release all of that team, and the hunt would go on. If all of a team was captured well, the hunters became the hunted. I recall whenever I showed up to play this game, I just hid in the undergrowth and would lie perfectly still, on occasion, until it got dark. No way was I going to be running into a cramp and shouting"Tally Ho'" as some of the boys playing were big lads and they used to not only catch you, but give you a good few digs.
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| Had to come back as fallen trees that way |
Out of the pines, after having to push my bike and lift it over some trees that had fallen across the pine-needled trail, I went past the new Junior School. This school replaced the old school I used to go to, a school called Greenlands. I have some fond memories of my days there. Wow, when I think back to that time as a child, how I never failed at anything and didn't really know the meaning of stress. As kids, I think we all couldn't wait to get older with thoughts of driving a posh sports car or whatever other daydreams popped into our heads. Now that I am old, dear me, if only I could go back and tell my younger self, just take your time, appreciate what you have, enjoy life, because before you know it, time passes you by in the blink of an eye.
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| Yon end of South Moor Park |
Into South Moor Park and a nice casual ride all the way through the park to the "drift". I think it's called the drift because there used to be a drift mine there years ago. A bit before my time. I then took some trails to get me to one of my favourite places, and one I have mentioned countless times, Chapman Wells. It is a nature reserve and I like it because it is quiet.
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| Almost caught my bars going over |
The day was a lot warmer than I thought, and I enjoyed messing around, stopping and taking pictures and popping my GoPro on time lapse to capture myself riding my bike.
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| up a little steep bank |
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| Almost there |
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| There |
As I looped around and came past Maiden Law heading back to another part of Chapman Wells, a very kind lady held the gate open for me, and we entered into conversation. It's weird when I am out, as everyone sees I am missing my leg, and then the conversation inevitably turns to me. Over the years, my story of my journey is now like a well-rehearsed play or speech. Of course, most people are very interested in my tales; however, sometimes after I have had time to reflect, I can quite often think, "Is this all I am?". This bloke who has nothing much to relay other than how I have attempted to overcome these various challenges in life...Do they define me? At times, I long to be someone else, with a different story.
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Scott Lumen 900 tr
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Chapman Wells
Stopped to take some pictures of butterflies and bees, ended up being there for some time as they flew in the nettles and thistles. Sat down for a little rest and to take in a few rays.
 | | Just Chillin |
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| Pretty |
Back onto Chapman Wells and further loops, finally deciding to head over to the "Black Path", and the "Three Stones", which I mention in my book "Lost2bFound". You see, I have lots of childhood memories of this area, even though it has changed vastly. The three stones were a meeting place for my family on the day before mobile phones. The black path, so called because it ran beside the slag heaps and was black from the coal dust and oil. I am not sure if my memory of my grandad Toby is from being told about him or if somewhere in the back of my mind I can picture him pushing my pram, alongside the big black labrador we had at the time, he would walk miles and miles with me. Down the Balck Path, lots of overgrown nettles and thorn bushes, plus being aware I didn't go off course to my Right as there was some new barbed wire fencing which looked particularly sharp and nasty.
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You can just see the stones through all the undergrowth
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Looking down the black Path
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| Vicious Barbed Wire |
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| Canny Sharp Like |
As I came off the Black Path, I cut across the playing fields, with more memories of my childhood. At one time, there was a huge pond, complete with newts and frogs, and as I looked further up towards Oxhill, where there are now trees planted, my memory took me back to when giant slag heaps would have loomed over the allotments below them. I stopped at the end of Mitchell Street. I used to live in number 29 until I was eighteen, then we moved over to South Stanley, a move I still regret, as all my troubles appeared to start there. I noticed Mitchell Street has now been all done up, the houses having been all like rendered, so they look like they have brand new brickwork. As I was standing admiring the work, and gentleman came walking towards me. I recognised his face, but his name escaped me. I gave him a "Hello" and then said, "I bet you can't remember me?". He looked at me quizzically, and then I informed him, "I used to live in number 29 Mitchell Street". " Ahh yes", he replied, we lived a few doors down in Jane Street. We then chatted and put the world to rights, before we said farewell, and I was off up the bank that runs up towards Oxhill.
From Oxhill, it was a ride down towards Stanley, and I rode down Front Street. I didn't see anyone I knew, so I just kept going, heading up towards the underpass and along to get on Wear Road. I don't like riding on the road, so I kept to the pavement, all the way down Durham Road and home.
My bike wasn't exactly muddy; however, it was dusty as hell, so I gave it a quick wash, using some of the pre-wash stuff I had left in a snow foam bottle. I then gave her a gentle shower with the hose and popped her way, putting her on charge, ready for another day.
All in all, not a bad little excursion, with the added bonus of getting out in nature, chatting to a few people and not shitting myself on the way around...
Little wins.
Popped the photos of the day below....
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