A Good Year and A Great Start

   I thought it would be interesting to look back over my first year cycling around the fens a remembering some of the wonderful things I've found while doing so. The fens cover a huge area and you must understand I'm still in cycling terms a beginner and my trips range from the everyday weekly cycle of just under 20 miles to the longer weekend and summer trips of up to 55 miles, but I'm hoping by next summer I'll be heading past this mark and trying to reach the 75 mile journeys. This, in turn, will mean I get to visit even more fen villages which I hope will lead to even more weight loss.

   So the year started with some rather cold frosty and at times snowy trips but none the less these trips were the real starting point to exploring the area and the local villages such as Welney, Christchurch, Manea, Emneth and Friday Bridge, there are several smaller villages close to us here at Upwell, included in these are Three Holes, Tipps End and Nordelph.

   We had a damp Spring but it was followed by the start of a beautifully long warm summer, one in which my cycling became better and the trips were becoming further, it was at this time I really started to discover a lot more fen and marsh villages. Some of these villages held some wonderful stories such as Tom Hickathrift the Marshland giant who I discovered by accident one sunny morning. I also started to enjoy long trips along the rivers where old Victorian pumping stations stood and great water birds were a common sight.

   Along the way, I've found many unusual little fen gems such as the little tin reading room at Denver and the amazing old dovecote at Emneth, just two of a long list. The beautiful village signs are always a pleasure to see and the stunning old parish churches that sit nestled in the centre of most fen villages always mean an hour exploring their great medieval stonework and carvings.
   I've found some lovely old mill buildings, forgotten church ruins, derelict farm builds and old fen cottages that have long since felt the warmth of a family. I've met old fen tigers who are more than happy to spend half hour telling stories and tales of the old fen way of life. I've heard the local fen folk talk of "frog soup" (river water) and "fen nightingales" (Frogs) and I've watched the Welney Marshes slowly turn into one huge lake that stretches out in front of you like a mighty ocean.

   All in all the journey I'm on towards a better healthier life as produced some amazing sights that were hidden from me for so long and now in the coming year I wish to continue exploring further afield. I want to show this world of marsh and water to all that are interested here on the blog and hopefully, I hope to continue to lose more weight while doing so.
   Lastly, I would like to wish everybody the very Happy New Year.

The Dreaded Lurgy

   I'm feeling rather disappointed today, I've been very regular with the daily cycle trips so far this festive season and this morning I woke to find myself with a really sore throat and chesty cough meaning no miles for me today. I'm sure I'll be out there tomorrow even if I need stabilizers or a tow round.
   I truly can't remember the last time I had a cold or flu, I guess living out here in the fresh fen weather helps to keep the bugs at bay plus the fact I work on my own means I'm not picking up colds from work colleagues. I'll be spending the rest of the day working on a post for New Year's Eve when I hope to go through some of the highlights of the past years cycling and some of the wonderful fen gifts I uncovered on the way, some big and some small such as the unusual Christmas Wreath below.

Fen Washes

   One of the great yearly occurrences here on the fens is the flooding of the fen washes and luckily I live only around ten miles away, so with winter here and the washes starting to flood I thought it was time I took some pictures and included them here on the blog.

   Firstly the Welney washes for me are a perfect distance for a short winter cycle, the roads are not too busy and there is an option of routs home. Secondly, Welney really is the home of fen tigers, those who lived their lives on the washes were hard people and I mean hard. If you go visit the Welney washes this time of year when the water meadows are looking more like a huge lake that covers mile after mile of land, you will get a sense of just how difficult it was for the fen folk of old to make a living there. We hear stories of the ice skaters who enjoyed the washes when frozen but we don't hear as much of those who lived there and had to feed themselves and in most cases their large families from the washes, laying flat in punts hunting wild foul with those fabulous long punt guns, trapping eels as well as fishing the deep drains and rivers and catching hare and rabbit for the pot along with the vegetables grown on their small pieces of land. I have spoken to fen tigers who were as children presented with sparrow pies on many occasions and would feed upon songbirds also.
   You hear of the tiny damp cottages in which they lived, many times flooded in winter, so much so their furniture was raised on blocks. And then let's remember those small homes being punched by the severe winds that are second to none and that includes those of many parts of the North of England.

   So if you get the chance why not visit the winter fen washes and think of those who struggled in the hard conditions many many years ago, you will I promise fully understand why these people were known as "Fen Tigers" 

Merry Christmas

   I just wanted to take a little time to wish everybody who reads the blog a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all enjoy a wonderful day with family and friends.
   For me, the day started with a Christmas morning cycle around my local area of the fens and I was pleased to see a few others out cycling on the frost covered roads and droves. I did notice one thing, even the most miserable cycling snobs who usually ignore the likes of me were happy to say "Good Morning" or to wish me a Merry Christmas, pity they weren't as friendly for the rest of the year! One thing  I especially enjoyed was seeing a young child out with his dad trying out what looked like a beautiful shiny new bike, for sure is best Christmas pressie, it brought back some memories of getting my first ever brand new bike as a kid, it was an orange colour "Chopper" and was my pride and joy for many years.

   Finally, I would like to thank you all for the support and nice messages of encouragement, it really does help on this hard journey towards being a healthier person, I really do appreciate them.
Merry Christmas to you all.

Winter Arrives

   Well, it's that time of year again, the trees are bare, the river banks are short and the great fen skies are at times very angry, its winter and winter points to numerous cold cycles and a whole different world to travel. The darker mornings can often lead to many of the daily trips being done at lunchtime and yes there are more days when I don't get out because of weather but just because it's winter doesn't mean the cycling stops, it just means I cycle through a very different looking fenland.

   Being a village boy I guess I notice the seasonal changes more and each has its own appeal, summer brings longer warmer cycles, autumn shows off the beautiful orange and rusty hedgerows, winter produces acres of ice and snow covered dark fen soil along with frozen rivers and dykes. Then the stunning world of spring arrives with riverbanks full of spring bulbs and trees full of bud, each season helping to make cycling enjoyable in its own way.

   At this point, I must admit it is, without doubt, harder to find the enthusiasm needed to wrap up on the coldest of days and head off out into the wild fen weather, but this I have to do if I wish to continue on my journey towards a healthier life. Last week I had great results as to weight loss and blood tests for Diabetes which is all down to the long summer and autumn cycles, felt good knowing it's working. So from now until early Spring, it's winter leggings gloves and woollen hat for this old bead maker, I need to do this and I'm buggered if I'm giving up just because of bad weather.