Two iconic images for the price of one.

A sight you don't see too often nowadays.
The famous red phone box is sadly now a thing of the past in most areas, but this one at Ballroney Post Office in Co. Down presented the perfect photo opportunity.

Newcastle

There's something really nice about Newcastle, or anywhere for that matter, in the autumn.

The rush of summer has long since passed and there sems to be a more relaxed feel to the town. Anyway that's where my trusy steed and I ended up today during a 45 miles ride, on what was a beautiful autumn day. It was so nice I sat on the promenade for half an hour with my water and sandwiches (no expense spared here) and just took in my surroundings.

A good day to be alive and healthy.

The Brontë Homeland

Most people are familiar with the story of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne. 
The sisters, well known as poets and novelists, first published their work under masculine pseudonyms, due to the custom of the times practised by female writers. Charlotte was the first of the sisters to achieve success with Jane Eyre, whilst Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and of couse Emily's haunting Wuthering Heights were also masterpieces of literature and they have become subject to a following that hasn't wavered with the passing of time.
The family will forever be associated with Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire in England. Their home, the parsonage at Haworth is now the Brontë Parsonage Museum and has become a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, but what is perhaps less known is that the sisters' father Patrick hailed from Co. Down. 
If you want to find out more about the link between the Bronte family and Northern Ireland visit the Bronte Homeland south of Banbridge. There's a well-signposted ten mile drive that will take you to the birthplace cottage of Patrick, to the Drumballroney Church and School where he taught and to the stunning Bronte Homeland picnic site, overlooking some of the most picturesque scenery in the county. There's an interpretative center inside the Drumballroney Church and School House and you can easily follow the story of Patrick Brontë and his family through the buildings that survive within the Brontë Homeland. The Brontë Homeland Drive starts at Drumballyroney Church and School near Rathfriland, ten miles south of Banbridge. It is well signposted along the entire route.

An Action Plan

Back in the summer of 2012 I decided I would put my love of cycling to good use and do a sponsored cycle for an as yet unconfirmed animal charity. Obviously the events of Sept 2012 put that idea on the back burner a bit, but now that I'm getting back into action, that plan is off the back burner and heading for the road.

Stay tuned...... 

What a difference a year makes!!

On 27th September I was staring down the barrel, figuratively speaking, of my biggest crisis in life so far. An exercise stress test (treadmill) three weeks previously had shown a seriously major problem with the old ticker, or to be more precise the arteries around it and no amount of tablets was going to cure it.
Well now, almost one year to the day since I had my 'argument' with a heart surgeon.... and came off decidedly second best....... I have again jumped on that very same treadmill for a follow-up test. 

In 2012, I lasted all of approx 4-5 minutes before my physiologist watching the strange happenings on the heart monitor had seen enough and got me off the treadmill before I possibly keeled over and delayed the doctor on duty's afternoon coffee break. This time that very same lady watched me do a full 18 minutes and I quote 'set a benchmark for the others today'. 

On that remarkable day in 2012, when I waved over at the Grim Reaper, I suppose in a way my life changed completely, 

Some day when the time is right, through this blog I will publicly thank everyone who has got me this far.

In the meantime Thank God!!

Clocking up the miles.

Good week on the bike, for the first time since the op I’ve went over the 100 mile mark in the past week…… furthest ride was 34 miles and 119 miles in total.

Back on the Bike!!

Slowly getting back into the swing of things on the bike, a week of inactivity can make a big difference to one's fitness levels but we're back on track again. Onwards and upwards, tally-ho and all that..........