Canadian Club! The Horror - don't try going north of the border after this shocking admission. Mind you I quite like British Columbia!Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
They adopt that spelling after a moderate amount (on my part, that is) of Canadian Club.
My late younger brother lived in Alberta for most of his life and he would bring it when he came to visit me.
It isn't sold by most supermarkets here and single malts can be cheaper!
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 18-11-2023 at 09:22 PM.
With 3000 miles this year getting closer I thought I needed to get outside to emulate Mr B and ride at least 40+ miles - but leave the full 50 miles to those still in the first flush of youth. So 42 miles and 3200 feet.
I hadn't really planned that amount of climb but just pootling around Gargrave - Bank Newton - West Marton - Thornton in Craven - Elslack - Carleton in Craven, I just kept finding hills. I doubt if some of these roads have two vehicles an hour so perhaps it was not surprising that in Elslack the two vehicles had ferociously bumped bumpers moments before I arrived. The water was still pouring out of one radiator. Drivers eh!
Mr B traditionally has 3 pints to sustain him on his 50 mile outings but I settled for a bottle (or two)of 6% Leffe blonde on returning home. And to think that when I was a student in Leeds I could drink 7 pints of Tetleys - brewed in the heart of Leeds, although I think the vacant plot is currently a car park.
Oh my misspent youth!
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 21-11-2023 at 08:35 PM.
A straightforward 40 miles via Otley - Bramhope - Alwoodley - Harewood - Weeton - Askwith. One down side was that the average temp. was 1 o centigrade which is a bit chilly on a bike.
The other down side is the outcome of the local council's fantasy that Ilkley is a Yorkshire form of a Mediterranean holiday destination. Wide pavements along which people promenade, between eating and drinking at the town's many cafes and restaurants, under a warming sun.
Thus the council use any excuse they can to close the main street - naturally being Ilkley this is called The Grove - which includes posh ladies fashion emporia, an excellent book shop and Betty's café.
Excuses for closure include concerts, a bike race, a gala, regular "Christmas" German markets, the monthly farmers street market, an "r" in the month,...
Now effectively there is only one main road through Ilkley from the west (Skipton, the Dales...) to the east (Otley, Leeds...) and so this is normally a crawl between four sets of traffic lights. But when The Grove is closed, as it was today, and all local town traffic impinges on the A65, the tail back stretches to a mile or more either side of Ilkley and tempers rise.
On might surmise that the council hate cars and their drivers. But that cannot be or they would not be planning to make the entire town (A65 excepted) a 20 mph zone and install 150 or so speed humps and antagonise every car owning Ilkley resident.
Why should I, on a bike, care? Possibly because of the angry driver of a vast SUV who suddenly pulled out of the tailback queue and startled hurtling down the "wrong side" of the road towards me anxious to escape the driver hell that is Ilkley's Yorkshire answer to St Tropez.
Except, that is, for the 1 o centigrade.
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 25-11-2023 at 08:56 PM.
A well spent youth Graham. Unfortunately down south our equivalent tipple was a tin of Watney’s party 7, luckily everyone turned up at the parties with their own tin, so it was more of an individual party 7. Much as I enjoyed my youth I do not miss the beer for one second, some things have improved since those days.
It won't be long before the results of some air quality testing reveal high levels of NO2, SO2 and particulate in the air and people start to whine. Local government is the worst level for incompetence.A straightforward 40 miles via Otley - Bramhope - Alwoodley - Harewood - Weeton - Askwith. One down side was that the average temp. was 1 o centigrade which is a bit chilly on a bike.
The other down side is the outcome of the local council's fantasy that Ilkley is a Yorkshire form of a Mediterranean holiday destination. Wide pavements along which people promenade, between eating and drinking at the town's many cafes and restaurants, under a warming sun.
Thus the council use any excuse they can to close the main street - naturally being Ilkley this is called The Grove - which includes posh ladies fashion emporia, an excellent book shop and Betty's café.
Excuses for closure include concerts, a bike race, a gala, regular "Christmas" German markets, the monthly farmers street market, an "r" in the month,...
Now effectively there is only one main road through Ilkley from the west (Skipton, the Dales...) to the east (Otley, Leeds...) and so this is normally a crawl between four sets of traffic lights. But when The Grove is closed, as it was today, and all local town traffic impinges on the A65, the tail back stretches to a mile or more either side of Ilkley and tempers rise.
On might surmise that the council hate cars and their drivers. But that cannot be or they would not be planning to make the entire town (A65 excepted) a 20 mph zone and install 150 or so speed humps and antagonise every car owning Ilkley resident.
Why should I, on a bike, care? Possibly because of the angry driver of a vast SUV who suddenly pulled out of the tailback queue and startled hurtling down the "wrong side" of the road towards me anxious to escape the driver hell that is Ilkley's Yorkshire answer to St Tropez.
Except, that is, for the 1 o centigrade.
Guess what I found suggested on the internet:
"The lights either end of town, at the victoria road and ben rhydding junctions, were put in to artificially reduce congestion in the centre by holding it there.
They surely do a fine job of that. And basically keep all the fumes there too!"
(Although like you I never drive directly between those junctions but take the northern loop through tranquil, tree-lined avenues).
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 27-11-2023 at 09:46 AM.
A combination of weather, gardening, niggling injury and tiredness from too much running has seen me neglect cycling of late so yesterday I went out on my bike for the first time in over 8 weeks.
A mixture of tarmac and trail took my Gravel Arkose and I to Biggin and back via Chelmorton and Hurdlow. A very bright and sunny day for it but my feet were cold by the time I got home, however, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Surprisingly only 2 other cyclists seen. 30 miles, 1450 feet in 2hrs 10 min.
This has brought my 2023 total to only 986 miles.
A very poor effort!
The venue for next years European Duathlon Championships has been announced and it is near Porto, Portugal in June. I will have to decide soon whether I am going to participate or not but the faff of it all is putting me off.
Additionally it also clashes with Buttermere Sailbeck and as I plan to give the English Champs a serious go next year I really need to be there, if only as insurance for missing/messing up any of the other races.
Decisions decisions!
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
A jolly in Porto will soon be merely a memory but an English Champs Medal lasts forever.
But is it better than a European Duathlon Champs medal?
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