One Day One Photo - 22

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson invited the local people to come along and "talk London" so I went over to Sutton to see what it was about. It was the first time that I was seeing Boris Johnson in the flesh addressing an audience. We talked about various local issues like crime, the recent riots, schools, traffic calming measures, supporting the voluntary sector etc. I took the opportunity to ask Boris a question about making the streets safer for cycling (it would have been rude not to). It was very interesting attending the meeting and seeing the Mayor of London answering questions from the man (and woman) in the street. But it's always the same in these types of functions. You get the electioneering answer rather than the real answers. It didn't really matter how much detail BoJo gave to his plans - it seemed to be more about the way he presented himself, and the amount of "entertainment" he gave the packed auditorium (which he did in spades). Ultimately, it'll be simply the fact that he's turned up at these meetings around London, met the people, and given them a good show that will get him the votes for next year's mayoral election. Maybe I'm being cynical - but then again, does he actually have much competition??

One Day One Photo - 21

Sometimes after a bike race or a cyclosportive I hear my cycling buddies say something like - "my cycling is so bad I should just give up and take up needlepoint or knitting". Well, I have a confession to make. I have taken up crochet. And I haven't given up cycling. Mind you, my cycling hasn't actually been too good this year, so maybe I should have given up! I fell into crochet when I was between jobs for a short while. It was one of those periods where I was a little under pressure and the stress manifested itself by me picking my nails during idle moments. So I just hit on the idea of doing something productive with my hands during these times. I could have done needlepoint, but it seemed quite involved. I could have gone for knitting, but having two needles to look after was too much of a responsibility! The good thing about crochet is that the small hook makes it easily portable and you can even do it on public transport if you are working on a small project like a mug mat. I have now begun to notice lots of knitting and craft shops around London and they seem quite trendy. You can even turn up at some shops,cafes, pubs and meet other crocheters and knitters. It's like a whole new social network that runs(or even stitches) rings around facebook! So there you have it. Out of alot of nervous energy has come a few hats, many mugmats, a shawl, a kid's blanket and a little frog! My family don't need too many guesses to know what they'll be getting for Christmas either! I won't be giving up the bike just yet though.

One Day Two Photos - 20

Gee, this all looks Greek to me - it's frightening! Apparently in a matter of months I am meant to understand what all this squiggling is about! I've always wanted to be able to write shorthand. There have been a number of occasions when it would have been so useful to have that skill. Some journalists say it's debatable show necessary shorthand is nowadays since the technology is there to record interviews etc. Personally, I think it's a good skill to have even if you are not pursuing a journalistic career. So at the moment I am going around visualising squiggles in my mind in an attempt to memorise the countless symbols and characters. At the same time I am getting back on the Italian job. It's that time of year when I sign up for an evening class of some shape or form. This time around I have plumped for Italian. I realise that A Level plus three weeks during the Giro d'Italia is not enough to keep a useful level in the language. My first class revealed just how rusty my Italian is. I am therefore in crash course cramming mode in a hope that that the teacher in the advanced level class I am in doesn't discover I am a fraud and relegate me. So over the next few months my evenings will be a mish-mash of T-line and Italian - I'm already getting excited! Andiamo!

One Day One Photo - 19

The Tour of Britain has definitely grown in popularity over recent years. People have been commenting on how much thick the crowds are along the streets - not just in London, but at stages in parts of the country. I guess it's all in keeping with the ever growing popularity of cycling in the UK. I didn't really have time to hang around at the Tour of Britain as I was abit damp from my damp Chilterns ride. I did manage to do a quick detour round Westminster on my connecting cycle commute between Paddington station and Victoria station. I just managed a quick snap as the peloton was doing a loop round the Houses of Parliament. Shame I couldn't stay, but I was still pleased to hear that Mark Cavendish got the win again. Winning in London is getting to be a habit for him now. I hope he can keep it up through 2012.

One Day One Photo - 18

This photo is from the CTC website and advertises women-only challenge rides. It's quite a nice photo, showing lovely green rolling countryside. I did the CTC women-only challenge ride in Reading. The ride went up through the Chiltern Hills, and I'm sure the landscape looked just as scenic as this. Sadly, I didn't get to see much of it as the rain poured down part way through the ride and never really stopped. It was just grim and grey. It was a shame as it was a friendly well organised event. I would have liked to stop and chat but by the time I finished I was too cold and drenched. As I was car-less I just wanted to head back into Reading and get on a train to London. Thanks to Patrick Trainor for the invite to the ride though, and Graham "Wheels in Wheels" Temple for organising it, and of course to CTC. This was a good initiative and I hope it grows.

One Day One Photo - 17

I realise that bicycles aren't just for looking at so I decided to go out and ride it. The Boardman Team Carbon Fi is a really smooth ride. For me, going from my heavier aluminium bike to the carbon was like having a large weight taken off the bike. Going up the hill at Farthing Down suddenly got easier, without me even needing to lose weight!(Thanks to Aodan for the photo.)

One Day One Photo - 16

I took delivery of a brand spanking new Boardman women-specifi carbon fibre bike - aka as the Boardman Team Carbon Fi. It looks a lovely piece of kit, and nicely finished. I must say, I like the fact it's not pink all over, which is what some bike manufacturers seem to think that's what all women want. Anyway, as ever, whenever I get anything new there's always that exciting moment when the item is first in your home and you look at it shiny and bright. It looks so perfectly formed that I almost don't want to taint it by using it. I am quite happy to just look at it and admire its form.