The Cyclone Festival of Cycling

There were four cycle rides that set off from Newcastle this morning: 34, 64, 90 and 106 miles. The routes were all different and the longest route came through Humshaugh. Ours was the fourth and last feeding station on the route, so by the time the riders arrived here they were well strung out. They came in ones, twos and threes but not in a pack.

Here are two as they round the bend in the village and head for the village hall.

A group of three cyclists came in the opposite direction and bypassed the feed station. "You're going the wrong way", I said. "Oh no", said one, "we are the anticyclones". I liked that. You can see them in the extra.

I was in Haydon Bridge early this morning with a car boot full of stuff for the Labour Party Jumble Sale. It went well and over £500 was raised this afternoon.

Today I've been very tired and I did not manage any work in the house. Instead I watched Wimbledon and went to sleep in the chair. Not a good thing to do. Later I watched the Evans match which was exciting and went on for ages.

Before the end, I was called to help Margret next door. She had been at the open air Shakespeare at Chipchase Castle and fell on some steep stone stairs. One of the gashes was on the knee she gashed not long ago. I have videod the end of the match - no spoilers please!

I applied first aid and hoped the the steristrips would do the trick. Not long after I came home, Margret phoned to say that the bleeding had restarted and would not stop. To cut a long story short, we had to call for an ambulance and she had to go to Cramlington.  A solo ambulance man arrived first and was great, but he did not have room in his car to transport Margret. Her blood pressure was very high, which was a blessing in disguise, because it meant that the ambulance crew, with  proper ambulance, came quite quickly and I waved her goodbye as she set off on the long journey to the A & E where they will hopefully stitch her wounds.

That's a long explanation of why my blip is posted a day late! Margret doesn't want anyone to know she had another fall. (Sorry Margret.)