Your ancestors walked great distances. They hunted or foraged for food, and mainly slept on the ground. Unless under shelter, if it rained, they got wet. When it snowed, they continued with life. They faced great danger on a regular basis, ranging from marauders, to wild animals, to infection from a simple cut. And mostly, […]
The meaning of life
This won’t be a a very deep post, and certainly not a spiritual one. Oh, and there’s a very valid reason why this post has a pic of Lemmy! (Pic of Lemmy is from Wikipedia, under Creative Commons licence) I believe the meaning of life is far simpler than what most people realise. As a […]
Burn, baby burn
Hot weather can be lethal This is not a doom & gloom post. Instead, I’m looking at realistic options. Man-made climate change is real, with indisputable evidence backing it up. In real-world terms, we see the effects all around us, in unusual weather patterns, increased flash flooding, and yes, heat waves. As the planet warms, […]
A time of hope and dreams
Despair is everywhere COVID. War in Gaza. Climate change. Crime. Austerity. Crumbs, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It’s easy to feel like everything’s going wrong. Here’s the thing, though: what you focus on will seem bigger, and more important. I’m not for a moment suggesting all is well with the world – far from it […]
I can’t change anything! I’m just a single person
One of the objections you’ll often hear about climate change is “But I’m just one person – nothing I do will make any difference”. You may even have used that excuse yourself, and if you did, you probably believed it, too. Let’s fix that, right here, right now, shall we? You are not just a leaf […]
Do electric cars dream of saving the world?
We are painfully slowly heading to the end of the oil era (seriously, if you had any shares in oil companies, which I sincerely hope you don’t, now is the time to dump those shares). Large car manufacturers realise this, which is why you can now buy electric panzerwagons and even electric American “muscle cars”. […]
Come on in, the water’s fine?
English rivers are drowning in sh*t If you read just a handful of posts on here, you’ll see I’m a big fan of having more adventure in your life. Cycling is a great way to do so, but certainly not the only way. Swimming and cycling is a great combination, and better still if it […]
No Girls Allowed – a post aimed squarely at men
A few days before International Women’s Day, this post is aimed just at men. Like you, I’m a man, and as a man, I have limited insight in what it means to be a woman. However, even as a man, I can see the severe inequality that exists in the world, and I recognise that […]
Just ride for the sake of riding
We live in the Information Age. Most people don’t seem to realise that information consumes time. In fact, it has a voracious appetite for devouring whatever time you may have. In this Information Age, we’ve become accustomed, even addicted, to living in an always-on, always-connected world. Don’t believe me? Try leaving your phone switched off […]
Santa Ride
“What’s a Santa Ride?” I hear you ask. Well, gather round, and listen carefully… T’was the night before Christmas… Well, no, it wasn’t. It was many months before Christmas when I realised that being stuck in hospital over Christmas is pretty rubbish, and even more so if you’re a kid. Now, while we can’t wave […]
A car diet
The emotional response to any criticism of cars Recently, I caused a bit of a storm on social media. My crime? Simple – I asked why we do not have laws that limit the size (width and length), along with top speed and engine power of cars. Yes, I’m aware there are laws which specify […]
I’m not anti-social – I’m pro-solitude
I lived decades of my life believing I’m anti-social, that I simply don’t possess the social skills others have. Some of my happiest memories are of me as a kid, in South Africa going off – all on my own – into the mountains on the edge of town. Just a barefooted boy, having an adventure. Confusingly, […]
Sorry
Dear Kids, I’m sorry. I have failed you. As a dad, my job is to try and make your lives as safe, secure, stable, happy and good as I can. I’ve tried to be a good role model (even if I can be a tad grumpy at times, and despite having worked WAY too long […]
Dear Driver…
Dear Driver, Today, as I was cycling the 12 miles to work (yes, some people prefer to commute by bike – get over it) you drove past me. You may have been any one of the string of large 4×4 vehicles* that were way too important to slow down even a fraction, until it was […]
Cycle Tourism is a ripe plum waiting to be picked…
There is a story which tells that for many years, there used to be sign above Picadilly Circus saying “Either exports go up, or Britain goes down”. I’m no expert on London, and I’ve never seen the sign, but the sentiment is quite right. Regardless of what financiers and politicians may want you to believe, […]
