{"id":1665,"date":"2019-05-08T02:41:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T02:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/?p=1665"},"modified":"2019-05-08T12:03:30","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T12:03:30","slug":"heading-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/08\/heading-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Heading North"},"content":{"rendered":"

…….finding out some fa<\/span><\/span>mily history a<\/span><\/span>t Ruthin wa<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> rea<\/span><\/span>l boost, Aaron was over the Moon to have discovered some ancestors…… so <\/span><\/span>it is still difficult cycling a<\/span><\/span>wa<\/span><\/span>y from Wa<\/span><\/span>les, we ha<\/span><\/span>d such\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> brillia<\/span><\/span>nt time, Llyn Fynnon will rema<\/span><\/span>in\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> highlight for the entire tour I think, but a<\/span><\/span>lso the thought of wha<\/span><\/span>t else we might discover kept us going, though we were feeling\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> little in the doldrums a<\/span><\/span>s we cycled further a<\/span><\/span>nd further a<\/span><\/span>wa<\/span><\/span>y from the Ogwen va<\/span><\/span>lley a<\/span><\/span>nd the ma<\/span><\/span>jestic a<\/span><\/span>tmosphere of the Welsh mounta<\/span><\/span>ins…..<\/p>\n

We will return…..<\/p>\n

So for now we continue hea<\/span><\/span>ding North stopping just outside Chester this time in\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> proper ca<\/span><\/span>mpsite to ha<\/span><\/span>ve\u00a0 few da<\/span><\/span>ys to give the bikes some TLC…..wa<\/span><\/span>sh our clothes. It wa<\/span><\/span>s stra<\/span><\/span>nge to be ba<\/span><\/span>ck in\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> city it rea<\/span><\/span>lly did feel odd….seeing a<\/span><\/span>ll the shops a<\/span><\/span>nd ha<\/span><\/span>ving a<\/span><\/span>bsolutely no interest in a<\/span><\/span>ny of it except the Roma<\/span><\/span>n ruins….. Both of us feel so out of pla<\/span><\/span>ce in this ma<\/span><\/span>d environment, a<\/span><\/span>nd we were rea<\/span><\/span>dy to push on a<\/span><\/span>nd get up to North Cumbria<\/span><\/span> for some more wa<\/span><\/span>lks in the mounta<\/span><\/span>ins a<\/span><\/span>nd I knew\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> secluded ca<\/span><\/span>mpsite off the ma<\/span><\/span>in tourist ha<\/span><\/span>unts tha<\/span><\/span>t would be just about perfect……<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

….Well we were hea<\/span><\/span>ding to Cumbria<\/span><\/span> a<\/span><\/span>nd growing more excited for tha<\/span><\/span>t with ea<\/span><\/span>ch pa<\/span><\/span>ssing mile…..though cycling cross the Wirra<\/span><\/span>l wa<\/span><\/span>s……..a<\/span><\/span>nd I ha<\/span><\/span>ve to a<\/span><\/span>dd tha<\/span><\/span>t we were still full of the wonder of the Welsh mounta<\/span><\/span>ins…..So the Wirra<\/span><\/span>l wa<\/span><\/span>s just\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> pla<\/span><\/span>ce to cycle through….the cycling, the rhythm of cycling wa<\/span><\/span>s uppermost in my mind, So we just let the miles roll benea<\/span><\/span>th our wheels talking<\/span><\/span> a<\/span><\/span>s we cycled a<\/span><\/span>bout our favorite sci – fi shows, cosmology a<\/span><\/span>nd philosophy.<\/p>\n

When it ca<\/span><\/span>me to cross the Mersey though we ha<\/span><\/span>d\u00a0\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> double surprise….firstly a<\/span><\/span>nd with utter\u00a0a<\/span><\/span>we…. visiting the wreck of the recovered U-Boa<\/span><\/span>t 534 loca<\/span><\/span>ted in severa<\/span><\/span>l separate sections by the ferry termina<\/span><\/span>l….utterly unexpected a<\/span><\/span>nd fascinating, sa<\/span><\/span>dly I ha<\/span><\/span>ve no ima<\/span><\/span>ges to sha<\/span><\/span>re of this. But for a<\/span><\/span>nyone interested it is\u00a0 a<\/span><\/span> fascinating pla<\/span><\/span>ce so I ha<\/span><\/span>ve a<\/span><\/span>dded this link to the officia<\/span><\/span>l website……hope they don’t mind…..<\/p>\n

U Boa<\/span><\/span>t 534<\/a><\/p>\n

Our second surprise wa<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0 meeting with\u00a0 fellow cyclist Pa<\/span><\/span>ul who wa<\/span><\/span>s interested in our bikes a<\/span><\/span>nd so we got ta<\/span><\/span>lking a<\/span><\/span>bout the tour….where we ha<\/span><\/span>d come from….where we where going. Well a<\/span><\/span>nywa<\/span><\/span>y Pa<\/span><\/span>ul a<\/span><\/span>sked us where we were sta<\/span><\/span>ying a<\/span><\/span>nd we sa<\/span><\/span>id tha<\/span><\/span>t we pla<\/span><\/span>nned to cycle a<\/span><\/span> wa<\/span><\/span>ys a<\/span><\/span>long the coa<\/span><\/span>st a<\/span><\/span>nd eventua<\/span><\/span>lly find\u00a0 a <\/span><\/span>secluded wild ca<\/span><\/span>mp for the night.<\/p>\n

Pa<\/span><\/span>ul would ha<\/span><\/span>ve non of it a<\/span><\/span>nd invited us to cycle\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> wa<\/span><\/span>ys further tha<\/span><\/span>n we pla<\/span><\/span>nned to his home in Formby to meet his fa<\/span><\/span>mily a<\/span><\/span>nd sta<\/span><\/span>y with them for the night, so we set off a<\/span><\/span>long the industrial coa<\/span><\/span>st of Liverpool which eventua<\/span><\/span>lly turned into a<\/span><\/span> fa<\/span><\/span>b coa<\/span><\/span>sta<\/span><\/span>l cycle pa<\/span><\/span>th.<\/p>\n

Now Pa<\/span><\/span>ul seemed quite keen to get home a<\/span><\/span>nd we were a<\/span><\/span>lrea<\/span><\/span>dy fa<\/span><\/span>irly worn out….with 15 miles to go a<\/span><\/span>nd Pa<\/span><\/span>ul setting quite\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> pa<\/span><\/span>ce……fine if you ha<\/span><\/span>ve only yourself a<\/span><\/span>nd the bike but we were both pushing 50 lbs plus of touring gea<\/span><\/span>r. though we somehow kept up…..Pa<\/span><\/span>ul la<\/span><\/span>ter rea<\/span><\/span>lised, but it wa<\/span><\/span>s ok, just a<\/span><\/span>n unexpected da<\/span><\/span>sh a<\/span><\/span>t the end of the da<\/span><\/span>y, a<\/span><\/span>nd we la<\/span><\/span>ter lea<\/span><\/span>rned out tha<\/span><\/span>t his job kept him from home for\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> month a<\/span><\/span>t\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> time…… he is\u00a0 a<\/span><\/span> deep sea<\/span><\/span> diver working in the North Sea<\/span><\/span>, so it is tota<\/span><\/span>lly understnda<\/span><\/span>ble a<\/span><\/span>s he wa<\/span><\/span>s on his wa<\/span><\/span>y home for the first time in\u00a0 month.<\/p>\n

Pa<\/span><\/span>ul a<\/span><\/span>nd his fa<\/span><\/span>mily were fa<\/span><\/span>nta<\/span><\/span>stic, a<\/span><\/span>nd we a<\/span><\/span>ll enjoyed swa<\/span><\/span>pping stories……They fed us much pizza a<\/span><\/span>nd beer….so much pizza in fa<\/span><\/span>ct they insisted we take the rest for lunch the next da<\/span><\/span>y.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here we a<\/span><\/span>re getting rea<\/span><\/span>dy to lea<\/span><\/span>ve…..nea<\/span><\/span>rly sta<\/span><\/span>rt which wa<\/span><\/span>s grea<\/span><\/span>t we ha<\/span><\/span>d some miles to put under our belts tha<\/span><\/span>t toda<\/span><\/span>y……But la<\/span><\/span>ter on once I ha<\/span><\/span>d found some fra<\/span><\/span>mes……a<\/span><\/span>ctua<\/span><\/span>lly from the Ra<\/span><\/span>nge in Preston, I posted three fra<\/span><\/span>med dra<\/span><\/span>wings from the cycle tour a<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> tha<\/span><\/span>nk you…….<\/p>\n

Cycling North ….a<\/span><\/span>ga<\/span><\/span>in first through coa<\/span><\/span>sta<\/span><\/span>l pine forest a<\/span><\/span>nd then onto the proper sea<\/span><\/span> front. The roa<\/span><\/span>d wa<\/span><\/span>s a<\/span><\/span>s fla<\/span><\/span>t a<\/span><\/span>s it could be but the wind wa<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> fierce side wind a<\/span><\/span>nd we found ourselves sa<\/span><\/span>nd bla<\/span><\/span>sted a<\/span><\/span>s we hugged the coa<\/span><\/span>st hea<\/span><\/span>ding for Preston…….This wa<\/span><\/span>s the flattest bike ride I ha<\/span><\/span>ve ever done<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Preston wa<\/span><\/span>s much the sa<\/span><\/span>me a<\/span><\/span>s the wirra<\/span><\/span>l….a<\/span><\/span> pla<\/span><\/span>ce to cycle through a<\/span><\/span>nd by the river we found\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> quiet little dell by the river to ma<\/span><\/span>ke our wild ca<\/span><\/span>mp…only slightly disturbed by some jeers a<\/span><\/span>nd protesta<\/span><\/span>tions of…. ‘Hobo a<\/span><\/span>nd why don’t you get yourself\u00a0a<\/span><\/span> home you hobo’s’……obviously missing the point a<\/span><\/span>nd the ra<\/span><\/span>ther expensive equipment we ha<\/span><\/span>ve with us….. a<\/span><\/span>nd well ignorance is found everywhere…….<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We decided to cycle the La<\/span><\/span>nca<\/span><\/span>ster Preston ca<\/span><\/span>na<\/span><\/span>l route. Lea<\/span><\/span>ving Preston with terraced houses ba<\/span><\/span>cking onto the ca<\/span><\/span>na<\/span><\/span>l ea<\/span><\/span>ch with there own jetty a<\/span><\/span>nd boat….This wa<\/span><\/span>s fa<\/span><\/span>b. This pa<\/span><\/span>rt of Preston wa<\/span><\/span>s terrific……<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

…….finding out some family history at Ruthin was\u00a0a real boost, Aaron was over the Moon to have discovered some ancestors…… so it is still difficult cycling away from Wales, we had such\u00a0a brilliant time, Llyn Fynnon will remain\u00a0a highlight for the entire tour I think, but also the thought of what else we might discover […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cycling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1665"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1676,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665\/revisions\/1676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chrishankey-artist.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}