Cast your mind back 12 months; more specifically to 15 minutes and 13 seconds into film-themed episode 003 of The Cycling Europe Podcast:

You heard an interview with Jimmy Hyland who, in 2016, set off on an adventure across Mongolia. He made an award-winning film about his travels – Mohon – that I had first seen at The Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. I bumped into him again at an event called the Saddleworth Outdoor Festival, pointed a microphone in his direction and had a chat about his trip and the film. Here was the trailer:

Tonight is this year’s ‘Evening of Adventure’ at the Saddleworth Outdoor Festival and the guest speaker is, err… me. From the event’s website:

“The Saddleworth Outdoor Festival is an annual weekend celebration of outdoor activities, held from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September 2018. Lying between the northern fringes of the Peak District National Park and the lower reaches of the South Pennines, Saddleworth’s dramatic and unspoilt landscape is a rich playground for outdoor activity enthusiasts. The festival was conceived in order to bring together the various groups and clubs, which cater for a wide range of outdoor activities in and around Saddleworth and to provide the opportunity for individuals to experience a range of new activities, with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.”

…and here is the practical stuff:

The Adventures of a Bike Called Reggie

Andrew Sykes is a teacher, author, traveler and most of all a cyclist. Oh and also a lover of those quirky, humorous travelogues which meander comically from one adventure to the next.

Throughout his talk Andrew will amuse you with his funny tales and anecdotes of two wheeled travel, as he shares his stories of European adventures on his beloved velocipede – ‘Reggie’.

In 2011 Andrew set off from England to cycle across Europe. Upon reaching the southern tip of Italy, he published his first book – ‘Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie’. Continuing on his European adventure, he embarked on a journey from Greece to Portugal along the Mediterranean coastline; which resulted in his second book, ‘Along the Med on a Bike Called Reggie’.

A third trip from the southern tip of Spain to the northern most point of Norway soon followed, and his latest book, ‘Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie’ was published.

Come and join us for an inspirational evening with Andrew and other fascinating speakers.

Friday 21st September 2018

Tickets available at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/aneveningofadventure

Venue: Saddleworth Cricket Club, Calf Lane (off Manchester Road, opposite the Royal George), Greenfield.

Doors & bar open 7pm.

£10.00 per ticket, available at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/aneveningofadventure

For further details contact: Chris at info@saddleworthdiscoverywalks.co.uk

So, if you happen to be at a loose end tonight and are within spitting distance of the Pennines, come along and experience the final leg of The Cycling Europe World Tour of Britain 2018.