Category: Video

red and gray pagoda temple

‘Twas (The Rather Frustrating) Week Before Christmas / Japan 2021?

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On Sunday 6th December I was awoken by a ping on my phone. When I looked it was the NHS COVID app. I’d received messages before from the app telling me that all was well and that it was continuing to do its job. This message was different… I was informed that I had been in contact with someone who had subsequently tested positive for the virus and that I should self-isolate for 14 days. For a few moments I pondered the situation. The app is anonymous so I could just ignore it… but that wouldn’t be the best thing to do. In fact it would be the wrong thing to do. So I resolved to stay at home. Somewhat of a pain on several levels, not least the inconvenience of having to, well, stay at home (although living as I do in the countryside, I didn’t see any harm in going for a wander down the valley on a couple of occasions) and that I had to cancel about ยฃ1,000 of supply teaching work for which I had already been booked. Not a great start to the month…

A Short History Of Cycling Maps*

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When it comes to the mapping of my various cycles, things have come a long way in the past decade. Today a great leap forward took place and here it is in all its 4k glory (if you have a monitor, tablet, phone or TV that is up for the challenge). Sit back and enjoy The Great British Cycle Tour of 2020 animated map.

The Great British Cycle Tour: The Film Teaser

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My project for December is to edit the film of this summer’s Great British Cycle Tour. I’ve just started piecing things together and have started to consider options when it comes to the ‘look’ of the film. I’m tempted to go down the black and white route. What do you think? Here’s the ‘teaser’ that I’ve just uploaded to the Cycling Europe YouTube Channel.

The Yorkshire Dales… On A Bike Called Wanda, The Film

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I’m standing on the shoulders of giants with this; I have long admired the films of people such as Barry Godin (who curates the films shown at the Cycle Touring Festival) and, more recently, Ryan Van Duzer (who I interviewed for the most recent episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast) but also the long-format cycling films such as Tom Allen’s Janapar: Love, On a Bike from 2012. There are dozens of other cycling filmmakers doing similar things to an incredibly high standard. And now there’s me…

Dales Autumn Escape: Day 4/4

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So my short trip to the southern Yorkshire Dales came to an end yesterday with the long cycle back to West Yorkshire’s Calder Valley. Cycling friend Craig offered to join me for the ride and we met up for coffee in the busy farm shop in Airton which, by the time we left at around 10:30am was already heaving with cyclists.