A Wooly Animal

A recent visit to a alpaca farm I met these friendly animals, hope you like them.

A Nice Drink

On a recent journey to France I visited the Beneditine brewery and had a nice taste of this liqueur. A very interested tour.

A Penny Farthing Bicycle

On a recent visit to the city of St Albans museum in Hertfordshire I photographed this bicycle, called a penny farthing, although enthusiasts call it an Ordinary.Before the invention of the bikes you see today these machines were invented. Gears were not invented until the safety bicycle so to overcome this problem the size of the large wheel determined the size of the gear, the smaller the wheel the lower the gear, the larger the wheel the higher the gear. Penny farthing named after the currency that was in use in the 19th century.

Answer to the quiz

The answer to the latest quiz is the machine is named a Waywiser,  a device for measuring distances. For road and land surveying, as the wheel goes round the distance is measured in furlongs on a brass dial in front of the handlebars. To read about furlongs, etc, go to Wikipedia and type in  furlongs.

The Late Eric Morecambe

On a recent Sunday ride from Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, to Luton, Bedfordshire, on a disused railway line which is now open to cyclists and walkers I came across this unusual statue of Eric Morecambe, one of the funniest and best loved comedians in the UK.

Another quiz

I recently visited one of the two museums in the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire and I came across this object. It has no pedals so what is it used for? I will reveal the answer in a few weeks time. Best wishes from an old biker.

Answer to the quiz

The answer to the quiz is it is a kit bag fastener. Servicemen had a kit bag with their possessions kept in it. To keep them safe it was threaded through eyelets at the top of the bag and then locked. The song associated with the kit bag in the First World War was Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag. If you would like to hear the song go to U Tube and type in Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag which was popular during 1914-1918 conflict.

A puzzle for you

I wonder if any viewer can identify the object illustrated. The younger generation probably will not. I will give you a clue. With the centenary this year of the First World War there was a song written about the object it is associated with. The song became very popular with both sides in the conflict.

Some interesting pictures

The Wheathampstead Local History Society recently held an exhibition in the village hall depicting the changing face of the high street over the past 100 years. There were very many pictures of local village life in past times. The picture of the motor car is a Lanchester 28 horse power travelling through Wheathampstead. I hope you can just about read the history of it but the flash from the camera obscures part of it. One picture is of fairy cakes with the letters spelling out "Wheathampstead." The mayor of the city of St Albans, Annie Brewster, who lives near the village, opened the proceedings seen here with some old chap, who is he? Might be a cyclist! PS: What an attractive mayor!

An old-fashoned steam engine

ay A very wet and miserable January day gave me a chance to look back at previous pictures from my blog. This one is a steam engine which, among other uses, was used on compacting newly laid road surfaces. Various other models were used, with cables attached to pull ploughs across fields instead of using a horse and plough. Another use was to thrash the corn at harvest time. Being of an advanced age I remember them well.

 

 

Children's art

In the village of Wheathampstead stands The Swan public house, a listed building, which means strict rules apply with regard to structural alterations. Unfortunately in 2013 a fire broke out engolfing the roof, which necessitated the public house closing until restoration work can commence. To enclose the building a hoarding was erected, which looked rather drab, so with the help of a resident artist the children of the village painted these murals which depict well-known people who have lived locally. See if you can look them up on wikipedia and read their history.

 

 

A village church

On a beautiful crisp January morning I cycled past the village church in the village of Kimpton which is just a few miles from where I live, so I thought you would like to see a picture of the church and perhaps swap your books and have a cup of coffee at the same time!

St Albans Abbey

Having just visited the city of St Albans which the Romans occupied over 2,000 years ago, the Roman name of which is Verulamium, I thought you might like to see a picture of St Albans Abbey, which is a magnifient building and looking at it from the perspective of the 21st century with modern building methods and mechanical machinery it leaves one in wonder how the craftsmen in those days managed to contruct the building. Have a prosperous 2014.

Just a picture to look at

I haven't uploaded anything lately on my blog, but cycling not too far from home I took a picture of this plough (American plow!) beside a farmer's field, which reminds one of the advancement of modern farming methods over the past century. The other picture is the lane where I live. There is a small bridge over the River Lea, the river eventually flows into the River Thames. Have a nice Christmas.

A Hamlet with riches?

As I cycle around the Hertfordshire country lanes there are small hamlets such as this one at Diamond End which has just a few houses nestling in a wood. There is no chance of becoming rich though, not a diamond in sight! The route is part of the Chiltern Cycleway with maps provided by local authorities for the benefit of cyclists. The Chilterns are an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Something Elible!

In the county of Kent in England not too far from the the cross Channel port of Dover are the two villages of Sandwich and Ham which cause much amusement to visitors to the area. I put the location of England because I notice in my statistics there are viewers from around the world, which is very gratifying. The season of autumn is upon is in England and it is very enjoyable cycling around the country lanes and seeing the autumn colours on the trees. Have a nice sandwich for your lunch!

The Old Court Room

When I visited the city of St Albans recently I visited the old court room in the town hall. It is a picture of the past with not a bright light anywhere!

On meeting a balloon

On a beautiful Sunday morning riding down a country lane I happen to see this hot air balloon landing in a gentle breeze. With autumn arriving and the leaves on the trees turning a golden brown it is very nice cycling weather.

A Reflective Bicycle

I was walking around a town in Germany when I came across this display in a shop window. Kerger I presume was a well-known rider in his day. A so-called penny farthing (named after the currency in the UK before the introduction of decimalisation.) The size of the large wheel determines the gear ratio, so the smaller the wheel the lower the gear. The rider has to be agile to mount the bike. Stopping can be a problem with one brake touching the solid tyre. So if the rider applies it too hard there is a good chance the rider can go over the top. It was soon superseded by the so-called "safety" design which all the modern bikes are based on.