Daisy beside tent topped in her DIY headdress of dried palm fronds and feather.
Last summer I was going to cycle around Holland with Jack and the girls. But then at the eleventh hour? 5 year-old Daisy came down with appendicitis (which initially the hospital misdiagnosed) so I had to abandon mission as Daisy spent the first 3 weeks of the summer holidays in and out of hospital. With one week to go before school started and amidst floods and storms and mini hurricanes (well it was?summer?in England) I crammed everything including what felt like the kitchen sink into my tandem and trailer and set out without Gary (he was working) for the Isle of Wight with Molly, Daisy and young Jack.
Packing up the lengthy load in a Portsmouth backstreet.
First night. Sandown. Erecting tent in the rain and the dark. Not ideal, but very fun!
Basecamp, Sandown.
Molly riding off down Ryde pier from the ferry terminal.
A sleeping contented Jack in tent.
Wet camping. It’s raining again!
Molly dodging large puddles on the pedestrian-shared bike path to Shanklin.
Taking a breather on the bike path that follows the old railway to Cowes.
Daisy about to make conversation with the ducks on the bike path to Newport.
With tent, sleeping bags, food, pushchair, buckets, spades, books, bears, dollies, Lego, toy cars, miscellaneous camping clobber (not to mention the hefty weight of Daisy and Jack) the tandem and trailer weighed a ton. It felt like dragging half an elephant uphill. Here we are pushing, heaving, hauling again.
Molly and Daisy happy to be on top of Mersley Down.
Jack sleeping through the excitement of riding along the old Cowes to Sandown railway.
Just before the rain started again – Shanklin seafront.
Jack sinking into soggy sand Shanklin beach.
Giant chess in the rain.
Jack dressed for the rain and the floods.
Sun! Letting off steam Sandown beach.
Molly and Daisy making friends with a caravanning neighbour.
Inner tent activities: listening to the summer?monsoon battering our basecamp.
Molly, Daisy and Jack cosily cocooned in tent.
Wave hitting Shanklin seawall.
Back in Ryde ready to ride onto the…
…ferry home to Portsmouth.
July 5th, 2016
My,how Molly has grown since I last looked at your blog(?): and Jack will have pedals soon too judging from the photos.It won’t be long before they’re ready to set off on much longer journeys – LEJOG perhaps?
I hope Daisy is fully recoverd. Many many years ago my appendix burst and after the operation (with ether in those far gone days) I recall I stung the doctor 6d every time he wanted to check the wound. I have no doubt he charged Mum & Dad for it of course. All the best: I hope Brexit doesn’t curtail any marathons you’re planning across the Channel in the future.
Cheers
July 6th, 2016
Yes, Molly has suddenly elongated in leaps and bounds!
No, Brexit hasn’t curtailed cross-Channel plans (well, North Sea actually). Off cycling around Holland for 5 weeks in 2 weeks time.
Good to hear from you again.
July 5th, 2016
Sorry about Daisy, it’s a nasty thing to have, but at least it should have no long term effects. Good to see life in the website. Carry on with the good work.
July 6th, 2016
Thanks John. More pictures now added.
July 11th, 2016
I always keep an eye out for you in case you come over to the Isle of Wight but I seem to have missed you again!
Is Molly taller than you yet? Have a great time in Holland, I wish my childhood had been so adventurous!
July 11th, 2016
How can you have missed us as we are not easy to miss – the tandem and trailer are nearly 12 feet long!
Molly is growing at a rate of knots. I should think by next year she will be looking down on me. I’ll just have to walk around with a step ladder.
July 11th, 2016
PS Well done on getting that lot up onto Mersley Down!
July 11th, 2016
My flab is so ghasted at your doings that I am lost for words, except to say that if you can cycle to and round the IOW with three kids in tow then I tell myself that at the grand old age of 60 1/4 I can certainly do it too. I have been thinking about it, especially while currently RE-reading Slow Coast Home, where you are currently in my town-of-birth Winchester for your second visit.
I also have a new bike on order!
Your lovely children don’t need school! Not when they have a mother like you to take them off bicycling everywhere! And a builder father to teach them that sort of thing. Just say bah humbug to the authorities…..
July 11th, 2016
I think I agree with you – school just seems to get in the way of having fun and being on the move!
Hope the new bike arrives soon and you can take off into the wind.
July 11th, 2016
Inspirational
July 12th, 2016
It’s being made for me by Oxford Bike Works, 14 miles away from me, and should be ready at the end of August, so I have got to be very patient!
July 15th, 2016
Molly and Jack’s birthdays are at the end of August so I will think of you then and hope your bike has arrived!
July 15th, 2016
Was cleaning out some boxes of old stuff recently and came across a few letters you wrote to me many years ago. I had asked a friend in London to contact you (pre-internet) and ask you to explain some of the Brit-speak in your first book for this loyal Yank reader.
Daisy looks so mature! Love the photo of Jack on Shanklin Beach.
Great to have you back online.
DS
Boulder, Colorado
July 15th, 2016
I remember translating some of our local lingo for you. That was years ago – I was a young thing then!
Good to have you still in contact.
Josie
July 26th, 2016
We come from the Isle of Wight so found your report with family excellent.
Last year I cycled down the Ryde pier then on to Sandown, Shanklin for a swim in the sea, then Wroxall, Newport Cowes, Gurnard, then back to Ryde.
60 mls I believe it was in a day.
But what a challenge you set yourself, well done your kids were great. Where is the rest of the written report. Best wishes.
Colin
July 26th, 2016
Hi Colin
I’ve written an article about our Isle of Wight jaunt for Cycling UK’s Cycle magazine Aug-Sept issue . If you’re not a member let me know and I’ll send you a copy.
August 14th, 2016
We both were young, you were just younger!