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Paul Bigland

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Paul Bigland

Category Archives: Charities

Rolling blog: 3 peaks by rail, day 3.

15 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, Railways, Rolling blogs, Scotland, The Railway Children, Uncategorized

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Charities, Railways, Rolling blogs, Scotland, The Railway Children

03:48.

Here’s a bleary eyed good morning from the West Highlands! After a fitful night’s sleep we were woken up by the train crew volunteers who served tea, coffee and croissants along with hot bacon rolls. We’re due into Fort William at 04:19, when the fun begins. I’ll keep you posted…

05:33.

All the teams are on the mountain, the base camp is established and the banners and finishing line is being set up. Here’s some scenes at departure.

DG325700crop

DG325707crop

The Rail Delivery Group team in good spirits as they begin their climb. From L-R Robert Nisbet, Jac Starr, Naomi Rial and Paul Plummer

The weather’s wet but the rain’s light and it’s forecast to cease later on. Now it’s just a question of waiting for anyone returning injured until the first teams make it back, which is normally around 10:00. That’s when my work starts as we get individual team photos one they’ve crossed the finish line, registered their time & checked in their kit.Here’s how the mountain looks right now.

Rather than hang around and be midge bait I’m going to walk into Fort William for a few hours.

07:07.

I’m now sat at Fort William station (which has just opened), using their free wifi to update the blog after having had a wander around the town. It’s not exactly the most exciting place at the best of times, but at 06:30 it’s deserted. I did find one thing of interest. A statue dedicated to the name whom, in 1911 drove a model-T Ford to the top of Ben Nevis!

Once the station opened I had chance for a mooch around with the camera and caught one of the two Class 37s that are hauling our 3 peaks train. As there’s too many coaches to fit on the platform one of the loco’s is detached to create a bit of extra space.

DG325729crop

07:52.

I’ve moved on to the local McDonalds, which is where we take the walking wounded. There’s four of them from various teams, all somewhat dispirited, but not wanting to spoil their team-mates chance of succeeding. I’m sipping a much-needed caffeine (I got very little sleep last night) whilst I download a few more pictures to the blog. My time will be cut short as I’ve just had a call from Katie Mason, the Railway Children’s events organiser. The first team is expected down off the mountain by 09:30, so I need to head back in an hour.

09:56.

The first team (from DRS) crossed the finish line at 09:26.

19:54.

Sorry for the gap in blogging, but it’s been a day full of challenges for us all – not least physical one of the teams who’ve climbed the three peaks, but also the mental ones of the folk who’ve organised all the logistics. Either way, everyone’s knackered due to the level of commitment- and the lack of sleep!

We’ve had a fantastic day and we’ve got everyone off the mountain off safe – and raises a huge amount of money for the Railway Children. The different skill groups involved in such a complex event have worked brilliantly – and not for the first time

Best laid plans…

18 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, I love my job, The Railway Children

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Charities, I love my job, The Railway Children

Well, I had planned to spend a few hours catching up on blogging today but in the finest tradition of Harold Macmillan, events got in the way. That said, there’s going to be plenty to blog about in the next few days. I head back to London tomorrow for a day’s photography in the capital. Apparently, there’s a StopHs2 demonstration outside the High Court as the DfT’s taking out an injunction out against the Harvil Rd protesters. I might just swing by to see how few Hs2 antis turn out to protest.  After that I have a job to do for one of the railway industry magazines.

Tuesday is a day I’m really looking forward to as I’ll be on the Eurostar press trip launching their new service from London to Amsterdam. Expect a few tweets from @paulbigland1 during the day!

After that I’m heading back to Yorkshire, ramping up my cycle training as I’m off to India at the beginning of March to take part in the ‘Ride India’ charity cycle ride to raise money for the Railway Children charity. Indian phone reception and internet permitting – expect regular updates about that too…

The sun has got his hat on!

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, Cycle India, Cycling, The Railway Children, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Charities, Cycling, The Railway Children, Travel, West Yorkshire

Finally, the Pennine weather has changed and the sunshine’s arrived after a day of almost continuous (if febrile) snow showers. It’s still bloody cold mind, the weather forecast is telling me that it’s minus 2 outside and there’s still snow on the high ground – as this picture from our bedroom window and looking over Sowerby Bridge shows.

DG289392

Even so, it’s time to get the bike out, wrap up warm and continue my training for my charity cycle rise in India next month. Oh, that reminds me – here’s a link to my fundraising page. Please, make a donation and help me to help The Railway Children charity care for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Hopefully I’ll have time to blog about today’s training route when I get back – if I haven’t frozen solid by then!*

*Sorry, the blog’s half-written but I’ve so much to put in it I’m holding it over until tomorrow (Thursday)…

Home again…

01 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, Hs2, I love my job, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Thoughts, Travel, West Yorkshire

After a really enjoyable few days working in London I’m back in West Yorkshire and looking forward to resuming with my cycle training as well as catching up with a whole range of work related projects. I can’t believe we’re already in February as January seemed to pass in a flash. I’ve heard it said that this is part of getting older, as a child the six weeks school summer holidays seemed to last forever. Now, six weeks feels like the blink of an eye!

I’m determined to keep up the momentum on blogging as well as my other projects, so expect a variety of topics to crop up – including regular training updates and appeals for sponsorship (like this one!). In all seriousness, please donate, the money really will help those less fortunate than ourselves…

One thing I won’t be blogging about as much is the anti Hs2 campaign. Mainly because it’s pretty much ceased to exist. There’s no organisation anymore and the disparate groups left have no political clout – as the vote in Parliament on Tuesday demonstrated in spades. Instead I’m looking forward to blogging about the construction of Hs2.

Right now I’ve got a huge amount of pictures to edit, so it’s time to swap pen for Photoshop. Se you later…

 

 

I wish West Yorkshire was flat…

25 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, Ride India, The Railway Children

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Charities, Cycling, Ride India, The Railway Children

Well, sometimes anyways, like when I’m walking back up the hill to where we live from Sowerby Bridge station and I’ve got a 13kg camera bag on my back. Or today, when I was training for my charity cycle ride In India!

Despite the weather forecast and the ominous looking clouds over the horizon I headed out on a training session this afternoon. Instead of taking the easy option of cycling miles along the towpath of the Calder and Hebble canal towards Brighouse I fancied something more ambitious – and strenuous. Besides, I’d had the excitement of a bank robbery last time so scenery rather than police cars seemed like a good option. My wife had suggested I cycle some of the route the tour-de-France took when it came here in 2014, which seemed like a plan. I’m neither fit enough or daft enough to do what they did, so I took the route in reverse…

We live high up on the side of the Calder Valley which means my route down into Sowerby Bridge is a breeze – it’s all downhill! But after that I was on a (mostly) steady climb along the Rochdale Rd to Ripponden. It’s not a bad road but it’s busy as it’s used by a lot of traffic heading out to the M62 so you have to keep a wary eye out for HGVs as they thunder past you. This changes as soon as you start climbing out of Ripponden on the A58 – it’s pretty much deserted – which is great as it’s a long old slog. You climb 810 feet in 4.4.miles. The first part’s the hardest as it’s the steepest but it didn’t get much easier today due to the fact I had to fight a cold headwind. It’s actually a really attractive ride as you’re very much out in the wilds. On the way I stopped off to admire the views from the dam on the Baitings reservoir. It was only when I was on the parapet that I appreciated just how bloody cold the wind was, so I didn’t hang around after the obligatory training selfie!

20180125_132404_002

Windswept, but interesting…

After the reservoir the climb get harder as you gain another 364 feet in 1.8 miles. At this point you’re really exposed to the wind as its open moorland and there’s no trees – only electricity pylons! It was a relief to crest the ridge and sight Blackstone Edge reservoir, where Turvin Rd branches off to the right along the reservoir edge.

If you keep on going at this point, you’ll be in Rochdale in another 7 miles, but today I was heading for Cragg Vale. This is the longest continuous ascent in the UK if you’re going in the opposite direction. You gain 945 feet in 5.7 miles. Maybe one day, when I’m fit enough, I’ll try it, right now I’m just happy to freewheel down it! The road starts high up on the moorland before following the East side of the valley, twisting and turning through the picturesque village of Cragg Vale. You can hit some impressive speeds but you have to be wary of road conditions unless you want to be going arse over tit at 35mph or more…

The beauty of cycling the road on a weekday is you won’t encounter much traffic or many cyclists. At weekends it’s very different because of the Tour de France connections and the fact there’s a cracking community run pub in Cragg Vale called the Robin Hood. Dawn and I often walk to it for lunch at weekends, but today I (regretfully) whizzed past as the rain was chasing me – and it was beginning to win…

Once in Mytholmroyd I opted to cycle along the main A646 Burnley road back towards Sowerby. I’d hoped to have stayed out longer and headed for Hebden Bridge but the rain changed my mind. I had the option of cycling along the canal from here but the towpath is a bit of a quagmire in parts which is a shame as the Burnley Rd’s narrow, knackered and very busy. Swerving around potholes can be a dangerous business when you’ve got an HGV up your backside, but I stuck it out as far as Luddenden Foot where the canal towpath improves. Mind you, there’s another reason to abandon the Burnley Rd here, it begins another 200ft climb whereas the canal is level and HGV free, so it’s a much nicer 1.5 mile return to Sowerby Bridge!

Back in the Bridge I paid a brief visit to see some old friends who run the Jubilee Refreshment rooms on the station, have a swift pint (which I felt I’d earned) and get warm before attempting the last couple of miles home. The only drawback on this section is there’s a bloody fierce cobbled hill where I make no excuses for dismounting. I rather like my skeletal arrangements and have no wish to change the order by cycling up cobbles!

Despite having to cut the trip short I’d enjoyed it. I can feel my stamina improving each trip. West Yorkshire may not be flat, but where we’ll be cycling in Rajasthan, India is – so this this hill training should stand me in good stead.

If you’d like to sponsor me and help me to help the Railway Children, please, click on this link. If you want to learn more about the trip we’re doing click on this link.  If you want to learn about the work the Railway Children does around the world, click on this link.

Many thanks,

Paul

I’m asking for your help. Not for me, but for the Railway Children charity.

15 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Bigland in Charities, Ride India, The Railway Children, Travel

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Charities, Ride India, The Railway Children

In March I’ve signed up for a charity challenge. I’m going to be riding 450km across Northern India in 5 days to raise money for the Railway Children charity (you can read all about their fabulous work here). It’s going to be a tough challenge, but it’s great to be able to put something back and help those less fortunate.

So, I’m asking you all a favour. Help me to help them by donating to my charity challenge via my JustGiving page, which you can find here.

You can read more about the challenge via this link. 

I’ll be blogging about my training and the trip itself, so feel free to keep popping back and having a look. In the meantime, please, give as little (or as much as you can) to help.

Thank You all!

Paul

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