Working from home....

..... and very welcomed it was too. With the ever bulging email inbox and a 'to do' list the length of my arm, the cancelled meeting in Birmingham was a god send....!
I have spent the day beavering away on both and even had time to pop into Amersham on the bike to get some keys cut - for the container in Reading and RBC's cycle cage at the Civic Centre.
I really productive day all in all, which culminated in the fixie having a total wash down, followed by a polish with some of the finest autoglym products - she looks as sparkly as a new pin now.....!

My sanity was questioned....!

The first dry(ish) day for a while and nothing was going to stop me from riding into Reading today - the BBC weather forecast said 27 mph winds, with the possibility of the odd shower.
Hmm, my usual 10 mile commute from Maidenhead usually takes around 35 to 40 minutes, but with a mega headwind and dodging the odd fallen tree, I was standing in the changing rooms at Palmer Park Stadium some 50 minutes later......! (But with the anticipation of a wind assisted ride back to the car later that afternoon.)
I introduced the new officer to the Everybody Active session and it was good to see, that like me, the participants weren't put off by the weather.
We also took the opportunity to pop into Cyclezone to check out a work bike and some commuter gear - a welcome break from the very much desk based induction.....!
Mark takes delivery of his bike tomorrow and will be out and about in Reading very soon!

A day in Leicester.....

Despite Chiltern Railways attempts to delay me getting to Leicester for a meeting, I did manage to spend the day with Elizabeth Barner - Cycle Officer. The total journey took 4 and half hours - yes, I could've got to Paris in that time.....!
Elizabeth had arranged a steering group meeting - a very full agenda, with some very exciting projects being scoped out for next year. Around the table were some very pro-active partners - Cycle Magic, Bikes 4 All and of course Leicester City Council, who are currently working on their LTP3 - which will have some very impressive set targets for making cycling accessible, in particular, commuting and bikeability. Thus working towards their goal of having a vibrant and healthy city, of which the bike plays a huge role.

Exciting times for Leicester and great to be a part of it.

A wet weekend......

Oh dear! Winter shouldn't be like this - very wet and very windy. For me, the ideal winter weather is bright and cold. So imagine my dismay when the alarm went off at 6am this morning and on looking out, to see the rain falling - again. My riding all weekend was hampered by the rain and it certainly looked like it was going to be today and yes, I took the soft option and drove into Reading.
I spent the day with the new officer - Mark Tancock. A gentle introduction to CTC, Reading Borough Council and to my projects. He'll be up to speed in no time at all, that I'm sure.
Tomorrow I'll be leaving him to his own devices as I have a meeting in Leicester -his task, if he chooses to accept it, is getting to know CTC's and Sport Reading's websites. But I leave him in the capable hands of the Sport Reading team - thanks guys!

Chiltern Cycleway

Good news! You may all remember sometime ago, we were waiting on a funding bid from Leader. Well, we were successful and the Chiltern Cycleway gets the thumbs up. A 170 miles of fantastic countryside all waymarked, that covers, Bucks, Beds, Berks and Oxfordshire.
The steering group met today - Chiltern AONB, CTC, Chiltern Society and Bucks CC and we've decided that the launch will be next June and we are now in the process of planning how that will look.
I can't wait to ride the route in it's entirety - anyone care to join me....?
May I say a big thank you to the early volunteers that helped with the initial route planning and hope to see you all out there soon?

Have a good weekend and happy cycling!

Clearing my desk

My desk isn't quite as bad as that in the photo - but you get the general idea.
With Mark's imminent arrival, I was in the office really early to clear my desk and sort out any outstanding bits of paperwork. I'm very excited about the project being handed over and can't wait to hear Mark's ideas for Reading.
It has been a busy few months doing the 2 jobs and it's great to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To be able to concentrate totally on my new job, will be just fantastic.
I'll still be based in Reading for a least 2 days - so no doubt, will catch up with you all at some point, but it has been a total pleasure getting to know you all......

Want to work for CTC.....?

I spent the day sorting out the recruitment process for the vacant post in Swindon.
This meant arranging for adverts in both a local paper - Swindon Advertiser and with the Third Sector magazine. I was totally amazed with the total cost - £6,000 for both! Hasn't anyone told these guys a recession is on? Though using my best negotiating skills - some would call it blagging, I got 1 week for free in the local paper....!
So, if any of you out there would like to apply for this exciting post - please see here for all the details, I'd love to hear from you....?