Home Workshop Project. 2

Progress is slow, but as I'm doing it all with friends in between all my other activities & jobs I can't complain. We're almost ready for the concrete base now, which should be done over the next week or so.                                                                          

In the picture, Jules Best my bricklayer.

Home Workshop Project. 1

Project ‘Workshop’ begins

Finally I’ve found the time to start my long awaited ‘Home Workshop’ project. Below you can see what the bottom of the garden looked like at the start.

I will be managing the project and doing as much of the work as possible myself. Albeit most of my efforts will be labouring & assisting friends all of whom are equipped with better construction & carpentry skills than I. Their bikes I guess will be immaculate & running well, later in the year!

Watch the blog for regular updates. 

In the photo Bob Beauchamp, my ground worksman.

Chow.

Traumatic ending to London - Paris!

Traumatic ending to London - Paris. 

Arrived back about a week and a half ago from my most recent London-Paris trip, with ‘Doctors of the World’. A large group of around 50 participants, who I found to be very pleasant. There were some interesting bikes on the trip, but best of all was the ‘Cannodale’ tandem mountain bike ridden by a charming couple Charles & Sammy... well done you did well, especially making up time after we managed to almost rebuild your rear wheel at the side of the road!

Anyway, all went well until that is we arrive in Paris. We had all the usual photos and family welcomings at the Eifel Tower and made the 1km casual ride/drive to the hotel. Now this hotel is one that we regularly use and was more than likely booked by the tour organizers  some months ago.

We unloaded the vehicles outside the hotel and sorted the bikes & luggage etc, taking some half an hour or so. This was all in full view of the hotel reception staff, and all the participants were proudly wearing their charity tee shirts. It could not have been more obvious who we were!

As we attempt to check in, the staff inform us that there are no rooms for us and that another hotel, some 15mins drive is booked instead!!

Why did they wait until then to give us the bad news. Hotel I__s_ staff, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Major hurdle!!! Lots of irate participants, an even more irate tour manager (you did well Adrian not to lose it even more than you did!), and still now a load more hassle and aggro trying to organize at this late stage the logistical movement to the next hotel. To add to the anger and confusion we were informed that there was no vehicle parking outside the next hotel. Ordinarily this may have been an objective that we could easily have overcome, but not when large parts of Paris are closed off for the finale of The Tour de France less than 24 hours later.

The only realistic way for dealing with the vehicles and bikes was to drive all the way home that night. Not sure how the participants and the tour manager got on that evening, but myself, the other driver and the doctor got outta there pretty damn quick.

So to summarize, a shift that lasted almost 24hours most of which was driving, was how this particular trip ended. Not the best, but neither the worst. It was a shame I was unable to attend the celebration meal with this charming bunch.... but hey just another chapter in the trials & tribulations of a support staff cycle mechanic/driver.

Oh I almost forgot to mention about the puncture on one of the van tyres, on the motorway somewhere between Paris & Calais..... at around midnight.

Bye!