Mid July is the time for the annual Festivol event, this time held at Wellow (near Bath). A very picturesque location but with steep hills in all directions when leaving the village! Peter, Mavis, Yvonne and Ian represented the Derby Rangers with Peter foregoing the attractions of camping and staying nearby in a warm, dry, and non-windy bed and breakfast.
The organisers had laid on a selection of different rides each day as well as evening entertainment. One attraction was the chance to walk through the Coombe Down tunnel which is planned to become part of NCN24 and will provide a shorter and much flatter route into Bath from the South. As I did the mountain bike ride on Saturday, the leader then took us up the hill that the tunnel will allow cyclists to avoid (and back down and back up after a map reading failure!).
We were treated to Circle Dancing tuition on Friday night (Peter is now an expert) and the chance to put it in practice when a band played on Saturday night - Fromage au Feu (apparently translates as "Cheese on Fire") - a very energetic gypsy folk band. Lots of the rangers enjoyed the music and dancing (not all fuelled by the scrumpy provided).
Generally very enjoyable weekend. Rumours are that next year's event is definitely going to be on and may be at Sherwood Pines or Worcester.
3 comments:
Sounds great - wish I'd gone now.
See VolunteerNet for some nice photos of Mavis, Yvonne and Peter (where were you Ian?).
Also a nice picture of Mavis's Festivol Cake. Did everyone get a small piece?
See http://www.sustransvolunteers.org.uk/modules/new_6/index.php?id=3
for pictures.
Not sure what happened to the cake in the photograph, none of us witnessed the cutting ceremony. Carrot cake also travelled there but only took minutes to disappear! Nevertheless, a most enjoyable weekend.
Mavis
Not suprised Peter prefers the comfort of a cosy bed to a camp bed in he big outdoors. Creapy crawlies and wild boar,and blood hounds may have unnerved him at Clydes place in Dordorgne. I hope to be on my bike again by next years Festivol but am out of action for a while with broken clavicle needing op to bring 2 ends together to mend without deformity and restriction to scratch head, swim etc. took a dive over the handlebars didn't I whilst apply brake and catching hat at same time on steep slope. Fortunately this happened in Swad not the Loire valley so the wife could just pick me up to pop me o A & E. Looks like at least 3 months of the bike, thats unless I can find a unicycle!
Shawn
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