Ferries to Holland

Hi! I'm just starting to investigate the likely costs of various ferries to Holland. They vary a little from day to day, but generally P&O Ferries Hull to Rotterdam comes to slightly over £220 return round about the time we want to travel, while DFDS Newcastle to Amsterdam is only a little over £170 return. Another possibility is Stena Harwich to Hook of Holland, which costs anything from £68 to £132.

Ride 2015 Video

A short video of our Northumberland ride (size/resolution reduced to enable upload to blog, so will not look good if expanded to full screen).

A Few Early Thoughts-Northumberland 2015

I have been back 48 hours now, a little tired but satisfied on the completion of another successful Dragon Ride, 450 km over 6 days. The Northumberland Triangle (NCN 72/68/01). The weather was kind, the hills generally gentle (Kielder was challenging though) and the scenery as usual simply stunning.

Congratulations and thanks to all. Clyde, Peter, Maldwyn, Martin & our new and most welcome addition Jim.

Well done us!

Kielder Water (Nippy!)

Seahouses( Warmer)

Craster (Balmy!)

                                       
                                                                 Warkworth (Quaint)

Are These The Bellingham Bell Shaped Hills?

On R68 climbing east out of Bellingham. The British Geological Survey map shows them as an outcrop of sandstone, presumably more weather resistant than the surrounding 300 m year old sandstone bedrock. The BGS soil map gives a shallow soil depth, compared to the deep surrounding glacial till. I would imagine early settlers found it an ideal homstead, a good lookout, easily protected, and close to fertile farmable land; when the river valley was probably still covered in deep forest.
A genealogy website says a prominent family bearing the Bellingham name was descended from  invading Viking foresters ("Give me your trees or we will burn down your houses"). Although use of the Anglo-Saxon name suggests they became integrated into the local community.

Martin's Strategy for Monday 25 May

Cross Country say they hope to run a train every hour from 08.11 to 15.11 between Derby and  Newcastle via Leeds. So presumably the earlier XC trains will not run.
East Midlands Trains have published their special timetable; first train to Sheffield at 06.27.
Northern Rail say they hope to run most of their local services in Yorkshire until mid afternoon.
Virgin East Coast have published a special time table with 2 or 3 trains an hour between Doncaster, York and Newcastle.
First Transpennine have not updated their website yet.
So I will aim for the 06.27 to Sheffield; Northern to Doncaster or Leeds and on to York, East Coast from Doncaster or York to Newcastle. Might be in Newcastle before midday. If all else fails I still have my bus pass, although there may not be many direct buses between York and Newcastle.
Anyway whenever I get to Newcastle, if it's before midday I will cycle to Wylam and stop there for an hour or so before plodding on at my own pace to Hexham. If it's later I will get the train, that Northern say should run, to Hexham.
At Hexham I will stop at the cafe by the golf course, just before the foot crossing over the railway on R72 and review the options; Keilder or North Tyne Valley.
I will update this as and if I find free WiFi anywhere.
Hope to see you all in Bellingham before dark.

Hadrian's Cycleway - NCN 72 - warning

Sustrans have the following advice on their website:
"On Monday 25th May the Northumberland County Show is taking place next to the route at Bywell. 25,000 visitors are expected and a short section of the C252 road that Route 72 runs along will be closed to traffic to allow show visitors to cross between car parks and the show site. The route will be open as normal but please expect increased usage and traffic between Corbridge and Stocksfield, and as you get nearer to the site. Cyclists will be required to dismount to walk through the crowds."

Potential rail strike on Monday 25th May

The Rail Union RMT has just announced that its members (who control the signals, among other things) are planning to strike from 17:00 on 25th May for 24 hours. Hopefully even if this strike goes ahead we should have made our journeys but I shall certainly keep a very close eye on developments.