Minnellium | Dave Haygarth, family and friends.

Life-Long Learner: In Pursuit of the Rad

Had been very much looking forward to yesterday since January, and it didn’t disappoint. Matthew had very perceptively noticed that no matter how much we ride bikes, there is still some learning to be done. We spend so much money over the years trying to upgrade our bikes. Uber-legend Mountain bike Skills Coach Ed Oxley‘s business strapline is ‘upgrade yourself’. The one thing missing from the mix with stuck-in-their-ways 40-somethings like me. Read More »

Rossendale Triathlon 2010

A bit of tough fun on a Sunday morning and a mini-target for me. Important to keep the weight down with these mini-targets throughout the year!

I finished tenth today. The usual massive disparity in the time splits out of the 259 entrants for me… swim 139th, bike 4th, run 16th… but it’s a great reminder that there are other things to sport than cyclocross, crits and riding the Lancifornia trails on the MTB. Good for the soul. Transitions are plain exciting too!

Results
Event Website

: I am a man – not a number

: Transition in the rain from @andyheaps

Lily’s third fell race: The Austwick Amble

Lily did us proud yet again yesterday with what was a great run in the Austwick Amble junior race. We’d had a lovely night camping in Malham and turned up for the Austwick street fair with semi-plans to run (we’d packed the trainers etc!). Read More »

Elsie turns two

Elsie’s second birthday today – yes – it has flown by a bit hasn’t it. It generally does really, but newborn-to-two seems especially fast in children. Katie and I decided that a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme was appropriate given the fave-book status and Elsie’s hobby; eating things.
Read More »

Jane and Dips’ house: Oxford’s alternative May Day weekend

Oxford’s tradition of May Day (or rather May Morning) is a bit much sometimes with young children (when, generally, an early morning is not something you do by choice) and when we went to stay with old mates Dips and Jane in their Oxford home, the last thing we wanted was to hit the pubs at 6am. However, with four grown ups catering for the needs of four children, we made a good effort at comprimise by hitting the pubs around about midday and pretty much keeping going – albeit at a cultured snail’s pace, as the day progressed.

The visit – pretty long overdue – was a great chance to hang out and catch up with great friends, and sandwiched between pretty good car journeys either end, wound up being a great chilled out time.

Photos of some general fun here and a video below… followed by a few photos from Jane here too

The unlikely adrenaline hub of the world: Rossendale, Lancashire

In a way, it’s a strange discovery; one of those little unpredictable things that happen in life. As a cyclist who’s done a bit of everything on a bike, and still would do if he had time, I’ve found myself refining my cycling to niches and events that present realistic but challenging goals. I expect quite a lot out of myself from my cyclocross racing, and when push comes to shove, it’s my primary thing, but those other things that happen – the bits that fall roughly between February and September – have taken an unexpected turn recently – something mailnly down to where I live. Read More »

John Shuttleworth: If Nick Clegg was called Nicholas

Lovely to hear John Shuttleworth on the Vote Now Show late on Radio 4 last night. The track’s here if you missed it – his wonderfully crafted lyrics are a great take on the three horse race that’s unfolding before us…. I think he has a point. If Nick Clegg was called Nicholas, he would inevitably get less votes.

Here’s the track for those of you who missed it:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(updated: download link here by popular demand of the flash-starved iPhonites)

Lyrics:

If Nick Clegg was called Nicholas
Voters would think him ridiculous
But as he’s just plain “Nick Clegg”
People assume he’s a right good egg

If only Gordon and David
Would shorten their names as he did
Think of the votes they’d get
from an admiring electorate

Wouldn’t you put a tenner on
Somebody called Dave Cameron?
He sounds a like a friendly bricklayer
Or even a professional darts player
(“Dave, you require double-five”
- Well – he wants number 10)

If only Gordon was Don Brown
His ratings would never have gone down
A Don you would never close a door on
Whereas Gordon is a moron
(he’s gone a bit quiet hasn’t he – the lad who did that one)

By the way, I wonder if you knew
That Nick Clegg’s a former member of Kajagoogoo
Oh no – that’s not Nick Cleggs that was Nick Beggs
Apologies I’ve made a slight boo boo

If Nick Clegg’s was called Nicholas
Voters would think him ridiculous
But as he’s just plain “Nick”
He’s as solid as a brick
He’s the one the others must lick
Shame his middle name is Benedict
(no I’m only joking… )
Oh – and a lovely reference in the lyrics to ‘Gordon is a Moron’ re: the 1978 hit by Jilted John (Graham Fellows – or John Shuttleworth in a former punk skit role) – flashback below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN45OjB-cCU&a=HFG0rmI3EPY&playnext_from=ML

Merchandise: For the Masses

“Five years in the making” makes any album sound epic, doesn’t it. Merchandise are a friend-of-a-friend band that have become just a friend band now. Brad asked me to build the Cityscape Records website some time back, then I shortly after rebuilt the Merchandise website. Along the way I got to listen to their music and things grew and grew. I do enjoy their poppyness lots…

I’m lucky enough to be – in some sort of VIP way- in receipt of a pre-release of the album ‘For the Masses’ that will be coming out in June, and thought I’d tell you all that it is well worth the wait.

Putting two fairly anthem-like tunes up fron in positions 1 and 2 (‘Listen Up’ and ‘Sometimes’) is a smart move. You start buzzing straight away. Still getting used to some of the new tracks but all satisfy in their own way. ‘Prescription’ and ‘Enemy’ are certainly not the happy-go-lucky type of track that the beautiful ‘sometimes’ proves to be listen after listen.

Great work Brad and Con – everyone buy this in June and help Bolton’s best kept secret become Bolton’s best known band.

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Bill Dalkin turns 70

We had a great time at the weekend, a family get-together in beautiful sunshine for the Dalkins to celebrate Bill’s 70th. The three daughters – Fiona, Katie and Sally – plus all their family-hangers-on meant a total of 13 family members and four close friends. A bit of a house full by any standards.

Bill Dalkin turns 70 4531983729 f18c39ae19

Managed a quick run up Ingleborough on Sunday which was a real treat. Got up there pretty much before anyone else was there and had one of thiose tranquil mountain moments all to myself. Fantastic. But spoiled by a few red winey burps from Saturday. Hey ho – can’t have everything.

Brilliant to see the children all together – running about the garden, cheating at football, playing on swings, irritating the dog… in such fantastic sunshine. Read More »

Ronde van Oost Lancashire 2010

It’s been a fun day – I don’t do much social bike riding in a busy life but when I do, I want the rides to be like today’s in inaugural Ronde van Oost Lancashire. Billed (roughly) as a local answer to my favourite classic the Tour of Flanders (or “Ronde van Vlaanderen” in Flemish), the Tour of East Lancashire set out to mimic, amitate, and at times outdo the Flemish classic .

Dave Haygarth, family and friends.