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After my last thrashing when I visited the Purbeck hills I have been waiting for a return visit and today was that day. But I was not content to just try my hand at the same 5 mile trail that thrashed me last time, oh no, I bit the bullet and took on 16 miles and over 1100ft of climbing…….

I found the route over the Purbeck hills on the Internet just after I started riding again so hung onto the link, so over the weekend I decided the time had come to try it. The route includes two very large hills. I started from the Banks Arms at Studland and then made my way upto old Harry Rock, from there it on and over Ballard Down. Now this was not to bad to start with as this is a gentle climb to 523ft over 3.3 miles with some of the ride along the cliff tops over looking Studland Bay, the English Channel and Swanage Bay and I can honestly say there was only one section I walked. The views are stunning from the cliff tops around Old Harry rock (especially on a sunny day) but the view only got better as I made my way inland, looking to my right I could see Poole harbour entrance and to me left I could look down on Swanage.

As the old saying goes what goes up must come down and come down pretty quick, you drop 220ft in less than half a mile most of that in a long run down to the road. A quarter of a mile later you are looking at the bottom of 9 Barrow hill and grey rock strewn path that disappears up the side of the hill. Now this is where the Purbeck Hills gained its point as I only made it about 150yds up the path before I decided to save myself and walk, I could not compete with a path that climbs over 400ft in under a mile. So after a long walk I was at the top Of Nine Barrow, the view were stunning especially when I got to the Corfe Castle end of the hill and was looking down on the village of Corfe Castle and the remains of the castle. This is where I made my first mistake, I missed the path down to Corfe Castle and decide to find my own route down the side of the hill, not a good idea. I made it, but would of been a better idea to go back and join the correct path.

Once in Corfe Castle the route became like many other routes, running along forest tracks on the Remstone estate before meeting up with the main road back to the Banks Arms. As I headed back to the Banks Arms I remembered a little path (more like a shaded tunnel) that I took the last time I rode in the Purbeck so I shot of down the path only to be confronted by a deer. I stopped some 20ft away from it and it seemed quite happy to stand there eating the greenery while I grabbed a couple of pictures. It only decided to leave when I decide to ride on.

So all in all I think today’s ride was a fair draw, I got the better of it on most of the first climb and the remainder of the ride but I was well and truly beat on the second climb (ok more like submission).

Having seen what the traffic was like in Corfe Castle I decided that once back at the Banks Arms, it was a case of load the bike onto the car and leave.

Finally to round of the bank holiday weekend, it was weight in night tonight and it was a pound and a half off (the same pound and a half I put on last week) so I can go to bed tonight contented and tired.

The bike visits Old Harry Rock

Old Harry Rock (Old Harry is actually hidden behind the other rocks)

Corfe Castle as seen from 9 Barrow hill

The un-shy Deer

Last night we went to see Mark Knopfler in concert (more on the concert later) and to be honest I had not thought about who would be going to the show. When we arrived at the concert venue I was surprised to see so many people in the 50+ age bracket, at first I thought they must have been another show at the same venue they were attending. It was only while we were waiting in the foyer that I realised that Mark Knopfler hit the big time with his band Dire Straits back in 1977, some 33 years ago. I was 18 when Sultans of Swing made it way into the charts in the UK and so it seem so was everybody else who were in the audience tonight. I was not looking at a bunch of misplaced over 50, I was looking at myself…………….!! To be fair there were a few younger people in the audience but 85% were over 50.

Having got over the reality of my age I settled into my (very uncomfortable) seat which had a good clear view of the stage. I had an aisle seat which gave me the chance to stick my legs out into the aisle My bum had gone numb before Mark and the band made it on the stage.

My wife had won the tickets to the Mark Knopfler 2010 Get Lucky Tour on a local radio station competition and the couple sat next to us had also won their tickets in the same competition. My wife spent the time (till mark came on stage) comparing competition prizes she had won from the radio station with the other couple who seemed to have won an equal amount of prizes from the radio station as well.

While I have been to see a few people in concert I am not one of those that wants to pay through the nose to go to some of the big stadium venue to just be a number in a **,000 audience and where the star(s) of the show are little figures on the horizon, so I had never seen Dire Straits or Mark in concert before. The show was a sale out from what I could see.

Soon the light went down and that distinct guitar sound that Mark Knopfler has was coming from the banks of speakers at the of stage. A mix of Dire Straits and Marks songs ended with a standing ovation for Telegraph Road which finished the main set, unlike other bands Mark or the band did not leave the stage, they stood there taking a well earned drink and accepting the applause of the audience. After a few minutes they played a 3 song encore before they left the stage to another standing ovation. Despite the the audiences age of 50+ there was whistling, screaming, clapping and foot stamping to encourage the band back on stage for more but hopes were dashed when the hall lights came back on.

It ranks as the best concert I have been to and confirms to me that Mark Knopfler is one of the greatest guitarist in the world.

A couple of month ago I decided to give up the traction kite flying ( more info on traction kite flying here Baiter Power Kites ) and have been selling all my kiting equipment and tonight the last and biggest item was collected, my Libre Buggy. I was sad to see it go but I know just don’t have the facilities around where I live to make full use of it and travelling 2.5hrs to the nearest decent beach was becoming a chore not to mention expensive. I still enjoy the sport but having several thousand pounds worth of sporting equipment sat around and only being used 5 or 6 times a year is not very good.

My old Libre Buggy

The buggy has gone to a new home in Kent and the new owner has promised to make good use of it.

Apart from that I have no other news………….well I have plenty but I won’t bore you with it.

……………since my last words so what has happened?, well Monday night weight was a surprise, I ate like a pig for the first half of the week and then got back on track the later half so was not expecting much, certainly not expecting a 3lb loss.

Still have the remnants of the sore throat I have now had for over two weeks but it is a lot better than it was last timed I wrote about it (the wife is still croaking as well).

Went for a ride on Wednesday night done an easy 12 mile ride. Went out early Saturday morning (to beat the heat) with the wife to explore some new tracks, half of them were OK the other half were blocked off but still managed 17 miles.

Got up early again today for a ride to beat the heat, on my own this time. Did my normal loop I do on a Sunday but added a couple of bits to the ride that I tried yesterday. 24 miles and back home by 10am for breakfast. I was expecting a little bit more distance but the extra bits are really only replacing a section of road that I would ride so I guess the overall distance between the two is not much although there a lot more effort to get up the forest tracks.

The rest of the day will be spent working on the bikes (my rear hubs come loose again), cleaning both bikes, cutting the grass, erecting the gazebo and getting the BBQ grill cleaned for tonight, first BBQ of the year. Although looking at the weather I think the first jobs will be cutting the grass and erecting the gazebo so I can work on the bikes under the gazebo.

While we are talking weather, many of you may have noticed in the news that Bournemouth now have there own weather forecast after the Met office forecast was for bad weather last year over the Bank holiday and it was a glorious sunny weekend, the local council reckon they lost million pound in revenue because tourists stayed away. So anybody that coming down to Bournemouth and want to check the local weather can check the local weather here.

Well I am out of here I have some chores to do and some sunny weather to catch up on.

Well I still have the throat infection I had last week, Wednesday\Thursday I thought it was getting better, Friday\Saturday I was ready to rip my own throat out it was that uncomfortable. I felt good enough on Thursday night to go for a bike ride, I would of gone Wednesday night but it rained. My normal Saturday morning ride never happened, neither the wife (she gave me the throat infection) or myself felt up to riding so we gave it a miss. Felt better this morning so went out and rode a 23 mile loop. Going to try and do a couple more evening rides this week, just need to make sure I am home early enough and the throat infection buggers off.

Life is still dealing me a rough hand at the moment, what with being ill it does not make for a happy time. There no sign of improvement on the horizon so I am not really sure what will happen next.

So all in all I think I will vote form an early hibernation, just go to bed, bury myself in the duvet and raise two fingers to the world………………….good night!