Farewell to Summer once more

Summer seems to have come to a close very quickly this year.

Totem poles in Salford

Before I went on my camping trip, flowers were in bloom & I couldnt get away from butterflies. Since I got back afew weeks ago, everything seems to have lost its colour, nature is getting all autumn and it's dark almost as soon as I've eaten my tea each evening! It doesnt seem like two minutes since we did the NCN6 from Manchester into the Pennines in glorious sunshine.

The Big One

The Blackpool Illuminations ride of course heralded the end of the summer and the last picnic of the year was spent at St Anne's after a quick paddle in the outdoor pool before sunset.

A group of us met and ate home-made chocolate fudge cake whilst waiting  for the traffic to be banished from the seafront to enable a river of bikes to enjoy the illuminations (now in its 101st year).

The sea was in at Blackpool!

Blackpool Tower

River Calder

Our last post-work bike date out for tea had us lighting up as soon as we'd left the pub.
And this year I'll be investing in some bright lights for off roading in the dark on my way home from work.

Jubilee Tower, Darwen

The weather has also taken a turn for the worst, but this year I've toughened up even more and the wet hasnt stopped me riding to work or getting out on those hills (yet).




Ski gloves, scarves, dubbing your boots. Farewell summer, you've gone fast this year, but thanks for the sunshine & going easy on those headwinds this year.

Start of the Illuminations, End of summer

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Blackpool Illuminations.
For anyone outside of the north of England, the Illuminations are an institution here. A right of passage for children as the night's draw in and autumn takes hold.
My cousins & I had a visit or two sat in the back of a 2cv with the top rolled back for maximum viewing.

In my childhood and probably still for most, the lights are viewed from the back of a car crawling along for 6 grueling (for the driver) miles.  For the last few years, afew days before the official switch on, the front has been closed to cars to let people see the lights by bike. You go faster than in a car, get a better view and there was a pretty nice atmosphere. Ok there were some teenagers riding far too fast and irresponsibly, but that's to be expected when nigh on 10,000 people are cycling!

I'd been off my bike with the lurgy for just over a week, so we extended the ride by setting off from Lytham, making a nice 22 mile evening seaside ride. Plus we didnt want to get to the lights when it was still daylight.

Lytham Windmill. All sails fixed after the gales the other year

If you cant get your bike to Blackpool, they now have Hourbike bike hire scheme similar to the scheme in London.  The bikes are a lovely bright yellow & are stationed at intervals along the promenade (just for adults tho). We saw quite a few people riding them and they look in really good condition at the moment. A great idea if people want to get to Blackpool by train / bus and then explore the prom.
I hadnt heard about the Hourbike scheme until yesterday - they also have them in Southport & Dumfries.

the lights stretching to Central Pier and beyond

As usual there are aliens, animals, jewels as well as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Darleks and The Tardis, tableau showcasing nursery rhymes, a tram dedicated to the Queen's Jubilee.  

The Big One at the Pleasure Beach. Once the tallest roller coaster in the world, not sure if it still is.

Seeing the newly refurbished prom and the new trams was lovely.
Blackpool is the only place in the country that still uses a first generation tram system. It opened in 1885 and has been used all the way through until present day.  It's one of the few tram systems in the world that uses double decker trams.
Sadly for the illuminations, they dont seem to have any of the old decorated lit up trams running anymore. That's a big loss for me - my favourite part of the lights as a child was seeing the big tram that was lit up like a boat sailing up and down the Golden Mile.
But I guess the transport system was long out of date and well overdue upgrading.

windswept with North Pier behind. Sadly the bike's glow-sticks didnt glow with the camera flash lighting things up.

The Brightest Illumination of them all. A lovely evening to ride along the seaside