UK Bikepacking Amble | April/May 2023 | #3

4 May 2023

I’m “up north” now, through the Liverpool and Manchester gap. Rugby League country. Warrington, St Helen’s, Wigan. I have been to two League games in my sporting travels over the years. The 2009 final at Wembley (Warrington v Wakefield) and a Rabbitohs game in Sydney a few years before that. Warrington are at home this coming Friday, very tempting to see a third.

The Warrington groundsman spotted me at the gate, saw my bike and we had a lekker chat. He had cycled John O’Groats to Land’s End in his time. He invited me into the ground to have look. He told me League is battling to survive. Warrington is top of the table and they can’t fill their ground.

Further down the road at St Helen’s I had a very pleasant hour with the staff of a car dealership whilst they kindly let me charge my phone. The owner used to play for St Helen’s. They remembered South African Tom van Vollenhoven, a brilliant Springbok who converted to League and played for many years for St Helen’s in the 1950s. Still revered in this part of the world. Ray Mordt and Rob Louw used to play for Wigan.

The Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helen’s got me thinking. I guess the South African equivalent would be something like “Die Fokken Mal” stadium. I wonder if I’m not onto something here..🤔?

I have finally crossed the Mersey, following tradition by humming the famous song as I did so. It’s a nostalgic song if there ever was one. I didn’t feel silly at all.

Englishmen like their unique challenges. Tim Jones and his dog Monty are walking around the coast of the UK. They expect to take 5 years and have asked for donations, ostensibly for the RNLI but I’m sure their expenses will be covered. Nice way to fund a walking holiday but good luck to them.

In Cheshire I was told about a chap who is trying to complete (for the second time, he failed on his first attempt, fell off his bike) 102 consecutive Full Iron Man Triathlons. He is on 20 odd days right now. 3.8km swim, 180km ride and a 42.2km run every day for over three months.

The restaurant where I was told this sobering news, Cleopatra’s, is owned by a South African, Philip. Cleopatra’s is on the route of this runner but unfortunately I had missed him that day. The runner that is, not Philip. We had an interesting chat. He has built a very successful business making pizza bases, now supplying across the UK.

Komoot continues to lead me down garden paths. Literally. Other than that the weather is balmy, kort broek en hemp. Topography pretty flat in the last few days.

Patrick Green very kindly corrected a rather unfortunate grammar error of mine from a past post. I had been venting a bit about “wet bridal trails”. Apparently I should have been venting about “wet bridle trails”. There is undeniably a significant difference between the two concepts. At this point I end my post for today.

You hummed the song didn’t you..? Admit it