New blog address

We've moved.

Please find us at http://www.scaresbrooks.co.uk

3 feet please

'Three feet please - it's the law'. Well, in some places anyway. Three feet clearance when passing someone on a bicycle is recommended to avoid accidents, and this simple plea to drivers could become a big campaign. Started by a USA resident, Joe Mizereck, he also has the useful idea of collating info on cycling blackspots in order to put on pressure to make them safer. Is anybody doing this in the UK? CTC maybe? Will ask.

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Trade in your tent

This is a nice idea. Millets is running a tent exchange until the end of Sept. 09. You trade in your tent, which goes to a charity helping homeless overseas, and get 20% off your new tent. Or you can donate the discount too. So you get a new tent and a warm glow. More camping offers are on our online cycle shop pages.

Whinham's Industry's a winner

Our two shamefully neglected gooseberry bushes produced 3lbs of fruit, despite being in the shade. Well impressed. Although Whinham's Industry is meant to be a dessert variety, I cooked them so not to notice the hairy skin, and had to add some honey to sweeten them. Some weren't as ripe as they could be, but it was a case of pick 'em or lose 'em to the birds and wasps. We've got tips on gooseberry growing on Gardening Masterclass.

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West Wales walking

We abandoned the bikes and the tent last week to go hostelling along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path - well, bits of it. The train got us to Haverfordwest and buses got us to the coast (and along it when it was time to cheat). There's a brilliant coastal bus service aimed at coast path walkers. The bus uses the lanes nearest the coast, and are hail and ride, so you use them to get to the start of the walk, or take you back to the beginning, or in our case, move along the coast to the next destination. Info at Pembrokeshire Greenways.

Highlights:
The coastal path - superb views, good walking, not many stiles, mainly out of range of mobile phones so no annoying ringing tones - great website for planning, detailing where loos, refreshments and bus stops are.
Poppit Sands youth hostel (Cardigan): 5-star view over the bay
Newport youth hostel: adjoining the West Wales Eco-centre so we were able to nip in for some advice on solar water heating, which is our next project.
Newport meals: a place for serious foodies, with two Michelin-starred restaurants, so the pubs have their work cut out to compete. Result: pub meals far above average. Also not a chip shop anywhere.
Broad Haven: fabulous beach (and chips aplenty)
Marloes Sands youth hostel: peninsula views from the kitchen/lounge window, is central for walks along north- and south-facing cliffs and coves, and handy for the Skomer Island boat trips to see the puffins.
Skomer Island: Puffins are as used to people as ducks in a park, so we had them around our feet. Magic.

We also discovered that the ex-YHA hostel in the old school at Trefin (aka Trevine) is still being run as a hostel, being ideally placed for walkers about half-way between Fishguard and St Davids. If we'd have known about it, we would have considered using it.

Grow your own milk and muesli

Never mind growing your own drugs, how about growing your own meals?

Make a start with breakfast by growing your own muesli, including the milk. And that doesn't mean you have to get in a cow either. Find out more about growing plants for milk to go with your home-grown muesli by visiting Gardening Masterclass.

Enjoy the freshest possible food, confident of what has and has not gone into the growing process, and enjoy the gardening too. Let us know how you get on - put your comments on the website.
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Stopping bad bots, spiders and crawlers

We've developed Spamblocker to deny access to our websites by bad spiders, content scrapers, e-mail harvesters, comment spammers and useless search engines. It works in conjunction with Project Honey Pot, and it's free. It was nominated for an innovation award by www.phpclasses.org too. Give it a go.

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Cheshire East - no cycling officer yet

Well, Cheshire East replaced Cheshire County Council and various borough councils in our area on April 1, but no response to requests for a cycling officer, or to queries about how this part of the Cheshire Cycleway will be maintained and publicised in the future...yet.

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See Google calendar of garden shows and events

View our new calendar of garden shows and events (mainly in UK) on our Gardening Masterclass website. If you have an event to add, please contact us via the website.

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Cycle tour with the Otesha Project

Heard about the 2009 Otesha UK cycle tours? We hadn't until today, but would like to pass on this invite we received (especially as we're outside the age range!). 'Want to do something fun, challenging and worthwhile with your summer? Well be taking in the delights of the UK from our saddles, performing a play, making the world a better place, learning new skills (bike maintenance, theatre, consensus decision-making, group living... the list goes on), meeting new friends, and generally making mischief...wait, did we mention that you're invited? If you're 18 to 28 and passionate about creating a sustainable future, then come ride with us. Find out more at Otesha Project Cycle Tours.
Places are first come, first served, so get your skates on! If you have any questions or would just like to have a chat about it, then give us a call on 0207 841 8939.
Thanks!
Peace and bicycle grease,
Hanna'

Sounds like fun, so visit their website. We like their mantra 'Be the Change'.

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Future of Cheshire Cycleway when Cheshire splits

Currently, the Cheshire Cycleway is signposted by Cheshire County Council's highways section. The county council also produces an outline route map, and markets the route to tourists as these visitors support local businesses and boost the local economy, especially in rural areas.

But we're not sure what will happen to this county-wide initiative when the county council and all the local councils disappear. They will re-emerge in April as just two unitary authorities (Chester & Cheshire West; Cheshire East). The councillors have already been elected, so we've asked both shadow authorities what their plans are. Chester is a new Cycling Town, and Chester/Cheshire West have appointed a cycling officer for their patch. Cheshire East is more of a mystery at this stage.

Once we have some answers, we'll post them on our Cheshire Cycleway site.

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Hourly trains from Congleton north and south

At last, 10 years after losing our hourly service, it's back. Unfortunately the PR event (Santa's visit to celebrate with Saturday shoppers) was derailed by a car on the line a few days previously. But on the plus side, the station has a Christmas tree and fresh paint.

Great not to have to wait for a 2-hourly service, but unfortunately the journey time to Manchester has increased from 30 to 50-odd minutes. Not so many fast trains to connect with from Macclesfield either. Oh well, another 10 years to get some fast trains too?

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Cycle shop gift vouchers from Cheshire Cycleway Online Cycle Shop

Gift vouchers for cycling stuff from leading retailers are now available via the Cheshire Cycleway Cycle Shop. Good for when you can't think of a present, or want something that's easy to post.

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Alderley Edge diversion for Cheshire Cycleway

Urgent. Make any more suggestions/comments on Alderley Edge diversions asap as we are meeting Anna Geroni, Cheshire County Council's cycling officer, on 3rd December to discuss the alternatives. Once the route is decided, the county will signpost it and we will also publish it on our website.

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Online cycle shop added to Cheshire Cycleway site

Finally added an online shop for cycling goodies to the Cheshire Cycleway site, for ease of browsing and comparing goodies from leading retailers including Evans, Wiggle, SBR and Halfords. Happy shopping.

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Updated and simplified 'How to put customised Google maps on a website/Blogger blog'

We've also revised and simplified our How to put customised Google maps on a website/Blogger blog - easily page on the Cheshire Cycleway site.

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How to Draw Google Map Lines to Show Routes

We've now put the info and codes for How to Draw Google Map Lines to Show Routes on the Cheshire Cycleway site. The link we used to direct people to (a Thai university webpage) for drawing lines seems to have come under attack and accessing it has been generating a warning from Google.

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Comment on proposed Cheshire Cycleway diversion

Another route added to the suggested diversions to the Cheshire Cycleway to avoid the Alderley Edge/Nether Alderley bypass roadworks. Work starts in Jan 09, closing Welsh Row until an underpass has been built.

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Cycle security and insurance

New pages on the Cheshire Cycleway site include one on cycle security for tips on reducing the risk of your bike being stolen, and one on cycle insurance.

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Call for comments/suggestions

Urgent - make your comments now on a Cheshire Cycleway diversion to avoid the Alderley Edge/Nether Alderley bypass roadworks. Work starts in Jan 09, closing Welsh Row until an underpass has been built.

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