After a summer holiday that flew by, Owen and Henry started back at school today. As you can see from the photo, Henry was not as keen to go back as Owen. A rainy school run did not help. I am pleased to say that when I picked them up in the afternoon, both said that they had had brilliant days at school.
Owen’s First Day of Year Five
After a busy summer holiday, I think Owen is glad to get back to school for a break away from Henry. Owen’s homework for the summer holidays was to read “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, which was no problem for him, but also to design and present a sweet machine. His “Lemon Sherbert Bomb” machine was well designed.
In addition to the mandatory photo by the front door, I asked Owen some questions, to record how he changes over the years:
Height: 143cm
Shoe size: 3.5
Bike(s): Vitus Nucleus 24 for mountain biking, Frog 69 for commuting and United Recruit 16 BMX for riding to school and at the skatepark. He also borrows a cycle speedway bike from the Cycle Speedway club.
Favourite book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Favourite thing to watch on TV: Beyblade X
Best thing we did over the summer holiday: Going to the Wave waterpark in Coventry (same as last year)
What do you want to be when you grow up? Lego designer
Henry’s First Day of Year Two
Henry less was keen to go back to school, or more accurately to wear school uniform. Henry’s homework was to take some photos in front of the summer holidays – an easy one for me to help with.
Henry also answered the back to school questions, at least he has a more realistic career aspiration than last year…
Height: 124cm
Shoe size: 13.5
Bike(s): Orbea MX20 (Owen’s old bike) for mountain biking, Frog 52 which still has not been converted to a cycle speedway bike and Frog 55 for riding to school. Henry also borrows a bike from the cycle speedway club.
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite food: Pizza
Favourite book: Enchanted Wood
Favourite thing to watch on TV: Sam and Cat
Best thing we did over the summer holiday: Playdate with Gwen
What do you want to be when you grow up? A scientist
This summer has been busy with work on our house (various small jobs done and Jen’s office almost finished), but we managed to get away for a last minute trip away to Suffolk. The main reason we chose Suffolk was that the forecast was for an ex-hurricane come in from the west on the days we had available, so we figured we would be best going east to outrun it. And Jen had already taken the boys to Norfolk earlier in the summer, so we did not want to go back there.
Our chosen destination was Southwold, mainly based on my previous experiences of Mrs T’s Fish and Chips by the harbour. It was a long drive from Coventry, on the A14, a road I spent way too much time on in 2007/2008 when I commuted on it daily. But the last thirty miles were on a tourist route, with lots of pretty villages. The roads would have been fun in the MR2, but we were in the van. Mrs T’s was as I remembered, still just a shack in the ramshackle harbour on the banks of the River Blythe, but the fish and chips were excellent. Owen declared them “best he’d ever had”. With full bellies we walked down to the beach, the boys dig some holes and jumped in the rather ferocious waves, at least for the east coast. I had not noticed on previous visits, but Sizewll nuclear power station was visible on the horizon. As we were finishing up at the beach it started to rain. Fortunately it was only a short shower, so by the time we had driven to the north promenade, the sun was back out and we could walk into town for a look around the shops, and of course, an ice cream! Harris & James seemed to be the place to go for that.
After eating our ice creams overlooking the beach, we went back down onto the sand for the boys to play some more. I am sure they enjoy the beach more when they are in their normal clothes and without their beach toys, than when we go fully prepared. It was at this point, with shorts wet from splashing in the waves, that Henry declared that he had not packed any spare shorts. Maybe I should not have relied on a six year old to pack sensibly for himself. The strong wind on the pier seemed to dry him off though. And no visit to Southwold is complete without a pub trip for a pint of Adnams. Jen had heard of a shop selling their beers, but we did not find it, so had to settle for some takeaway cans from their tap room.
On the way to our overnight stop, the Premier Inn in Lowestoft, there was an amazing sunset as we passed over Lake Lothing. The boys, particularly Owen, were excited about staying at the Premier Inn, as it means unlimited breakfast, which Owen made the most of! After Owen had eaten his “infinite breakfast”, sampling everything except the blueberry muffins, from the breakfast buffet, we set of towards home, driving across the broads, another pretty area I have not previously visited.
We stopped at High Lodge, the Forestry England site in Thetford Forest, we had previously visited in 2021 and had a really good day, so wanted to pay a return visit. Last time Owen and I rode the blue graded “Beater” trail, but this time he was more than up to the red graded “Lime Burner” trail, the trail crew have done a great job; there is not much elevation, but the trail flowed really well and descents were maximised. It was a warm and humid day, so I was glad not to be slogging up big hills. Owen rode really well, and I found it good to be riding a new trail together for the first time. Owen is at a nice age where we is old enough that we can ride decent trails together, but not too old to be excited to see the Gruffly and want to give it a hug. Jen and Henry did a lap of the green graded trail, then checked out the playground, we met them at the new pedal and play area, which is better than the similar trails at Cannock Chase and Hicks Lodge. The playground was also better than other Forestry England sites – it had the tallest slide I have ever seen, even taller than they were in the 1980s… Owen absolutely loved it, and had to be lured away with the promise of ice cream. Jen and I had cakes from the cafe, which were particularly nice. On our way in to the site we had spotted the adventure golf, so that was our last stop. I think the boys always prefer the idea of mini golf to the reality, but everyone got at least one “hole in one” (with only minimal cheating by Henry). Then it was time for the long drive back to Coventry, around Cambridge we drove through the weather that we had been avoiding, but we got off lightly. As an end of holiday treat we stopped at Taco Bell on the outskirts of Coventry, as the boys had requested a visit, surprisingly Owen managed to put loads away, even after his “infinite breakfast”.
It has been a few months since we moved out of our old house on Oldfield Road, but life has been too busy to post about where we have moved to. The answer is that we have moved a couple of miles west to an estate on the edge of Coventry called Allesley Green. As the name implies, there is a lot of greenery here, which was what really attracted us to this house – the view out the front of the house is over a park/floodplain. Yet we are still less than five minutes walk to a shop/bus stop. The house also has a large double garage which was also a big pull for me! Getting bikes out, or working on them will no longer be a combination of limbo and Tetris! Having tools near the cars, rather than at the end of the back garden will also be handy.
We bought the house knowing that it was going to be a(nother) full renovation project, when we initially viewed the house, back in the winter, we were put off by the layout and decor. Nothing else we looked at could come close to the location, so we booked a second viewing, and went in looking at the potential knowing it would need some work, and decided to buy it.
The house was originally the show home for the development, so is right at the front of the estate – hence the good views. It started off as a three bedroom house with a single garage on the side, but at some point it had a full height side extension, adding a bedroom, a bathroom and extending the kitchen. The garage was turned into a room (Jen’s office), and a detached double garage built to replace it. There were also some internal layout changes: the front bedrooms were joined together to make a larger room and the original bathroom was turned into a small bedroom (my office). Although this layout may change.
In the months before we were able to move in we had all sorts of ideas flying around about how we could alter the layout and how each room would be used. However, now that we are somewhat settled, we are switching up our priorities slightly.
Every room still needs something doing, but we are no longer looking to change the downstairs layout, but upstairs may change. Our priority for the remainder of 2025 is to get the upstairs sorted – so that the boys can move into their own bedrooms. We have enough bedrooms, but are currently keeping one free so we can shuffle around as work gets done, so for now the boys are still sharing. Jen’s office will also get a mini makeover, as we were a bit too eager picking at loose wallpaper and have pretty much stripped the room.
We have more outside space, than at our old house, but it is configured differently – one bonus of being a detached house is that we can have an out of site area for storage down the side of the house, and the view out of the kitchen/conservatory is of the pretty part of the garden, no storage/garage etc. The previous owner was a keen gardener, so the garden is in a decent state, we just need to keep on top of it. We even have a hedgehog that passes through the garden occasionally. There’s also a patio between the kitchen and garage, which will be great for entertaining, and a “secret” garden on the other side of the garage with a greenhouse. In front of the house there is parking for four cars, and a lawn. Coming from our old terraced house it is nice to have some greenery at the front of the house. We have added a flower bed and put up some hanging baskets to improve the kerb appeal – not that it can be seen from the road.
There is a lot of work to do, but we have the vision and can tell that the house will be great once it is done. Work on the house is going to be a priority over the next few years, so my blog might end up being quiet for a while, as I will got be going on as many trips.
This is our last night at our house on Oldfield Road. Most of our belongings are already packed up, so it feels like we are camping in our own home. The sunny weather today could not have been any more different to when we moved in twelve years ago – it was snowing! The house is also very different to when we moved in – every room has been plastered and painted. Some have even been painted twice. The garden has been redone, and the leaky wooden garage replaced with a bigger brick built one. As documented on this blog.
There is a tinge of sadness leaving this house, not only because we put a lot of effort into the renovation, but this is where the boys grew up, so we have a lot of happy memories here. The house has also been in Jen’s family for a long time – her mum grew up here too, and even packing up today we kept getting reminders of Jen’s grandad. However, the boys keep on growing and we need more space…
Other than the memories, so things that I am going to miss:
The neighbours – we have been really lucky with our neighbours, on both sides. Being in a mid terrace you need understanding neighbours, but more than that it has always been nice chatting over the fence. I know the boys will miss this the most, although I am looking forward to being in a detached house.
The wood burning stove – we had this installed in 2013, in place of the old back boiler (we also had gas combi boiler in the coal house). It is great to sit by the fire in the winter, even if we do not really need it for heat. I’ll also miss the ritual of stacking the wood and preparing the fire.
The veranda – having sheltered outside space is so underrated, not just for a nice place to sit outside, but for storage and drying washing all year, whatever the weather. We liked the veranda so much that we replaced it with a virtually identical one as part of the renovations.
The outside toilet – I like that in the 21st century we still have an outside toilet. Especially as the toilet was liberated from the old Alvis tank factory before it was torn down and replaced with a retail park. It will be nice to have multiple indoor toilets though. Especially in the winter.
The location – Aside from the great community on Oldfield Road, it is very well located, close enough to walk to the city centre, but far enough away to be quiet. It is only a few minutes walk to the woods and Hearsall Common. The downside is that all the houses in the area are practically identical, not ideal if you need something bigger.
This weekend Owen turned nine! It has been a really busy weekend (more on that in my next post), so I am only just getting around to writing this post. Friday, the day of his birthday, was very low key; he opened his presents before school, then went to his usual karate session after school and we got a McDonalds on the way home. We are going to got karting with a few of his friends later in the month when things have calmed down a bit.
Saturday would have been the day for a party, but Owen was already double booked, with a regional karate competition in Walsall and a regional cycle speedway race in Coventry. Fortunately Owen chose speedway. He had an excellent race, the way the numbers worked out, Owen ended up riding with the under 14s, rather than with the under 10s – this means four lap races, rather than the three that Owen is used to. That did not stop Owen from doing some of the best speedway riding I have ever seen him do, not only was he keeping up with competitor three or four years older than him he kept going right until the chequered flag. He came second, out of three, in the “B” final, on paper a worse result than his last race, but considering he was riding up a category it is a great result. I think riding with the bigger kids forced Owen to bring his A-game – if he was still riding with the younger kids he would have easily beaten them, most are only six or seven, but I do not think he would have needed to ride flat out to achieve it. This just shows how far he has come on after only three months of riding cycle speedway. Not only was his riding good, his attitude was great too, usually he would not react well to a set back, like racing old children, but he handled it well.
I also notice that Owen is getting a bit too big for the speedway bike that he is borrowing from the club – it fitted him perfectly at the start of the season and I had been looking to buy him that model of bike, but I will have to restart my search, looking at models with 26″ wheels.
My parents had come up to watch Owen racing, but after the speedway most of Jen’s family came round for birthday cake and a general catch up. As ever with Jen’s family there was a lot of cake, but it was good to see everyone and Owen enjoyed the fuss.
I cannot believe that next year Owen will be in to double digits, it does not seem that long ago that he was a tiny baby!
This post is a bit late – but life has been busy recently! At the start of March, Henry turned six! Unfortunately of him it was on a school day, so after his favourite breakfast – pancakes, he had to go to school. However, after school we had some family round for tea and cake. It was good to catch up with everyone, and, as usual, Jen made a great birthday cake.
The celebrations continued into the weekend, as we took the boys to London for the day. The plan had been to take Henry to see a show, but in the end we went on a bus tour, because Henry wanted to see the sights. I think he would have struggled to sit still for a whole show anyway. It was a special “kids tour”, and despite his reservations on sitting upstairs on the double decker bus Henry enjoyed it. It was the day of the protestor climbing Big Ben, the tour had to be diverted slightly, but we still got to see Big Ben, with the protestor on the side.
After the bus tour we walked through St James’ park, eating ice creams as it was such a warm day, up to Buckingham Palace. The Union Jack was flying, which meant that the King was not there, so we carried to to the tube station and got the tube to the Natural History Museum, where we met my sister-in-law Sophie, and baby Isabella. We spent a while walking around the museum, but it was so busy, so we retreated to the cafe for more cake.
The rest of March has flown by, but Henry (and Owen) will be keeping busy with a karate tournament and a cycle speedway race on the coming weekends…
Today was a good day – I bought a new (to me) bike! I had not intended to buy another bike, but sometimes that is the way things go… The Mongoose Maurice I bought as a cheap commuter bike eighteen months ago aced the “cheap” aspect, at £60, I would not have had any second thoughts about leaving it at the station all day. But that was not how I ended up using it – by the time I locked up the bike/removed the lights etc, it would have taken longer than if I had just walked to the station. So I only really used the bike for running the odd errand, but it was so rubbish to ride that I stopped doing that too. Because it was such a cheap bike I resented spending any money on, even a new chain would have been a significant portion of the initial purchase cost. So it ended up taking up space in the garage – a plan was needed…
I decided that the obvious answer was to get a better “urban” bike, keeping the thin tyres of the Maurice, but adding gears, working brakes and better geometry. There are a few options on the market, but being an unashamed Orange Bikes fan, it had to be the Speedwork, their “perfect all-rounder”. It is a flat bar gravel bike, with a mountain bike drivetrain and brakes. Because this is meant to be a commuter bike, that I can use for running errands, and as such will be locked up away from home occasionally, I could not justify a new version, so this is the 2020 model – bought secondhand on eBay for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
I gave it a quick once over when I got it home, removed the mud guards, fitted my preferred saddle and grips, unceremoniously removed from the Maurice, pumped up the tyres and took it for a quick local shakedown ride. There were still a few more adjustments to make – mainly to handlebar and brake lever positions, but otherwise I was please with how it rode. The best way to sum it up is, “like a mountain bike, but faster”, which was exactly what I was aiming for! I even manage to get a PR on a Strava segment, despite not really trying, and still not feeling 100% with a lingering cold.
I do not have any plans lined up for the Speedwork, I do not want to spend a lot of money upgrading it, because then I will not be able to leave it anywhere. It could probably do with a deep clean, and a service, but it will have to get in the queue, behind my other bikes. So, for now, I will just ride it on the roads, whilst all the local trails are too wet to ride. If we get the chance Jen and I might do a few rides together – as she much prefers road/gravel type riding to mountain biking, and she now has a similar flat bar bike which she could do with riding a bit more.
At my first mountain bike race of the year at Stile Cop, I had wanted to shoot something a bit different to my usual head on race shot. Climbing a bank to get to an open section of track I took out my Fuji X100V, activated the built in ND filter, and slowed the shutter speed right down. On this frame I had managed to get the riders eyes and number board mostly sharp, which is easier said than done. The rest of the frame was a bit chaotic, which sums up a downhill mountain bike run to me. I had not planned to shoot in black and white, but prior to the conversion I felt there was something missing.
Spectating at the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages was one of my highlights of 2024, there were a couple of images that I could have chosen, but there is nothing quite like seeing a 911 sideways on gravel.
Despite riding a lot with Owen, we did not actually visit the skate park much, this was probably from a Saturday morning when Jen was doing Parkrun. Environmental portraits, like this, are my favourite way to capture the boys, as it avoids them pulling any silly faces, I felt that this one just sums Owen up really well.
Another from the War Memorial Park, whist Jen was doing Parkrun, except this time the boys were staying with my parents, and I had just received my X-H2S, so I explored the park on my own. this guy was meditating on a bench on the bowling green, and I liked the framing between the leaves. This photo reminds me of how lucky we are having a large park near the centre of Coventry where people can relax amongst nature.
The first of two photos from the Coventry ring road photowalk I did in November. We started here at the Canal Basin, which was like a mirror first thing in the morning, so I concentrated on capturing reflections. On this day I had actually made the conscious decision to shoot in black and white, and had set my X-H2S set to the Acros film simulation.
I took lots of photos of Henry at the local cycle speedway track in 2024, most of them riding shots, but this one of him messing about in the grass, whilst waiting for his heat was my favourite. I fell like it just sums up Henry.
The second image from the ring road photowalk, this time about halfway around the ring road, in the subway that goes to Central Six, for those that know it. On the day this was not my favourite of the more tradition street style photographs, but it has grown on me over time. The framing in the square and the silhouette make it for me.
I had these trees in mind for a sunset photo across the valley for a few years, so when weather conditions for a decent sunset combined with a free evening, I drove over to Kineton to see if I could make it work. The sunset was not quite as good as I had hoped, but the concept worked well. It was also nice to get out for the evening, watching as a sun dipped behind the horizon.
When I was sent out on a Christmas Eve mission to deliver some emergency red cabbage there was only one car for the job – my little MR2 Roadster. I had just received my camera back from a warranty repair at Fuji UK and wanted to test it out. This was a super quick shot, as I also had Owen in the car with me. It was a misty evening, and the shot I had envisioned was the MR2 parked under a streetlight in the mist. Sadly where I decided to stop – an industrial estate in Nuneaton, was not particularly misty, but I still like the shot. Rather than including the streetlight I was parked under in the frame, I went for tighter framing, using the light to accentuate the shape of the car. We were probably only out of the car for a minute, but the shot came out well.
It was still misty on Boxing Night, and having been stuck in the house all day, I decided to head out and get the misty photograph I had not achieved a few days prior. Instead of taking the MR2 out, I decided to walk up to Hearsall Common, to photograph the Hearsall Star, a local festive landmark. I had taken a few different compositions, but this one with the cars was my favourite, as the cars and their lights added a bit of an extra something that was missing from the frame. I was not sure if there would be much traffic late on Boxing Night, but I am glad that there was. Walking home from this I slipped on some mud and bashed my knee, but it was worth it for this photo.
I started 2025 as I mean to go on – riding my bike! We saw the new year in at home, after a tasty roast dinner, one of our friends came round with her son, who is friends with Owen. The boys played together nicely – although Henry wreaked havoc on their Minecraft world, by releasing all the livestock from their farms. Then the older boys started making some videos on their tablets. The grown ups were able to chat and drink Select Spritzes (a throwback to our trip to Venice last year). All the boys managed to stay up to see in the new year – a first for Henry.
Thanks to their late night, the boys gave us a lie in this morning and after a very late breakfast of pancakes and bacon, we got the fire lit and settled in for what was forecast to be a cold and rainy day. However, the weather improved, so I got out for a short local ride on some muddy trails. It was a slow ride, but it was good to get out for some fresh air, especially as I was not expecting to be able to get out.
Usually going into a new year we have a lot of plans, but do not really have anything firm for 2025, we have a few ideas for holidays – all we know is that we want to get Henry on a plane, and we would like to go back to Scotland. We may combine these ideas, but we could also go to France, or somewhere completely different, and drive to Scotland as a separate trip. There may be some big exciting changes coming, but they are just ideas at the moment, so I do not want to jinx anything. Our lives are still going to be busy with activities for the boys – Owen has decided that he wants to join Henry at cycle speedway and Henry wants to join Owen at karate – whilst better than two new activities being added, it was nice that they both had their own things going on. Hopefully not having too much in the calendar will leave plenty of opportunity for spontaneous adventures.
A carry over from 2024, but it was the topic of the group chat with my friends last night, so will continue to make more of an effort in 2025.
Make my blog more robust
Another carry over from 2024, but I did not get around to it – I have an idea of how I want to do it, and it should be easier than my previous plan.
Refresh my photography portfolio website
Like the previous goal, it is carried over from last year, and I have got some ideas, although in typical Lewis fashion I have started by sorting out my Lightroom catalog, to make it easier long term to find my top images. Writing this now, has made me have a rethink, so my portfolio may end up getting updated more than once…
Do something car/motorsport related every month
Some of my favourite days last year were motorsport events, watching a rally, and going to Festival of Speed. So I want to make sure that I do more of it. I have got a things lined up for the next few months – karting this month and Race Retro next month.
Get the MR2 to Wales
The MR2 has not had enough use, so I want to make sure that I get it out, and Wales is my favourite place to drive, so combining the two seems like an ideal plan!
Ride somewhere new with Owen
Owen’s riding has come on so much over the last few months, so I want to keep the excitement going. I have a few ideas on where we could ride, but it comes down to holiday plans.
Do some bike trips just myself and Henry
It is too easy for me to ride with Owen – we can ride fun trails together at a decent speed. However this has meant that Henry has not ridden with me as much as Owen had when he was the age Henry is now. Which means that Henry is not as confident on the bike as Owen was. I know Henry will appreciate some daddy and Henry time and hopefully it will help his confidence on the bike.
Get to the summer with three working bikes
At the moment I have one working bike, but only just. I have been riding my hardtail, a lot, but it is desperate need of a full rebuild. However in order to do that I need to get my full suss bike working again, and ideally my town bike, neither are big jobs though.
Ride at Bwlch Nant yr Arian
A goal carried over from 2023, Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Mid Wales has some great looking trails, and is also known for their daily Red Kite feeding – which is enough of an excuse for me to go for a ride. It also seems like somewhere that might be worth visiting with Jen and the boys as part of a Mid Wales trip.
Ride the “Ladybower Loop” with Partho
This is a more focussed version of the “Ride one of the 10 of the best XC trails in the UK” goal, which I have had for a few years. And also another goal which relied on my full suss bit being rebuilt. I last rode there in 2018, it was a tough ride, but very rewarding.
Tidy my garage
Another long running goal, which should help with other goals.
Take my niece Sienna to the zoo
Being an uncle is fun, Sienna is two and half now, which is the sort of age
Get my weight down to 90kg
For the last ten years, at least, my goal has been to get my weight down to 85kg, which has clearly not happened. 90kg is more achievable, but if I get there, I will try to keep going to 85kg. My plan is more riding and less pizza.
The lack of any firm plans for 2025 is exciting, the year has started well, and hopefully that will continue.
I had a fun bike ride today at Hicks Lodge, with Jen, the boys and Partho. Hicks Lodge is Henry’s favourite place to ride at the moment, especially as the playground has just been refurbished, and the cafe does a good hot chocolate. I had also noticed the cakes in the cafe, so a plan was hatched for my birthday weekend – for me it does not get better than a family bike ride with a cake stop! My best friend Partho also came along too.
We woke up to rain, poor weather is one of the downsides to a December birthday, but the forecast was improving and Owen was super keen to ride – he actually hurried me along to get the van loaded up, asking me what he could do to help. The weather was pretty grim driving up the M42, but the rain had stopped by the time we were ready to set off. The trails were still wet and muddy though. Both boys were riding well, despite the conditions and lack of snack stops. I think we have also got to the point where Henry is faster than Jen on a mountain bike trail.
Photo: Partho
After most of our first lap Partho and I left Jen and the boys at the new playground (next to the yet to open skills area) and set off for a second faster lap, Owen had been keen to join us, but decided to stay at the playground. Stopping for a breather after the first few sections of trail, we spotted a lone rider catching us up, then noticed the bright red helmet peak – it was Owen. He had instantly regretted his decision not to join us for a fast lap and had ridden as fast as he could to catch us up! We finished the lap, taking it in turns to lead out each section – when it was my turn to start, I could just hear Owen saying “I’ll give you a bit of a head start”. Hopefully he was just copying what I do, rather than being cheeky, but he did not catch me up. On the section that Partho led out he was able to get enough of a lead that he could get a photo of Owen and I at the end of the section. There are not many pictures of us actually riding together, so that was really nice to have. Owen started to tire towards the end of the ride, but perked up when we came across the new section of trail, linking what was previously the final to sections in to one long final section – some nice flowy berms replacing a section of fire road.
By the time we had finished the ride the sun had come out, so we sat outside enjoying our drinks and cakes. The cakes from the Hicks Lodge cafe tasted as good as they looked on our previous visits – I had a gingerbread millionaire, a festive take on one of my favourites, and a white hot chocolate. As we could see the playground from our table, we could carry on chatting whilst the boys enjoyed exploring the newly refurbished playground – they seem to have kept all of the best bits from the old playground and added lots of new equipment, and the boys loved the new set up. Henry was really in his element – he is not the most confident mountain biker, but he really loves Hicks Lodge, it is a lot calmer than other trail centres we go to, but I think that suits him. I am pleased to see that it is seeing some investment, as it is such a great facility for the littlest mountain bikers. Even with “tame” trails, with a lot of water on them, I still had a great ride – sometimes it is who you ride with that matters more than where you are riding!
