Country Pub Crawl.

Thursday 27th April 2017

Today was pencilled in as a day of pleasant cycling in the beautiful Trough of Bowland.  

We had a slightly delayed start due to steady rain but by 10am we got away.  Yesterday was a bit of an old house visiting day and today became a Pub tour of the area.  We had agreed to meet cousin Alice again for a pub lunch too.

The route was through Grindleton, Sawley, Slaidburn, Newton, Dunsop Bridge, Whitewell, Bashall Eaves and back to Waddington.  Lunch was to be at the Inn at Whitewell (nice and smart).

The Hark to Bounty at Slaidburn for our first stop.  I think the boys are ready for a scrum down.

Parkers Arms at Newton - what a lovely view with the tulips.

We had a lovely posh nosh meal at Whitewell in comfortable surroundings.  We won't need to eat for the rest of the day.

We had an inkling that the road out of Whitewell to Cow Ark was going to be steep.  So we had to drag our full stomachs up the hill whilst we strained and gasped our way to the top.  Probably our toughest climb of the trip.

Here's David arriving at the top.  Not bad for an old man.  Great views.

We got back to Waddington with the logistical problem of loading 4 bikes and 4 people into the car.  We managed but had to take a couple of bikes to pieces and a couple on the roof.

Last photo of the trip.  Excellent trip.  Just one little thing to sort out in three days time (I almost forgot my wedding to my darling Janice).

Back home.

Wednesday 26th April 2017

A better day was forecast and we set off in lovely sunshine.  It was a bit chilly though and John borrowed some leg warmers to keep his delicate legs warm.  The difficulty is that John isn't normal sized.  Before we got to Clitheroe he was having a Nora Batty problem!

He did eventually managed to get them to stay up but not without some serious stretching.

We stopped off at our old school...Clitheroe Royal Grammar School for Boys.  I think Peter tried to blag his way in with a member of staff but we still only managed a photo from the outside.

I don't think there will be anyone let at the school that would remember us.  We weren't what you would call outstanding pupils.  I remember a school report that said...French exam - 15% - This subject is a mystery to him!  It looks like the school has changed a lot since we were there, several new buildings etc.

Our route today involved cycling around Pendle Hill, through Chatburn, Downham, Barnoldswick, Foulshaw, Nelson, Burnley, Cliviger, Padiham, Simonstone, Read, Whalley and back via Clitheroe.  This area is famed for its witches of the 1600's. Twelve Pendle witches were tried and executed in 1612 at Lancaster Court for the murder of 10 people.  Looking at some of the people we saw today I think their may be a few still around.

Downham is an unspoilt village where we used to have picnics and splash around in the stream.

The cycling was a bit challenging till it eased off after Barnoldswick, known locally as Barlick.  We had our morning coffee sitting out in the sunshine.

Onward along the Leeds Liverpool Canal to have our lunch at Reedley.

Whilst having lunch we discovered that today was Intellectual Property Day.  Which leads me to remind you not to use any of the codswallop from this blog as it is subject to copyright even though there is nothing intellectual about it!

This is 18 Red Lees Ave, Cliviger, our ancestral home!  We introduced ourselves to the owner (not Frank Casper) who was looking out of the window with a puzzled look on his face.  When we lived there  it was heated by an open fire and a Baxi boiler and Mum washed with a top loader washing machine.  We recalled who the neighbours and looked at the bungalow that our Nanna lived in.

Peter decided to have a little rest at Townley Hall.  I once got into trouble with my parents when I was 6 for cycling on my own to Townley.  I was caught out because I fell off my bike, cut my knee and was taken home by a kindly stranger!

We visited the hallowed turf.  Let's hope they stay up in the Premiership.

We cycled through Burnley town centre - it wasn't pretty as the pedestrian area was being dug up and refurbished.  Padiham wasn't much better and they were doing any alterations there.  The photo is our second home at Harewood Ave, Simonstone where we moved to in 1968.

Us three boys all slept in the same bedroom at the top right window.  Our Nanna came to live with us.  It was a lovely area to grow up in - probably middle class by Lancashire standards.  We used to play 'walley' with a football against the garden wall.  If we let the ball start rolling down the steep street it was a hell of a chase to catch it before it got to the busy main road.

The local pub was sadly closed in the afternoon.

We cycled onward to Read and Whalley and into Clitheroe.  Peter suggested a visit to the Bowland Brewery to quench our thirsts

It was a great bar that was in an old mill which included the old machinery but it was done in a modern contemporary way.  Plenty of beer too.  I had a pint of Pheasant Plucker.....it certainly was pleasant!

It was 6.30 pm when we got back to Waddington and had completed 50 miles riding.

The evening was a little more sedate than the previous night.  We ate at the Higher Buck pub and then had a drink in the Lower Buck.  We had a great day of cycling adventure and nostalgia.

Blackburn Old Pals.

Tuesday 25th April 2017

Nice early start as we dumped our bags at the Waddington Arms around 9.30am and set off by 10am.

Four Vernons on the loose! Lancashire be afraid!

Our route was from Waddington to Hurst Green, Ribchester, Longridge, Wilpshire, Blackburn, Billington, Whalley, Clitheroe and back to Waddington.

O Pendle, O Pendle, thou standest alone

Twixt Burnley and Clitheroe, Whalley and Colne

Where Hodder and Ribble's fair waters do meet

With Barley and Downham content at thy feet.

Some of our interesting visits were

Stoneyhurst College at Hurst Green. We had several family visits and picnics whilst we were growing up.

Our first coffee stop was at Longridge.  Halfpenny Lane is where we believe Grandad Bolton was born.   We had our first Anzac biscuit supplied by David's wife, Wendy.  They were very nice if a little on the small size.  It just happens to be Anzac Day today in Australia - a nice coincidence.

Lunch time.

First pint of Thwaites.  We were brought up on this beer.

After lunch we decided to cycle to Blackburn Rugby Club.  We didn't expect to see anything except the old clubhouse and the empty pitches.  We were greeted by Deano, the club 1st team coach and told him that the three brothers had all played here.  Even though we didn't know him he chatted about  people from our era.  Then Peter asked about a family called Newman who used to live on the hillside opposite.  He then told us that Dave Newman actually was inside the clubhouse and we dashed in to meet him.

Here's Dave Newman with Peter.  We chatted more about people we played with.  We had already arranged to meet Alan Nicol and Guy Foster (two other friends we played with) in the evening in Waddington.

We cycled onward back towards Waddington, via Whalley.

The upstairs flat at Billington was where David and Alan Nicol lived together.  They lived off Hellmans mayonnaise and pot noodles as they had a friend who was a salesman who sold those items!  Not the best diet!

Just before this picture we had a hail shower, so we had to take refuge in The Dog at Whalley.  It was probably our preferred drinking pub of our youth.  We had to explain to John what Bar Billiards was.  It would be rude if we didn't try a pint!  We then went quickly to Whalley Abbey where our Dad had been a volunteer for several years.  We recalled that he occasionally dressed as a monk as he did guided tours.  We suspect he did it to escape from Mum so he could smoke his pipe in peace.

The next move to to see our cousin Alice in Clitheroe.  She is the only remaining close family member in the Lancs area.

Alice knows how to look after Vernons.  The biscuits were.....Anzacs'!  Bigger than Wendy's!  Surprisingly we ate the lot.  Thanks Alice.

Back to Waddington in hail and sleet.  Overall, we did 40+ miles and apart from a couple of showers at the end it was a great days cycling in lovely countryside (apart from Blackburn, which I cannot accept as being as beautiful as Burnley)!

The pub rooms were pretty decent.  Certainly fit for our purposes.  After a shower and change we gathered again in the bar and to our surprise were met by a big chap we didn't initially recognise.

The chap, second from the right, is Chris Rawson who played second row at Blackburn with us.  The guy second from the left is Guy Foster who also played at prop but Guy is my oldest friend as well who lived two houses away from us at Simonstone.

Old stories flowed.  We always repeat the story about Guy at around 6 years old, playing and getting stuck in the foundations of the house we eventually moved into.  His parents were frantically looking for him but he wasn't tall enough to be seen over the deep foundations.  Obviously he was found but it took several hours.

Chris is still very connected to the rugby club and had lots of information about other ex players and lots of memories we had forgotten.

We had our evening food....of course I had the Lancashire Hotpot.

Alan Nicol is on the left.

We were joined by Alan Nicol as well.  Alan was a year younger than me but we played rugby together and he shared a flat with David.  He went on to join Lancs Police and I have seen him several times through our careers and at police rugby events but he hadn't seen David for maybe 30 years?  Back in the day I remember teasing Alan about his girlfriend that had missed a period!  He was worried she might be pregnant and David and I kept playing Up the Junction by Squeeze to wind him up.....it worked.   By the way, she wasn't pregnant.

Lots of other stories were told through the night.  I think we all agreed we were all great rugby players!

Ee Bye Gum!

The Tour starts tomorrow.  The forecast sounds a bit dodgy but we are tough Northern lads who used to come from Lancashire.  To prove our manhood we will be cycling in string vests, baggy shorts and clogs.....well that maybe going a bit too far.  I think we will probably be wearing a 'wind cheater' or something similar to keep the chill off - do you think we are daft!

One thing I haven't mentioned is that my son John is coming on tour for the first time. I may have to behave myself and set a good example....I think he knows me by now.  I will negotiate with him that I will look after him in the cycling and he can look after me in the drinking!  You will understand what I mean when you see him.

THE ROUTE

The tour has not been subject to the thorough planning process that we did on previous years.  It's more of a fluid route that could be dictated by pubs that we used to drink in when we were under age!!  I have a fairly fixed idea of our second day's route, when we will circumnavigate Pendle Hill but the other days could be anything depending on where we fancy and what the weather is like.

There will be some key locations we will want to cycle past.  Particularly the houses we used to live in, the schools we went to, special pubs and anywhere we consider to hold significant memories.  One place we will definitely cycle past is the house where we were all born in Cliviger, near Burnley (to be accurate I think David was born at the hospital whilst we lived there).  I wonder what would happen if we knocked on the door and introduced ourselves to the present owners?  It would be 1968 when we moved from there to Simonstone, near Padiham.  The house at Cliviger was sold to Frank Casper who was a Burnley football player of the time.  We were well chuffed to see him and he wrote his autograph on my hand......I haven't washed it since.  I don't think he lives there any more.

Bags are packed and ready for tomorrow's start.

Snap Cycle Tour

Forget about the snap election, it's 6 weeks away.  The more important snap cycle tour is next week.  We are definately trying to fit the ride in before a nuclear war with North Korea but we can't guarantee it.

We decided that we would do a shortened 3 day cycle tour of the area where we were brought up.  A bit of a nostalgia tour really.  

We set off on Tuesday 25th April and we stay two nights in the village of Waddington, near Clitheroe.  We will cycle different routes from there to visit places significant to our childhood and early adulthood. I do not apologise for any old stories that might be told.  They will of course have to be carefully censored to avoid serious embarrassment.  We may also sample some of the local produce (especially the brown liquid type of produce) on the way, you never know but we may actually do more sampling than cycling!

We are only doing the shortened trip because I (Richard) am getting married on Sunday 30th April and it therefore fits in for brother, David, to travel over from France a little bit early for the wedding.  Maybe we could extend the cycle trip a little and I could put back the wedding to the 31st April!  I hope Janice doesn't read this!

Just for the uninitiated, I should explain that the Vernon brothers were born in Cliviger, near Burnley, lived at Simonstone also near Burnley for most of our young lives and we all went to Clitheroe Grammar for some period of time.  David is the eldest, I am the middle (neglected) brother and Peter is the sprog.  We have since travelled in different directions in life but have managed to fit in a cycle ride each spring for the last 3 years.  Up to now we have always made our trips an excuse to ride in Brittany to meet David.

If anyone from the Lancashire Hotpots group reads the blog...please forgive us.  We are fans and especially like the tracks called 'He's turned EMO', 'Chippy Tea', 'Barmaids Baps' and 'Keys Wallet Phone'.  Look them up on YouTube, if I can master it I will put some links on the blog.

The opening of the blog overshadowed!

Just as I was seeking maximum publicity for the new blog.......Teresa May calls a snap election to steal my limelight.

Vernon Boys go back to their roots

Next week the Vernon Boys will get back on their bikes again.  This time they are in England, having a 3 day cycle around their home ground of Lancashire.

We weren't satisfied with the number of people reading the last cycling blog, so we have come up with the cunning plan to name it after the Lancashire Hotpots comedy folk band in the hope that some of their fans will inadvertently stumble across this blog and stick with it!