Comments on: A Cook’s Tour of the Cleveland Hills

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:04:08 +0000

Hi Steve. What is it with old fellas and bikes? There’s a chap in our village in his 80s and he goes to the shop nearly every day on his road bike but never changes down to a low gear when his goes up the hill outside my house. He’s in such a high gear his pedals look like they’re hardly turning ??? but his wheels go round and he gets where he’s going. Hope I’m as fit when I reach his age.
Cheers, Alen

By: Steve Bibby

Steve Bibby — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 04:39:39 +0000

I once rode up to Cook’s monument on my racer, accompanied by an old fella who, in his 70’s, rode a bike with 3 gears (and rarely changed them). He was prone to herculean feats for no obvious reason. Like trying to ride up Roseberry Topping. He swore by steel cranks with cotter pins. The one time he tried an alloy cotterless crank one of them snapped. Near Whitby. He rode back with one leg pedalling. I bet he walked in circles for a week after that.

Lifelong curiosity got the better of me last summer, and I went up RT with the dog. Well worth half an hour of anyones day.

Great story, by the way. I’ll keep an eye out for falling walkers (until it’s my turn).

By: rthepotter

rthepotter — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 19:34:48 +0000

Definitely don’t try them at the wedding if you ever see them. They’d be vile as leftovers, dry and curly on the outside and limp and damp on the inside. No – fresh bread, zingy marmite and munchy crisp lettuce, that’s the ticket!

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 17:14:52 +0000

Hi David. Marmite crisps? Bloody hell, do people actually buy them to eat?
That area of the Cleveland Hills is fantastic for walking. Nothing too strenuous and plenty of long and winding paths along escarpments and airy ridges. Get yourselves up there.
All the best, Alen

By: David

David — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:39:34 +0000

Nice to see you are getting plenty of time in the campervan. When we head over to the Whitby area for a bit of walking we see Roseberry Topping in the distance and Moira always says we must have a look up there. Your route looks an interesting one and one day soon we will do something about it.

Ha ha Marmite, a pal of mine hates the stuff, even the smell, so I always make sure when I have marmite crisps I sit right next to him. I laugh when he realises and he then swears at me…. mates eh. Cheers

By: McEff

McEff — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:06:56 +0000

Thanks for that, Jo. I have plans to do some serious writing and produce a book, but I’ve got plans to do lots of things and they don’t all come off. I’m going through a period of transition at the moment (no job, house for sale, seeking new life) so when things have settled down I intend to get stuck in. Thanks for the encouragement. It’s always appreciated.
Cheers, Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:02:36 +0000

Hello Mrs P. My wife has corrected my take on her blue sky saying to “sailor’s trousers”, which is not a million miles from your Dutchman’s britches. I like them both because they’ve probably been handed down through the generations and should be passed on to confuse children and get their minds working. As for lettuce and marmite sandwiches, if they were the only ones left on the plate at a wedding I might try them.
Cheers, Alen

By: Jo Woolf

Jo Woolf — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 08:10:34 +0000

Great post, Alan, and I love your photos. You always find such beauty in lesser-known places. And you should take yourself more seriously as a writer. I have said this before but it just struck me again when I read the para that begins “Sleddale is a place that has been carved from the moors???” because it is beautifully written and so evocative. And those elderly hikers are an inspiration to us all! The power of the mind – it’s very strong!

By: rthepotter

rthepotter — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:07:42 +0000

Lovely one Alen – wish your hills were more conveniently situated to my front door! Although if I tried the sharper bits I’d probably be one of your corpses.
PS in our family it’s ‘enough blue for a Dutchman’s britches’.
PPS have you tried lettuce-and-marmite sandwiches? One of the great combinations.

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:14:52 +0000

The guy with the mic sounds Australian, and he probably is because Vegemite is an Australian product. Also, the strange guy at the end sounds Australian too. So I would say it is a special form of Australian advertising.
It doesn’t work with me.

By: Hanna

Hanna — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:05:48 +0000

I think it is strange too. You don’t know if you should laugh or cry.
Is it a special form of English advertising? Bad publicity is better than no publicity –

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:00:27 +0000

Strange video. It doesn’t affect me like that.