3^rd In view of the excessive heat and humidity over the past few days, I can’t quite believe I’m writing this either, we decided an urban coastal route might be in order. In other words a ride from Billingham to Hartlepool and back via the marina and the bmx track. Simon’s somewhat ill-informed partisan views regarding the superiority of Darlington and the moral and material inferiority of Hartlepool were waived by the promise of huge, cheap sandwiches from Fatso’s on the marina. The first part of the ride took in some assorted scenic delights to equal anywhere we’ve cycled previously; the crisp factory, a brace of sewage works and Cowpen Woodland Park (no trees, very strange for a woodland park). We reached Greatham and peddled past the abandoned RHM foods factory to Greatham Creek and its seal colony hauled up on the mud flats, basking in the shadow of the tioxide plant. We headed toward Seaton Carew on the A178, pausing to have a glance at the infamous Ghost Ships, finally being dismantled after months of NIMBY wrangling, only to be stopped at the roundabout by a fresh-faced member of the constabulary who informed us the road was closed owing to “an incident”. A slight detour through a less salubrious area of Hartlepool (as if such a thing were possible) was effected, bringing us out at the promenade at Seaton Carew, from where a speedy pedal on a nicely paved track leads directly to the marina. We went via The Yacht Club, just to show Simon another amenity Darlington lacks. By a strange coincidence, we arrived at Fatso’s at the same time as Terra Trailblazer turned triathlete Tony, resplendent in full uniform complete with stab vest, baton and handcuffs, a bit OTT for a sleepy little fishing village like Hartlepool, perhaps he was going to Darlington to arrest someone after lunch. Ominous clouds gathered as we demolished our sarnies, Tony returned to the shelter of the nick and we retreated to the veranda of a waterfront café (another amenity Darlington etc. etc.) for coffee and shelter. The heavens duly made a valiant attempt at sinking some of the yachts in the marina, we wisely ordered more drinks, including a suspiciously girly hot chocolate for a member who ought to remain nameless and sat out the storm. Eventually it did abate but not before we had bladders the size of basketballs. Conditions were deemed to be too inclement to continue with the original plan, which would have seen us riding through the historic centre of the town to Summerhill Park for a turn round the bmx track, instead we made our way directly and damply back to Billingham.

13th Just for a change we took Simon's sit-on to kayaks for a paddle, a gentle meander along The Tees from the Tees Barrage to Preston Park and back. It turned out to be heavy on the meanders and gentle on the gentle, in other words, surprisingly hard work nine and half miles, half of it against the wind.

14^th Finally managed the Clay Bank to Kildale run without being rained off, snowed off or otherwise thwarted by the weather gods. All alone because nobody wanted to come out and play for numerous unspecified reasons, mainly to do with us being on holiday. Can’t remember too much about it but I was a whole mile per hour faster than 18 months ago.

16^th Another lonely ride and what would turn out to be the last ride for July as I escaped the gloom of the British summer for the comparatively searing Mediterranean. Began the ride at Bank Foot Farm, just for a change and got the long drag through the woods to Clay Bank over early, the trudge up the steps after the four and a half miles up from Bank Foot was somewhat harder than beginning from Clay Bank but soon the gate was gained. A left turn took me out around the rim of Urra Moor, a particular favourite this year, then another left at the end brought me back to the moor top near Round Hill for a pleasantly un-technical blast following the Cleveland Way, almost to the Baysdale Road, nipping off on a little used bridleway which comes out at the top of Ingleby Bank (Turkey Nab as it’s known locally). A rocky and deteriorating downhill ends a gate prior to a better track which leads directly back to Bank Foot, a nice, speedy end to a relatively brief ride.