ON HOLD - 'APPARENTLY FOREVER'

If you enjoy this post - please consider helping us raise funds to beat blood cancer with Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research - just go to bit.ly/19qHQR3



If you thought riding from London to Paris was an energy-sapping slog, try getting permission to set up a turbo trainer in a shop, public street or local gym for the purposes of fund-raising…

Of course, lots of you have. And ‘chapeau’ if you’ve had more luck than me - so far at least.

“Just putting you on hold, sir.” Cue banal lift music – apparently forever.
“Just putting you through to the relevant council department, sir.” Cue recorded options’ message, “Welcome to Kingston upon Thames, Children’s Services…”

“Please can you first send us an email, sir.” Cue fruitless wait for a reply – lasting weeks and weeks! “You sent us an email when? I don’t have a record of that – could you send us another one please, sir?” Cue losing the will to go on – almost.


“You sent an email to the address on our website?” Cue thought bubble, ‘Yep, and that was TWO WHOLE MONTHS ago’. “But sir, you’ll need to send an email to our general manager – he’s at this address.” Cue near catastrophic abuse of the phone receiver by way of the tabletop. Must get the French polishers round to fix those dents.


“Of course you can set up your turbo trainer outside our shop, sir.” Finally. Cue, internal cartwheels of joy. “All you have to do first, is get permission from the company which manages this site.” Cue the strangled groan of a beaten man. Needless to say, I’m still waiting for a response from the management company.

Then along came the boys in blue.

“We have no problem with your setting up your turbo trainer in the Market Square for your fund-raising. Here’s your reference number for the council. Please just let us know which date you’ll be doing this on.” You can’t get much more legit than police permission AND a reference number.

It goes to show that perseverance does pay off. Just like the L2P cycle really. Keep pushing those pedals. You’ll get there in the end.



Remember you can donate here: bit.ly/19qHQR3

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TWO-THIRDS A MADMAN

Image
The streets of Avignon in mid-September are spotless - thanks, not to the zealous attentions of municipal road sweepers, but to the unbelievably violent winds which had been scouring the roads and fields clean since we'd arrived. The fabled mistral had taken hold of Provence and was shaking it heartily by the scruff of the neck. Not the best conditions in which to be preparing to cycle up and down Mont Ventoux by three different routes in the same day. But that's exactly what I was doing. My goal was to become a member of the Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux  (Club of the Madmen of Mont Ventoux), the same challenge I'd produced a short  film about in 2009. This time I was going to be suffering in the saddle rather than observing from the roadside. Our  gite  in the village of Mazan was almost in the shadow of the 'bald mountain'.   I could see Ventoux, looming ominously in the near distance, every morning as soon as I stepped out ...
Read more

MAD FOR THE BALD MOUNTAIN

Image
--> “Sommet du Mont Ventoux 1912m” I'm one of those cyclists fortunate enough to have a photo of myself with a large metal pole 'growing' directly out of the top of my head. I say this is lucky because the signpost in question is the summit marker for Mont Ventoux in Provence. It means I have had the privilege of climbing this - I hesitate to use the phrase - 'iconic' mountain, but I will. The arguably over-used adjective actually fits the bill in this case. The Giant of Provence is one of those legendary Tour de France locations worthy of mention in the same trembling breath as, 'Alpe d'Huez, the Tourmalet, the Galibier, the Aubisque and the Izoard' - to name just some of the most celebrated and feared. It's a brute to climb, "a God of evil" according to cycling fan and French philosopher, Roland Barthes. And it’s making its sixteenth appearance in the 2016 Grand Boucle. Armstrong and Pantani famously ...
Read more

PROUD TO BE A FAKE 'FAKENGER'

Image
The bike messenger community is a tightly knit group which is fiercely proud and protective of its identity. I base this conclusion purely on a detailed reading of the online forum of ‘Moving Target - the world’s most useless messenger zine’ (their description, not mine). The posts on the MT forum are from bona fide cycle couriers (I’ve probably misused some vocabulary here - messenger terminology I’m guessing is probably guarded with a vengeance too); and they are by turns, wise, witty, self-deprecating, frivolous, serious and it has to be said, very funny. Chapeau to the Zine’s founder, Buffalo Bill , for an informative and entertaining ‘product‘ (not sure about that bon mot either, by the way). His moderating presence never feels far away on the website and he writes the news stories on the main page with a light touch. The familiar forum banter is frequently hilarious and gives you a clear sense of a real vibrant community as you read through the threads. I also get the feeling ...
Read more