Biking Birder I - 2010 January 6th Snow Prevents Progress so Bike Repairs and Newspaper Interview

 6^th January                                                                          Sunday Papers                                        Joe Jackson

              Hemel Hempstead was actually on the itinerary because of a stupid mistake on my part. One of the previously unstated aims of the tour was to visit schools around the country, spreading both the message that cycling was good for you and the environment-Climate Change message. As part of the Keep Britain Tidy group, there is a superb school-based project being carried out by hundreds of schools across the country called Eco Schools! Back when I had first drawn up the itinerary for the Biking Birder year, I had contacted Eco School's HQ and asked them to assist in contacting schools over the possibility of me visiting and taking lessons, giving assemblies or being shown what the various Eco Schools schools were doing. Now the stupid mistake had been because I had placed Hemel Hempstead on the list sent to Eco Schools instead of the town that was actually on the route, High Wycombe.

Eco Schools had contacted the many schools in Hemel Hempstead that engaged in the Eco Schools project. Before I noticed my error on the spreadsheet, three schools had responded by saying they would love to have me visit. I could not back out now from my mistake by saying “sorry but I meant High Wycombe,” not after such a positive response and so Hemel Hempstead was where I was. The problem was that there was now thick snow on the ground and all of the schools were shut due to the snow and I could not cycle anywhere.

Early in the morning one of the school’s head teachers, I do not know which, had contacted the local newspaper of my being in town and told them of my reasons for being here, you’ll be able to read about them in the Sunday papers!

So it was that I was phoned by the newspaper and asked whether I was willing to be photographed and interviewed and if so, could I bring the bicycle down to the nearby offices. Down the hill, trudging through fresh snow six inches or so deep, I soon found them and after the interview with yet another young, enthusiastic lady, I was outside on the bike shaking a bit, cycling past the photographer. 

Now without all the panniers, the bike had a different centre of balance, much higher up and I did not feel too safe wobbling precariously and holding onto the handlebars for dear life. The photographer’s request that I turn my head towards him when I passed did not go down too well with me but I did my best. I wonder if the published photo shows the craven fear in my eyes.

As there was no way I could escape from Hemel Hempstead because of the snow, I went into the town library next, where I met a keen birder who was behind the desk. His name was Roger Prue and he talked of his recent trip for a Smew at Grafham Water, stating that Rutland was as far as he would go for his birds.

One pint of water drunk given to me by Roger, as I was quite dehydrated by yesterday’s efforts and an hour was spent on the internet, after becoming a new member of the Hemel Hempstead library. I used the time to answer emails, write the blog and in trying to find out how I could say thank you to the incoming donations where the kind donors had used the website ‘JustGiving’ via links on my blog. I also sent an email to Dawes, the cycle manufacturers from my home city of Birmingham, requesting a new bike. They did reply but no help did they offer.

Back outside the snow was falling heavily again and after having great fun throwing snowballs with a gang of local kids, the rest of the day was spent either talking with Mrs Peters or sitting in my room watching news bulletins on the TV telling of the snow chaos across the country. The worst snow for thirty years was outside the news said, reminding me of the worst snow I had ever seen back in the infamous winter of 1963. The trouble was I really needed to get going again. Itineraries so carefully worked out would have to be changed, and routes altered. There was no way I could cycle on the slushy snow-covered roads. It would be lethal! Also, there was the need to get the bicycle's gear system and lights repaired. Another day would be required in Hemel Hempstead. I felt trapped but at least I was comfortably trapped.

In the evening I phoned Lee Evans, the famous birder, not the comedian. I wanted him to offer a settee for a night; my intention being to push the bike as far as his home and then continue the push to Hedgerley the next day. Hedgerley, near Slough had the next RSPB reserve on my list to visit, Church Wood. Well, Lee was immensely helpful with his advice over the state of the roads but he could not understand why I wanted to go to Church Wood. “You’ll only get Lesser Redpoll there and a Lesser Spot if you’re lucky.” He must have said this three times. “Yes, I realise that but it’s an RSPB reserve and I’m cycling to all of them,” I said more than once. Now I must say that I have only met Lee to talk to a couple of times, though I have seen him on more occasions than that at various twitches. So, I did not feel confident enough to ask the ultimate question, can you put me up for a night? He did not offer it so I said thanks for the advice and we left it at that. Now there is a diversity of opinions over Lee Evans. Throughout the phone call he was most helpful and very conversational.

I read the local newspaper, the Hemel Hempstead Gazette, that evening. The letters page had complaints about the standard of gritting in the town. Well I had not seen any but then again, any grit would be lost beneath fifteen centimetres of snow. There was also an article about a young girl who had devastatingly been found to have cancer of the kidney. This horror was only found out because she was donating one of hers to her ex-boyfriend, who now deciding he was gay, was dying and in need of a kidney. How incredibly sad.

An inspiring page told of an amputee receiving an MBE. He had lost both legs and a hand when aged eleven yet despite these afflictions had helped disabled people to access motor sports. There are some wonderful, brave people out there. Weather news gleaning from the box for tomorrow told of minus five Celsius tonight with still freezing weather tomorrow with a strengthening wind. The snow was not going anywhere fast and neither was I.

More details can be read on the original 2010 Biking Birder blog . . . 

https://bikingbirder2010.blogspot.com/2010/01/tuesday-5th-january-stuck-in-hemel.html