A constant news strap line is the ‘cost of living crisis’ and inflation, of course it’s true. However, I believe it’s also been a ‘fill your boots’ opportunity for savvy businesses. Many price increases seem excessive relative to the costs experienced. How many things once cost a £1 and now cost £1.50? As we know there is only one direction of travel on price movement and even if the components or ingredients are commodity price based and can fluctuate up or down then the products never seem to fall in price. It’s seldom talked about apart from the grabbing stance of banks that never offer savers the same upward escalation of interest rate changes on savings than they impose on loans or mortgages. The test is just to work out the percentage uplift of goods; does it bear a resemblance to quoted inflation levels? Whilst inflation calculations are an average (of small and large increases) the rises you’ll find on many products outstrip inflation times over. It’s scandalous and yet not covered in the news?

It’s been a while since I cycle toured and hopefully another opportunity isn’t far away next year. With Anna away and the end of Summer Time in sight I decided to pack up my touring bike with the usual touring weight and head up north for an overnight stop. The plan was to return the next day. If this went to plan the knee would cope and I could check out bits of kit that haven’t been used for a couple of years.

I chose a hilly route up to Helmsley and then to Great Ayton (toward Middlesbrough) to a hotel I’d booked. I’d rest up overnight and cycle back on the Sunday. In Helmsley I lost a phone signal for route guidance and passed through the town heading north uphill into bleak open moorland with a certainty I was on the right road. The upshot was that Google Maps failed me with poor reception and was telling me that there was a route ahead but not telling me it was over an often waterlogged and patchy forest track.

My Garmin satellite navigation device completely failed as the device had developed a memory problem. I was now passing no settlements only odd farmhouses some distance from the main road. This was a main road that was occasionally barred by metal gates! So with falling daylight I ended up pushing my bike along a track and if that was difficult it got worse when I came across a forest clearing where loggers were cutting trees and had turned the track into a muddy quagmire with their heavy equipment.

The operatives, still working, looked up from their work as, late on a Saturday afternoon, I appeared asking if I was on the right track to Great Ayton? Bemused they proverbially scratched their heads and said I had only two options from here: return to Helmsley or go to Kirbymoorside. I not only had the challenge of finding my way with only their directions to help, unclogging my bike mudguards that were stopping the wheels rotating with thick mud and cycling in complete darkness!

I carry lights and in the darkness and falling temperatures I fell into Kirbymoorside and at 7pm bowled into a busy pub (and hotel), The King’s Head, asking if they had a spare room for the night? Fortunately they did and sanctuary was found. This experience was after 55 miles and climbing 3,632 feet with a heavy bike carrying over 20 kilos plus myself. They had one free room and so I was in luck. The room was £90 (plus the lost cost of the other one I had booked and paid for in Great Ayton!) but noting I was a single occupant they threw in my steak and chips for free. Whilst always dangerous the whole trip was exciting and the ride back to York the next day was uneventful. Oh yes and the knee survived.

In other news then the outings continue with a trip to the cinema to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, “Do I Love You” (The Frank Wilson classic 45) about the Northern Soul scene by John Godber at Pocklington Arts Centre and as for live music a visit to Selby to see Kiki Dee/ Carmelo Luggeri with Anna and then to Hull to see 70s jazz rockers Soft Machine with the Mighty Jessney.

Lastly I’m enjoying the podcast ‘The History oF England’ by David Crowther. He goes through events slowly explaining in a very accessible way. At the moment I’m listening to the profound events that led up to the English Civil War in the mid 17th Century. This War led to the Parliamentary democracy we know today and a subsequent Constitutional Monarchy: in the UK’s case a ceremonial/figure head arrangement without, frankly, any power. In all this Charles I was executed! I wonder whether all this is taught in schools today? It wasn’t when I was in school (probably not long after the 17th Century!) This seems a set of events that are fundamental to the political system we enjoy (!) today.