Wycombe Wanderers Come To The Table

Some people “get it” and some people don’t. It was ever thus on this tour and Wycombe’s Ben Campbell most definitely did. After a short but very challenging ride from Rickmansworth (plenty of hills around Wycombe!) it was good to get a warm welcome at the much-upgraded Adams Park stadium. Within minutes I was on the pitch and having photos taken. We had a pleasant chat and soon I was off again. This time it was on to my last ground outside Greater London – Reading. As I hit another hill I realised that the tour was nearly over and I spent most of the next two hours going through the highlights of the previous four months in my mind. The welcome I received at Wycombe was a highlight!

Before the trip to Wycombe’s ground I had the pleasure of attending BNI Concord in Rickmansworth. I had heard much of this chapter and had been encouraged to go by a number of members and directors. It was indeed a flagship chapter and although I thought I had seen many excellent chapters this was as close to a model meeting as I saw. The chapter is actually the second oldest (a Harrow Chapter is older by just one day!) chapter in the UK and I was not suprised to see many members who had been with the chapter for 5,7,9 or even longer years. Yes, BNI works.

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“Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner, that I like London so”

In fact I am NOT a Londoner but a proud Yorkshireman BUT I still do like London so! Today I had a BNI lunchtime meeting in Baker Street in the centre of London and I had the chance for a little stroll and the opportunity to soak in the capital. One of the strange things about the 120 days is that I have had ironically very little “me” time and I am very much hoping over the next 10 days to be able to see something of London on foot.

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Today it’s Millwall and Spurs

…….and a superb BNI lunchtime meeting in Enfield.

It was an early start but to be honest I was very glad to get out of the hostel! First stop Millwall’s new ground. As a Gillingham fan, a visit to the Den was about as anticipated as a trip to the dentist. You knew there would be a mixture of emotions and it was likely to end in pain. Well, the worst thing about the new ground is trying to find it. NEVER have been so close to a ground and had to ask so many people for directions. It really is tucked away up side streets off minor roads etc but, no problems, eventually I found it and in true Millwall “style”, it is a bit different. Different as in the car park is given up outwith matchdays to storing ambulances and other emergency and public service vehicles and the entrance is into an industrial estate. Even the exotic name, Zamba Road is different from the usual High Road or City Street etc. That said, the new ground is quite impressive and with a team doing very well in the league who knows perhaps it will be a premiership ground within a couple of seasons. Good Luck to all.

From there, ironically, I went to perhaps the easiest ground in the whole of England to find. “Cycle out of London, through Dalston, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, South Tottenham and the ground is well signposted on the right hand side,” would be my instructions to anybody in the centre. When you get there, you will be impressed. The challenge Spurs have is that they have nowhere really to expand so all upgrades on White Hart Lane have had to be a bit piecemeal but it’s still one of my favourite stadiums and it was good to add Spurs as stadium 86 (Millwall was, of course 85)
More good news was that West Ham have invited me pitchside and I am now discussing with their media people making it club 92 and having a bit of a “send off” there. More anon…..

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Arsenal on board

I had a super lunch with long-time friend John at his restaurant in Crouch End. Great restaurant, great food ….but pouring rain! Yes, England’s at its glorious best again. One minute sunshine, one minute rain. Anyway, worse things have happened to me over the past few weeks than getting wet again so it was a quick dash from Crouch End to the Emirates Stadium.

Anybody who knows me will know that I am not an Arsenal fan but I was looking forward to visiting the Emirates (Never looked forward to visiting Highbury LOL) and yes, I admit it publicly, I was impressed! There, I said it. In the interests of honesty and in line with the “inclusive” nature of the whole tour I will even repeat it. I was impressed. I can’t say I was impressed with where I stayed this night but adding Arsenal as club 84 was clearly a milestone on the trip.

Here’s an update of my plans for the next few days.

Thursday afternoon – Central London
Thursday evening NW London, Watford
Friday morning Wycombe.
Friday afternoon Reading
Saturday morning Aldershot
Saturday afternoon Weybridge
Sunday, TBC
Monday TBC
Tuesday morning/afternoon Ecademy Black Star Day, Paddington
Tuesday evening Central London
Wednesday West Ham, Dagenham, Leyton
Thursday morning Chiswick
Thursday evening Launch of the Ecademy Digital School, Victoria,
Friday Barnet, Enfield
Saturday morning Bromley
Saturday afternoon Stansted.

So, if anybody would like to meet for a 121 at any time in the next few days the diary is
I repeat, ” Shout if you wish to meet….especially if you want to sponsor a day or give me two hours’ work delivering leaflets, cold canvassing, door-knocking or doing anything a refugee has to do to survive!
A bed. sofa. Wendy House would also be appreciated in Central London or Reading as would a professional massage and a haircut!

HUGE THANKS to all who followed me. I’ll be blunt – without the support of you all this whole four months would NOT have been possible. Who should I thank “most”? (Mmmm, there’s an immediate problem – it’s invidious to name names! I should perhaps just say, thanks to all who have supported me in ANY way.) ”

THANKS …just reading this blog and supporting me from afar is a huge help!

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London Calling!

I promised to do nothing and I fulfiled my promise. I caught up on emails, blogs, played chess for hours and made a pile of calls to organise the next two weeks. My trip to Reading/Aldershot/Wycombe is planned and I’m looking forward to a few coffees with the good, bad and ugly of London. I also got a mail from my friends at Ecademy asking me to do a presentation at their monthly meeting. That was a pleasant and welcome surprise and something I will have to prepare for.

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Back in London

So more than 100 days, 15 weeks, 3 months or however you want to phrase it, I’m back where it all began. London, the capital, “town”, the smoke, the metropolis, where the Empire was ruled. Whatever your view of London, at about 4pm I cycled out of Hertfordshire and back into London. Nice feeling!

I checked into a cheap hostel for a couple of nights with the absolute intention of catching up on sleep and giving my legs a few days off. Exeter to Norwich and back to London in just 13 days needed to be done BUT……

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My first live rugby league game in 10 years!

After ticking Stevenage off my list of 92 it was a mad dash to Hemel Hempstead to catch the cup game against Underbank from Holmfirth. Sadly, my little legs did not want to go as fast as my bigger heart wanted them to so I did not arrive at Hemel Way until half-time when the Stags were winning, Sadly, I must have been a jinx as the away side overturned the deficit and came away with a disappointingly easy victory. Still it was good to go back to the club and see a (part of) game.

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5 Card Trick

Yes, despite problems with the bike and acute tiredness this week has to go down as a successful one with Southend United, Ipswich Town, Colchester United, Norwich City and Peterborough United all welcomed to the project. As the song goes, “Five out of five ain’t bad”.

The day started well with an excellent BNI meeting in Kings Lynn and continued well when Richardson’s Cycles immediately got my bike up on a bench and set about repairing it. As the hub spikes were being replaced one by one, my fears for a huge bill grew but I should not have worried as the work was finished in record time and at an unbeatable price. Thanks – highly recommended.

Today it was the turn of Peterborough United to be added to my list of clubs visited and I set off for London Road a ground I have known well over many years. It was good to see that there is still some terracing (see below) and that the club has sensitively upgraded the stadium without forgetting its roots. Chris Brewer pictured below and Head of Media & Ticketing quickly got involved when he heard of the project and the official club photgrapher, Joe Dent, was also present as I cycled in to London Road. Thanks – club 82 and the end is most definitely in sight!

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The Best of Norwich, Norwich City and Norwich BNI Morning Glory all deliver.

Today was always going to be a busy and special day and who better to detail it than those nice people at The Best of Norwich

It’s the week for cycling in Norwich – not only do we have the Tour Of Britain visiting, we also had a visit from Steve Hall.

“Who is Steve Hall?” you may ask.

Well, Steve is cycling to all 92 football grounds in the UK to raise awareness of the plight of the 45 million refugees in the world.

Steve has been reliant in many cases on local people offering him accomodation on his tour around the UK.

Imagine going to a different place each day after a gruelling cycle ride, not knowing the people you’re due to meet or where you’re staying that night.

Steve has tapped into national business networks such as the BNI and thebestof, who have arranged contacts and accomodation along the way.

After some crossed wires between the two organisations, Steve stayed at the Maids Head Hotel, commenting:

“It was quite clearly one of the very best hotels I have stayed at this year. Out of 50+ that is quite a feat! The reception I received made me feel like a prodigal son returning home (rather than a first time visitor!), the room was superb and, all in all my stay was simply 10 out of 10.”

After a very early start to attend the BNI, Steve came to Carrow Road football ground with us for a photoshoot by our bestofnorwich board with Norwich photographers Ignis Photography.
From the football ground we strolled to Costa Coffee at the Nelson Premier Inn, where we were met by for a photoshoot by, guess what……

A plastic yellow duck – you’ve seen the adverts?

Steve enjoyed his time relaxing in Costa Coffee and having a chat with the manager.

Steve said of Costa:

“What sets it out are the staff. They seem to love what they are doing and realise that the customer is king. I spent a very pleasant hour or so here and would happily have spent longer. An obvious “Best Of”…”

At thebestof, we aim to feature independent businesses, so it is unusual to feature a national business, but this Norwich venue is different. The managers come to networking events, so you get to know them as people, and the Nelson is different in that it has fantastic cubby holes where we can meet clients. With free meeting rooms, free parking, and being just across the road from the station, we spend more time in meetings here than we do in our office – much more relaxed and comfortable.

You can read the whole article here. Many thanks indeed to Chris and Sara the owners of TheBestOfNorwich and to all their team. They run a very professional operation and it is easy to see why they are so highly thought of by Nigel Botterill and his management.

Of course, no day would be complete without a BNI meeting and it was a great pleaseure to visit Morning Glory. A great name and a great venue! Straight from the meeting a whole group of us went to Carrow Road where we met TheBestOf and we were all welcomed with a photoshoot and presentation. Thanks to all at Morning Glory and keep up the great work.

So, Norwich did me proud, Norwich City did me proud, The Best of Norwich did me proud and Morning Glory did me proud ….. thanks to all of you.

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FANTASTIC WELCOME AT IPSWICH TOWN

I have to say that if some clubs “get it” and others don’t then Ipswich Town most definitely DID! I got a super welcome from all at Ipswich including the legendarily grumpy security guys! Camilla got me pitchside within minutes of arrival even though a reserve game was just about to start, asked about my tour, took photos and advised the local press. A true professional. Thanks, Camilla and thank your charming receptionists ….other clubs take note! So, Ipswich take their rightful place among others like Oxford City, Chesterfield, the two Nottingham clubs and others too numerous to mention who have made my journey that little bit easier.

When you arrive at a place like xxxx xxxx after days in the saddle to be met with somebody who fobs you off with, “We don’t really have anybody who deals with people who cycle 100 days to see us” then as a tired and weary traveller one does wonder whether they should have a front-of-house role. Compare that with the welcome I got at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich when the ladies seemed to think it was their pleasure that I had checked in to their superb hotel! Thanks to all at this beautiful hotel and thanks especially to The Best of Norwich for arranging this.

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