The Pursuit of Happiness

No, not the Will Smith thing (The Pursuit of ‘Happyness’), although that had been in the original plan today, but just general wellbeing.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I’m a definite countryside person. Okay, being covered in mud isn’t the greatest sensation, but I don’t need to have a clean car, and I don’t mind having to wrap up warm or the smell of horse pooh. All good qualifications for living in the countryside I think you’ll agree – they’re probably in list of top 12 requirements in a Horse and Hound editorial. Cycling around this green domain gives me an enormous sense of wellbeing, a bit like Phil Daniels’ buzz from feeding the pidgeons in that Blur ditty. There’s something almost poetic about cycling around in silence, ocassionally being interupted by a ‘moo’ or a ‘baa’. Apart from the odd ‘hello’ from passing fellow cyclists, horsists or walkists, you’re pretty much alone in the middle of nowhere around here, but being able to see Wales and the river Severn on the horizon.

I think it comes from my childhood, but cycle rides are measured in churches. Many a day was spent doing sponsored rides where each church would result in more money for a charity accompanied by a choccy biccy and a weak orange drink. Luckily this area has churches in abundance… and here’s two of them. I present my pictorial description of today’s serenity: