france
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Bimbling for pastries
The night has started to dissolve into day as I hand over my passport a minute or two after 5am. Pedalling towards the town a large bulbous moon, brighter than all the street lamps, hangs low in the sky. I climb through hushed streets towards the coast rode to the east. Away from Dieppe the…
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Randonneuring, maps and ferries
Work is progressing on a few new ‘zines… “All The Things I Like About Audax…and one thing I don’t”, based on an old post Stamp Collecting, that came about after being invited to give a talk about audax at Glasgow Zine Fest last month. A 35mm photozine based on a ride in Normandy a couple…
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Chasse Aux Châteaux d’Eau
The tide must have dragged the ferry across the Channel as we’re kicked off earlier than usual, 4am. Another hours sleep would have been nice but stars speckle the sky indicating promising weather for the day ahead. A gentle climb twists out of Dieppe over the cliffs. A sweeping pulsing cone of light in the…
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Meet Me By The Water Tower (again)
Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know that for over a decade I’ve ridden along the coast from Brighton where I live to Newhaven to hop on the ferry to Dieppe and cycle on quiet roads and eat good pastries. Water towers are a recurring motif across the northern France landscape…
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Ride ‘zines
Recently I’ve made a handful of ‘zines based on bike rides over the years. The Picos and Nyhavn first appeared on this blog but I’ve edited or re-written the text extensively. All of them are A6 folded booklets that unfold to A3 with maps, photos and/or words on the reverse side. Full colour digital print…
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Glimpses
Solstice ride in Normandy. 243km, a Holga and a single roll of 120 film. Playing with ideas for a set of screenprints or maybe another book.
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Passing Through
Some of the half-frame 35mm photographs from the French ‘Randonneur Round The Year’ rides will be included in a Brighton Photo Fringe exhibition between 16 and 20 October. The show is at Regency Town House in Hove, open between 11am and 5pm. Further details on the Photo Fringe website. Copies of the photo book 2704…
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twelve
Ker-clunk. Twenty fourth stamp in my passport and waved straight onto the ferry. I pick up my phone from the floor next to my inflatable pillow. It’s 02:38. Is that French time or UK time? Oh hang on, phone isn’t displaying home and away times, it must be UK time. Open Google Maps, blue dot…
the man from icon 