Happy Beltane!
Francis Sedgemore, Friday 1 May 2009 at 8:21 UTC
Today is the beginning of the summer, in pastoral terms. But even if you live in the middle of a city, you surely have cause to celebrate the turning of the season. A happy Beltane to you all!
This morning I shall be taking a leisurely walk in an old wood on the border of south east London and Kent that’s currently awash with bluebells. Following that I’ll cycle up to London to follow the Deptford Jack in the Green as the dancing bush wends its way through the streets of Southwark accompanied by the sound of massed melodeons and the belching of repeating ale fumes. Later in the afternoon (beginning at 17:04, to be precise), those scallywags the Space Hijackers will be having a do outside the Bank of England to ‘celebrate’ the emerging police state.
Feed the writer! 
Friday 1 May 2009 at 18:18 UTC
Happy bluebells!
Friday 1 May 2009 at 18:43 UTC
They were fantastic! However, I’m afraid it was all downhill from there.
We went riding through farmland near Petts Wood, and then headed up to London. I had a puncture on the Old Kent Road, and couldn’t repair it. Then my spare inner tube exploded when I installed it and attempted to inflate the sodding thing. And all the time the local fauna of Peckham were circling me like vultures.
In the end I missed both the Deptford Jack and the Space Hijackers’ demo, and am now in a fucking bad mood.
The plan tomorrow is to go to Rochester for the Sweeps Festival.
Friday 1 May 2009 at 19:45 UTC
Did you get the Stealth Bike back? Or is this merely a shoddy replacement?
I mean: Exploding tubes an’ all that!
Friday 1 May 2009 at 21:07 UTC
I’ll never see that Stealth Bike again, and can forget about getting any help from the police. They don’t give a toss about bike theft.
The bike I’m riding now is a replacement, and is not shoddy at all. In fact it’s rather good, though to save money I’ve foregone such fripperies as gears and stuff. What I’m left with is a cyclocross/road frame with a fixed-gear drive train – aka suicide bike,… and no money.
Riding up the North Downs without gears is good for strength and stamina building. My legs are now all bone and muscle, and the body fat elsewhere has almost all burned off. On Wednesday I rode 110 km around the Surrey Hills.
Saturday 2 May 2009 at 09:02 UTC
Ah, I miss the bluebells. I knew Morris dancer chap who I think was involved in that Deptford group – big fellow, Andy (or “Lurch”) was his name, maybe you know him.
Saturday 2 May 2009 at 16:50 UTC
I know a few of them by name and drinking habits, but not “Lurch”.
Sunday 3 May 2009 at 20:17 UTC
A couple of days late, but I walked along the Thurso/Castletown coast and, after speaking to seals, have decided to become a selkie.
Sunday 3 May 2009 at 23:26 UTC
It could be a good life as a selkie, Alec. Or at least it could be as long as you stay clear of Terry “Support our Swilers” Glavin.
Monday 4 May 2009 at 20:58 UTC
I support only the right of Scottish seals not to be clubbed, not foreign seals. I’m a good anti-war protester, me.