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New shoes…

As mentioned in my last post, my tyres are shot, they are 4 years old, and the new route to work is more off-road.

A back in 2012 we discussed tyres and the Schwalbe Durano Plus have served me well. They’ve “a Kevlar SmartGuard belt for extremely effective protection against penetration punctures… …a level of unparalleled protection…” as they say.

Here they are after 4 years with only a few incidents (you may remember THE SHARD back in 2013).

I switched from 32mm Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres, which have been fantastic! I’ve changing to 35mm Marathon Plus Tours – the LBS’s closing 😦 and selling stuff cheaply.

As I say, that the new route to work is off-road, and a lot of it is rougher ground than I am used to. But, the old route, which I still use part of, may as well be off-road. The cycle path, bike route option, is poorly designed and poorly maintained. Take a look at this section down Melton Road. Leicester Cycle City? Humm.

 

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New route, new horizons…

…and so after a spell in both the doldrums and some rough seas, the little red boat found harbour and anchored up for a while. After leaving the land that hope forsook, it’s a reminder; be mindful who you share your boat with… the last few months have been disturbing, worrying and transformative. I replenished provisions, took another look at the charts, did a little exploring with the natives and took stock. We’re now back sailing with a purpose, I think…

Enough waffle! Back on the bike!

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After 4 years doing a 7.5mile commute into Leicester, my new route to work is now 9 miles.

Following the tried and tested route through Syston and Thrummy, down Rushey Mead‘s sad excuse for bike infrastructure, but then after a short jostle on Melton Road, it’s off to the canal! Following the Grand Union Canal, a refreshing ride through Abbey Park and then following bits of the NCN (LOL)  to my destination.

The 9 miles by bike takes me 50mins #puff #pant (I have had 6 months off). Note: my bike is a bike for simply riding from A to B. Not a featherweight road racer for breaking the next sweaty record. It has mudguards for the rain, panniers for the packup, and a big bell, etc.

 

Nerdy bit: After another 2+ years of 32mm Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres, which have been fantastic(!), I’m changing to Marathon Plus Tours (cos the LBS’s closing and selling stuff cheaply, and my Duranos are shot through). So I’ll let you know how the Marathon 35mm tyres fare.

As I say the ride takes about 45-50mins – and the fuel is a banana.
The car trip in (on day one) took me 35 mins (9miles at 35mpg 1.2litres = ~£1.30 each way). This would be more than £12 a week in Fuel.

A bit of the commute can be seen below:

Onwards and upwards.

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Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…

I came across this simple grounding technique after following a live email series, led by Brian Draper.

It’s been niggling me for a few months, and so I’ve put together the quick visual above.

Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…
Compiled by Jules P Richards. Visuals: mitchmartinez.com and vidsplay.com

PBRSPause, Breathe, Relax, Smile – It’s a simple but powerful mantra, that we might use to refocus on our place in things, and notice silences underneath the noise.

(i) Pause…Whatever you are doing, in your head… pause… pause… truly pause…

(ii) Breathe… notice your breathing… feel yourself breathing… (close your eyes and feel…)

(iii) Relax… relax your breathing… relax your muscles… feel your breathing – you are alive!

(iv) Smile…

It’s a smile thing but can be quite powerful.

The layers of our lives are underpinned by silence, sometimes uneasy silence; tense, expectant, anxious, deep, joyful or supreme silence. Silences beyond language; beyond bustle and busy, beyond the habits and tasks, beyond the joy and sorrow, beyond the urge to impress or the impulse to fear.

Communication implies sound. Communion might be something else. Perhaps we can notice how we might commune with other people, as well as merely communicating with them. We might communicate in a way that goes far beyond speaking. Intuition, intimacy, presence… communion.

Noticing ‘our place’ among things is not easy; the bustle and busy, the habits and tasks, and the joy and sorrow around us, can often overwhelm. The distractions of the immediate digital and omniwise infotainment media can be hard to tame. The mechanisms of automation and individualism are not a great help.

How we ‘commune’ with our world can be far more alive than the constant, communicative chatter of our culture might pretend. We’re reminded that ‘life’ at it’s simplest and quietest can be so rich and full that it is almost unspeakable. “Cease striving and know…”

The songwriter writes “A wise person draws from the well within,” Proverbs 20

 

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Gold!

Gold4

Gold!
…nuggets.

Golden nuggets, Chicken nuggets, Gold, Gold, Gold…

Nuggets – Packaged and promoted as the ultimate in wake-up sustenance.

Nuggets – The easy tasty, get-um-while-they’re-hot quick fix.

Nuggets – Treasured fever-causing rarities, burnished to perfection.

…

Perhaps most powerful nuggets to hold onto, are the small powerful moments, words and deeds that people say or do. These nuggets of beauty and truth, may seem insignificant at the time, and may not even be recognised as treasures by the unknowing giver (or receiver), but they can be so powerful. Perhaps these everyday things are the nuggets that keep growth and abundant life going.

Yes, these golden moments maybe mixed up in a cocktail of lies, deceit, fear, and prejudice. They may be too deep to reach, shattered, tarnished or lost, but at the heart of life, is gold.

I believe the interaction between people, and the knowledge that other people can care enough to really consider others, can be a remarkably powerful thing.

Perhaps it’s the honest everyday interactions that bring about these real commitments between people.

Time and space can be unknown players in the big scheme of things, and often the ‘abundance of life’ is beyond our understanding. I like to think that the powerful interactions, commitments and relationships between people can work over time and space and miracles can occur.

So whether it’s a loving quick fix, a hearty wake-up call or a precious moment to be valued. I hope you find, recognise and treasure remarkable nuggets, regularly.

 

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People…

After a week away, new views, and the absence of the routine! (Plus a few cream teas & Otter ales)

I was reading the first book again recently and as I said at the time “Lordy what a tale! What are we to take from such imaginings. #fantasy?”  Blood, guts, murder, death, destruction, deception, theft, slavery, horror, adultery, lentil stew… and creation!  As Keith said, “They knew how to tell a story in them days”.

But one of the things that I took from it was that we are a world of ‘peoples’…

…and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth…

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Also – “he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, even the stones themselves will cry out’ “

Like the pebbles on a beach, we are all different. Bashed, tarnished, polished and buffed into our own unique selves. But essentially we are very similar, in essence, we are the same. Don’t let the brands fool you into becoming a consumerist individual, commercially branded with their “word”, dressed ‘cos you’re worth it’, identified by the ‘logos’ of commercial gain.  Just be you!  Stop, relax, breath, and smile.

We are a world of people. We have our little worlds of people, but as we often might notice more on holidays, there are many other little worlds just a breath away from our own. There are also worlds a distance a way that essentially came from the same seed. Scattered over the earth. I think our worlds might me richer and more colourful if we try to embrace people whoever they are. Easier said than done I know, but don’t let the Daily Mail get to you, or the BBC come to that!  We are one. Or perhaps as the Cornish say “Onen hag oll“ (and those from Devon!). Humm.

 

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Community Magazine

 

LFMagazineCoverShotI recently took on the role of Editor of the East Goscote Community Magazine, accompanied by the long-standing team of John, Dennis, Ian, David and Sue.

East Goscote’s original community magazine was the East Goscote Community News and was first published in 1969. It ceased publication in the 1980s. A magazine was then produced via photocopy at Wreake Valley College. In 1993 David Cannon took over the editor’s position of The Long Furrow from Lyn Palmer. David had the magazine reproduced by East Goscote’s very own ‘Clipper Print’. David still contributes the Greener Goscote material today. It’s now reproduced by the reliable ‘Anchor Print‘ in Syston. Old issues can be seen on the Town Council website here.

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As Long Furrow’s new Editor, I have attempted to revitalise the look and content of the latest issue, and have produced the issue for August – November. We currently have 1300 copies of the 24-page magazine distributed seasonally to all business and residential addresses in East Goscote. You can see the new August issue here:
Long Furrow Community Magazine – August-Nov 2016

 

Long Furrow says:
“It’s your East Goscote– you live here, and give Goscote its life-liness. This magazine is for you. It’s a place to share your business, to share your passions, to share your news, to share your views.
If your organisation or club has something to say, let us know, and we can feature a bit about what and why you do what you do! Drop us a line…
We hope you might find something new in these pages – if not, perhaps you could send something in for others to discover?  It’s your East Goscote, it’s your Long Furrow.”

***** UPDATE *****
Due to other commitments, after 5 issues, I stopped Editing Long Furrow in Oct 2017.

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Street Signage…

SMCABoardSignsVisualAnother job delivered this week…

The new HUB Café space in Syston, and the Methodist Church needed some new large format street signage – ‘all are welcome’, ‘open’, ‘come on in’ etc.

SMC-AAWelcome

A selection of signage, from invites to the ‘OPEN’ cafe to call to worship on Sundays and the weekday communion:

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If I can help you with similar just shout! @julesprichards

SMCHUBOpen

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Book Covers

2BookCovers

A few years back, I was asked to design a book cover for a new book; “A Bike for Life”  by Dave Warnock – see below.

I’ve recently been asked to rework another book cover; “As a Child” by Phil Steer.

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“As a Child” by Phil Steer.

My new cover design is a revision of the original design; a distilling of the existing design.

Keep it simple is a good rule, and in this case, it’s specifically apt. I hope it works – simple, little, the power of minutia…
I have kept Phil’s previous font and simply reflected colours out of the newly masked reduced photo.

‘Packed full of thought-provoking truths’
‘A good devotional read or for anyone with a busy schedule’

‘unless you change and become like little children …’

As a Child is an exploration of this call to childlikeness, this call to littleness – a call made not to children, but to adults – not to those who are naturally childlike, but to those who have grown out of their childlike nature.

 

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“A Bike for Life” by Dave Warnock

I created Dave’s cover from scratch. The final design was chosen from a variety of options in a range of colours.
I shot a selection of photos, and retouched the one selected to appear on the cover.

Cycling trends, maintenance, manufacturing, lifestyle, safety, attitudes, infrastructure…
From saddles to shoes, fixies to trikes, Dave’s been there..

His book  “A Bike for Life” discusses Dave’s  “dream to create a bike to transform life. How your choices can help you embrace and celebrate life, not just for you but for others to.

Two good books!  Two good covers.  Two good blokes! (and me)