COMMENT

ON YER BIKE

Ihave always exercised a bit but between Heywood and Bratton. I cycling or rolling between Beat over the summer and through saw many, many other animals, birds, Boxes across Trowbridge. The boxes into the autumn of 2020 I seem insects and even another reptile... a are fixed to lampposts all over town to have had a bit more time on common lizard since you ask! I also and you scan a fob or a card to say my hands so have been doing managed to clock where the biggest, you have been to that particular more than usual…not sure why but juiciest blackberries were growing one. The amount of families I

I’m sure it’ll come to me at some too and, as soon as they were ready, have seen participating has been point! I took a bag and container with me incredible and very heartening. and picked about 3kg of them and Granted Trowbridge may not have

I have been running three times turned them into crumbles, pies and quite as many picturesque views a week and cycling three times a cordials. (I know, I’m dangerously as a three hour cycle through week with a day off to let my old rock’n’roll). I also attempted to make the heart of Wiltshire but to see bones recuperate. I mostly run in and some blackberry jam (see!). This everyone out, in the fresh air getting around Trowbridge but the cycling part did not go to plan; I ended up some exercise, spending time with

“On my travels I saw, and continue to see, a been fabulous. I did however see lot of people out and about either cycling a brother and sister arguing about or running or just walking with or without dogs. I hope this upsurge in people’s activity continues; we are incredibly lucky to live in who should be allowed to scan the fob the other day so maybe it’s not all fun and games!! such an pretty area of the country.” Phil Rockliffe

takes me much further afield. I have a few routes which take in some of the loveliest Wiltshire countryside and some of our prettiest villages. North Bradley, Heywood, Bratton, Edington, Steeple Ashton, Keevil, Bulkington, Poulshot, Rowde, Bromham... I could go on. I have regularly been cycling around at least another 15 more of these hidden treasures and have come to know them quite well - if only from the viewpoint of a bike saddle. I have seen some fantastic sights too; red kites being mobbed in the skies over Bromham/Stockley; a grass snake sunning itself in a field gateway in Steeple Ashton. I recentjly enjoyed the company of a Muntjac deer bounding beside me for about 30 metres just outside Edington and, most bizarrely, a couple of young, male peacocks running alongside me for around 50 metres with what can only be described as blackberry concrete having gone a smidge over the setting point! On my travels I saw, and continue to see, a lot of people out and about either cycling or running or just walking with or without dogs. I hope this upsurge in people’s activity continues; we are incredibly lucky to live in such an pretty area of the country. Within a five or ten minute drive from almost anywhere you can be out in the middle of the wild, beautiful Wiltshire countryside.

What got me thinking about this was the start, a couple of weeks ago, of the ‘Beat The Street’ initiative in Trowbridge. For those of you who don’t know it’s a thing for families to do together and you earn as many points as possible for you and your team by walking, running, scooting, each other and having fun has