Today’s quote is from one of Tim’s travel diaries:
“The best part of holidays is anticipation and then recollection”
Another stunning day in paradise! Thank you for all your posts and feedback, if you have missed reading them here is the link to Day 10.
A good and inspirational friend has departed
Today I received sad news that one of my old cycling buddies and valued friend Tim Reep had passed away. Tim was 86 yrs old and has been an inspiration and a good friend to me over many years. It has been an honour and a privilege to have had Tim in my life and to spend many happy hours with him cycling our roads and enjoying many cups of tea. Tim you were a true gentleman, gentle in nature and in your actions, with a great sense of humour and quietly determined – you will be missed by many.
Peter, Les and I recently visited Tim and it was a day well spent enjoying lunch together and sharing memories. Reflecting on the time we spent together highlighted the importance of having experiences which then create memories which last a life time.
I thought I’d share a few words from one of Tim’s first cycling adventures “A Bike Ride in Europe” July 1998, where he rode 4,067 kms.
“Age has certain benefits, one may have to look hard for them, but they are there. The sudden release from day to day responsibilities coinciding with a few years receipt of the old age pension was a marvellous excuse to take off and test oneself with a reasonably strenuous bike ride. Continental Europe is a mecca for cycle touring, so I dug out the map, considered where the prevailing wind was likely to come from, and decided that bottom to top seemed the obvious route. Gibraltar to John O’Groats. The best part of holidays is recollection, then anticipation, so the middle part has to be memorable.”
Tim was one of those riders who had incredible endurance and seemed to require very little food or water. We will miss you Tim, but we know you will be in good company up there with fellow cyclists: Brooke, Peter S, Peter E, Bevan, and Dave. My thoughts are with you Kim, Wogga and rest of the family. Look forward to celebrating your life Tim sometime soon.
A story of Peter and Tim riding a tandem
Peter has just sent me this memory, so I thought I’d share it with you. Hope you enjoy it.
My favourite memory is from the days when Tim and I rode tandem – enabling us go fast enough to make life difficult for younger/faster riders in the “Tuesday Group” who would normally leave us in their wake.
On one occasion, after our morning tea stop at Gordonton, Tim and I mounted our tandem – or so I thought – and set off for my home. Imagine my surprise when after a kilometre or so a car overtook us with Tim leaning out of the car window gesticulating madly.
There are two versions of what had led to this state of affairs. Tim put the blame on me for failing to check that he, as stoker, was in the rear seat of the bike before I set off. I didn’t deny this, but pointed out that I had ridden a considerable distance without noticing Tim’s absence, thus raising questions about the value of his contribution to our supposedly joint effort.
I’m happy to report that Tim and I have remained firm friends and his death saddens me enormously.
RIP Tim
Signs of autumn
Thank you “I-Solution Wanaka” and Sue for the following photographs.
To-do list
Great news my garage door is all painted and looking like new, except the dents which have always been there seem more obvious. The semi-gloss paint seems to highlight them, but guess like all things I’ll get used it them.
How has your day 11 been? What exciting events or happenings have been happening in your bubble?
Till Day 12, take care out there and stay in your bubble! GoldCard Gal 🙂
Lockdown day 11
Today something different: The rest day means I do nothing and my sister helps.
Rosemary lives in Eastbourne, Sussex, UK. She has just returned from Australia, to go immediately into lockdown at home.
So for glimpse life on the other side of the planet and with her permission:
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Here is Eastbourne, nothing is stopping the revelation of spring, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and life is bursting out all around, we are even promised over 20 degrees on Sunday.
Unfortunately, our hospitals are witnessing a different scenario but we are heartened by the response of the vast majority of people coming together to help each other out and the undoubted leadership of our doctors, nurses, other health professionals, scientists, businesses, military and would you believe even our politicians, Matt Hancock and Rishi Sunak seem to be the right men in the right jobs.
Yesterday, I started digging the garden and sowing veg – neat rows of carrots, spinach, beetroot in the garden with courgettes and peas indoors. We shall not starve, we dig for victory!
Thursday, C appeared unbidden with a bag of provisions – leg of lamb, ham joint, potatoes, frozen peas, milk and wonder of wonders – a chocolate orange. Left on my doorstep while we conversed
briefly at several metres distance. Lamb is already cooked and about to be frozen in portion size packets. Remembering your fried bread in dripping, I saved the dripping and had dripping on toast sprinkled with salt for lunch. Oh! memories of tastes gone by. Today my desire for mint sauce to go with the lamb will see me planting up some new pots of mint in the garden. I had let the old pots nearly die, unattended for several years, but I have enough shoots to get a couple of new pots going.
I’m just about to prepare for my daily outside exercise before the world gets out of bed. Round the block, up and down the 48 steps of the local cliff face three times, further round the block, up and down
various steep alleys with steps and then back home for breakfast. I’ll be so fit after this, I never usually do this but have to keep the old body going and this certainly walks off any adrenaline.
After your garage door link, I decided I could sort out my shed door which ground the ground every time I opened it. Yesterday, I carefully re read the instruction of my electric saw so I used it safely and then
successfully removed a couple of inches off the bottom of the door. Oh! what feeling of achievement. I’ve also rigged up a platform with a folding bed frame and cd rack to hold my garden owl ornament in an attempt to stop the seagulls nesting on my roof again. The lifeboat puts a plastic owl on it’s bow to keep the seagulls away and I’m hoping to do the same.
Bye for now,
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Unhurried in Hamilton
I too were sad to hear about Tim: I only knew him a short time in the Tuesday cycle group but found him to be a thorough gentlemen. When faced with adversary he did it with courage and dignity. I was also impressed that he enjoyed a nice pie@!. I had come across Tim first when he rode his electric bike at the Te Kauwhata cycle race. He would have been 80 then. I thought wow who is this guy? Go well. Today I trimmed the tree. I did not take too much as previously I have told I prune rather too closely. This is true. Upon review I did OK. I also did a video blog with 3 UK running mates.We are all going through the same thing so it’s good to connect. We have decided to grow beards. I see a number of TV personalities are doing the same so it must be OK@! All the best: I-Solution Wanaka
Glad ‘I-Solution Wanaka’ got to meet and ride Tim, he was a thorough gentleman. Happy beard growing, trust you’re going to take photos of before and after! Thanks for your post 🙂
Sorry to read your sad news Heather, lovely picture of your three mates, so true making memories while we can is certainly good advice for us all. Garden for me today instead of bike ride but will be ready to hit the roads again tomorrow before the rain (hopefully for the farmers) arrives. Tony mowing the lawns first time in about 3 weeks as no visitors to spur us on, however, with Bill delivering groceries sometime this week the need arose to tidy the place up. Can’t have the kids saying we are letting the place deteriorate while we are in our bubble. Just received our farmlands monthly bill my goodness what a difference when we are only having coffee at home and no lunches out. Good way to save for a holiday once the crisis is contained. Well done on your garage door. Yoga has replaced meditation and I am happy with that decision. Nothing ventured nothing gained and I am not depressed about my inability to meditate. The ukulele is now out of its bag and perhaps by the time classes start again I will be able to play more than C, F, and G7. The great thing is that with only those 3 chords, there are many songs from the old rock and roll days that contain them. Keep well.
Great to hear your daily happenings Carly thank you! Agree with saving money by not having coffees etc!! Mind you can’t wait to go and have a good flat white sometime in the not to distant future! Look forward to hearing the music sometime soon. 🙂
Test posting for acceptance issues
Very sad to here that news Heather, and a nice tribute to a good friend and fellow cyclist. Graham and I cycled today him on his electric and me pedal power. I did give him a run for his
Money on the way home as I had a sudden rush of energy a power surge, the need to cycle as hard as I could. Funny really, must be bubble mania, or that xtra food intake! Who knows but It sure felt good, and Purposely leaving my Phone at home. Who am I? Who knows but I must say I have over laughed watching
Jo Seager and Leigh Hart in the kitchen – Duke TV oh dear my sides hurt! Roll on Monday.
Thank you Prudence and well done to get out on your bikes! Yes I also laughed and laughed watching Jo Seager and Leigh Hart – gosh it was funny! 🙂